Transcript Highlights:

• Because they also, the Guard will commission, has their own commissioning program as well, from what
• UNM ROTC is committed to the Air Force Arts Commission of Commissioning Officers of Care.
• So we commissioned six last year, 10 years before, but we're on track to commission approximately...
• The Commission is now fully appointed.
• The attorneys have taken a look at that; they've talked with the compact commissions, and so that is

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill requires the Public Service Commission to review and validate load forecasts, coordinate with
• The bill requires the Public Service Commission to review and validate load forecasts, coordinate with
• The bill has introduced and enacts the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, which has been enacted by
• The compact will not become active until it has been enacted into law by seven states.
• The compact is similar to other occupational licensing compacts that West Virginia has already enacted

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas New Mexico may enter into an interstate medical licensing compact during the next legislative
• We understand the need to pass the medical compact.
• We also know that we have to deal with our medical compacts.
• Nominating Commission. Establishing qualifications for Commission members.
• Setting forth the appointment process for Commission members.

Transcript Highlights:

• Planning and Inventory Commission. Planning and Inventory Commission.
• compact.
• compact.
• compact.
• So all three of those compacts compact.

Bills: HB567, HB776, HB2, HB568, HB619

Keywords: open records, public access, transparency, government accountability, public agency, dental practice, licensing, administrative regulations, dental assistants, supervision, Medicaid, community engagement, healthcare, managed care, eligibility, public assistance, insurance, public adjuster, claim process, contract requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 456 allows an exemption for muralists to continue to engage in commissioned work without having to
• My first mural was commissioned by my mom on the hallway wall next to our washer and dryer when I was
• Agreement, where online out-of-state education providers only are regulated through this compact and
• California is now the only state, though, that didn't join the compact.
• So SB 790 authorizes the Governor to enter into an interstate compact for this purpose.

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a lengthy agenda of Senate bills, with most measures ultimately advancing on party-line or broad bipartisan votes after substantial testimony and several amendments. Early in the hearing, SB 418 by Sen. Menjivar was presented as a health access bill to codify ACA nondiscrimination protections in state law and require coverage for up to a 12-month supply of medically approved hormone therapy; supporters framed it as protecting continuity of care amid federal threats, while there was no opposition testimony. The committee later also took up SB 456, which would exempt muralists from contractor licensing requirements for commissioned fine art murals; supporters said recent enforcement had chilled mural projects and harmed artists and communities, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. SB 641, part of the wildfire response package, and SB 774, a sunset review bill for the Department of Real Estate and Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers, also advanced with support and no opposition. SB 775 and SB 776, sunset extensions for the behavioral sciences, psychology, and optometry boards, passed after witnesses described technical changes and the need to keep the boards operating. SB 777, dealing with abandoned cemeteries, drew testimony from local governments, industry, and counties; after amendments removed a local takeover mandate and shifted the bill toward a stakeholder working group and study process, opposition softened or was withdrawn and the bill moved forward to Local Government. SB 790, on interstate reciprocity for online higher education, generated the most debate, with supporters arguing California students and institutions need stronger consumer protections and access to the national reciprocity framework, while opponents said the bill’s terms conflicted with the existing compact; it passed as amended to Appropriations after committee members emphasized continued work on student protections. The consent calendar, including SB 389 and SB 861, was also approved, and the committee adjourned after additional vote changes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• improves compact firstly the compact improves compact firstly the compact improves access<01:11:34.960
• The compact commission has some rules, but New Hampshire would maintain that sovereignty.
• not the commission of the not<01:20:54.880> the<01:20:55.000> compact<01:20:55.400>
• commission<01:20:55.760> has<01:20:55.920> some not the compact commission has some
• not the compact commission has some rules<01:20:56.400> but<01:20:56.560> New<01:20:56.760

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 144 and House Bill 145, both related to professional licensing for dietitians and dental hygienists. HB 144 was described as a technical fix to align statute with existing Board of Dental Examiners rules allowing dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide and local anesthesia, with supporters saying the bill would add needed training and examination requirements to statute. A dentist and dental society representative testified that the practice is already being done safely within scope, and committee members discussed whether nitrous oxide is still used and whether the bill was mainly to keep the paperwork and law consistent. The committee moved HB 144 forward on a 12-0 vote and placed it on consent. HB 145 would join New Hampshire to a dietitian licensure compact and add a criminal history check for initial licensure to match compact language. The sponsor and board witnesses said the compact would improve portability, support telehealth, help military families and spouses, and maintain public safety by ensuring qualified practitioners and information-sharing among member states. Committee members asked about withdrawal from the compact, the difference between single-state and compact licensure, and why a background check was included; the witness said the compact is not yet active, with four states enacted and seven needed, and that the background check is required by the compact language. Additional testimony from a private-practice dietitian supported the bill, citing continuity of care, rural access, and workforce mobility, while some members raised concerns about telehealth across state lines and the practical effect of the background check.

Transcript Highlights:

• We at UC San Diego and UC have upheld the compact.
• During the compact period, and as an aside, from 2017 to 2023, we grew by 31%.
• , whether that is actually a contract or just a compact.
• , and San Diego during each year of the compact.
• We just would like to oppose the cuts and restore the compact.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill requires the Public Service Commission to review and validate load forecasts, coordinate with
• The compact will not become active until it has been enacted into law by seven states.
• The compact will not become active until it has been enacted into law by seven states.
• Interstate Cosmetology Licensure Compact, third reading of the bill. Senator from Randolph.
• The compact is similar to other occupational licensing compacts that West Virginia has already enacted

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate met on March 11, 2026, with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and numerous guest and page introductions, including school groups, prayer caucus visitors, and advocates for Home Family Education Day and Women in Blue Day. The chamber then took up committee reports and a large number of House bills, most of them on third reading, along with several resolutions and referrals. Senate Resolution 62, designating March 12, 2026, as West Virginia Athletic Trainers Day, was adopted after remarks emphasizing the value of athletic trainers in preventing injuries and tragedies in school sports. Several other resolutions and concurrent resolutions were referred to the Committee on Rules or laid over under the rules. The Senate passed a wide range of bills addressing economic development, public safety, health, licensing, and state administration. Measures approved included bills on the West Virginia Collaboratory at Marshall University, the Business Ready Sites program, volunteer fire company spending authority, the Load Forecast Accountability Act, funeral service licensure, work zone fines, biennial business reporting, correctional officer retirement law, the Right to Try Act, quick claim deed tax exemptions, an ibogaine drug-development grant program, aggravated vehicular homicide sentencing, 529 savings plan definitions, opportunity zones, barber apprenticeship, municipal and county hotel occupancy fund uses, criminal-record licensing standards, intimate image disclosure remedies, executor training materials, contempt penalties, PEIA treatment flexibility, PANS/PANDAS information, the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, capitation rate review expansions, convention and visitors bureau board membership, peer support services, cosmetology licensure compacts, natural resource police retirement, DNR fee indexing, ALS care services, the Neighborhood Investment Program, oil and gas well plugging and carbon capture-related provisions, DUI technical changes, abuse intervention program terminology, and a youth summer employment and career readiness program. Most bills passed overwhelmingly, with a few closer votes, including the Load Forecast Accountability Act and the DNR fee-indexing bill. Several bills were amended on the floor, including title amendments and strike-and-insert changes. The Senate also debated the work zone penalty bill, with supporters citing worker safety and fatalities and opponents arguing the bill increased fines too much without requiring removal of outdated work-zone signs. On the energy-related load forecast bill, senators discussed the inclusion of provisions from Senate Bill 420 and concerns about coal plant utilization and utility impacts. After debate, the Senate adopted amendments and passed the bill. In most cases, after passage the Senate ordered the bills communicated to the House, and for a few measures it also adopted title amendments or made bills effective from passage or on a specified date.

Transcript Highlights:

• relative to intermunicipal compacts. relative to intermunicipal compacts.
• the compact and get voters to buy in on the compact, all of those guidelines as to how the compact would
• So, I mean, as they develop the compact and get voters to buy in on the compact, all of those guidelines
• What does that mean that it compact.
• uh compact, what what does housing mean? uh compact, what what does housing mean?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Joint Commission, of course, accredits hospitals.
• The Joint Commission, of course, accredits hospitals, just as the state licenses hospitals, and in both
• Senator Harrell: And you mentioned the compacts, the interstate compacts.
• Appreciate it. the compacts, the interstate compacts.
• other states when you were looking, or was it mostly if they had anything they participated in a compact

Bills: S0428, S0606, S0192, S0162, S0340

Keywords: drowning prevention, water safety, swimming lessons, swim vouchers, child drowning, infant safety, toddler safety, pool safety, bath safety, safe bathing practices, postpartum education, newborn care, childbirth education, birth centers, home birth providers, Department of Health, public health, water competency, swim instruction, infant supervision

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met with a quorum and took up several health-related bills, with a strong focus on drowning prevention and patient safety. SB 428 by Senator Yarborough would expand Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7. Supporters, including a pediatric emergency physician and YMCA leadership, cited Florida’s high child drowning rates and argued that swim lessons reduce risk and should be available to more children. Senator Harrell noted the need to consider increasing the program’s funding as eligibility expands. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 606 by Senator Smith, which adds drowning prevention and safe bathing education to postpartum materials provided by hospitals, birthing centers, and, after amendment, no longer home birth providers. A parent who lost a child to drowning testified in support, and senators emphasized the preventability of such deaths. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 340 by Senator Harrell would require nursing students to complete a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure; after a strike-all amendment shifted the requirement from nursing programs to the students themselves, the bill received support from advocates and was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also considered SB 162 by Senator Davis, which would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies for using smoke evacuation systems during procedures that generate surgical smoke. The sponsor said the equipment is relatively inexpensive and already common in many facilities, while opponents and some senators questioned the medical evidence, enforcement, and possible impacts on rural and smaller facilities. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably, with some members voting no. SB 192, presented by Senator Trumbull on behalf of Senator Martin, would remove the $1,500 cap on advances chiropractic physicians may collect for examinations or treatment; the Florida Chiropractic Society supported the change as pro-small-business, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also received an OPAGA presentation comparing Florida’s health care practitioner regulation system with other states, focusing on board autonomy, rulemaking oversight, board composition, appointments, term limits, and funding mechanisms.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, basically, it was a multi-state compact, and they felt that it was.
• When we sign a compact, it's domiciled in Colorado.
• I just think that reviewing a compact, all the compacts should be a different structure than trying to
• Marriage is a conversation; you look at the compacts in Health and Human Services, you look at the compacts
• We have water compacts. Yes.

Bills: HB146, HB150, HB1500, HB1545, HB1562, HB2067, HB2520, HB2818, HB3214, HB3250, HB3466, HB3512, HB3623, HB4063, HB4395, HB4464, HB4668, HB4690, HB5331, HB3833, HB146, HB150

Keywords: HB 146, Texas Capitol, State Capitol, State Preservation Board, Congress Avenue, Travis County, traffic lanes, lane closure, road closure, municipal authority, local control, Capitol area, downtown Austin, special events, construction traffic plan, pedestrian safety, public works, transportation policy, government code chapter 443, cybersecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I'd like to ask Ja Pro with the Military Stability Commission to come and present to talk about our
• As we sit today, what has been approved by the commission is a 15-bill package.
• We want to make sure that they are permanently at the table on our commission.
• All right, so we’ll have two interstate compacts.
• We may be switching out one of these for a separate one, but these compacts allow...

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The compact sets uniform standards for social workers seeking licensure.
• So you had talked about the compact index.
• You had talked about the compact in every other New England state opting in to the compact.
• I'm now proud to serve as chairman of that commission.
• It does not impact the interstate compact.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard testimony on a broad set of bills focused on making public higher education more affordable and accessible, protecting student information, and changing social work licensure rules. Chair Rogers and Senator Comerford opened by emphasizing the committee’s focus on financial aid, tuition and fee waivers, scholarships, admissions, and institutional changes, and they reminded witnesses about the three-minute testimony limit. No votes were taken during the hearing. A large portion of the hearing centered on the “Super Act” (H. 1423/S. 218), which would eliminate the master’s-level social work licensing exam and create grant support for social work internships. Supporters—including students, practitioners, educators, and advocates—argued that unpaid internships and the exam create financial barriers, worsen workforce shortages, and disproportionately affect Black, brown, older, ESL, and other marginalized candidates. Opponents from the Association of Social Work Boards argued the exam is a necessary public-protection standard, helps maintain uniform licensure, and is important to the social work licensure compact; they said workforce shortages should be addressed through pay, working conditions, and caseloads instead. Committee members asked detailed questions about compact participation, exam accommodations, and how other states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut have handled similar changes. The committee also heard extensive testimony in favor of debt-free public higher education bills (H. 1436/S. 929). Witnesses, including students, faculty, advocates, and Senator Eldridge, said Massachusetts should expand on free community college by covering tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges and universities, with additional aid for living costs for lower-income students. Supporters said student debt delays homeownership, family formation, and career entry, and that the state should use Fair Share revenue to invest in public higher education. Some committee members voiced support but also raised concerns about prioritizing K-12 funding and the cost of expanding free college further. Several witnesses also supported bills to extend tuition and fee waivers to young adults raised by grandparents or other kinship guardians outside the DCF system, arguing that these students face the same trauma and financial barriers as foster youth but do not receive the same benefits. Representative Donato, Joseph O’Leary, Shauna Manning, Sandra Vecchio, Karen Gardner, Judy Walter, Elaine Arsenault, and others described the financial strain on grandparents raising grandchildren and urged parity with DCF-related waivers. In addition, Senator Jake Oliveira testified for a bill to protect public higher education student directory information from data mining and unauthorized sharing, and Deirdre Cummings testified for an open educational resources bill to reduce textbook costs. The hearing concluded with continued testimony on kinship care and college access, with committee members thanking witnesses and indicating follow-up on some bill language issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, is Florida out of the compact?
• Is Florida out of the compact?
• in one of the compact in one of the compact States<00:30:23.039> we<00:30:23.200> find
• We're still going to get that information. the compact correct so again my my the the compact correct
• There's been some discussion about the compact. ...there's been some discussion about the compact.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh Review Committee to the commission.
• Lambert said urban compacts, and state roads within urban compacts, are the class four roads.
• cover urban compact cover urban compact roads?
• Urban compacts,<01:21:19.960> um compacts, um compacts, um state<01:21:21.480> roads<01
• I state roads within urban compacts, I state roads within urban compacts, I believe<01:21:23.240>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: House Transportation opened public hearings on three Senate bills and discussed a fourth scheduling issue. On SB 499, which would change Traffic Safety Commission reporting requirements, the sponsor’s representative said the bill would require annual aggregated data on the causes of traffic collisions in New Hampshire and recommendations to address them. Members asked about the added Trauma Medical Review Committee seat, and a representative explained that it is a longstanding state board of emergency and trauma professionals; the bill had already been amended and passed unanimously earlier in the process. On SB 500, concerning restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators, the sponsor and trucking-industry supporters said the measure arose from concerns raised by female truck drivers and was intended to require larger commercial facilities with available public or employee restrooms to allow truck drivers to use them when there are no public safety concerns. Supporters from the New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said driver shortages make it important to recruit and retain women, and that lack of bathroom access is a significant barrier. Committee members asked about the scope of the problem and whether the issue affected male and female drivers differently. The committee then heard SB 559, which would reduce the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads. Supporters, including bicyclists and the Bike-Walk Alliance, testified that lower speeds improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, citing personal crash experiences and national guidance supporting lower urban speed limits where warranted by traffic or engineering studies. They emphasized the bill would not mandate lower limits statewide but would give towns local discretion. Members questioned whether the group would support 15 mph limits and how congestion and travel-time concerns were weighed. A Department of Transportation official testified neutrally, saying the agency had no formal position but had concerns about public perception and possible spillover to unnumbered state roads. The chair also noted an earlier scheduling problem that prevented immediate executive action on a bill until later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, the public service commission Next, the public service commission agency<00:08:37.760>
• community college commission section 57. community college commission section 57.
• commission was $6.6 million. commission was $6.6 million.
• ,<00:24:08.960> agency in the boards and commissions, agency in the boards and commissions
• River compact of 1948. River compact of 1948.

Bills: SF0032, SF0010, SF0001, HB0001

Keywords: 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, Wyoming, budget, funding, education, wildfire prevention, healthcare, community colleges, grants, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• constituting the the um the commission constituting the the um the commission again<00:35:42.440
• member to the board to the commission member to the board to the commission and<00:40:24.800>
• Uh, Stacy Lukin, room commissioner for the Hawaii Interstate Compact Office.
• Uh, Stacy Lukin, room commissioner for the Hawaii Interstate Compact Office.
• I'm not really familiar with this compact.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard advice-and-consent testimony on several gubernatorial nominations, beginning with GM 644 for Steven Logan to serve as Adjutant General of the Department of Defense through December 7, 2026. Testimony from multiple state officials and others was strongly supportive, citing Logan’s military leadership, service during the COVID-19 period, and coordination during the fireworks-related patient transfer. Logan described his 44 years of military service, 22 years with the Honolulu Police Department, and his approach of “unity of effort,” including how he would help operationalize the Office of the State Fire Marshal by coordinating with county fire chiefs, the State Fire Council, and emergency management to pursue funding and implement recommendations. The committee then took up GM 621 and GM 623 for the Correctional Industries Advisory Committee. Shante Asuda of Hawaii Correctional Industries supported both nominees and said the board is important for evaluating private-sector joint ventures that can provide work skills for incarcerated people. Carla Kashiwa said she wanted to help improve outcomes through public-private partnerships and vocational rehabilitation opportunities for people reentering society. Lee Shinato, however, gave a less prepared presentation, offering broad ideas such as crafts, lunch wagons, and ukulele-making, and acknowledged he was not fully clear on the board’s scope or goals. Committee members expressed concern about the lack of preparation and clarity around the board’s mission, and the administrator later explained that the board’s role is to review business plans for viability, return on investment, sustainability, and whether they provide marketable skills for inmates. The final item discussed was GM 568 for Aris Banag to serve on the Advisory Board of Veteran Services. Supporters described him as community-minded and deeply committed to veterans. Banag said he has over 30 years of service, has worked as a mental health therapist and veterans resource coordinator at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, and helped create the first veteran service center there. In response to questions about federal VA cutbacks and veterans nearing retirement, he said the board must be a strong independent voice for veterans, advocate against reductions in benefits, and help service members plan for post-military life, including disability benefits, retirement, and financial planning. No votes or final committee actions were stated in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would also cover urban compact roads?
• cover urban compact cover urban compact roads?
• Urban compacts,<01:21:19.960> um compacts, um compacts, um state<01:21:21.480> roads<01
• I state roads within urban compacts, I state roads within urban compacts, I believe<01:21:23.240>
• I compact are under local jurisdiction.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ordinarily, we would direct them to the Emergency Commission, because the Emergency Commission is the
• The second request is from the North Dakota Public Service Commission.
• And one of those agencies is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• The commission is involved in litigation before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• And so what the commission was forced to do is retain new counsel.

Bills: SB2401, SB2402, SB2403, SB2404

Keywords: SB 2401, North Dakota, Century Code, occupational therapy, occupational therapy board, criminal history record check, background check, licensee investigation, physician continuing education, medical license renewal, nutrition education, metabolic health, chronic disease prevention, health occupation boards, medical board, licensure fee, audit response, disciplinary action, Title 43, board of medicine

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. It adopted the procedural employment committee report naming Senate staff for the special session. The chamber then took up several health-care and appropriations measures, first adopting amendments to Senate Bills 2401, 2402, and 2403 before moving them to final passage. Senate Bill 2401 passed 44-2 and requires physicians to complete at least one hour of continuing education in nutrition and metabolic health, part of a broader rural health care package. Senate Bill 2402 passed 46-0 after major amendments negotiated between the medical and pharmacy boards; as amended, it expands pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution in limited areas while excluding categories such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, chemotherapy agents, Schedule II drugs, biological products, and narrow therapeutic index drugs. Supporters said it would improve rural access and help secure rural health transformation funding, while questions focused on how pharmacist competence would be measured and enforced. Senate Bill 2403, also passed 46-0, creates a short-term medical facility emergency operating loan program through the Bank of North Dakota, reduced by amendment from $10 million to $5 million, to help a financially distressed rural hospital. Senators discussed the hospital’s mismanagement, the need for a bridge loan, and safeguards including a limited application window and expiration in 2027. Senate Bill 2404 passed 46-0 and provides supplemental appropriations to the Information Technology Department for ADA-related website accessibility compliance and to the Public Service Commission for additional legal costs in federal energy-rate litigation. The Senate then made announcements about a Highway Patrol safety presentation and filing deadlines, excused an absent member, and adjourned until the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 79 law enforcement officers that are fully certified and commissioned officers in the state of
• And the commission is meeting.
• We have our annual reports that we file with the Commission every year.
• My name is Hannah Risely White, and I'm the director of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission.
• Just briefly, what we are planning to settle are one the interstate compact dispute with.