Transcript Highlights:

• That's right, but the other businesses in the community, not just the banks, but the local businesses
• And that, you know, was just devastating to the local banks as well as the entire community.
• It is from listening to the agricultural community that we discern what their problems are, and then
• And we have our extension outreach folks that serve as that kind of symbiotic communication mechanism
• I want to entertain a motion to adjourn. setting field day at the southeast station in your community

Committee: House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture & Rural Development

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum, adopted the prior meeting minutes, and heard a series of agriculture-related bills, most of them sponsored by Representative Domain or Chairwoman Butler. The first major bill, HB 121, would expand the Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s authority over imported seafood by allowing its inspectors, in addition to the Department of Health, to seize and destroy adulterated seafood already under stop order. Representative Domain and Commissioner Strain framed the bill as a seafood-safety and anti-fraud measure aimed at protecting Louisiana shrimpers from tainted imports and bad actors. Members asked about cost, testing rates, countries of origin, and whether the bill would affect imported shrimp prices; the commissioner said it would not raise consumer prices and that Louisiana’s testing is focused at retail rather than ports. HB 121 was reported favorably with no objections. The committee then considered HB 725, which requires restaurants/retailers to retain invoices from imported seafood vendors for six months. After a technical amendment changing the bill’s one-liner from “restaurants” to “retailers,” the bill was explained as a recordkeeping tool to help auditors verify country-of-origin and labeling compliance without costly product testing. It was reported favorably with amendments. The committee also heard a bill reducing the required number of annual meetings for the Agriculture Finance Authority from four to two; Commissioner Strain said the change would streamline operations when there is no business to conduct, and it was reported favorably. Next, the committee took up HB 344 and HB 370 dealing with the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund. HB 344 raises the fund’s balance thresholds for suspending and restarting assessments, while HB 370 increases the assessment rate on agricultural commodities to replenish the fund more quickly. Commissioner Strain described recent large losses from grain broker bankruptcies, including Hansen-Mueller, and explained that the fund has been paying farmers but needs a larger balance to handle future defaults. Members discussed the risks posed by brokers, the adequacy of bonding, and the need to protect farmers and rural communities; both bills were reported favorably. The committee also advanced HB 367, aligning Structural Pest Control Commission hearing notices with the Administrative Procedure Act, and HB 847, which modernizes Soil and Water Conservation district supervisor elections by shifting administration to the Secretary of State and updating petition and ballot procedures after a crowded, ballot-short election. Finally, HB 505 streamlined certification and renewal rules for commercial applicators, pesticide salespersons, and agricultural consultants, including a technical amendment to keep unexpended pesticide-fund money in the fund; it too was reported favorably with amendments. After the bills, Commissioner Strain gave a lengthy update on the state of agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture. He highlighted continued pressure on shrimp from low-cost imports, currency shifts, and inadequate domestic marketing and cold storage, as well as ongoing seafood labeling enforcement and testing. He also discussed feral swine damage, drought and wildfire concerns, fertilizer and diesel cost increases, crop acreage trends, and export efforts for rice and timber, including Louisiana wood pellets used in the United Kingdom. LSU Ag Center Dean Matt Lee followed with a presentation on the center’s research and extension work, emphasizing its statewide network, high research ranking, and the economic return from agricultural science, especially in sugarcane variety development. He said LSU Ag Center research has helped Louisiana maintain strong sugar production and supports producers across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> find a sense of stability and community, find a sense of stability and community, I<00:39:34.400
• </c> any consideration to the communities. any consideration to the communities.
• </c> and the folks from uh the DD community and the folks from uh the DD community and<01:53:18.000><
• </c><02:05:22.800><c> would</c> representatives of the community would representatives of the community
• </c> local communities whatsoever. All right. local communities whatsoever. All right.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For the community colleges, it says for the completion of the project enumerated, right?
• The community college did, right? When we get down there, actually we're almost there.
• </c> have any lapse extensions community have any lapse extensions community college<00:16:42.800><c>
• I have two lapses for the Community College.
• One is for the NCC engineering technology. You know if there’s any money in those?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review the lapse extensions in the back of House Bill 25, which governs capital budget appropriations and bonding. Members were walked through how the bill is structured: section 1 covers general, federal, and other funds; section 2 covers highway fund appropriations; later sections authorize borrowing, restrict spending to the stated purposes, and explain why community colleges and the university system operate through their boards of trustees. The chair also explained that lapse extensions are needed because capital projects can span multiple years, and that appropriations normally expire at the end of the biennium unless extended. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on how to identify unspent balances and whether they should be extended, repurposed, or allowed to lapse. Members discussed that if a project is complete or an agency confirms it no longer needs the money, the remaining balance can be reused for another project or, if not needed, lapse back. The committee also reviewed the meaning of bill references and chapter numbers, and how to read prior-year appropriations and extensions in the worksheet. One example discussed was a 2023 Department of Administrative Services courthouse generators item, and members noted that some agencies may rely on encumbered balances rather than explicit lapse extensions, though the chair said he prefers including the extension for flexibility. The committee identified at least one specific change: the Jeffrey Ringe CTE renovation was removed from the governor’s recommended budget because the required local match was not approved, freeing about $18.5 million for possible reuse. Later, the chair noted that lapse extension 49 on the worksheet was no longer needed and could be removed, leaving an unspent balance of $81,500 available for repurposing. The discussion also referenced a Department of Transportation item, Caroline Stratford Freight Rail Improvements, which the agency asked to keep alive through a lapse extension so the funds would not expire on June 30. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that technology does exist and has been successful in other areas. Thank you.
• , tax credit for investing in the transportation development of distressed communities, qualified beef
• You folks pass stuff all the time that are unfunded mandates and tell our communities and cities what
• This is a rare instance where we say, hey, ...tell our communities and cities what they have to do.
• But can you explain how a tax credit for rolling stock benefits the agricultural community?

Committee: House Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee first met in executive session on House Bill 2998, adopting a committee substitute that narrowed the bill to a study of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and the Rural Development Office and extended the deadline to December 1, 2029. Members discussed the bill’s roughly $3 million fiscal note and whether the proposed river-related study and power-generation concept would be a worthwhile investment. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted the committee substitute for HB 2998 do pass by a 21-0 roll call. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 913, which would extend several agricultural tax credit programs for five years, including the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Tax Credit (Mazbita), rolling stock credits, meat processing incentives, biodiesel-related credits, specialty crop credits, and a new short-line railroad credit. Senator Curtis Gregory said the bill was intended to provide certainty and support rural infrastructure, agricultural processing, and rail access, and witnesses from the Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Corn Growers, Missouri Chamber, short-line railroads, Missouri AgriBusiness Association, Missouri Dairy, Missouri Bankers Association, Missouri Railroad Association, and Missouri Pork Association testified in support. Opposition came from a public advocate who argued Missouri’s tax credit system is too large, lacks adequate auditing, and could cost tens of millions of dollars while adding state administrative costs. Committee members raised questions about the fiscal note, the carryforward of unused credits, and whether the rolling stock credit backfills local property tax revenue; supporters responded that the credit makes local governments whole and that the programs have strong returns on investment and help preserve agricultural and rail infrastructure. No final vote on SB 913 was taken in the transcript, and the committee adjourned after the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And many of them are in our rural communities and in our urban areas throughout the state.
• To make sure that we are addressing those and answering those needs and supporting those communities
• _22676), yes, you have to renew your coverage every year, and the marketplace is built with the technology
• , and not just siloing particular communities.
• Thank you for standing up for the communities that need us most. Gracias. Thank you.

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Providing sheriff's offices with meeting and confer options foster better communication, transparency
• , and morale by giving deputies a voice in decisions that affect their work and community.
• Department, which has become a premier department in its diversity and its inclusion of a lot of community
• Technology, am I right?
• It also requires a public hearing, ensuring the process remains transparent and open to the community

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Providing sheriff's offices with meet-and-confer options fosters better communication, transparency,
• and morale by giving deputies a voice in decision-making. ...decisions that affect their work and community
• make sure that we protect our first responders and our firefighters so that they can serve our communities
• Technology, am I right?
• It also requires a public hearing, ensuring the process remains transparent and open to the community

Bills: HB1597 , HB2364 , HB2437 , HB3205 , HB3253 , HB3310 , HB3648 , HB3906 , HB4259 , HB5645

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Keywords: county jailer, jail training, veterans, Texas Veterans Commission, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, TCOLE, criminal justice system, county jail, law enforcement training, mental health training, jail standards, correctional officers, veteran services, veteran interaction, occupations code, jailer licensing, parking, county courthouse, infrastructure, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• In past sessions, this legislature has passed to provide grants to communities seeking additional water
• I applaud the committee for your efforts in promoting and embracing the... technology such as ASR, but
• There was no acknowledgement no communication from Austin Water despite repeated requests, direct from
• Bill Fourth is because of communication, because of my constituency, because of the folks, the outcry
• This bill has support from our local communities and all area reps. That's it.

Bills: HB1523 , HB2109 , HB2694 , HB3525 , HB3898 , HB4646 , HB5188 , HB5219 , HB5320 , HB5651 , HB5655 , HB5659 , HB5662 , HB5672

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: aquifer conservation, Class V injection well, environmental regulation, groundwater protection, municipal water supply, temporary prohibition, water management, reservoir construction, state water plan, Texas Water Code, environmental impact, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, elections, vacancies, resignation, HB 3525, North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, groundwater permit, permit amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• Shortly thereafter, our Chief Technology Officer, Nate Smolinski, left as well.
• 32.920><c> Nate</c><00:09:33.680><c> um</c> Chief Technology Officer, Nate um Chief Technology Officer
• </c> the role of interim Chief Technology the role of interim Chief Technology Officer,<00:09:41.880>
• </c><03:18:00.840><c> about</c><03:18:01.480><c> the</c> several communities about the several communities
• </c> University of Wyoming Technology University of Wyoming Technology Transfer<03:26:41.480><c> Center

Committee: Joint Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Being that I myself will be occupied after that due to community activities, and also many of our members
• And I think it will be a very beneficial bill as we look at new technology coming into our state into
• c><00:28:46.600><c> new</c> beneficial bill as we look at new beneficial bill as we look at new technology
• 47.960><c> into</c><00:28:48.320><c> our</c><00:28:48.520><c> state</c><00:28:49.280><c> into</c> technology
• coming into our state into technology coming into our state into karst<00:28:50.120><c> geology.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our numbers communicate that even with a growth factor, our numbers communicate that students leave us
• Our programming communicates that; it communicates the opportunity for students when they're in the 5th
• Good community engagement.
• You know, to a future bond sale, we anticipate our facility master plan communicating what our community
• So those are your science labs, your family communities, community science labs, your tech center, your

Committee: House Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• The groups were, of course, the large landowners, the agricultural community, the home builders, the
• business community, and the environmental community.
• The full-time equivalent investigator level three position will support personnel, technology, licensing

Bills: SB219 , SB9

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: military pension, military retirement pay, veterans, retiree tax relief, income tax exemption, pension exclusion, Delaware income tax, retirement income, state tax subtraction, armed forces retirement, National Guard, Space Force, Coast Guard, NOAA, Public Health Service, taxable income, Title 30, Section 1106, wetlands protection, nontidal wetlands

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met to hear several bills, with members repeatedly reminded to focus on fiscal impacts rather than policy merits. The committee first considered SB 9 on freshwater wetlands, which would combine tidal and non-tidal wetlands programs into one permitting framework; supporters said the bill resulted from a two-year consensus process and that the governor’s office and DENREC would absorb a significant share of the cost. Public testimony was largely supportive, emphasizing flood control and ecosystem services, though one speaker opposed the spending. The committee voted to release SB 9. The committee then heard SB 278 on child care assistance, which would preauthorize summer camp for eligible school-age children and create a separate lower co-payment for half-day care. The sponsor and the YMCA of Delaware said the change would better align family co-pays with provider reimbursement and make before- and after-school care more affordable for working families. The committee also released SB 278, SB 168 on alcohol delivery for package stores, SB 120 on health insurance coverage for certain testing and treatment, and HB 4, a pilot program for artificial intelligence and extended reality in schools; HB 4 was described as having a near-$3 million fiscal note and a one-year implementation delay because it was not funded in the budget. Later, the committee approved SB 219, which gradually increases the military pension income tax exclusion from $12,500 to $25,000 over three years and includes related joint-filing and residency changes. Supporters argued it would help attract and retain military retirees and bring federal dollars into the state. The committee also released SB 1, a major primary care reform bill that would increase primary care spending and implement hospital payment reforms, with projected long-term savings to the state employee health plan, and SB 325, which expands background checks and wrap-back monitoring for fire service personnel and adds an investigator position for the Fire Prevention Commission. In each case, public commenters and committee members generally supported the bills, and all were released from committee by recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• It notes approximately $1.5 million in one-time information technology cost, $4.5 million in ongoing
• Since then, AI and the technology used to embed and detect these disclosures has evolved rapidly and
• Since then, AI and the technology used to embed and detect these disclosures has evolved rapidly and

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We rely on Medi-Cal to maintain their health and stay in their homes and communities.
• We are strong supporters of home and community-based services.
• Wanted to thank you for rejecting the cuts to the community advocacy contracts.
• , immigrant communities.
• These are some of our most vulnerable communities right now.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Retailers in border communities will be hit first and hardest.
• </c> boosters in your communities. boosters in your communities.
• </c> better and contribute to our communities better and contribute to our communities rather<00:51:44.000
• </c> communities across northern Minnesota. communities across northern Minnesota.
• Others like myself are communities.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Spoke to a lot of parents in the community. They love it.
• However, I do want to communicate for the rest of the people in here that it is a much better Communicate
• But you're in the kind of the same space as a community.
• We asked community members to participate in this plan.
• We asked community members to participate in this plan.

Summary: The House first approved the previous day’s journal by roll call vote, 116-0, and then spent a long portion of the morning recognizing visiting students, homeschool groups, professional associations, veterans, and other guests in the gallery. A moment of silence was held in honor of Conrad Ashcraft after a member introduced his grandmother, who was present to testify on a bill related to his death. The chamber also recognized a birthday page, a 90th birthday for a House staff member, and Chiropractic Physicians Day. The main floor debate centered on House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2710, which would create an A-through-F school grading system for public schools and charter schools. Supporters said the bill would give parents a simple, transparent way to understand school performance, while also preserving more detailed underlying data and adding a climate scorecard amendment covering suspension, restraint, and satisfaction measures. The bill sponsor and supporters emphasized that the measure was revised from earlier versions, that the A grade would be based on the top decile rather than a moving target, that literacy and growth measures were important, and that any teacher incentive funding would be handled through appropriations and the teacher retention and recruitment fund rather than direct bonuses. Opponents argued that letter grades would stigmatize schools, destabilize staffing, and oversimplify complex school conditions, especially in districts with high poverty, mobility, or special education populations. Several members questioned the fairness of comparing schools with different funding levels, demographics, and student turnover, and others argued that the bill would not solve concerns about the MAP test or broader school funding. One member objected that the bill applied only to public and charter schools while state dollars are also now going to private-school tuition support. Despite those concerns, the House adopted the amendment offered by the St. Louis member, then adopted the committee substitute and ordered House Bill 2710 perfected and printed. Afterward, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2404 and 2172, a measure to remove deed restrictions on unused public school property and create a right of first refusal for public entities, including charter schools. Supporters said the bill would allow vacant school buildings to be reused for education rather than sit unused or be demolished, and could generate revenue for school districts. The bill was advanced after discussion, with members citing examples from St. Louis and other areas where unused buildings could have been repurposed for charter or other educational use.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a very high growth rate for non-technology companies.
• That's incremental staff and technology to support that effort.
• And it's just about communication between agencies.
• liquidity needs of all of our client funds and all of our partners, and that is just a constant communication
• So, you know, what we do, again, this goes back to the communication discussion, is when we know we have

Summary: The Legacy Fund Committee received updates from the North Dakota Retirement Investment Office (RIO) on fund performance, liquidity, in-state investments, and internal management. Scott Anderson reported strong returns for the Legacy Fund across multiple time periods, with performance exceeding the policy benchmark and expectations, driven largely by strong equity markets and effective implementation. He also reviewed private market pacing, noting commitments were on plan but that unfunded obligations and distributions were lower than expected, and presented a new liquidity analysis showing the fund had substantial capacity to meet obligations even under stressed market scenarios. The committee also discussed RIO’s internal investment program and cost savings. Anderson explained how internal management of fixed income, equity, and cash overlay strategies has reduced fees and transaction costs, while improving flexibility and portfolio construction. Members asked about staffing needs, and RIO leadership said asset growth has outpaced current staffing, with a request for additional FTEs likely coming to support investment, operations, risk, and legal functions. The committee also reviewed the Legacy Fund’s in-state investment program, including 50 South Capital and infrastructure lending, and heard that one manager’s buildout is progressing more slowly because many opportunities are still early-stage. Adam Odison presented a preliminary estimate of the 2026 Legacy Fund earnings distribution, projecting about $894.8 million under current law, with roughly $237 million to the Highway Fund and $554 million to the Property Tax Relief Fund after the sinking and interest fund allocation. Jody Smith then gave a project update on a new standalone Legacy Fund website required by statute, intended to consolidate performance, holdings, governance, fees, and use-of-funds information for the public, with a planned launch around the October State Investment Board meeting. She also raised a possible future proposal to place the Legacy Earnings Fund back under State Investment Board management so the cash could remain invested longer before being transferred out, though members noted liquidity, accounting, and bank-deposit implications would need further review. Finally, Kelvin Holden of the Bank of North Dakota reviewed the match loan program, explaining how it supports large economic development projects by pairing Bank of North Dakota loans with State Investment Board CDs. He said the program currently has about $272 million outstanding and has supported projects such as Coal Creek Station and the MDU gas line to Gwinner. Members discussed whether the program’s return is appropriate and noted a prior moratorium on new investments so the committee can revisit the policy next session. The committee then elected Senator Klein as chair and Representative Hogan as vice chair, and the meeting ended with members thanking staff and partners for the fund’s progress.

Transcript Highlights:

• other states have started to look at, is how do you create that process within your law enforcement community
• to have that open line of communication between elected officials and the law enforcement community
• I would also put in some information about how to use the technology a little bit better.
• And then finally, information technology trainer. We just talked a little bit about the need for...

Committee: Joint Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• other states have started to look at is how do you create that process within your law enforcement community
• to have that open line of communication between elected officials and the law enforcement community
• I would also put in some information about how to use the technology a little bit better.
• And then finally, information technology trainer. We just talked a little bit about the need for...

Committee: Joint Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee

Summary: The committee met to organize upcoming legislative session arrangements and staffing, and to review several rule and security-related items. It first approved a Joint Rule 211 change, recommended by the Employee Benefits Committee, that clarifies the deadline and statutory references for introducing health insurance mandate bills so required cost-benefit materials can be completed in time. Members noted the change would streamline the process, though it would not solve all timing and mandate-determination issues. The committee then discussed a draft bill on confidentiality protections for certain public officials and candidates, but members raised concerns about the statute’s complexity, the practical difficulty of administering it, and whether it would meaningfully improve safety; no action was taken and the topic was set aside for further discussion. The committee received an update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is in process to apply for grant funding that could reimburse up to about $200 per legislator for personal security-related expenses such as home cameras, locks, lighting, or monitoring services, with reimbursement handled through Legislative Council and subject to Emergency Commission approval. Members asked about eligible expenses, timing, and whether new legislators would be included, and staff said the program would likely cover current legislators only for this round. The committee also approved the 2027 joint session schedule for the State of the State, tribal-state message, and State of the Judiciary on January 5, with the tribal and judiciary addresses in the morning and the governor’s address later in the day. The committee next approved the statutory reporting schedule for the Commerce Commissioner and agricultural commodity groups, setting the Commerce report for January 13, 2027, and the agriculture reports and pesticide container disposal update for January 14, 2027. Members questioned the usefulness of some of these recurring reports, but agreed to follow the existing statutory requirements. The largest discussion centered on Legislative Council staffing for the 2027 session: the committee approved reducing session staff to 36 Senate and 41 House employees, eliminating procedural clerk positions in standing committees in favor of permanent policy analysts, while retaining quality assurance clerks and adding a House parking lot attendant. It also approved a 3% salary increase for those staff positions, matching the increase given to state employees. Finally, the committee reviewed a revised organizational session and new legislator training agenda. Staff proposed moving some orientation content into a separate pre-session training day for new legislators on November 30, including laptop setup, mock committee and floor sessions, parliamentary procedure, and HR/benefits training, while adding more security and budgeting instruction. Members strongly supported earlier and more practical training, including follow-up reinforcement during the first week of session, and suggested using experienced or term-limited former legislators as mentors. Staff also described efforts to expand training materials into podcasts, flowcharts, and other formats, and Legislative Council leadership outlined the office’s remaining vacancies and a proposed expansion of policy analysts, program evaluators, legal staff, and training support to better serve the legislature and improve oversight of state programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• other states have started to look at is how do you create that process within your law enforcement community
• to have that open line of communication between elected officials and the law enforcement community
• I would also put in some information about how to use the technology a little bit better.
• And then finally, information technology trainer.

Summary: The Legislative Procedures and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The committee first considered and adopted a Joint Rule 211 change clarifying the deadline and statutory references for bill drafts involving health insurance mandates, after discussion that the process is still somewhat cumbersome but improved by the clarification. The committee then reviewed a revised draft addressing confidentiality protections for certain legislators and candidates, but members expressed concerns about the breadth, enforceability, and transparency implications of the proposal, and the committee chose not to advance it at this time. The committee received an informational update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is applying for the grant, which could provide about $200 per legislator for home security or related safety expenses, subject to Emergency Commission approval and reimbursement procedures. Members asked about eligible expenses, administrative burden, and whether new legislators would be covered; staff said guidance would be provided if funding is approved. The committee also approved the 2027 timing for the State of the Judiciary, tribal-state relationship message, and State of the State address on January 5, and set the Commerce Department and agricultural commodity reports for January 13 and 14, respectively, as required by statute. A major portion of the meeting focused on legislative staffing and organizational planning. The committee approved a recommendation for 36 Senate staff positions and 41 House staff positions, along with a 3% compensation increase for session staff. Discussion centered on replacing some procedural clerk duties with permanent policy analyst staff, retaining quality assurance roles for now, and adding or repurposing positions in IT, program evaluation, legal, and administration. Members also discussed expanding program evaluation capacity and the need for clearer oversight of new programs, with staff noting upcoming training and model-sharing with other states. Finally, the committee reviewed a proposed new legislator orientation day on November 30 and broader organizational session training changes, including mock committee and floor sessions, security training, and more robust budget/appropriations instruction, but took no final action on the agenda items and adjourned after completing the budget-related recommendations.