Transcript Highlights:

• consistently communicated to this committee in the Farm Bill hearings we have held so far, this Congress
• Westhill, Congress in 2023 provided $3.7 billion in relief to support who had experienced economic losses
• Unfortunately, the Biden administration changed the emergency relief program without input from Congress
• executive order, this administration haphazardly and illegally, in my view, froze funding passed by Congress
• to ensuring that USDA fully implements all 1890 programs as required by statute and intended by Congress

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Everyone that Congress has appropriated the Title X funds for birth counseling, infertility services,
• The truth is for the public health funds that Congress appropriated, those funds are not only to respond
• Funds again established and appropriated by Congress enable states to deliver family planning services
• , I do hope... hope for folks that are watching, anybody that does have a connection to folks in Congress
• And the hope was that Congress and the federal administration would recognize that these dollars were

Transcript Highlights:

• Hemp, what we're talking about today, really starts with Congress.
• And in 2018, Congress passed amendments, passed an omnibus farm bill, with amendments to the Controlled
• And that leads many to speculate that what Congress was intending to do, and hence its inclusion in the
• from Senator Wyden in the Senate, which I don't know what the prospects are on that, and now the Congress
• So... ...and now the Congress with full Republican control.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy

Summary: The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held a hearing on a broad set of cannabis and hemp bills, with the chairs opening by emphasizing unfinished work on equity, public health, safety, and market stability. The committee heard testimony on House Bill 146, which would create more efficient cannabis testing standards by increasing batch sizes, reducing or eliminating some environmental testing, standardizing lab reporting, and requiring annual scientific review and public data reporting. Industry witnesses, including a representative of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, cultivators, and a testing lab owner, said current testing rules are overly burdensome, costly, and inconsistent, and argued the bill would lower compliance costs while preserving consumer safety. A testing lab witness also said some operators switch labs to obtain higher THC results or pass contaminated batches, and urged greater transparency and better sampling protocols. A major portion of the hearing focused on intoxicating hemp and related bills that would bring hemp-derived intoxicating products under a stronger regulatory framework. Legislators and industry witnesses described products sold in gas stations, smoke shops, and convenience stores as often untested, not age-gated, and sometimes mislabeled or far above the federal hemp THC threshold. Testimony from attorneys and cannabis business leaders said states can regulate these products more strictly under the Farm Bill’s non-preemption language, and pointed to New Jersey and other states as possible models. Some witnesses and committee members stressed that any new rules should avoid harming non-intoxicating CBD businesses or lawful hemp farmers, while others argued that the products are effectively cannabis and should be regulated like cannabis for licensing, testing, age limits, and taxation. The committee also heard extensive public-health testimony in support of bills S. 95, S. 96, S. 97 and their House counterparts H. 191, H. 192, and H. 193. Parents, advocates, and public health professionals urged stronger warning labels, THC potency caps, and improved data collection on cannabis-related harms, citing cannabis-induced psychosis, addiction, anxiety, and youth exposure to high-potency products. Several witnesses said Massachusetts has not done enough to track health outcomes or warn consumers, and referenced other jurisdictions such as Connecticut, Vermont, Colorado, Canada, and Quebec as examples of stronger limits or warnings. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• LUCA, which was authorized by Congress in 1994, allows governments to review and propose modifications
• While Congress is going to have an important role to play in putting the 2030 census back on course,
• The 1920 census redistricting failed to pass Congress because there was a disconnect between what the
• numbers reflected that were collected and... ...what the people in Congress believed the population
• Even so, it's hard to imagine Congress doing that. It would be significant.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Summary: The hearing focused on census data privacy, administrative data sharing, and the role of state and local governments in improving census accuracy, especially for the 2030 census. Dr. Philip Rocco testified first, arguing that the census is increasingly intergovernmental and that state and local investments in address list work, outreach, and complete count commissions can materially improve self-response and reduce undercounts. He emphasized that hard-to-count communities are most affected when states delay planning, politicize census work, or lack capacity, and he pointed to examples such as LUCA participation, outreach funding, and group quarters review as important tools. He also warned that recent federal actions and a broader climate of distrust could threaten 2030 operations, and urged Massachusetts to begin readiness planning now. Members then questioned Dr. Rocco about the use of administrative data such as DMV, TANF, SNAP, and WIC records, and about group quarters enumeration. He explained that those data-sharing efforts were voluntary agreements with the Census Bureau, unlike group quarters data, which are often provided by facility administrators and sometimes state agencies. He said the Trump-era effort to use DMV and other records was tied to Executive Order 13880 and was widely resisted because states had confidentiality and legal concerns, and because the stated purpose appeared to shift toward citizenship-related uses. On group quarters, he described e-response, paper response, in-person enumeration, and administrator-provided directory information, noting that privacy issues arise mainly from FERPA limits on university data and from missing demographic details in administrative records. A second panel, Beth Giroz and Amy O'Hara, then explained how administrative data are used by the Census Bureau and why data quality and privacy concerns matter. They described administrative data as records collected for operational purposes, useful for frame-building, nonresponse follow-up, enumeration, and post-enumeration evaluation, but often incomplete or mismatched on key census variables such as race, ethnicity, household relationships, and residence timing. They highlighted that some sources, like IRS, Medicare, USPS, SSA, and Bureau of Prisons records, are especially valuable, while others such as SNAP, TANF, WIC, Medicaid, CHIP, foster care, and driver’s license data vary in completeness and sharing. They stressed that privacy means collecting only what is needed, and that the Bureau typically uses limited header or roster data rather than full records. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing, and the committee recessed briefly before continuing testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So with this bill, we're just sending a document up to Congress to let Congress know that we fully support
• And I think that's one of the reasons that this resolution is so important so that we let Congress know
• And is there like this national effort to push Congress to make this happen?
• And we're also, with this, putting... ...faith in Congress to do this in a way that we think would be
• But just from the perspective of signaling to Congress, making this potentially a mandate, regulatory

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Education and memorializes Congress to fully cooperate with these efforts.
• Department of Education and memorializes Congress to fully cooperate with these efforts.
• Again, it is just a resolution encouraging Congress. This would take an act of Congress, right?
• We're just asking Congress. Right, the Louisiana Legislature doesn't have the purview to do this.
• We're just asking Congress to seriously take the recommendation from the administration to do this.

Bills: HCR14 , HB201 , HB218 , HB352 , HB626 , HB636 , HB738 , HB749

Committee: House Education

Keywords: Department of Education, federal overreach, education policy, Tenth Amendment, local control, fine arts, high school diploma, arts education, capstone project, academic achievement, student recognition, Louisiana education, food insecurity, hunger, student hunger, school meals, free lunch, community eligibility provision, McKinney-Vento, homeless students

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress has recently rejected most of the reductions that were proposed by the federal administration
• Unless Congress reverses this... ...a key financing mechanism for public hospitals.
• Unless Congress reverses this reduction, it will reduce payments to UC academic health centers, which
• Unless Congress reverses this. a key financing mechanism for public hospitals.
• Unless Congress reverses this reduction, it will reduce payments to UC Academic Health Centers, which

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, chaired by Assemblymember Alvarez, held a hearing focused on University of California budget issues. The committee reviewed UC core operations funding, enrollment trends, federal funding threats, Title IX implementation, and basic needs support. Major themes included the end of the Governor’s multi-year UC compact, the state’s fiscal outlook, UC’s enrollment growth, and the potential impacts of federal policy changes on research, health care, and student aid. On core funding, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to continue compact-related support, defer some payments, and authorize a cash-flow loan. The LAO recommended a smaller or no base increase, earmarking some funds for capital renewal, retiring deferrals when possible, avoiding new compact commitments, and funding UC annually rather than through compacts. UC argued that the compact has supported enrollment growth, student services, and operating costs, but said campuses face rising expenses, structural deficits, and limited reserves. Members questioned the effects of deferrals on students and discussed the need to prioritize less harmful reductions if cuts become necessary. The enrollment panel focused on UC’s growth in California resident enrollment and the nonresident replacement plan at Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego. The LAO recommended maintaining the current enrollment target, funding enrollment separately from base increases, pausing the nonresident replacement plan, and holding enrollment flat in 2027-28. UC said it has already met compact enrollment goals, grown California undergraduate enrollment by about 18,800 students, and that further growth depends on ongoing state support. The committee also discussed the cost of enrollment growth, possible differential nonresident tuition, and a reporting request for UC to analyze the nonresident replacement approach; the motion to adopt supplemental reporting language passed. The hearing also covered federal funding risks, with the LAO and UC warning that federal changes could affect research grants, medical center reimbursement, and student financial aid. UC said research cancellations and suspensions are disrupting labs and graduate student support, while federal health policy changes could increase uncompensated care at UC hospitals. In the Title IX update, UC described its systemwide civil rights structure, annual student training, and campus support offices, and members praised the work while asking about ongoing concerns and intersegmental collaboration. The final basic-needs item began with Finance stating the Governor’s budget does not change ongoing support, but the transcript cuts off before further discussion or action.

Transcript Highlights:

• question correctly, are you asking where our federal delegation is and where the movement is in Congress
• funding, but until there is movement with the legislation for Indian Water Rights Settlements in Congress
• So my answer would be yes, but it's not being utilized yet until we see movement in Congress to pass
• Chairman, Congress hasn't ratified the settlement.
• So, and it won't ratify it before the end of this Congress, and we'll start all over again next year.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was no debate while I was in Congress, not on CCS.
• And by the way, I'll say I'm fully... ...while I was in Congress, not on CCS.
• You were a member of Congress in 2015, correct? Yes, sir.
• And if I get to Congress, the first thing I would do will work to a limit... People.
• And if I get to Congress, the first thing I would do will work to eliminate 45Q.

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• Code, so there is not a qualifier in there that it had to be an act of Congress or it had to be enacted
• Code, so there is not a qualifier in there that it had to be an act of Congress or it had to be enacted
• So any that are designated by Acts of Congress. Additional question, Senator Pizzo. Yes.
• So any that are designated by acts of Congress. Additional question, Senator Pizzo. Yes. Yes.
• And so what this amendment does is to provide that if you want to run for Congress...

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and moments of silence, including tributes to fallen service members. The chamber then moved through a special order calendar focused on a series of bills, with most measures receiving unanimous or near-unanimous support after brief explanations and floor debate. Several bills were temporarily postponed, but the body took up and passed multiple others, often substituting identical House companions before final passage. The first major measure, SB 1062 on speech and debate education, drew extensive supportive debate from senators who described debate as a civic skill that builds confidence, critical thinking, and conflict resolution, especially for students in public schools and underserved communities. An amendment creating a Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, expanding access through public-private partnerships, and establishing coach training was adopted, and the bill ultimately passed 37-0. The Senate also passed SB 1072 creating an Anti-Semitism Task Force, with a late-filed amendment clarifying that the bill does not restrict criticism of Israel and is not intended to infringe First Amendment rights; that bill also passed 37-0. Other measures passed included a PFAS bill phasing out firefighting foam containing forever chemicals and setting testing, reporting, and enforcement requirements; an expansion of the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program; student health and safety legislation expanding seizure-response training in schools; updates to funeral and cemetery regulation; protected cell captive insurance company legislation aimed at increasing insurance market capacity; nonprofit corporation updates; child welfare reforms streamlining foster-care medication approvals and related procedures; salvage title/e-signature changes; and forensic client services changes allowing certain APD clients to be housed with other secure forensic residents. Most of these bills were passed after substituting House companions and received unanimous votes. The most contentious debate came on SB 1134 regarding official actions of local governments and DEI-related activities. Senator Yarborough argued the bill would stop counties and cities from funding or promoting DEI practices he described as discriminatory or ideological, while several amendments sought to narrow the bill to spending only, add an intent requirement for penalties, and preserve local proclamations and observances such as LGBTQ Pride Month. Those amendments were rejected, and debate continued on the bill’s scope and exemptions, but the transcript ends before final disposition of SB 1134 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• House resolution by Representative Weibel to memorialize Congress to take action necessary to pass the
• Department of Education and memorialize Congress to take action necessary to fully cooperate with these
• Department of Education memorialize Congress take action necessary to fully cooperate with these efforts

Summary: The House convened with a quorum present, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through a series of personal privileges and ceremonial recognitions. Members offered remarks honoring Representative Wright’s uncle, a Korean War veteran, and presented House Resolution 4 honoring former Speaker Joe R. Sauter, with several members and family members speaking about his service, humility, faith, and character. The chamber also recognized the Louisiana Federal Directors Association, celebrated Representative Bagley’s mother’s 96th birthday, welcomed Miss Natchitoches City of Lights, and later welcomed the North Shore Focus group at the Capitol. The House received Senate messages on SCR 4, SCR 7, and SCR 8, all of which lay over, and enrolled H.R. 4 through 8. Members introduced several new measures, including resolutions on the death of Reverend Dr. William J. Shaw, support for a federal voter ID measure, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day, a study of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, and support for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education; these were assigned numbers and lay over. The chamber also adopted, without objection, several resolutions already on the floor, including H.R. 10 recognizing Funeral Director’s Day, H.R. 11 honoring the crew of Eve’s 40th anniversary, H.R. 12 for Nurse Practitioner Day, H.R. 13 on Dorothy Prevost, and H.C.R. 13 honoring Crime Stoppers of Greater New Orleans. Committee reports and bill referrals were then taken up. New bills included a crime prevention and security district in Arlene’s Parish and consent-judgment appropriation measures. The House also received numerous committee reports, mostly favorable or with amendments, on bills dealing with court jurisdiction, child relocation, highway and bridge memorial designations, software standards of care, harmful material to minors, and ferry terminal naming. Several of these were ordered engrossed or had amendments adopted. The session ended with announcements about upcoming committee meetings, a reminder about interim emergency board ballots, and a motion to adjourn until Monday at 3:00 p.m., which passed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• House resolution by Representative Weibel to memorialize Congress to take action necessary to pass the
• Department of Education and to memorialize Congress to take action necessary to fully cooperate with
• Department of Education memorialize Congress take action necessary to fully cooperate with these efforts

Summary: The House convened with a quorum present and opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Members then used personal privilege remarks to honor a number of individuals and groups, including a moment of silence for Representative Wright’s uncle, Korean War veteran Melvin Truche, and a tribute to former Speaker Joe R. Sauter through House Resolution 4. Speakers described Sauter as a humble, faith-centered public servant and asked for a moment of silence and applause in his memory. The chamber also recognized the Louisiana Federal Directors Association, celebrated Representative Bagley’s mother’s 96th birthday, and welcomed Miss Natchitoches City of Lights and the North Shore Focus group. The House received Senate messages on SCR 4, SCR 7, and SCR 8, which would commemorate St. Patrick’s Day and designate Capitol recognition days for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival and the Meat and Oyster Festival; all were laid over. The House also received and laid over several new measures, including resolutions on the death of Reverend Dr. William J. Shaw, voter identification and election integrity, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day, a study of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, and support for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. A new House bill was introduced to create the Regency Park Townhomes Crime Prevention Security District, and another to appropriate funds for consent judgments. Several resolutions were adopted without objection, including House Resolution 10 designating Funeral Director’s Day, House Resolution 11 commending the crew of Eve on its 40th anniversary, House Resolution 12 recognizing Nurse Practitioner Day, House Resolution 13 on Dorothy Prevost, and House Concurrent Resolution 13 commending Crime Stoppers of Greater New Orleans. Committee reports were also received on a number of bills, including transportation and civil law measures, many involving highway and bridge designations such as memorial highways for Speaker Joe Sauter, Eugene Washington, Trevor Avenue, and others. The House also noted upcoming committee meetings, an open interim emergency board ballot deadline, and adjourned without objection until Monday at 3:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Resolution 5, introduced by Senators Brantley, Woods, and Boone, a joint resolution requesting the Congress
• Resolution 5, introduced by Senators Brantley, Woods, and Boone, is a joint resolution requesting the Congress
• and referred to the Senate Rules Committee, then to the Senate Judiciary Committee. and members of Congress

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we've heard from the administration they're going to actively lobby Congress to try to change the
• Social, "I am calling on Congress to Social, "I am calling on Congress to update<01:13:43.840><c> the
• to try to change actively lobby Congress to try to change the<01:14:04.960><c> point4</c><01:14:05.440
• I will say that we lived the farm bill in Congress of 2019.
• It took up until Congress uh of 2019.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• based on federal fiscal year 2026 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriations enacted by Congress
• based on federal fiscal year 2026 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriations enacted by Congress
• subject to uh federal programs are subject to adjustment<00:34:03.279><c> as</c><00:34:03.679><c> Congress
• </c><00:34:04.080><c> takes</c><00:34:04.399><c> up</c><00:34:04.960><c> the</c> adjustment as Congress
• takes up the adjustment as Congress takes up the reauthorization<00:34:05.919><c> of</c><00:34:06.159

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met to hear the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s presentation on the governor’s 2026 capital projects budget and recommended highway plan. Secretary Gray and cabinet staff first thanked KYTC snow and ice crews, local road departments, first responders, utility workers, and others for their work during a major winter storm, then outlined the capital budget request. The cabinet said its facilities are aging, with about 35% at or beyond useful life, and that limited road fund revenues led it to focus mainly on maintenance, maintenance pools, aircraft maintenance, environmental compliance, AASHTOWare upgrades, state park road maintenance, truck parking, and reauthorization of several projects, including airport work and road projects. The cabinet said the governor’s budget includes about $22.8 million in state funds for the capital budget over the biennium, plus carry-forward language for maintenance pools and project reauthorizations to avoid losing federal funds. Members asked about repeated reauthorizations, cost increases, and whether projects should be restarted as new requests after carrying over for multiple budgets. The cabinet responded that budget office policy generally allows only one reauthorization before a project must be resubmitted, and said many delays are due to acquisition or other project issues. Members also questioned the basis for increased-cost line items and the $5 million request for commercial truck parking; cabinet staff said they could provide original project cost details and that many increases are inflationary, while the truck parking project is expected to use federal funds and is a cabinet priority. The committee also discussed the decline in road fund receipts, which the cabinet attributed largely to lower motor fuels tax revenue. The presentation then shifted to the 2026 recommended highway plan. Officials said the plan covers more than 1,300 projects over six years and anticipates about $9.5 billion in federal and state funding. They said the plan is intended to maintain existing assets, advance long-term priority projects, and honor prior commitments, including the Mountain Parkway, the Brent Spence Companion Bridge, and the I-69 Ohio River Crossing. About 40% of plan funds are dedicated to existing pavements, bridges, and guardrails, and officials cited a 61% rise in highway construction costs from 2020 to 2025 as a major challenge. To help offset those pressures, the cabinet is seeking $125 million from the budget reserve trust fund for the Brent Spence Bridge and release of a federal grant condition tied to the already appropriated $150 million for the I-69 crossing. No votes were taken at the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress could pass this, you know, something that would give people a remedy against federal agents.
• They would have the power to do that if we were members of Congress.
• the federal 1983, which they have at the federal level.<00:31:19.440><c> um</c><00:31:19.679><c> Congress
• could pass this uh level. um Congress could pass this uh you<00:31:21.600><c> know</c><00:31:21.760>
• That would be a discussion we Congress. That would be a discussion we could<00:31:31.039><c> have.

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress and Senate multiple times.
• Congress and Senate multiple times.
• Congress and Senate multiple times.
• Congress and Senate multiple times.
• in the US Congress and and Senate<00:16:17.279><c> multiple</c><00:16:17.839><c> times.

Bills: HB161 , HB146 , HB289 , HB290 , HB31 , HB146 , HB289 , HB290 , HB31

Committee: House Health

Keywords: consumer protection, app store, age verification, parental consent, data protection, minors, HB146, ivermectin, pharmacist, standing order, prescription drug, non-patient-specific order, dispensing, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, licensed health care provider, pharmacy board, medical licensure, disciplinary action, drug access

Transcript Highlights:

• This provision has become virtually unusable because Congress has not updated it since the 1980s.
• Our vote tells Congress that this outdated law no longer reflects the America we live in today.
• And I'm encouraged that Congress has seemed to have a little bit of a renewed effort to be able to look
• We did vote to oppose daylight saving time, but Congress has a final say.
• We did vote to oppose the daylight savings times, but Congress has a final say.

Summary: The Assembly convened with a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then handled a large procedural and floor agenda. Members suspended rules for adjournments in memory, guest introductions, and expedited committee action, rereferred AB 1199 to Health and AB 2728 to Local Government, and removed several items from calendars or returned bills to the Senate at authors’ requests. The chamber then moved through concurrence and third-reading files, with many measures passing on unanimous or near-unanimous votes, including AB 230 on Pierce’s disease control, AB 1636 on a Cerritos College seamless enrollment pilot, AB 1982 on alcoholic beverages, AB 2120 on school district employees, AB 2413 on political reform and billboard use, AB 2437 and AB 2453 on vehicles, AB 2596 on housing, AB 1760 and AB 1873 on technical clarifications, AB 2312 on tidelands, AB 2390 on housing cleanup, AB 2685 and AB 2778 on agriculture, and ACR 194 on Women’s Equality Day. The Assembly also adopted several resolutions and Senate measures. HR 112 designating Black Music Month drew extensive remarks about Black artists’ influence and was adopted with 62 coauthors. HR 132 declaring September Young Women’s Reproductive Health Awareness Month was adopted with 50 coauthors. SJR 8 urging federal immigration reform passed 45-2, with supporters emphasizing immigrant contributions and the need to modernize the registry system. SCR 7 on permanent standard time was debated at length, with supporters citing health benefits and opponents warning about darker mornings and voter intent; the resolution ultimately passed 41-3 after a roll call. Other Senate bills passed included SB 105 on penny rounding for local agencies, SB 928 on AI guardrails in CSU classrooms, SB 1038 on CalPERS audit notices, SB 308 on community college reporting, SB 1172 on tax-sharing consultant fees, SB 1159 on AI-generated public participation, SB 1055 on flood project procurement, SB 1285 on juvenile dismissals, SB 1274 on industrial cities and transportation funding, SB 965 easing library card access for 16- and 17-year-olds, SB 1375 creating a narrow CEQA exemption for certain transit projects, SB 952 on clean energy accounting for water agencies, and SB 917 expanding farmers market wine sales eligibility. Several measures drew notable opposition or discussion. On SB 965, one member objected that the bill should preserve parental decision-making, while supporters argued it would remove an unnecessary barrier to library access. On SB 952, one member criticized state energy policy and the bill’s project labor agreement, but the measure still passed 64-1. On SB 1375, supporters framed the bill as reducing duplicative environmental review for major transit projects like Diridon Station while preserving other protections. The chamber also added coauthors to consent-calendar resolutions and adopted the second-day consent calendar items without objection. The meeting concluded with multiple adjournments in memory, including tributes to Eric L. Washington Jr., Ivan Garza, Darryl Preston Jackson, Richard “Dick” Oliphant, and former Madera Mayor Santos Garcia. Members described Washington as a community leader and peacemaker, Garza as a young athlete whose life was cut short, Jackson as a mentor and founder of the 1020 Club, Oliphant as a civic leader who helped shape the Coachella Valley, and Garcia as a labor advocate and public servant who fought for working families and helped reopen Madera Community Hospital. The Assembly observed moments of silence in their honor before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise today to present S.J.R. 8, a resolution origin Congress to modernize one of the most outdated
• This provision has become virtually unusable because Congress has not updated it since the 1980s.
• Our vote tells Congress that this outdated law no longer reflects the America we live in today.
• We did vote to oppose the daylight saving time, but Congress has a final say.
• We did vote to oppose the daylight savings times, but Congress has a final say.

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress is moving to fix the very concerns this bill aims to address, including transparency, ethical
• We are attempting to work with Congress to address that so that a contingency-based fee structure...
• Work with Congress to address that so that a contingency-based fee structure is put in place, which is
• We just testified in Congress in March about this, at a joint committee there at the federal level, that
• national team has told us we do not support these these entities at all we we just testified in Congress

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs

Summary: The Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs held its second public hearing of the 2025–26 session, with opening remarks from Chairs John Velis and Joe McGonagle outlining testimony on 20 House bills and 18 Senate bills. The hearing covered a wide range of veterans issues, including municipal veterans assistance funds, pension equity, expanding the Office of the Veterans Advocate, veterans service officer staffing, disability benefits eligibility, service dogs, POW tax relief, courtesy parking spaces, women veterans and motherhood, and workforce-related licensing and employment measures. Chairs emphasized the hybrid format, three-minute testimony limit, and written testimony process. Several bills drew support focused on expanding services and access. Representative Arena-DeRosa spoke for bills to broaden municipal veterans assistance funds to cover housing and legal expenses and to study enhanced pension equity for veterans, citing burn pit exposure and shorter life expectancy among veterans. Senator Fattman, Representative Peas, and Veterans Advocate Bob Notch supported bills expanding the Office of the Veterans Advocate to include active-duty service members and their families, arguing it would improve transition support, coordination with state agencies, and retention of military talent in Massachusetts. Representative Arriaga backed a bill to incentivize municipalities to provide full-time or regional veterans service officers and another to study the impact of combat on women veterans and motherhood. Representative Moulton/another sponsor also sought to exempt veterans’ disability payments from income calculations for other state benefits, and Representative Hong and Senator Scanlan supported a state service dog program, POW income tax relief, and courtesy retail parking spaces for veterans. Testimony also focused on workforce and claims-assistance issues. The Military Officers Association of America and James Keene urged passage of bills waiving duplicative education requirements so qualified veterans and military medics can become licensed practical nurses, arguing it would help address health care shortages and recognize military training. Brave Veterans Inc. called for a Veterans Research Trust Fund to protect data and program evaluation work during budget cuts. On claims assistance, one witness supported criminal penalties for unaccredited agents who charge veterans for VA claims help, while a private consulting firm opposed the bill, arguing it would restrict lawful speech and veterans’ choice and that existing federal and HERO Act safeguards already address abuses. The VFW strongly opposed paid claims consulting, said its accredited service officers provide free help statewide, and urged more public awareness of existing free services. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.