Transcript Highlights:

• Into the database, so I've collected all three of their data, started incorporating it into the database
• These share items are created with the budget against the... and can be against multiple bonds.
• The original share budget associated with that was $25.4 million.
• The bond, so again, we will decrease the budget and share, and then do a certification.
• So we set up the budget, but the 577 comes out of the original.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the database only takes existing information that's already collected by the clerk of courts and
• But the database only takes existing information that's already collected by the clerk of courts and
• The database is a resource tool enabling anyone in the state of Florida to look up an animal offender
• And this will actually give individuals also the opportunity to search the database to make sure that
• age relevant, meaning will a juvenile be exempt or included in this database?

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several member introductions recognizing interns, guests, and advocates. The Rules Chair added CS for CS for SB 622 to the special order calendar, and SB 80 on state land management was temporarily postponed. The chamber then moved through a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills when the measures were identical or nearly identical. The Senate passed SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, requiring DEP to develop a recycling and waste diversion roadmap by 2026; SB 492 on land development and mitigation banking, after adopting amendments related to mitigation credit use and former phosphate mine lands; and SB 494/HB 255 on aggravated animal cruelty, which increases sentencing consequences and creates a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers, with an amendment clarifying the database language. The Senate also passed SB 500/HB 711 establishing the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, SB 524/HB 1089 adding Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening, SB 592/HB 393 revising the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education, SB 936/HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment, and SB 1156 on a home health aid program for medically fragile children. Most of these bills were adopted after brief sponsor explanations, questions, and in some cases amendments or House-substitute motions. Debate centered on several policy issues. Senators raised concerns about the constitutional and environmental implications of mitigation banking credits in SB 492, the scope and privacy implications of the animal abuse database in SB 494, the funding and eligibility details of the condo resilience program in SB 592, and the public-school/charter-school balance in SB 822, which drew extensive questioning about enrollment, governance, discipline, accountability, and data sharing before being placed on the third-reading calendar after amendments. The Spectrum Alert bill drew support from members who compared it to the Purple Alert and emphasized the risks faced by children with ASD. The medically fragile children home health aid bill also drew strong support, with senators describing it as a long-needed fix to help families provide in-home care without losing Medicaid coverage. Votes on the measures reported in the transcript were overwhelmingly favorable, with bills passing by margins such as 38-0, 35-3, 37-0, 36-0, and 35-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• budget, and then express what you desire to have.
• is a realistic number to try to find in this tight budget year.
• And then there's this database that is very, for those that want to start it and then there's this database
• That is a huge amount in these budget times.
• We know what the budget is.

Bills: SB1041, SB1050, SB1131, SB1138, SB1249, SB1267, SB1272, SB1317, SB1461, SB1488, SB1504, SB1517, SB1523, SB1580, SB1582, SB1584, SB1585, SB1602, SB1630, SB1654, SB1672, SB1673, SB1718, SB1761, SB1819, SB1826, SB1827

Keywords: electronic monitoring, nursing care, assisted living, resident rights, privacy, consent, surveillance, veterans, lifetime pass, state parks, Arizona, access, disabled veterans, cardiac arrest, defibrillators, school safety, emergency response, CPR training, Arizona education funding, automated license plate readers

Summary: The committee first considered Senate Bill 1630, which would direct AHCCCS to seek federal approval for a home- and community-based services program for adults determined to be seriously mentally ill, with quarterly implementation updates, stakeholder input, and a cap on enrollment. The sponsor and advocates from Arizona Mad Moms argued the bill would create an assisted-living-style Medicaid option for the most disabled SMI individuals, improve continuity of care, and reduce state general fund costs by shifting some expenses to federal Medicaid funding. Access testified neutral, estimating a total fiscal impact of $27.7 million, including $5.83 million general fund, and explained the need for CMS approval. The committee adopted an amendment reducing the initial cap to 250 members, changing reporting frequency, and adjusting eligibility and expansion conditions, then passed SB 1630 as amended on a 10-0 vote. The committee next heard Senate Bill 1131, which originally required school districts and charter schools to adopt cardiac emergency response plans and appropriated $1 million for implementation. An amendment replaced the mandate with a reporting requirement on AED counts, CPR/AED-trained staff, and whether schools have a plan, while keeping a grant component for AEDs and prioritizing rural schools. The American Heart Association supported the amended approach as a way to gather baseline data and target resources, and members discussed AED training, school preparedness, and whether the funding should favor rural or high-population schools. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1131 as amended on a 9-1 vote, with Senator Kuby voting no and several members explaining concerns about funding and priorities. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1582, which concerned the school safety interoperability fund. An amendment shifted the appropriation from the Department of Education to the Department of Administration and allocated funds to specific county sheriff offices for continuing operation and maintenance of existing interoperability systems, while narrowing the program to public safety agencies and school districts and requiring twice-yearly testing. Sheriffs, a county school superintendent, and the Arizona Sheriffs Association described the systems as useful for drills and real emergencies, improving communication between schools and first responders; one speaker noted the program had been used in drills and at least one live deployment. Some members questioned the audit findings, the focus on rural counties, and whether the program was a good use of funds, while supporters emphasized its value for school safety. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1582 as amended on a 6-4 vote. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 1504, which would change retirement rules for Tier 2 and Tier 3 public safety personnel by allowing earlier normal retirement and shortening the COLA waiting period, with an amendment exempting the changes from the statutory pre-funding requirement. Supporters from firefighter and police groups said the bill would improve recruitment and retention and let employees receive earned benefits sooner, while city, county, and taxpayer representatives warned it would add substantial unfunded liabilities and undermine the 2016 pension reforms. Actuarial testimony estimated significant costs, including tens of millions in annual or upfront impacts depending on how the change is funded, and members debated whether the amendment would shift costs onto future taxpayers or simply spread them over time. The transcript ends during continued testimony and discussion on SB 1504, before a final vote is reached.

Transcript Highlights:

• Katie Tall over there is the one who has a database of local businesses and a database of students who
• Katie Tall over there is the one who has a database of local businesses and a database of students who
• Katie Tall over there is the one who has a database of local businesses and a database of students who
• 34.399> who she has a database of students who she has a database of students who complete<00:
• What is in the base budget?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you know, as we look at the budget going downstream, significant budget cuts will make it harder
• The Senate and House budget committees each adopted a budget resolution to provide fiscal targets or
• Budget later this month, with the full budget for federal fiscal year 2026 in mid-May.
• And again, that requires a sound and stable budget.
• We are taking curtailments and budget reductions.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Transparency held a hearing focused on three issues: federal funding cuts and delays, possible state revenue impacts from reduced IRS enforcement, and the fiscal effects of AB 218 on local governments. The Franchise Tax Board described how state and federal tax systems are closely linked, how most returns are filed electronically through software, and how FTB relies on IRS information sharing for compliance, fraud prevention, offsets, and nonfiler work. Members raised concerns that federal staffing cuts at the IRS could weaken audits of large corporations and reduce California revenue, and asked about VITA and ITIN filers; FTB said it was not aware of VITA reductions, noted ITIN returns are processed the same as other returns, and said ITIN filing appeared slightly down this year. The Department of Finance said it is monitoring federal developments, summarized the continuing resolution and reconciliation process, and noted that California lost nearly $940 million in earmarked federal projects under the CR, while major federal budget decisions remain uncertain until the President’s budget and later congressional action. The University of California reported substantial federal pressure on research, student aid, and health care. UC said hundreds of millions of dollars in federal awards have already been canceled, with additional threats to NIH and DOE facilities-and-administration rates, graduate fellowships, student loan repayment plans, international student visas, Pell Grants, and Medicaid/Medi-Cal funding. Committee members pressed UC on the effects of DEIA-related federal restrictions, the loss of clinical trials and research staff, and the impact on low-income students and patients. UC said it is pursuing litigation with the Attorney General and other institutions, but emphasized that court action is only a temporary solution and that sustained state and private support may be needed. The second panel addressed the fiscal consequences of AB 218, which extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims against public agencies. FCMAT presented a report with 22 recommendations, including better statewide data collection, financing mechanisms, a possible victims compensation fund, and prevention measures. Los Angeles County described a tentative $4 billion settlement tied to AB 218 claims, saying it will require reserves, borrowing, and long-term annual payments through 2050, while also forcing curtailments and cuts to vacant positions to preserve services. Members discussed insurance pools, retroactive premiums, unidentified future claims, and the need for a compensation fund or other financing tools. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with public comment, including testimony from local health officials about nearly $400 million in terminated federal public health grants and the resulting layoffs and service impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we will begin with a walkthrough of the budget agreement spreadsheet.
• Chair, I think I'll start by walking through the military affairs budget and then I'll turn it over to
• I will start by walking through the military affairs budget and then I'll turn it over to Miss Roberts
• So, you might get a year off budgets.
• 00:52:44.240> don't<00:52:44.480> cost under the budget rules don't cost under the budget

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And in that, you are going to go back and clear databases of dead people and people who had been on it
• Cleaned up the database? No, not yet. We haven't. We've been discussing a path forward.
• Well, let me ask you, do you require statutory guidance to clean up that database?
• And then I do have questions around the database, you know. It was in the budget.
• I hope it made it through the budget where we're going to start to work on a new system for DFPS that

Bills: HB1106, HB3284, HB541, HB713, HB1403, HB1586, HB1942, HB2070, HB2844, HB2851, HB3151, HB3749, HB3940, HB3963, HB4454, HB4466, HB4795, HB5154, HB5394, SB1357, HB1052, HB4099, HB4638, HB5147

Keywords: child abuse, neglect, gender identity, sexual orientation, child welfare, marriage, family, Texas Commission, family welfare, marriage support, stability, premarital education, child development, strong families, direct patient care, healthcare, physicians, medical services, insurance regulation, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• Brodeur: Establishing a recurring $2.4 million in the budget and that is the bill, Madam Chair.
• CS for SB 196 is relating to the Uterine Fibroid Database.
• Chair Osgood: Senators, we will take up Tab 10, CS SB 64 on Public Records/Uterine Fibroid Research Database
• This bill relating to public records in uterine fibroid research database as amended is a narrowly tailored
• Sharief: the research database, ensuring information remains confidential and exempt from public disclosure

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, the database will be housed at TEA.
• using the bond, including data regarding funding sources for the projects, project costs, project budget
• It was really, you know, quite surprising to me that we didn't have a central database.
• We'll have it on the database. And again, we used to do this.
• There are 18 individuals on the TEA's failure to report in the misconduct database right now.

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee heard several bills focused on school finance, transparency, student safety, and educator misconduct. SB 843 by Senator Kolkhorst would create a centralized TEA database for school bond elections, tax rates, and project details; supporters said it would improve transparency for taxpayers, while members discussed the fiscal note and suggested adding charter schools. SB 1224 by Senator Sparks would require superintendents to report alleged romantic, sexual, or abusive conduct between staff and students directly to law enforcement within 48 hours, with penalties for failure to report; testimony from advocates and survivors strongly supported the bill and urged that it also apply to private and charter schools. SB 747 by Senator Paxton on behalf of Senator King would require school district policies addressing AI-generated sexually explicit images of minors as cyberbullying and direct the School Safety Center to develop guidance; the committee heard emotional testimony from a student victim and discussed school authority to discipline off-campus conduct and the role of cell phones. The committee also heard SB 1636 by Senator Hinojosa, which would limit use of interest and sinking tax revenues to debt service for voter-approved capital projects and not deferred maintenance; school finance witnesses raised concerns that the bill’s language could restrict needed facility maintenance spending and asked for a clearer definition of deferred maintenance. SB 2185, also by Senator Hinojosa, would expand access to the bilingual education allotment for dual-language programs; district officials and educators testified in support, saying it would remove barriers to funding and better support bilingual instruction. SB 604 by Senator West would require the Permanent School Fund Corporation to publicly track bonds backed by the state guarantee program that are downgraded to speculative or junk status, with West arguing the information would provide an early warning sign of district financial distress. Across the hearing, much of the testimony centered on student protection and accountability in schools. Multiple witnesses described educator misconduct cases, failures to report abuse, and the need for outside law enforcement involvement rather than internal district investigations. Committee members repeatedly discussed extending reporting and safety requirements to private and charter schools, and several witnesses urged independent oversight. No bills were voted out; each measure heard was left pending, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> The Agriculture Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee will now come to order.
• I want to welcome everyone to the Agriculture, Natural Resources, Budget Subcommittee.
• I know you reference future budget.
• We're not getting into specific budget request in this meeting.
• So ask a specific budget question.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we decided to rebuild the database. We call the database Umbra.
• Imagine where you had a database where that information could be loaded into a tool, a sensor, or body
• We have over 54 million people in the database now, and every single one of those is sourced from law
• It captures a single image, sends it to the cloud, and runs it against the database.
• We have the largest sex offender database in the United States.

Bills: HB2134, HB2253, HB2270, HB2402, HB2404, HB2673, HB2941

Keywords: critical infrastructure, foreign adversaries, China, communications, security, law enforcement, disciplinary action, administrative appeals, investigative files, due process, retaliation, county seal, law enforcement authority, sheriff's posse, public safety, county governance, ambulance services, certificate of necessity, emergency medical services, state regulations

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety met, approved the March 11, 2026 minutes, and heard two presentations before moving to bills. The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry presented on its K-9 program, describing staffing, dog types, functions such as contraband interdiction, search and rescue, and offender apprehension, and noting aging vehicles and the need for replacement canines. Biometrica then presented a privacy-focused facial recognition/sensor system intended to help law enforcement identify missing persons and known offenders in real time without storing video or audio; members asked questions but took no action on the presentation. The committee then considered HB 2134, which would create the Arizona Critical Infrastructure Protection Act to restrict Chinese-owned or Chinese-produced equipment and software in critical infrastructure and require reporting and oversight by the Corporation Commission. The sponsor said the bill was revised to be prospective and more workable; supporters framed it as a national security measure, while some members raised cost and implementation concerns. The bill passed 4-3. HB 2404, which shifts inter-facility transport of behavioral health patients away from peace officers and toward authorized transporters except in limited circumstances, drew support from a Phoenix police crisis intervention officer and the Arizona Police Association and passed 7-0. HB 2402, dealing with ambulance certificates of necessity for small or underserved areas, was amended to require rather than allow certain certificates and to streamline reporting and application processes; the sponsor and firefighters said it would preserve access and modernize a decades-old system. It passed as amended 7-0. HB 2673, as amended, was reduced to creating a study committee on inmate mental health services after originally proposing broader jail and prison screening and treatment requirements; the sponsor and a victim’s family member described the bill as a response to failures in the mental health and jail systems. It passed 6-0 with one not voting. HB 2253, protecting employees from retaliation for testifying in law enforcement disciplinary appeals, passed 5-0 with two not voting, and HB 2270, expanding county control over use of county seals, logos, and sheriff’s posse names, passed 6-0 with one not voting. Finally, HB 2941, which would make certain motorcycle lane-splitting or passing behavior reckless driving except as allowed by existing lane-filtering rules, drew support from the sponsor and motorcycle advocates who said it targets dangerous high-speed lane splitting, but one speaker warned the language could unintentionally criminalize safe filtering. The bill passed 5-1 with one not voting. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that somehow influencing something that's on the school budget?
• <00:34:57.599> I<00:34:57.839> mean, that's on the the school budget?
• I mean, that's on the the school budget?
• It is up voter registration database.
• Database from across the state available.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I guess ODOT builds that into their budget as it is. Do you have a follow-up question, Senator?
• Surface vehicles is a download of the registration database that we get from the FAA every so often that
• the Only mechanism by which we can voluntarily ensure aircraft tax compliance is that registration database
• to verify whether or not those aircraft are actually located in Oklahoma is the FAA registration database
• , a nationalized database, to tell what aircraft are at their airports.

Bills: SB1312, SB1323, SB1599, SB1863, SB1932, SB1950, SB1956, SB1958, SB1966, SB1970, SB2052

Keywords: vehicle registration, automatic payments, Service Oklahoma, taxes, motor vehicle, prepayment program, memorial designation, highway, Sheriff Marty Grisham, transportation, Oklahoma Statutes, memorial bridge, dedication, Oklahoma, commemoration, memorial highway, road designation, John Skelley, motor carrier, administrative hearing

Transcript Highlights:

• It happens with every budget, every little tiny budget cycle that we have to go through.
• By aggregating digital records and by purchasing databases with billions of data points from private
• There are databases and data warehouses being developed across this nation.
• There are databases and data warehouses being developed across this nation that actually put citizens
• But the government is not a database collector for the purposes of engaging in any of the kind of the

Summary: The committee began as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum and heard several privacy- and technology-related measures. The first item was H.R. 117, a resolution urging Congress to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The author and supporters argued the law is outdated and shields platforms from accountability for harms such as harassment, exploitation, scams, and other online abuse. Witnesses, including a survivor parent and a gender justice advocate, described harms to children, women, and LGBTQ people and urged a two-year sunset to force federal reform. Some members supported the resolution as a call for federal action, while one member said he could not support it because the resolution was too general and lacked specificity about the reforms being sought. No vote was taken because the committee lacked a quorum. The committee then heard SB 898, which would require manufacturers of connected consumer products to disclose how long they will support the software and to notify consumers when products approach end of life. The author said consumers deserve transparency about security updates and continued functionality, and supporters from Consumer Reports and PIRG emphasized cybersecurity risks, consumer confusion, and electronic waste from unsupported devices. Opponents, including business and industry groups, raised concerns about enforcement through the unfair competition law, notice burdens, labeling issues, and compliance challenges, especially for products with long support windows or third-party dependencies. One member expressed support, noting the cybersecurity risks of end-of-life devices, but again no vote was taken because there was no quorum. The committee also heard SB 435, which would narrow the CCPA definition of publicly available information to limit how businesses classify data as public. The author and supporters said the bill would close a loophole that allows data brokers and others to monetize personal information without meaningful consent and could help prevent surveillance and misuse of data, including by government agencies. Opponents argued the bill would upset the balance between privacy and the free flow of information, create compliance uncertainty, and retroactively reclassify information that businesses reasonably believed was public. Some members said they supported the goal of stronger privacy protections, while others said the bill was too broad. The committee again could not vote due to the lack of a quorum. Later, the committee heard SB 923, which would expand Californians’ right to delete personal information to cover data obtained from third parties and require online businesses to offer a web form or similar method for deletion requests. Supporters, including the California Privacy Protection Agency and consumer advocates, said the bill would make deletion rights meaningful and better address data broker practices. Opponents sought an opt-out-of-processing alternative and raised operational and legal concerns, but supporters said deletion is not the same as retention or processing limits. Members largely spoke in favor of the bill’s privacy goals, but no action was taken. The committee also heard SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would require human review for certain automated employment decisions and limit predictive analysis in workplace discipline and termination. Labor groups supported the bill as a safeguard against biased or erroneous AI-driven decisions, while business, public employer, and local government groups opposed it as overbroad and burdensome. Members voiced support for human oversight in employment decisions, but the item was not voted on because the committee still lacked a quorum. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1114, the SOGI Data Privacy Act, which would restrict disclosure of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex data to federal agencies absent a court order or legal requirement; the author and witness framed it as a response to federal efforts to obtain sensitive LGBTQ-related data.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:27.759> this 0 sorry 05% of Hawaii state budget this 0 sorry 05% of Hawaii state budget
• the judiciary's overall budget the judiciary's overall budget priorities<00:26:21.080> and
• Appreciate it very much. in the budget here is that in the budget here is that [Music] [Music] [Music
• /c><00:32:19.320> and a prudent budget um you know and a prudent budget um you know and determining
• <01:24:45.760> for uh this is the judiciary's budget for uh this is the judiciary's budget

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several election-related bills first. SB 51, a comprehensive public financing bill for candidates, drew strong support in testimony but also concerns from the Campaign Spending Commission that the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund has only about $2.2 million, far short of what would be needed, and that the program could not realistically start in 2026 because of staffing and system changes; the commission asked for a start date no earlier than 2028. SB 118, which would create a full-time investigator position at the Campaign Spending Commission, was supported by the commission, which said it has lacked staff growth since 1995 and that an investigator is needed to handle investigations instead of having the commission’s attorney do that work. SB 255, a housekeeping bill on excess cash campaign contributions, was supported by the commission and several county officials and would require excess cash contributions over the limit to be returned within 30 days or turned over to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. SB 345, which would expand the current partial public financing program, was supported by the commission but drew questions because it would still allow private fundraising; the commission said that under its assumptions the bill would provide more total public funds than SB 51, with a maximum of a little over $20 million versus a little over $15 million for SB 51. Testimony counts were reported as 125 support/48 oppose for SB 51, 26 support/0 oppose for SB 118, 30 support/49 oppose for SB 255, and 30 support/49 oppose for SB 345. The committee then discussed SB 176 on recount thresholds. The Office of Elections said it would stand on written testimony, and the East Hawaii Republican Party was listed but not present. The Office of Elections explained in response to questions that the bill’s recount trigger would be based on the final election-day count, not the early 6 a.m. tabulation, because the initial count is not complete until later in the day and cured ballots are counted later; the office said it does not want to begin recounts before all election-day ballots are counted. The reported testimony count was 4 support, 50 oppose, and 2 comments. Finally, the committee heard SB 260, the Judiciary’s biennial budget bill. Judiciary staff requested about $6.17 million in FY 2026 and $6.25 million in FY 2027 for operations, 17 permanent positions and one temporary position, plus $11.9 million for capital improvements. The Judiciary said the request would support specialty courts such as Women’s Court, Truancy Court, and DWI Court, a new Wahiawa District Court unit, an additional district court judge in Kona, cybersecurity, the Criminal Justice Research Institute, and facility projects including South Kohala design work and a Kauai chiller replacement. Civil legal services providers, including Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Legal Clinic, Kuikahi Mediation Center, the Domestic Violence Action Center, the Hawaii State Bar Association, and the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, all supported the bill but asked for an additional $1 million for the civil legal services line item, saying demand is high and the funding is spread across more providers than before. The Judiciary clarified that some of its requested positions would support Wahiawa and Women’s Court, and that the civil legal services funding goes to organizations serving low-income residents on issues such as immigration, domestic violence, evictions, and foreclosures. The committee also briefly took up SB 279 on fentanyl possession thresholds, where the prosecuting attorney’s office supported the bill and said fentanyl is already driving overdose deaths and that the proposed thresholds target distribution-level quantities rather than personal use.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pease, I still see in your budget, every budget, every line item has state overtime.
• My budget is gone. You know, and so sometimes we're able to backfill. My budget is gone.
• This is a maintenance budget.
• Certainly... ...we have not budgeted for that $500,000 in our budget.
• My entire budget doesn't even equate to the structural deficit included in my budget.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s H-2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard first from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who outlined a $1.72 billion budget, up $69.8 million from FY26. She said the proposal emphasizes core operations, readiness, and partnerships with municipalities, and highlighted work on firearms-law implementation, State Police reform, DOC reentry efforts, hate-crimes prevention, emergency response, and planning for major events including the World Cup. Members also raised concerns about DNA backlog reporting, State Police academy boxing and training standards, ICE communication, disaster relief funding, crime lab staffing, EMS placement, and diversity in public safety leadership. Several exchanges focused on specific operational issues. Secretary Kwan and her team said the State Police are tracking the influx of forensic work from local sheriffs, that the boxing program remains suspended pending an IACP review and likely will not return in its prior form, and that EOPS has no direct communication with ICE but supports law-enforcement coordination where appropriate. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, though members urged a more permanent funding source. On the crime lab, staff said the roughly $4.5 million increase is intended to cover core operations and a structural funding gap rather than expand services. The secretary also said EOPS is not ready to absorb OEMS from DPH at this time, though she would keep an open mind. The committee then heard from district attorneys, led by Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, who said the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is seeking a 10% increase in operating budgets, including about $16.7 million for staffing salaries, to recruit and retain prosecutors, advocates, and support staff. He said the request reflects rising workload and the need to keep the criminal justice system functioning efficiently and fairly. The hearing was recessed briefly after the district attorneys’ opening remarks, with additional testimony expected to continue afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, talk about this database. Why is the database so important?
• But then we have the claims database. It's there, and we're going to be going into session...
• Then we have the claims database.
• Eric Sustra with Budget Project is present in support and does not wish to speak.
• Eric Sustra with Budget Project is present in support and does not wish to speak.

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 408 by Senator Myers, a major workers’ compensation overhaul centered on creating an all-claims medical database, requiring electronic reporting and billing, and modernizing fee schedule and claims data collection. Myers said the bill was designed to improve transparency, reduce disputes, address outliers and abuse, and help injured workers return to work faster. The committee adopted technical amendments, then considered a large amendment set combining portions of House bills 780 and 1101, which added preliminary determination procedures, fraud language, temporary total disability and supplemental earnings benefit changes, and a fallback deadline for the department to establish a fee schedule if no agreement is reached by 2029. Several members and witnesses objected that the amendments were dropped late and would turn SB 408 into an omnibus bill; supporters argued the package was the best chance for comprehensive reform. After debate, the committee adopted the amendments and reported SB 408 favorably as amended. Testimony on SB 408 was sharply divided. Supporters, including some providers and injured-worker advocates, said the bill’s core value was transparency through the database and that the system needed modernization and a better fee schedule. Opponents argued the added amendments would burden pro se claimants, expand litigation, and weaken injured workers’ rights, especially through fraud and preliminary hearing provisions. Committee members also questioned whether the combined package was germane and whether it should be allowed to move as a single reform measure. Louisiana Workforce Commission staff explained the timeline for data collection, electronic billing, dispute rules, and eventual fee schedule rulemaking, and said the department could execute the law as amended. The committee then turned to House Bill 585 by Representative Chasson, concerning workplace violence and safety plans for small-box discount retailers. The bill was revised through a substitute that required covered retailers to develop and submit a written workforce safety plan, or submit an existing plan if one already existed. Representative Glorioso raised concerns that requiring a written safety plan could create new civil liability under Louisiana’s assumption-of-duty doctrine and increase litigation and insurance costs. Chasson responded that the intent was simply to encourage safety planning and that businesses already had such plans. The committee discussed possible narrowing language, but the transcript ends before a final disposition on HB 585 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• : A QUORUM BEING PRESENT I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR SECOND INTERIM PRE-K-12, THIRD INTERIM BUDGET
• FIRST I WILL PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE RESOLUTION OF OUTSTANDING FISCAL YEAR 24-25 BUDGET ISSUES THEN
• WORK WITH BETWEEN THE TIME WE RECEIVE THE DATA FILES BEFORE THE TIME WE WOULD UPLOAD IT INTO OUR DATABASE
• , INTO OUR PORTAL AT THE WE WOULD UPLOAD IT INTO OUR DATABASE, INTO OUR PORTAL AT THE DISTRICTS GET TO
• SEE, WORK THROUGH DATA ANOMALIES, LOAD IT INTO THE DATABASE.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the budget director for the University of Minnesota, and we thank you for inviting us for a third
• <00:03:06.200> request<00:03:07.120> this portion of our banal budget request this
• If we have time, I will share the research portion of the University's budget request.
• So my question is a higher-level one, just really quickly: What is the NRRI annual budget?
• The O&M dollars are the portion of state funding that come through the O&M budget.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh it allows us enforcers of the department to actually ping this database, this criminal database, and
• Uh it allows us enforcers of the department to actually ping this database, this criminal database, and
• Uh it allows us enforcers of the department to actually ping this database, this criminal database, and
• Uh it allows us enforcers of the department to actually ping this database, this criminal database, and
• We face a tightening state budget.

Bills: HF3919, HF1335, HF3864, HF3916, HF3728

Keywords: veterans benefits, Secret War, Laos veterans, eligibility process, burial fees, veteran designation, electronic license, driver's license, digital credential, transportation, data privacy, authentication, license plates, vehicle registration, validation stickers, Minnesota statutes, transportation policy, aeronautics, transponder, aircraft safety