Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a staff attorney with Legal Aid, also representing the Minnesota Disability Law Center.
• I'm a staff attorney with Legal Aid, also representing the Minnesota Disability Law Center.
• with legal aid also I'm a Staff attorney with legal aid also representing<00:47:34.079><c> the</c><00
• Stating that they may work with the county attorneys isn't enough.
• </c><00:52:44.680><c> isn't</c> work with the County attorneys isn't work with the County attorneys isn't

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Equally so, a lot of the county attorney offices have said it will be increased in case load management
• for them, and so I think for Wadena County they're losing attorneys.
• c><00:53:11.440><c> of</c><00:53:11.520><c> the</c><00:53:11.599><c> county</c><00:53:11.839><c> attorney
• </c> equally so a lot of the county attorney equally so a lot of the county attorney offices<00:53:12.680
• uh they're having a tough time attorneys uh they're having a tough time filling<00:53:19.640><c> them

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> two different abilities for attorneys two different abilities for attorneys and<02:21:01.680><c>
• There's been a lot of discussion amongst attorney generals and gaming jurisdictions across the state
• and gaming uh attorney generals and gaming jurisdictions<02:45:25.200><c> across</c><02:45:25.520><c
• We're working with the Attorney General's office, several other states, and just kind of watching to
• </c> We're working with the attorney We're working with the attorney general's<02:46:18.000><c> office

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Gaming

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:18:47.120><c> to</c><02:18:47.359><c> do</c><02:18:47.519><c> the</c> need an attorney to do
• If they're an attorney, if you're hiring an attorney, you've gotten that relationship in place and so
• Again, if they're an attorney, they have attorney-client confidential privileges and other things in
• Again, if they're an attorney,<02:57:58.800><c> they</c><02:57:58.960><c> have</c><02:57:59.200><c> attorney
• </c><02:57:59.520><c> client</c> attorney, they have attorney client attorney, they have attorney client

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's an electronic version, and I half apologize to Attorney Ricard that I didn't have time.
• apologize to attorney rard that uh<01:08:21.719><c> I</c><01:08:21.839><c> didn't</c><01:08:22.080><
• We have a bunch of staff attorneys, but if you put a pharmacy rule in front of us, we may be able to
• but if you put bunch of Staff attorneys but if you put a<01:43:45.679><c> pharmacy</c><01:43:46.080>
• Our committee attorney, Scott Eaton, is the former director.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held an orientation for new and returning members of the House committee on agencies and administration, with introductions from members and staff. Chair Carol Maguire outlined her expectations for hearings: keep questions focused on the bill, be respectful to witnesses, and use the committee’s orientation opportunities to learn about the jail staff, retirement system, and Office of Professional Licensure. Members also discussed related assignments on other bodies, including the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules and the Joint Committee on Employee Classification, and noted that some members already serve on those panels. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the State Building Code and the committee’s upcoming workload. Members explained how the state code is intended to provide a common baseline while allowing limited local options, and why municipalities must formally adopt and publish any local amendments. They reviewed several anticipated bills: a consolidation bill to gather building-code enforcement materials in one place, a bill to update the state energy code, a bill to restrict municipal adoption of building-code changes, and a bill to update the electrical code. Members also discussed how building codes apply to older homes and commercial buildings, and why code updates are important for safety and clarity. The chair said the committee had 36 bills currently scheduled, including many early bills that must move by March 6 because they will be heard by two committees. She said the committee would use subcommittees for harder bills, with three subcommittees this year: pensions, licensing, and likely state building code. She also outlined the hearing schedule, including lighter bills on February 12 and the expectation of executive sessions later in the month. No votes were taken during the orientation, but members were told that public hearings do not require a quorum and that hard copies of bills would be distributed by committee staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• The troopers conduct criminal investigations at the direction of the district attorneys, and they lend
• In MOU with all 11 district attorneys, adult protective services DPPC investigators collaborate with
• programs, who are being diverted by the police, by clerk magistrates, by judges, by assistant district attorneys
• programs, who are being diverted by the police, by clerk magistrates, by judges, by assistant district attorneys
• And also, in case folks are wondering, we are partnering with the Office of the Attorney General.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was an informational and oversight session of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, with chairs and members hearing agency updates from several commissioners. The Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition described its maternal and child health work, including home visiting, early intervention, WIC, newborn hearing screening, and cross-agency efforts on prenatal substance exposure, respite care, children’s vision, and maternal health initiatives. DPH emphasized that federal grant cuts, layoffs, and the loss of data systems such as PRAMS would weaken services and planning, and members asked about Title V funding and the impact of federal uncertainty. The Massachusetts Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing highlighted communication access services, interpreter and CART referrals, emergency after-hours support, family navigation, and independent living services. Commissioners and members discussed the shortage of ASL interpreters and the need to expand training pipelines, including partnerships with colleges and possible ASL programming for younger students. The Department of Developmental Services reported serving nearly 50,000 people and focused on youth and adult services, transition-age supports, autism services, self-direction, respite, and new high-acuity residential models. Members asked about respite availability, self-direction outcomes, and workforce shortages; DDS said it was expanding clinical capacity and provider rates while monitoring possible federal Medicaid, SNAP, and immigration-related impacts. The Commission for the Blind described services for about 28,000 legally blind residents, most of whom are older adults, including social rehabilitation, orientation and mobility training, children’s services, assistive technology, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 supports. The commissioner discussed a UMass-based effort to build the workforce pipeline for blindness services and said the agency was watching federal restructuring but had not yet seen direct cuts. MassAbility’s leadership then warned about major federal changes affecting Social Security disability determinations, including staff restructuring, office closures, and a new overpayment repayment policy, and said the agency was preparing for possible increases in claims and uncertainty around reallotment dollars that help fund services. The Disabled Persons Protection Commission closed the hearing with an update on its abuse investigations and protective services for adults with disabilities. DPPC reported rising hotline calls and investigations, a growing caseload, its sexual assault response team, the abuser registry, and a new interagency protective services integration system funded by ARPA dollars through 2027. The agency also flagged new federal rules that could affect funding eligibility and said it may need statutory changes to comply. Members asked about funding, reporting pathways, and how complaints reach DPPC, and the commissioner said the agency uses both mandated reporting and proactive outreach to identify and respond to abuse.

Transcript Highlights:

• incredibly frustrated that we are still, first of all, that the Department of Education and the Attorney
• 00:28:07.120><c> Education</c><00:28:07.720><c> and</c><00:28:07.840><c> the</c><00:28:07.920><c> Attorney
• </c> Department of Education and the Attorney Department of Education and the Attorney General's<00:28
• I think the problem the Attorney General expressed was not that the Department of Education couldn't

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee received an update from the LBA on three audits related to education programs. Christine Young reported that the special education audit is in report-writing, with 44 of 81 observations completed, and that a draft is expected early in the third quarter with a final report later in the summer. She also said the doorway program audit has a draft report with 12 observations, auditee responses were received May 14, an exit conference was held May 18, and the report is now expected to be presented at the June fiscal committee meeting. The bulk of the discussion focused on the education freedom accounts audit and a proposed expansion of scope. Beulah Skids explained that the original audit, required by the 2022 law creating the EFA program, would be expanded to examine whether students were New Hampshire residents at enrollment and throughout participation, and whether records of educational attainment satisfied program requirements. She described the current work, the draft cooperation agreement being developed with the Department of Education and the Children’s Scholarship Fund, and the department’s concerns about the audit period and the term "educational progress," which the LBA said it would revise. The committee discussed that the expanded work would depend on a written agreement giving the LBA access to needed records, policies, and staff, with the Department of Education potentially serving as an intermediary for data access. Members raised concerns about the scope period and data access. Senator Lang asked that the residency review be limited to the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, rather than the broader 2022-25 period, because those years captured the major program expansions; the committee appeared to agree, with clarification that the reference was to school years, not fiscal years. Members also discussed reconciliation of EFA funds, noting that the department has agreed to reopen rulemaking to make reconciliation more frequent so unused funds can be returned to the state sooner. Several members expressed frustration that access to data had been delayed, while LBA staff said the cooperation agreement is intended to prevent further roadblocks and that the AG’s office could review it if needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• you use as a curative measure to the census data that the governor himself has, and I think the Attorney
• But you don't— but the governor has said, James Uthmeier, the Attorney General, I believe, has said,
• I guess this goes to the attorney.
• And the attorneys... ...that I swore to defend.
• And the attorneys came before us and they said that without the Calais decision, we are operating on

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with a quorum present and took up a presentation from the Governor’s office on proposed congressional reapportionment. Executive Office of the Governor counsel Mo Jazeel argued that mid-cycle congressional redistricting is legally permissible, that race should not be used in drawing districts, and that the Florida Fair Districts provisions are inconsistent with federal equal protection principles and, in the executive branch’s view, are inseverable. Jason Parada then presented the proposed map, explaining that it was drawn using 2020 census block data, with county growth estimates used only as a guide, and that the plan was designed to be race-neutral while also considering compactness, county and municipal boundaries, and other traditional redistricting criteria. He said the map keeps 48 counties and 382 municipalities whole, has compactness scores comparable to the current map, and makes the largest changes in South Florida, with some districts remaining unchanged and others reconfigured around population shifts and geographic boundaries. Members questioned both presenters extensively about the legal basis for disregarding the Fair Districts Amendment, the use of partisan data, the absence of racial analysis, and whether the map truly reflects population growth. Jazeel said the executive branch’s position is that race-based provisions in the state constitution cannot be used if they conflict with the U.S. Constitution, and that the forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Calais could further clarify the law. Parada said he did not use race in drawing the map, did use partisan information as one of several traditional criteria, and relied on 2020 census data for population equality. Senators also pressed him on who reviewed the map, why the public and legislators had limited time to review it, and whether the plan was intended to favor Republicans; Parada denied partisan intent and said he was the only person who moved lines on the map, though he consulted with other Executive Office of the Governor staff and counsel. Several senators raised concerns that the map did not clearly reflect Florida’s recent population growth, that some districts remained highly irregular, and that the plan appeared to be based on a legal theory contingent on future court rulings. The presenters responded that congressional districts must be equal to the person, that growth estimates can only guide orientation rather than replace census data, and that the map was designed to preserve as much of the existing structure as possible while making the largest adjustments in South Florida. No vote or final action on the map was taken during the excerpted portion of the meeting, and the committee continued with questions and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Louisiana, But unless prior approval is received from the Governor of the state of Louisiana, the Attorney
• In which case, my understanding is that person contacted their attorney, and they ended up, I think,
• And which case, my understanding is that person contacted their attorney.
• And they ended up, I think, having a court. ...contacted their attorney.
• I actually had direct communication with the man in this case, as well as the attorney, and her and I

Summary: The committee first took up HB 804, the Louisiana Energy Protection Act, which was presented as a narrowly focused ban on climate-change damages lawsuits rather than a measure affecting emissions claims, pollution claims, or private property rights. The author and supporters said the bill was intended to stop speculative suits targeting energy producers, farmers, truckers, manufacturers, and other businesses for global climate impacts, while preserving claims for actual legal violations under state or federal environmental and safety laws. After a substitute amendment was adopted to clarify and streamline the bill, the committee heard extensive support from oil and gas, chemical, business, port, and legal reform groups, along with a few opposition speakers who argued the bill could still be read to shield industry too broadly or weaken climate accountability. HB 804 was reported favorably as amended. The committee then considered HB 802, as amended, which creates a watershed conservation fund tied to the Amite River Basin. The author explained that the bill was narrowed from a statewide proposal to a basin-specific program to reduce flood risk and restore watershed areas using existing severance revenue from sand mining, modeled in part on coastal restoration funding. Supporters from the concrete industry, landowners, levee boards, and conservation groups described it as a practical, low-cost, non-government solution to help remediate old sand and gravel pits and improve flood control. With no opposition cards and no objections, HB 802 was reported favorably as amended. Finally, the committee heard HB 934, as substituted, which would allow licensed wildlife rehabilitators to possess white-tailed deer fawns under specific conditions, including disease monitoring, release only within the same management zone, and other handling requirements. The author said the bill was meant to prevent the euthanizing of orphaned fawns that could be rehabilitated and to create a lawful pathway for licensed care. A supporter described her experience rescuing an orphaned fawn that was later confiscated and killed, while the Louisiana Wildlife Federation opposed the measure, warning it could effectively create a captive deer program, undermine wildlife conservation principles, and lead to dangerous or inhumane facilities. The transcript ends during testimony on HB 934, before final committee action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The district attorney has a 6 o'clock flight, and he's here as my witness, so I'm not going to take much
• The district attorney has worked with our office on the mountain fire and some complications that they
• So I'll turn it over to the district attorney. Thank you. Assembly Member Bennett. Mr.
• introduce Michael Schneider, founder and CEO of Streets for All, and Chris Peterson, who was an attorney
• for the California Coastal Commission for nearly 20 years, and Chris Peterson, who was an attorney for

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills focused on environmental policy, public infrastructure, housing, and energy. AB 1812, dealing with compostable plastics and compost contamination, drew strong support from farmers, composters, counties, cities, and waste companies, while manufacturers and compostable-product companies opposed it unless amended, arguing it would undermine compostable packaging and SB 54 goals. AB 2216 to expand the Delta Conservancy’s service area also received broad support and no opposition. AB 2481, which would allow leftover glass quality incentive funds to support recycled glass used in fiberglass insulation and other products, was supported by insulation manufacturers, recyclers, and waste advocates and passed with no opposition. AB 2152, streamlining fire station construction and tying CEQA relief to project labor agreement requirements, was supported by firefighters and construction trades but opposed by contractors and wildlife groups over the PLA mandate and environmental review provisions; the committee discussed amendments and sent it forward. AB 1536, the Save Our Shores Act, aimed at offshore oil and gas safety and decommissioning, was supported by coastal and environmental groups and opposed by the petroleum industry, with members debating pipeline safety, drilling risks, and carbon intensity before advancing the bill. AB 1849, a study bill on decarbonized gaseous fuels, split supporters from hydrogen, bioenergy, and propane interests against environmental and justice groups who said it favored biomethane and hydrogen without clear definitions; the author said it was only a study measure, and it moved ahead. AB 1732, which would expand CEQA streamlining for public university and community college housing projects, was backed by students, UC representatives, housing advocates, and labor, with no opposition heard; members raised concerns about environmental impacts and evacuation planning, but the bill was approved. Several measures were taken on consent and others were held open for absent members or quorum issues, with multiple bills receiving due pass recommendations as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The district attorney has a 6 o'clock flight, and he's here as my witness, so I'm not going to take much
• The district attorney has worked with us, our office, on after the Mountain Fire.
• introduce Michael Schneider, founder and CEO of Streets for All, and Chris Peterson, who was an attorney
• to introduce Michael Schneider, founder and CEO of Streets for All and Chris Peterson, who was an attorney
• for the California Coastal Commission for nearly 20 years, And Chris Peterson, who was an attorney for

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• receiver's leadership team and includes salaries for the receiver, deputy receiver, senior advisors, and attorneys
• work that she said 200 people are doing and all of this—two deputy receivers, a senior advisor, attorneys
• Did the Department of Finance or Attorney General or anyone say, you know, we know we need to do these
• Has the Attorney General, has anyone looked at this to say...
• So we work with the Attorney General in this case, obviously, where the plaintiffs in the case.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee heard presentations from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS), the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program, and the Coleman mental health receivership. The hearing focused on correctional health care, reentry, aging incarcerated populations, and the state’s progress toward compliance in the Plata and Coleman receiverships. Members also discussed the OIG’s intake complaint workload and medical inspection findings, as well as broader questions about staffing, vacancies, and the cost of court oversight. The OIG requested $275,000 General Fund for two permanent positions in its intake processing unit, citing a sharp rise in complaints from 3,200 in 2022 to 7,860 in 2025. OIG officials said complaints are categorized by issue and prison, prioritized by urgency, and generally responded to within 30 days, but they do not track complaint “validity” rates. The medical inspection unit reported that in cycle seven, case review performance was generally adequate while policy compliance was often inadequate; the lowest-scoring areas included emergency services, medication management, and health care environment. Members asked for more detailed reporting on complaint types, priority levels, and systemic issues. CCHCS described rising health care costs driven by an aging prison population, staffing vacancies, and contract medical expenses. Officials said more than 80% of the budget is personal services, and they are using hiring events, social media outreach, and expanded classifications to reduce vacancies. CalAIM officials reported early implementation success in pre-release and reentry services, including 89% Medi-Cal activation at release, 87% assigned managed care plans, 88% reentry care plans, and 59% warm handoffs, with about 169,000 claims submitted and $14.7 million reimbursed. The LAO noted that the Plata medical receivership has increased per-person costs and that the state should continue oversight while seeking ways to reduce vacancies and expand federal reimbursement opportunities. For the Coleman mental health receivership, the receiver’s office requested $33.9 million from the Mental Health Special Deposit Fund, including $8.2 million for receiver office staffing and $25.3 million to make court-ordered bonus payments permanent. The LAO supported continued oversight but recommended additional steps to address vacancies, including greater out-of-state recruitment, expanded telemental health, and possible consolidation of mental health services. The LAO also recommended reducing the telemental health staffing request and monitoring its effects. Members questioned the long-term cost of receiverships, the pace of compliance, and whether more detailed benchmarks and staffing data should be provided. No formal votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It includes salaries for the receiver, deputy receiver, senior advisors, and attorneys.
• work that she said 200 people are doing and all of this—two deputy receivers, a senior advisor, attorneys
• Did the Department of Finance or Attorney General or anyone say, you know, we know we need to do these
• You know, has the Attorney General—has anyone looked at this to say?
• So we work with the Attorney General in this case, obviously where the plaintiffs in the case.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Luckily, her husband is a real estate attorney, so that didn't make it very far. ...the forethought to
• Luckily, her husband is a real estate attorney, so that didn't make it very far.
• 03.800><c> estate</c> Luckily, her husband is a real estate Luckily, her husband is a real estate attorney
• 05.240><c> didn't</c><00:36:05.440><c> make</c><00:36:05.600><c> it</c><00:36:05.720><c> very</c> attorney
• , so that didn't make it very attorney, so that didn't make it very far. far. far.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky, defense attorneys must advise immigrant clients of deportation risks, yet Washington still
• Our attorneys provide a wide range of legal services statewide to young people, from child welfare and
• I'm an attorney at Disability Rights Washington, and part of the plaintiff counsel team in the Trueblood
• I'm an attorney at Disability Rights, Washington, and part of the plaintiff council team in the true
• My name is Amanda Holfeld, and I oversee the Hear Me Wa program at the Attorney General's office.

Bills: HB2289

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• cell, walk X amount of feet, and he'll be in a no-contact visit cubicle and he can visit family and attorney
• can visit contact visit cubicle and he can visit family<00:35:32.720><c> and</c><00:35:32.880><c> attorney
• </c><00:35:34.160><c> He</c><00:35:34.320><c> has</c><00:35:34.480><c> his</c> family and attorney visits
• He has his family and attorney visits. He has his recreation<00:35:35.200><c> there.
• In addition, being in the SHIP program does not interfere with legal calls to their attorneys in any

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, in meeting with the Secretary of State and representatives from the Attorney General's office
• And as I talked to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, they said there's just so many sections
• However, in further conversations with the Attorney General's office and the Secretary of State, we did
• but I do believe that Section 2 and on is probably unworkable with the Secretary of State and the Attorney
• but I do believe that Section 2 and on is probably unworkable with the Secretary of State and the Attorney

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee opened with roll call and a review of special-session procedure: bills would be heard in filing order, with related school-lunch bills grouped together, and any bill advancing would require a motion, second, and majority vote to be introduced. Members also discussed that the committee was functioning much like a delayed-bills committee, with final referral to either Appropriations or Policy depending on the bill’s fiscal impact. The first major proposal was Senator Schibley’s bill to create a narrow, statewide Bank of North Dakota bridge-loan program for struggling nonprofit medical facilities, prompted by Jacobson Memorial Hospital’s financial crisis. He argued the hospital and surrounding EMS services could close without short-term help, while committee members questioned the added language, the population cap, the $10 million fund with $5 million per applicant limit, and whether the program could open the door to future requests. Representative Headland then presented two cleanup bills from the prior property-tax session: one to fix notice and tax-certification issues for local taxing districts, and another to correct how the primary residence credit is applied so taxpayers receive the full benefit rather than counties retaining part of the reimbursement. Members asked about township hearing timing, the estimated $10–15 million annual impact, and whether the credit issue could be fixed retroactively; Headland said the bill was intended to correct the problem going forward. Three school-lunch bills drew extensive discussion. Representative Vetter proposed a small administrative appropriation to add an FTE to help eligible families enroll in the existing free/reduced lunch program, saying the goal was to ensure needy children are signed up and that the state should not subsidize meals for wealthy families. Representative Nathe offered a broader bill mirroring the pending initiated measure but placing the program in statute instead of the Constitution, moving implementation up a year, and funding it with a one-time $65 million from the strategic investment fund; he said this would preserve legislative flexibility and avoid constitutional entrenchment. Representative Dressler proposed raising the state-funded eligibility threshold from 225% to 300% of poverty, arguing it would expand access while still preserving federal reimbursements and encouraging better enrollment systems. Members debated costs, future budget pressure, whether the bills set a precedent for responding to ballot measures, and whether the program should include breakfast and other operational details. Other proposals included Senator Powers’ bill to create a hyperbaric oxygen board and support rural access to hyperbaric chambers for wounds, concussions, PTSD, and other conditions; Representative Tolman’s reporting-requirements bill to force new or expanded programs to justify purpose, alternatives, evaluation methods, and full implementation costs; Representative Frelich’s bill addressing the ongoing redistricting litigation and what happens if the Supreme Court or lower courts alter the current map; and a bill requested by the Public Service Commission and ITD for FERC litigation support and ADA website/document compliance. The committee also heard a rural-health eligibility bill from Representative Twait aimed at steering federal rural health dollars toward rural providers, with questions focused on whether the mileage limits would exclude some communities. One Holocaust education item was deferred until the sponsor could be located.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, thank you to attorney Ricard. Uh, exactly what she said.
• resources management supervisor, and I have Courtney Lockwood, who's our land resources management attorney
• have Courtney Lockwood who's our land resources<00:16:26.800><c> management</c><00:16:27.279><c> attorney
• </c><00:16:27.839><c> Um</c><00:16:28.079><c> I</c> resources management attorney.
• Um I resources management attorney.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with routine business, including the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the minutes, seating of an alternate member, and approval of the consent agenda. It then took up Department of Health and Human Services Rule 25188 on New Hampshire Early Childhood and Out-of-School Time Credentials. Staff explained that the rule adopts two new parts to implement RSA 170E:50, which had long required rules. The main issue was an unclear comment created by changes in the department’s amended conditional approval request: language defining out-of-school-time basics and a requirement tied to the New Hampshire Professional Registry training transcript had been removed, creating a mismatch between the form and the rule text. The department said it revised the language so the form and rule now match. A member also asked about the fee schedule, and the department said the fees are sufficient and supported in part by federal funds. The committee then approved Rule 25188 as amended, with oral edits, on a voice vote. The committee next considered Department of Environmental Services Rule 25206, dealing with subsurface wastewater rules and an administrative fine schedule. Staff said most comments had been addressed, but one remaining issue concerned the fine schedule because the prior interim rule had expired years ago. Staff also noted public concerns about septic tank replacement sizes, but pointed to waiver provisions and replacement-in-kind language that would still allow smaller existing systems to be replaced under certain conditions. DES officials explained that the rule package adds the fine schedule into the program rules and that no fines have been brought under these expired provisions for many years. They also described the waiver and grandfathering provisions as intended to protect existing systems and seasonal campgrounds from unnecessary upgrades. A public witness, Christopher Albert, testified that two sections of the rule would harm manufactured home parks and cooperatives. He argued that the new “two people per bedroom” assumption and the minimum bedroom threshold for using water-meter data would inflate design flows, make water-meter data unusable, and increase costs for low-income residents. Committee members questioned both the witness and the agency about the assumptions. DES staff responded that the two-person-per-bedroom standard is meant for individual on-site system design, not citywide planning, and that water-meter data is only useful in larger or unusual facilities. They said the rule still allows flexibility through waivers and grandfathering for existing uses, and that the drinking-water rule cited by the witness was not the correct comparison. No final vote on Rule 25206 was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, I'm not an attorney and I don't claim to know all of the laws and regulations, but as I understand
• Again, I'm not an attorney and I don't claim to know all of the laws and regulations, but as I understand
• Again, I'm not an attorney<00:36:52.480><c> and</c><00:36:52.720><c> I</c><00:36:52.880><c> don't</c>
• :53.040><c> claim</c><00:36:53.280><c> to</c><00:36:53.520><c> know</c><00:36:53.680><c> all</c> attorney
• and I don't claim to know all attorney and I don't claim to know all of<00:36:54.079><c> the</c><00:

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Artificial Intelligence Task Force held its third meeting and adopted the prior minutes after a motion and second. The main presentation came from John Bevington of LG&E and KU, who described the utility’s Kentucky service territory, its vertically integrated operations, and its role in economic development. He said the company supported 76 projects in 2024, representing about $3 billion in announced investment and roughly 3,000 jobs, and noted that about 45% of statewide investment announcements were in its service area. He also outlined a large project pipeline of about 8.5 gigawatts, with data centers making up roughly two-thirds of that interest. Bevington explained that data center siting differs from traditional manufacturing site selection because it is driven primarily by transmission access and grid capacity rather than a process of eliminating locations. He said large data centers must locate near transmission lines, that utilities must conduct formal studies to ensure existing customers are not harmed, and that the buildout timeline for utility infrastructure is much longer than for data centers. He cited a Deloitte study and other industry data to argue that power constraints and timeline mismatches are the biggest challenges, while also emphasizing that data centers can generate significant construction activity, indirect jobs, and tax revenue. He said Kentucky’s sales tax exemption for data centers was a key enabler that increased interest in the state. Members asked about the number and size of potential data center projects, how Kentucky compares with other states, and whether regulatory reform is needed. Bevington said the 20 projects in Kentucky reflect current interest, that other states such as Ohio have had similar incentives for years, and that Kentucky is still early in the market. He also said data centers can vary in size, from 200 to 600 megawatts or more, and that they can be located anywhere with sufficient transmission capacity and, in some cases, access to workforce and roads. In response to concerns about energy supply, he said LG&E and KU are pursuing an “all of the above” strategy, including solar, batteries, and new natural gas combined-cycle units, and noted ongoing and proposed projects totaling additional capacity if approved by the Public Service Commission.

Transcript Highlights:

• , the first, let's see, lines 1.3 through 1.11, or excuse me, 1.7, are correcting numbers in the Attorney
• million increase for the state government special revenue that reflects $500,000 each year for the Attorney
• million increase for the state government special revenue that reflects $500,000 each year for the Attorney
• million increase for the state government special revenue that reflects $500,000 each year for the Attorney
• million increase for the state government special revenue that reflects $500,000 each year for the Attorney

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all