Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh Salt Lake City and staying in Utah. uh Salt Lake City and staying in Utah.
• </c> the program the program on<01:54:41.679><c> the</c><01:54:41.760><c> backs</c><01:54:42.080><c>
• </c> the rug with one or two programs the rug with one or two programs that<02:04:18.800><c> yes,</c>
• </c><02:06:10.320><c> businesses</c> behalf of supporting small businesses behalf of supporting small
• </c> Medicaid program. Medicaid program.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increase in program attendance.
• to states program.
• So, Pearl City is our early learning. So, Pearl City is our first<01:13:30.400><c> design.
• </c> the city council for the zoning. the city council for the zoning. &gt;&gt; Yeah.
• So existing programs like the programs.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> we're doing at the city level? we're doing at the city level?
• Uh, as a city taking my question.
• aren't</c><04:51:46.718><c> swept</c> program or similar programs aren't swept program or similar programs
• </c> to create a standalone storage program. to create a standalone storage program.
• Eversource has a program.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a small...
• improvement of the programs, and publishes educator preparation program review results and other data
• about program quality.
• data for each approved program.
• Additional review includes indicator-based program review, as staff briefed, in which programs annually

Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills related to special education records, artificial intelligence in schools, financial aid access, educator preparation, school health, and student mobile device use. Substitute Senate Bill 6268 would require OSPI to keep an online public record of final special education community complaint decisions for 20 years; the sponsor and several parents, attorneys, and open-government advocates said the records help families, schools, and researchers understand past decisions and remedies, while no one testified in opposition. Substitute Senate Bill 5956 would limit school use of automated decision systems, school surveillance technology, biometric data, and facial recognition in student discipline and safety contexts; the sponsor and supporters said it would prevent harmful false positives and discriminatory impacts, while an industry witness warned the bill could unintentionally reduce school safety by limiting emergency facial-recognition uses. Committee discussion focused on the bill’s scope, especially whether it affects classroom grading or only discipline-related decisions, and staff noted the bill does not require teacher training. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which would add financial-aid application data to the High School and Beyond Plan platform and require students to receive information about the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program. The sponsor said the bill would make aid status more transparent and easier to track, especially for families facing language or access barriers, and a student advocate testified in support; a committee member raised concerns about privacy for immigrant and DACA students, and the sponsor said the portal would be opt-in and guided by privacy protections. Senate Bill 6278 would codify and update Professional Educator Standards Board review of teacher and principal preparation programs, including program standards, educator role standards, evidence, and input from P-12 partners, while allowing field placement plans to be submitted on a less frequent schedule; PESB staff said the bill largely reflects current practice and adds flexibility. Substitute Senate Bill 5240 would expand who may administer epinephrine in schools and allow use of any available epinephrine when a student with a prescription on file has anaphylaxis; school nurses supported broader access to stock epinephrine but warned against using one student’s medication for another and raised legal and ethical concerns, while the sponsor emphasized faster response in emergencies. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5346 would direct OSPI to study and report on school mobile-device restrictions and update digital citizenship resources to include research and best practices on student phone use. Staff said OSPI already has some guidance, but the bill would create formal legislative reports and expand the state’s digital citizenship materials. The committee began taking testimony on that bill as the hearing time ran short, and the chair noted there were ten people signed in to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Chief Program Policy Officer of the Equine Program, Madam Chair, Committee.
• We have about 25 programs.
• It's the small rural communities that don't have that luxury.
• For small communities, we do it for them.
• So it's a pretty well-known program throughout the state already.

Bills: HM26 , HB243 , HB109

Committee: House House Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources

Keywords: insects, ecosystem, education, public awareness, wildlife conservation, state agency involvement, New Mexico, equine welfare, animal rescue, shelter funding, trust fund, veterinary care, water project fund, water project finance act, New Mexico Finance Authority, water infrastructure, water grants, water loans, regional water planning, water rights adjudication

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of programs taught me about myself, did CBT programming, and things like that.
• program for our pod.
• I applied for the step-down program. I applied for the step-down program.
• PEP program, Boston College Prison Education Program.
• program, which is program engagement strategy, meaning if you don't partake in programs, we're going

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met to approve prior minutes and then heard extensive testimony focused on reentry, programming, and the differences between Department of Correction facilities and county sheriff programs. Much of the testimony came from incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people describing how county facilities offered education, treatment, work release, identification documents, housing help, and reentry planning that they said were often unavailable or harder to access in state DOC settings. Several witnesses emphasized that these programs helped them obtain sobriety, employment, family reunification, and parole readiness, while others said they needed more time, mentoring, or transitional support before release to make the most of those services. Witnesses from Hampshire, Barnstable, Hampden, and Franklin counties described specific programs such as high school/GED completion, college courses, culinary arts, vocational training, recovery groups, therapeutic treatment, and community-based reentry centers. Many said staff treated them with dignity and that the facilities’ culture encouraged accountability and personal change. A few witnesses also noted that some programs were not a fit for their needs, especially for people without substance-use issues or for those whose mental health needs were not adequately addressed. One Barnstable witness said she returned to custody within 48 hours of release because she was not mentally prepared for reentry, and another from Framingham said mental health support was insufficient and visitation restrictions worsened her experience. Commissioners asked follow-up questions about DOC access to programming, classification barriers, reentry preparation, and visitation policies. Several witnesses said DOC programming was limited by sentence length, classification status, or program waitlists, and that some people were steered into programs that did not match their needs. A number of commissioners and the sheriff present responded by stressing the importance of wraparound services, individualized planning, and hiring formerly incarcerated staff. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• participants, and a comprehensive report on the grant program.
• We have several; the sort of the gold star one is in Lake Havasu City.
• So I see this as a great program, a great opportunity for the state.
• And it was a great program.
• And it was a great program.

Summary: The Military Affairs and Border Security Committee heard two veterans-focused bills. HB 2960 would create a Veterans Specialty Court grant program and fund to help cities and counties start, expand, and improve veterans treatment courts, with the Administrative Office of the Courts overseeing best practices, data collection, and reporting. It would also require the Department of Corrections to identify incarcerated veterans and share monthly information with the Department of Veterans’ Services so veterans do not lose contact with benefits and support services. The sponsor and a veteran testifying in support described the bill as a way to address underlying issues such as PTSD, substance use, and reintegration challenges through diversion and treatment rather than punishment. The committee also heard HB 2620, which would appropriate $300,000 annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services for grants to large emergency shelters serving homeless veterans, including Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS). Supporters said the funding would allow shelters to hire dedicated veteran case managers, provide flexible assistance, and move veterans more quickly into permanent housing. A CASS representative and a veteran who had stayed there testified in favor, describing the shelter’s veteran-specific services and the importance of stable, trauma-informed case management. Both bills received strong support from committee members, many of whom spoke personally about veterans treatment courts and homelessness services. HB 2960 was approved on a 6-0 vote with one member not voting, and HB 2620 was also approved 6-0 with one member not voting, each receiving a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• systems program.
• the school safety pilot program and the rural county interoperability communication systems program.
• of the program that was bid on.
• But in terms of driving the interoperability, it was a local, city-by-city or town-by-town decision.
• It's a pilot program.'

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Summary: The committee began with opening remarks about moving to a monthly, two-hour schedule for more timely and focused oversight of Auditor General findings. Members also recognized Melanie Chesney for 32 years of service to the Office of the Auditor General, with several speakers praising her work and her role in strengthening the relationship between the Auditor General’s office and J-LAC. The main agenda item was the Auditor General’s December 2025 special audit on the school safety interoperability fund and interoperable communication systems. Staff reported that about $26 million had been allocated to 14 law enforcement agencies for systems intended to improve real-time communication between schools and first responders. The audit found that all 14 agencies used the money for interoperable systems, but four agencies allowed private or tribal schools to participate contrary to statute, and several agencies failed to submit required annual expenditure reports. It also found that none of the three systems reviewed met every statutory requirement as written, in part because some requirements were vague or interpreted differently by vendors and agencies. The audit recommended that agencies recover and report any improper benefit to non-public schools, avoid using fund money for ongoing costs tied to non-public school participation, submit missing reports, and improve cost planning and contract monitoring; it also recommended that the legislature clarify eligibility for private and tribal schools and revisit unclear system requirements. The audit further found procurement and contracting problems at nine of 14 agencies, including weak or missing sole-source justifications, contracts that lacked accountability and termination provisions, and poor documentation of pricing and deliverables. Several agencies had not planned for ongoing annual costs, which the audit estimated could range from about $16,000 to $382,000 per rural county depending on the system. In the discussion, members expressed frustration with sole-source contracting and lack of documentation, and some said they would oppose future vendor bills without competitive bidding and stronger payment controls. The auditor also described mixed system performance: some agencies reported useful features such as panic alerts, camera access, and map sharing, but other systems were not fully functional or had never been implemented. The committee then heard from the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association, whose president said sheriffs support the goal of improving school safety, described county implementation challenges, and defended the use of local staff to manage the projects, while acknowledging that smaller counties face staffing and connectivity limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and administer several Grant programs and administer several Grant programs where<00:02:24.720><
• violence community programs and shelters, general crime programs, legal advocacy programs, and parenting
• So these programs impact children and youth impacted by crime, as well as sexual assault programs and
• legal advocacy programs and programs legal advocacy programs and parenting<00:13:29.920><c> time</c>
• </c><01:03:54.079><c> are</c> providing services our programs are providing services our programs are

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are concerns regarding the secrecy of our ballot due to countywide polling programs, chain of custody
• Pronouns are small words with big implications, and for many Christians, they carry the message of...
• We have so much going on in this country, so many problems that we have to fix, that this is such small
• I just wanted to call to your attention on March 6th, 2025, the city of Austin, Austin City Council.
• And the city of Austin, unfortunately, our Austin City Council has disregarded that.

Bills: SB38 , SB287 , SB291 , SB292 , SB508 , SB618 , SB901 , SB1436 , SB1494 , SB1626 , SB1719 , SB1999 , SB1333 , SB 38

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: evictions, property law, tenant rights, landlord responsibilities, justice court, court rules, SB 287, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, sexually oriented business, adult entertainment, strip club, nude entertainment, live nude performance, alcohol prohibition, alcohol consumption, possession of alcohol, criminal offense, Class A misdemeanor, state jail felony, third degree felony

Transcript Highlights:

• The majority of city council, so who are elected officials, to either hire and fire the director.
• Are they not appointed by the city council? So doesn't that kind of...
• City Council, so doesn't that kind of... Representative Berch, yes, they are. Follow up?
• there is, I'm not sure where there's a problem then, because if the trustees are appointed by the city
• If they haven't, they better get with the program.

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Gonzável Hernandez, in District 21, Southern Arizona, Santa Cruz County, and the city
• If you look at just the city limits of Apache Junction, I think, to your point, there's an affordability
• issue across the state, and I think I would prefer to see programs like this apply to more of the state
• $8 million from the General Fund in fiscal year 2027 to the State Treasurer for distribution to the city
• Madam Chair, I think there is the BEAD program — Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment — and obviously

Committee: House House Rural Economic Development Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Rural Economic Development convened, adopted its committee rules, and briefly introduced members and staff. The chair noted a hard stop time and moved quickly through the agenda. The committee also heard a general discussion that future meetings would likely include a mix of rural housing, broadband, transportation, and economic development measures. The committee passed HB 2258, which adds La Paz County to Area 4 for representation on the Tourism Advisory Council, on a 7-0 vote. It then considered several Apache Junction and Pinal County-related appropriation bills. HB 2065 would appropriate $9.5 million for housing infrastructure, rehabilitation, and blight abatement in Apache Junction; HB 2066 would appropriate $8 million for broadband and fiber expansion there; and HB 2071 would appropriate $15.5 million for a rural business and workforce hub, infrastructure revitalization, and a rural health/community services facility. Members and the sponsor emphasized rural housing shortages, broadband gaps, and the need to bring Apache Junction and other rural areas up to parity with larger cities. The committee also passed HB 2106 on a 7-0 vote. That bill would direct undistributed or non-refunded revenues from a county transportation excise tax, collected before April 10, 2026, to ADOT for county transportation projects, with the sponsor explaining it as a way to use remaining Pinal County tax proceeds for roads after litigation and refunds. Several members discussed the need for broader rural investment, including possible amendments to include the Navajo Nation and other rural communities, and one bill was held over for the next agenda due to time.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:25:14.800><c> that</c><01:25:15.040><c> you</c> program that you program that you know<01:25:17.199
• </c> of $200,000 to prop up a pilot program of $200,000 to prop up a pilot program the<01:43:10.440><
• </c><01:43:36.159><c> and</c> Justice he proposed that the small and Justice he proposed that the small
• Let's say you're in your city and you have actually your city and the City of Dover and Portsmouth; they
• so in your city you have actually<01:47:45.320><c> your</c><01:47:45.960><c> city</c><01:47:46.320><

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:42.400><c> but</c> So, to me, this bill is a small but So, to me, this bill is a small but
• I think that a city... You live in a city. You live in a city. I live in a city.
• Um, and in a city we don't have a default budget.
• What they had in there doesn't work for the cities.
• And um again, that tableabling cities.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This kind of program is modeled after a program that exists in New Hampshire called Green Snow Pro.
• </c> um snowplow program. So um that's it. um snowplow program. So um that's it.
• </c> voluntary program? voluntary program?
• </c> [clears throat] to support the program. [clears throat] to support the program.
• that there are out there to programs that there are out there to help<00:47:33.760><c> small</c><00:

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is city, town, rural, remote, and elementary.
• The state foundation program is what uses support units to allocate funding.
• We can wrap our arms around it a little better for small ones. Mr. Petty.
• And Medicaid, the primary source of revenue for that, would be a 200-level program.
• So we did qualify for some financing or some money from the special ed program.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 2 and 3. It then introduced RS 3-1308, sponsored by Representative Raymond, which would change public school digital content and curriculum funding from a first-come, first-served process to an as-needed, scored application process so districts with greater need would receive funds. The motion to introduce passed without opposition. The committee next heard a presentation from the Office of Performance Evaluations on its K-12 district characteristics and funding study. Casey Petty explained that Idaho’s support unit funding model tends to provide more state funding per student to smaller districts and less per student to larger districts, but that funding does not consistently rise with higher proportions of high-need students such as special education or English learner populations. He said Idaho’s special education formula assumes only about 5.8% of students are in special education, while actual enrollment was about 11.5% in 2023, contributing to an estimated $37.7 million gap in support-unit funding for special education. Members asked about the support unit model, district size effects, charter school data limitations, Medicaid, and whether the formula should be revised. The committee then considered House Joint Memorial 11, which urges Congress to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act at the promised 40% level. Representative Furman and several educators and administrators testified in support, describing the strain on district budgets and citing large local shortfalls in Boise and Fruitland. Witnesses said districts are covering mandated special education services with local and state funds, and that increased identification, early intervention, and behavioral needs are driving costs. Some members raised questions about over-identification, eligibility criteria, and behavioral issues, but the memorial was ultimately sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation by voice vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• City of Keene uses percentages.
• for the city of Summerssworth for 15 years.
• ,</c><00:32:10.480><c> provide</c> and disciplinary program, provide and disciplinary program, provide
• And he goes party program.
• In the city of unique to all of us.

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I live in Garden City, Idaho, and I'm here today on behalf of the Idaho Society of CPAs.
• My name is Valerie Slaven, and I live in Garden City.
• There is such a message or a method through this email program that we have.
• There is such a message or a method through this email program that we have.
• I am retired, and I own my own home in Garden City. And today I'm representing myself.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• metro area for northern Twin Cities metro area for northern Minnesota<00:04:43.039><c> the</c><00:04
• director to assist the dealers program director to assist the dealers in<00:09:51.640><c> getting</c
• You know, they were able to get that through small business loans. That was really helpful.
• You know, they were able to get that through small business loans. That was really helpful.
• You know, they were able to get that through small business loans. That was really helpful.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There are 163 public libraries in the state of Idaho, but only 55 of those are run by cities.
• This RS only affects those 55 cities.
• Are they not appointed by the city council? So doesn't that kind of... Representative Cornilles?
• I'm not sure where there's a problem then, because if the trustees are appointed by the city council,
• If they haven't, they better get with the program.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The committee first heard RS 33327 from Representative Cornelius regarding city-run library boards. He said the proposal would affect the 55 city libraries in Idaho and would give city councils, along with library trustees, authority over hiring and firing library directors. He said the change was intended to address past problems and ensure elected officials have a role. After brief questions about trustee appointment and the need for added oversight, the committee moved to introduce the RS. The committee then considered House Bill 620, sponsored by Representative Boyle, which would formalize county commissioners’ role as cooperating agencies in federal land-use and NEPA processes when counties have expertise under state law. Supporters from Custer County, the Idaho Association of Counties, and the Farm Bureau said counties have been overlooked in federal land-management planning and need a stronger voice. Members discussed whether counties without a comprehensive plan would be covered; the sponsor said all 44 counties have adopted one. The committee voted to send HB 620 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 627 from Representative McCann, which would clarify that people attending open meetings may take photos, video, or audio recordings so long as they do not disrupt the meeting. The sponsor cited incidents where attendees or media were told they could not record, and said the bill was meant to make that right explicit. Members raised questions about executive sessions, crowded meetings, prisons, and whether the language should cover non-electronic recording methods; an amendment was proposed to add “or other” after “digital.” After testimony from the Idaho Press Club in support, the committee voted 15-1 to send HB 627 to General Orders.