Transcript Highlights:

• Good morning members, surgeon and they consist of 5 member bills, 5 divided by 3 hours means we have
• facilities from operating within 500 feet of a park child care facility or early learning service provider
• go through a few of them.
• It clarifies the placement of the Office of Public Professional Guardians within the Department of Elderly
• Having having spotted is back 2 hours and 40 minutes of our time, sir, please go to the >> chair and

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, the four areas of focus currently noted in the bill are currently across three four three-hour
• In fact, the four areas of focus currently noted in the bill are currently across three four three hour
• pay right now, frankly, given the number of hours that many of you know because several of you have
• So if you actually look at it that way, the hundreds of hours that each of these school board members
• I think it's due for the hours, but why are we handing more freebies on top of that?

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5901, which would change the school construction assistance program so that instructional space on military bases is excluded from a district’s available space inventory when calculating state construction aid. Staff explained the bill would also require state assistance to equal approved project cost minus federal funding received. Senator Christian said the measure is intended to prevent military-base facilities from unfairly reducing districts’ ability to modernize or build schools. Testimony in support came from OSPI, Clover Park School District, and Medical Lake School District, which said the current formula penalizes districts serving military families and can leave them unable to secure needed renovation funding. No opposition was heard, and the bill was later described as having an indeterminate fiscal impact. The committee then took up Senate Bill 5860 on school board compensation. The bill would raise director pay from $50 to $100 per day, increase the annual cap, allow child care expenses to be reimbursed, require OFM to periodically adjust compensation, and direct WASDA to develop finance training for school directors. Senator Cortez said the changes are needed to broaden who can serve on school boards and to help working families participate. Supporters from OSPI, WASDA, and South Sound superintendents said compensation could improve diversity and help recruit and retain board members, though WASDA noted concerns about diverting district funds and said its members do not have consensus on mandatory training. Opponents argued the bill would misuse levy funds and that child care and other expenses should not be paid from local education levies. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5956 on artificial intelligence, student discipline, and surveillance in schools, which would bar automated systems from being the sole basis for discipline decisions, prohibit risk scores and biometric surveillance, require OSPI guidance updates, and direct WASDA to create model policy. Senator Nobles and supporters said the bill is needed to protect students from discriminatory and inaccurate AI-driven decisions; no vote was taken in the hearing. Finally, the committee heard a proposed substitute for Senate Bill 5574, which would require districts to include instruction on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American history in required social studies courses during the regular curriculum review cycle, with reporting beginning in 2030. Senator Nobles said the bill is meant to address exclusion and bias in history education and to help students see themselves reflected in the curriculum. Testifiers from education, student, parent, and community groups overwhelmingly supported the measure, saying it would improve belonging, reduce bullying, and build on existing curriculum resources without creating a new course or major new cost. The hearing ended without a vote or other formal action on SB 5956 or SB 5574.

Transcript Highlights:

• It ensures that the Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health agencies is at a minimum of $25 per hour
• The core components of the bill include transferring the operations of the managed care plan services
• 24 hours of a request and to produce copies within two working days.
• of ways.
• and operational audits of managing entities, evaluate provider networks, referral patterns, and system

Summary: The committee met to consider a large agenda of health and human services bills, moving quickly because of a two-hour time limit. Early measures reported favorably included SB 976 on challenges to court-appointed psychologists in family law cases, SB 306 on Medicaid provider network access and after-hours availability, and SB 584 on housing supports for college students and youth in extended foster care. SB 1412 on home health regulation modernization also passed, with one support appearance from the Home Care Association. Members then approved several bills focused on research and care delivery, including SB 1800 creating a Parkinson’s disease research consortium at USF with an adopted amendment adding academic medical centers, SB 524 adding Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening, SB 1156 revising a Medicaid home health aide program for medically fragile children, and SB 1490 transferring and redesigning the managed care program for critically ill children. SB 1174 on foster home licensure transfers, SB 1620 implementing mental health and substance use commission recommendations, SB 1568 revising e-prescribing exemptions, and SB 788 on veterans nursing home beds were also reported favorably. The committee had more extensive debate on SB 1270, the Department of Health agency package, which included provisions on vaccination status, medical marijuana background screening, licensing and compact issues, and sovereign immunity for volunteer dental workers; it passed after an amendment and several members voiced concerns about patient treatment and “voting power” language. SB 1606 on patient access to records drew strong opposition from providers and health information professionals over privacy, HIPAA, and administrative burdens; it was initially reported unfavorably, then reconsidered and ultimately passed after a motion to reconsider. Other bills reported favorably included SB 1736 on insulin administration by direct support professionals and relatives, SB 1808 on patient refunds from providers, SB 1842 on referral disclosure of network status, SB 1354 on behavioral health managing entity oversight, SB 1768 on stem cell therapies with informed consent requirements, and SPB 7032 on presumptive Medicaid eligibility for permanently disabled individuals, which was submitted and reported as a committee bill. The meeting ended after all agenda items were handled and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the purpose of operating a shop or school.
• the purpose of operating a shop or school.
• hours required for some of these license types.
• Because at the moment it's got 1,500 hours of training and 3,000 hours of apprenticeship, but for cosmetologists
• months' operation instead of six.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed selected House Bill 2 provisions, focusing first on the group two pension reform language and whether it matched prior legislation and the fiscal note. Members discussed two main issues: the treatment of extra and special duty pay in the pension calculation for employees hired before 2011, and the annuity multiplier after 15 years of creditable service. Several members said the HB 2 language was intended to restore prior law and protect against pension “spiking,” while others worried the draft and fiscal note may not have fully reflected current law, potentially affecting the cost estimate. The discussion repeatedly emphasized the need to avoid underfunding or double counting and to make sure Finance had the correct actuarial assumptions. No vote was taken; the committee agreed to flag the issues for Finance and to clarify the fiscal note. Members also discussed the vested-rights language, which was described as an explicit definition of vesting and a restriction on future legislative changes to compensation calculations after three years of service. Some viewed it as a policy protection with no immediate fiscal impact, while others noted it had been included in prior legislation and should be clearly understood before the bill moved forward. The committee also briefly referenced prior pension legislation, including House Bill 436 and House Bill 727, and noted that HB 2 was being used to carry forward related pension repair provisions. The committee then turned to an OPLC-related section transferring building, plumbing, electrical, and fuel gas inspector positions from OPLC to the Department of Safety’s Fire Marshal’s office. Testimony explained that the nine inspector positions are funded from the licensing fund, and that the move was justified as a public-safety function better aligned with the Fire Marshal’s mission because the inspections are statewide code-enforcement work rather than facility-specific licensing work. The discussion ended with a note that the remaining HB 2 changes run through 2034 and a brief announcement about memorial arrangements for C.J. Gerard.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:28:22.240><c> of</c><00:28:22.399><c> a</c> them to take over the operations of a them to take
• over the operations of a city<00:28:23.279><c> of</c><00:28:23.360><c> of</c><00:28:23.600><c> a</c>
• And so I just want to hours of work.
• So that was the distinction that the rule is trying to make. operating budget of a city for uh operating
• On operating budget budget of the city.

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, I want to thank all of you for finding us.
• For Pueblos, City of Española, City of Santa Fe. And Anthony.
• Of that, approximately 20% of the juveniles were from other counties.
• In one instance, in a matter of 36 hours, our population increased almost 20%.
• Hours of non-confinement have increased by almost 70%.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• But Because of the late hour and because of the number of witnesses we have registered to testify, we
• Voluntary programs like Operation Clean Sweep are simply not effective enough to address the scale of
• In just a couple of hours, I collected a few jars of nurdles, and here are just a few of them.
• These guidelines will ensure the safety of families, children, and workers who live and operate near
• Before the sun rises, we start our hard work at our day jobs and then spend every available hour of the

Bills: HB1341 , HB1674 , HB4028 , SB2321

Committee: House Environmental Regulation

Keywords: hydrogen sulfide, public health, environmental regulation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ground level concentrations, emissions limit, emissions limits, ground-level concentrations, air quality, PFAS, agriculture, environmental protection, health risks, criminal offense, chemical regulation, preproduction plastic, water quality, pollution control, industrial waste, emissions

Transcript Highlights:

• Capacity has decreased significantly since the beginning of July, but the number of providers operating
• So we typically give two units of personal care hours for meal preparation. That equals 30 minutes.
• The new operating rooms will be operative when? In the first quarter of calendar year 2028.
• A half kiddo sounds funny, but that's just the number of hours. 26 and a half kiddos.
• Funny, but that's just the number of hours: 26 and a half kiddos, and expect to be at full capacity this

Summary: The subcommittee heard budget presentations and questions from several health and human services agencies, with members repeatedly emphasizing that agency numbers had been posted since October and that questioning should stay focused and brief. The Office of Juvenile Affairs said its $5.45 million request would support 162 employees receiving a pay adjustment, and members asked about juvenile care conditions and staffing. The Department of Human Services discussed major changes to child care subsidy funding, including a reduced subsidy request, a $11.5 million child care teacher recruitment/retention request, and planned eligibility and reimbursement changes; it also reviewed SNAP administrative cost shifts under federal law, the state’s SNAP error rate, and the risk of large future state costs if the error rate is not reduced. DHS also addressed TANF reserves, the DDS waiver wait list, the Greer Center buildout, the Advantage waiver supplemental, and meal service options for waiver members. OCCY described a largely personnel-driven budget, requests for more oversight staff, and workload pressures in juvenile competency evaluations. The Office of Disability Concerns reported a flat budget and said it relies mainly on mediation and informal resolution rather than enforcement. OSU Medical Authority said its Tulsa expansion, VA skybridge, and c-section suites remain on schedule, that psychiatric residency funding is being phased in over several years, and that it is working to reduce contract labor and evaluate service lines. J.D. McCarty Center reported its new ABA outpatient clinic is on time and on budget and is nearing full capacity. OMMA said its lab is following required standards, its FTE count is below budgeted levels because hiring depends on lab accreditation and other unknowns, and dispensary numbers continue to decline as the market matures. Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services said it needs about $1.4 million to avoid a maintenance-of-effort penalty and discussed aging campus capital needs and staffing vacancies. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority then outlined a very large budget requirement driven by utilization growth and the shift to value-based care, saying FY26 is currently stable but FY27 would likely require additional appropriations if the request is not fully funded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Your administrative role to have that kind of, um, you know, it's one hour training. >> Uh, yes.
• that are helping us identify vulnerable communities, but particularly this one-hour training of probably
• </c><01:24:40.320><c> the</c> one-hour uh training of probably the one-hour uh training of probably the
• </c><03:27:31.680><c> 30%</c><03:27:32.160><c> of</c><03:27:32.319><c> the</c> recovery oper operations
• . 30% of the recovery oper operations. 30% of the special<03:27:32.720><c> project</c><03:27:33.040><

Bills: HB1769

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: criminal justice reform, rehabilitation, private prisons, racial equity, Native Hawaiians, community well-being, mass incarceration, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1769, which would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to incrementally reduce the number of people incarcerated in private out-of-state correctional institutions. The DCR director opposed the bill, saying the department does not control overall prison population levels because courts determine admissions, and arguing that Hawaiʻi’s in-state facilities are already over capacity, especially Halawa, which he said is 165% over design capacity. He said only a small portion of the population is under departmental control through furlough programs and argued that bringing people home would require building a new medium-security prison. Supporters, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Public Defender’s office, and several individuals, argued the bill creates a phased, accountable path to reduce reliance on mainland prisons and bring people home. Supporters emphasized the harms of separating incarcerated people from ʻohana and culture, the disproportionate impact on Native Hawaiians, and the need for diversion, treatment, re-entry support, and fair sentencing. Several testifiers also said the department has more control than it claimed, pointing to underused furlough options, reclassification, and empty beds at some in-state facilities, while others urged clearer statutory language and guardrails. Members questioned the director about whether people could be reclassified or moved to available beds at facilities such as Kulani and Waiawa, and about whether the department could do more through staffing and contract changes. The director said some proposals had been sent to the Department of Human Resource Development, but that major facility changes would be costly and that minimum-security facilities would need substantial upgrades to house medium-security inmates. After discussion, the chair said the committee would defer HB 1769 to Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. for decision-making and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Drivers are the backbone of both the economy and the social fabric of our communities.
• Less than 60% of the drivers on these platforms work less than 20 hours a week.
• Less than 60% of the drivers on these platforms work less than 20 hours a week.
• How does that operate? are independent. How does that operate?
• people of color.

Committee: Senate Labor

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , of your understanding of how you're working. ...of your workspace, of your understanding of how you're
• , of your understanding of how you're working. of your workspace, of your understanding of how you're
• If I schedule five appointments in one day, but three of them are no-shows or canceled only a few hours
• The industry is under federal regulations, which are critical to ensuring that drivers comply with hours-of-service
• part of this problem, those sorts of ideas.

Bills: HB2144 , HB2190 , HB2191 , HB2303 , HB2345

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: employee monitoring, workplace privacy, performance evaluations, notification, transparency, language access, collective bargaining, providers, healthcare, interpreters, social services, construction, wage theft, misclassification, independent contractor, employee classification, fringe benefits, prevailing wages, subcontractor liability, joint and several liability

Transcript Highlights:

• International Union of Operating Engineers.
• My name is Matt Edelow, and as stated, I'm the vice president of the International Union of Operating
• That is a low enough number that a person can work in that for a full eight-hour shift inside of that
• My last question is, again, in terms of your operations and the engineering and what you're creating,
• In terms of your operations and the engineering and what you're creating, we know that a lot of these

Committee: House Utilities

Summary: The Missouri House Committee on Utilities held an informational hearing on data centers, with the chair saying the goal was to hear different perspectives and better understand the issue before future legislation. No public testimony was taken, but three invited speakers presented: a labor representative, an Ameren Missouri executive, and a consumer advocate. The discussion focused on the economic benefits of data centers, including construction jobs, local hiring, apprenticeship opportunities, tax revenue for schools and local governments, and related spending by Missouri businesses. The labor witness described current Montgomery County projects, said hundreds of Missourians were already working there, and argued that closed-loop cooling and generator noise were manageable. Committee members also raised questions about water use, noise, cybersecurity, local hiring, and how much tax revenue a project could generate annually. Ameren’s Rob Dixon said Senate Bill 4 and the PSC’s large-load tariff provide key protections for ratepayers by requiring large customers to pay their own interconnection costs, sign long-term contracts, post collateral, and pay for most of their requested load even if they use less. He said those rules help prevent costs from shifting to other customers and that large loads can put downward pressure on rates by contributing to fixed system costs. Dixon also said Ameren is planning for significant new generation, including gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, and renewables, and that data centers are subject to the same load-shedding and emergency restoration rules as other customers. He noted that the protections apply to investor-owned utilities, not co-ops or municipal utilities. John Kaufman of the Consumers Council of Missouri argued the PSC protections are still too weak and warned that data centers could raise rates through construction work in progress, stranded generation costs, and other risks if projects are delayed, shrink, or fail. He urged stronger consumer protections, more upfront financial commitments from data centers, and greater transparency for ratepayers, while also suggesting community benefit agreements and cautioning against over-reliance on utility projections. Several members pushed back on his characterization of Senate Bill 4 and QIP/CWIP provisions, and the hearing ended with the chair thanking the witnesses and adjourned the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows workers to keep more of what they earn, especially when they put in extra hours.
• It allows workers to keep more of what they earn, especially when they put in extra hours.
• More of what they earn, especially when they put in extra hours.
• When employees take on extra hours to cover the rising cost of gas, groceries, and utilities, a significant
• California manufacturers are operating in one of the most challenging environments in the country.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of state law.
• of state law.
• of the cost of the loan in what is called a dealer fee.
• We've had a lot of conversations with a lot of members of the committee and with the author, and we look
• We've had a lot of conversations with a lot of members of the committee and with the author, and we look

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee met to hear several bills focused on consumer and small business financial protections. SB 97, by Senator Grayson, would update and clarify California’s digital financial assets law; supporters from the blockchain industry and consumer groups said it would improve compliance clarity while preserving room to align with possible federal action. The committee passed SB 97 on a due-pass motion to the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, with the roll left open for absent members. The committee also heard SB 362, which would strengthen disclosure rules for small business financing by requiring clearer pricing information throughout the marketing process. Supporters said the bill would help small businesses compare offers and avoid harmful financing, while some industry groups objected to the bill’s treatment of communications and APR disclosures during negotiations. After discussion, the committee passed SB 362 to the Judiciary Committee, with several members voting aye and the roll left open. SB 784, a bill addressing predatory home-improvement and solar financing practices, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters described scams targeting seniors, low-income homeowners, and non-English speakers, and said the bill would add safeguards such as confirmation calls, document access, fee transparency, and longer cancellation periods. Solar industry groups moved to neutral after amendments, while banks and other lenders raised concerns about overbreadth and impacts on legitimate lending. The committee passed SB 784 to Judiciary, with some members not voting or changing votes during the roll call. Finally, SB 825 sought to give the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation clearer authority to enforce existing consumer financial protection laws against its licensees, especially in light of reduced federal CFPB enforcement. Supporters argued California needs independent state enforcement tools, while banking and mortgage groups opposed the bill as duplicative and unnecessary, urging coordination with federal regulators and proposing narrower amendments. The committee passed SB 825 to Appropriations on a due-pass vote, and then adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• of all operations in the vicinity of DCA.
• part of their... continuity of government operations.
• Only specific sites that are part of that continuity of government operation.
• to readiness for continuity of government operations?
• Rochelot – of operations at DCA? How are they different?

Committees: Senate Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation , Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Keywords: aviation safety, midair collision, American Airlines Flight 5342, Army Black Hawk helicopter, NTSB, FAA, ADS-B technology, safety protocols

Summary: The meeting focused on the discussions surrounding the tragic midair collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which resulted in the loss of 67 lives. Testimonies were provided by key figures including NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and FAA Acting Administrator Chris Richelieu. The committee expressed grave concerns regarding the existing safety protocols, questioning why the FAA failed to act on numerous warnings and data indicating potential collision risks. Members emphasized the need for urgent reforms in aviation safety to prevent such tragedies in the future. Specific highlights included the recognition of the importance of ADS-B out technology and concerns about the operational practices of military helicopters in controlled airspaces.

Transcript Highlights:

• You should know we all work very closely together, and we kind of operate under a no wrong door policy
• </c> closely together um and we kind of closely together um and we kind of operate<00:02:33.879><c> under
• There's operations and administration; that's kind of the administration of all the grants in the agency
• and administration at the operations and administration at the department<00:10:11.000><c> of</c><00
• </c><01:31:45.360><c> 24</c><01:31:45.800><c> hours</c> last committee is instead of 24 hours last committee

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There are plenty of other states that actually go well beyond 24 hours.
• I guess I'm struggling to find the benefit of going to 48 hours versus 24.
• Plenty of years working 24-hour shifts. The benefit of the expertise. You can listen to it or not.
• </c><01:59:06.320><c> versus</c> the benefit of going to 48 hours versus the benefit of going to 48 hours
• </c> Plenty of years working 24-hour shifts. Plenty of years working 24-hour shifts. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, the determination of which telecom services companies can operate has fallen to the FCC, but
• Currently, the determination of which telecom services companies can operate has fallen to the FCC, but
• Over the last couple of weeks, I've spent many, many, many hours, as has Representative Snyder-Hall and
• They have run out of hours. They have to stop.
• I don't see how any of us could legitimately vote on this, given the hour.

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, but for 2023, out of $58 million of regular route operating costs, $21.8 million was operated on
• </c> span of service should a route operate? span of service should a route operate?
• </c> comprise 26% of their operating. comprise 26% of their operating.
• </c> hour of the time that it is requested. hour of the time that it is requested.
• The operating costs of this.

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> otherwise impede the normal course of otherwise impede the normal course of operation<00:17:59.039
• operation of any International Regional operation of any International Regional municipal<00:18:02.200
• A person is guilty of a Class B felony if such person knowingly is in possession of or operates the UAS
• operating a vehicle in violation of RSA 265:26, so driving on the right side of the road.
• </c><01:18:27.199><c> this</c> be the number of hours and you know this be the number of hours and you

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all