Transcript Highlights:

• All right, good afternoon, and the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection
• Digital environments that kids use daily remain loaded with adult design principles that do not factor
• The Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee will reconvene in 18 seconds.
• All right, we're going to reconvene the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer
• And the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection is adjourned.

Committee: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:12:59.040><c> and</c> increasing Demand on digital and increasing Demand on digital and Technical
• </c><01:13:09.520><c> and</c><01:13:09.719><c> more</c> frequently more digitized and more frequently
• more digitized and more digitized<01:13:11.320><c> uh</c><01:13:11.560><c> the</c><01:13:12.280><c>
• </c> services are available in a in a digital services are available in a in a digital way<01:13:22.000
• </c> technology from the center for digital technology from the center for digital government<01:37:56.119

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• It simply asks the IQC to consider updating existing health guidance so schools can address modern digital
• education system keeps up with reality and gives students the knowledge they need to stay safe in a digital
• education framework remains current and responsive to how students interact in both physical and digital
• safety and digital violence and dating violence into future curriculum updates.
• would help students with the knowledge and skills to navigate online spaces responsibly, understand digital

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on May 6, 2026, with a quorum present and began by approving a large consent calendar of bills on two unanimous-support motions. The committee then heard a series of individual bills, with authors and sponsors generally describing low or absorbable state costs and asking for aye votes. Topics included AI/digital safety education for students (AB 1792), hepatitis C treatment access (AB 1843), rent-now-pay-later consumer protections (AB 2350), retirement information for community college faculty (AB 2417), cannabis regulation changes including tribal commerce, drive-through sales, and beverage labeling (AB 2506, AB 2697, AB 2532), emergency equipment training for law enforcement volunteers (AB 1913), cannery law modernization (AB 2706), child care planning in local governments (AB 1914), EV charger permitting fees (AB 1820), election-record notice requirements (AB 1664), nursing home discharge notices (AB 2135), a San Diego energization-delay pilot (AB 2518), mental health training for school coaches (AB 1665), and education governance and oversight changes (AB 2117). Several bills were described as committee or sponsor measures with technical or clarifying changes, including AB 2780, AB 2615, AB 2121, and AB 2771. Testimony was largely supportive, often from sponsor groups, industry representatives, labor, or advocacy organizations. Notable support included TechNet for AB 1792, the California State Sheriffs’ Association for AB 1913, California Dairies and food manufacturers for AB 2706, the Low Income Investment Fund for AB 1914, EV and environmental groups for AB 1820, the Attorney General’s Office for AB 1664, long-term care ombudsman advocates for AB 2135, and the California State Association of Psychiatrists for the cannabis and mental-health-related bills. Some bills drew limited opposition or “opposed unless amended” positions, including AB 2350, AB 1820, and AB 2506, while AB 2697 and AB 2532 were presented as efforts to support the legal cannabis market and consumer safety. The committee also heard a presentation-only item, AB 2541, creating a lowrider specialty license plate, which drew enthusiastic bipartisan comments and co-author requests from members. Most bills were reported out with due pass recommendations, many on roll call and several with specific members not voting or voting no. AB 1664 was reported out as due pass as amended and placed on call before later being moved out on a B roll call. AB 2350 and AB 1914 were also later reported out from call on B roll calls, with AB 1914 noted as passing despite some Republican no votes. The suspense calendar was then deemed approved without individual action, and the meeting concluded after a brief public comment period in which members of the public voiced positions on unrelated bills, including support for AB 2497, AB 1729, AB 2189, AB 1575, AB 2170, and opposition to AB 1603, AB 2447, AB 2411, AB 2492, and AB 1952.

Transcript Highlights:

• It simply asks the IQC to consider updating existing health guidance so schools can address modern digital
• education system keeps up with reality and gives students the knowledge they need to stay safe in a digital
• education framework remains current and responsive to how students interact in both physical and digital
• safety and digital violence and dating violence into future curriculum updates.
• would help students with the knowledge and skills to navigate online spaces responsibly, understand digital

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 918 is with reference to the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance.
• IDLA is an online public service that has The Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, IDLA, is an online public
• And that would be on top of a flat budget, double-digit health increases, and other staffing needs that
• Double-digit health increases and other staffing needs that have to be retained in our district.
• The Idaho Digital Learning Academy is a direct reflection of that vision: a scalable, efficient model

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• In the digital environment, it is returned. Digital content acts differently.
• </c> be a digital a digital concept. be a digital a digital concept.
• </c><04:07:30.240><c> materials</c> responsible for your digital materials responsible for your digital
• </c> discussing the concept of digital discussing the concept of digital bailment.<04:08:31.280><c> So
• </c> which is to encompass within it digital which is to encompass within it digital materials. materials

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Um we are hoping for an appropriation so that all our code could be digitalized.
• Um we are hoping for an appropriation so that all our code could be digitalized.
• Um we are hoping for an appropriation so that all our code could be digitalized.
• Um we are hoping for an appropriation so that all our code could be digitalized.
• Um we are hoping for an appropriation so that all our code could be digitalized.

Bills: SF0082

Committee: House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Transcript Highlights:

• identification, to establish provisions regarding limitations on digital identification.
• So this bill establishes a simple rule that government in Idaho cannot require digital identification
• As technology continues to evolve, digital credentials are becoming more common.
• And if someone voluntarily presents a digital ID, that does not give permission to search the rest of
• Digital identity systems can become targets for hacking and data breaches.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then this year, we see the digital literacy requirement bringing in additional enrollment.
• And he was a little honest and thought digital photography is probably going to be an easy class and
• And then this year we continued that, especially with the passing of the requirement to have digital
• Okay, so live remotely, the interaction through digital. Chair, we used to for that program.
• Okay, so live remotely, the interaction through digital. Chair, we used to for that program.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• easier to circulate that information via social media or by any other means, especially if they're digital
• That would allow us to do what I hope to do, which is to create the state-level digital opportunity.
• And this year, our board budgeted $4,500 for a digital marketing campaign to make sure everybody in the
• In our newspaper, we have a large percentage of our readers who are not digitally fluent.
• If you want to be on a website, if you want to be digitally accessing the information, we have that for

Committee: House Legislative Review

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. HB 2408 would remove a funding cap from Missouri’s Support Services Provider Grant Program for deaf-blind individuals. The sponsor and supporters said the program has grown, more trained SSPs are available, and removing the cap would not automatically increase appropriations but would allow the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to request funding that better matches demand. Testimony in favor came from the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri and consumers/employees of the SSP program, who described the program as essential to independence, employment, medical visits, and community participation. No opposition was presented, and the hearing on HB 2408 concluded. HB 3092 was described by the sponsor as a housekeeping or statutory cleanup bill that removes expired sunsets and obsolete provisions from Missouri law without changing active policy or spending. Members questioned why it was not filed as a revision bill and asked for a line-by-line explanation of the deletions, including some tax credit references. The sponsor said she would provide additional documentation and would change anything found to be problematic. No witnesses testified for or against the bill. HB 2179 would allow charter counties to publish certain public notices either in newspapers or on a Secretary of State website, with supporters arguing that newspaper circulation has declined and that online posting would improve access and reduce costs. Fire service representatives supported the bill, citing problems with bond notices and the need for a central digital location. The Missouri Press Association and newspaper publishers opposed it, saying newspapers still have large readership, already maintain a public-notices website, and that the bill would reduce transparency, create confusion, and duplicate or shift existing work. Members raised concerns about whether notices should be required in both places rather than either/or. The hearing on HB 2179 then concluded, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• easier to circulate that information via social media or by any other means, especially if they're digital
• That would allow us to do what I hope to do, which is to create the state-level digital opportunity.
• And this year, our board budgeted $4,500 for a digital marketing campaign to make sure everybody in the
• In our newspaper, we have a large percentage of our readers who are not digitally fluent.
• If you want to be digitally accessing the information, we have that for you.

Committee: House Legislative Review

Transcript Highlights:

• Substitute House Bill 2065 relates to digital equity programs.
• The Digital Opportunity Program is funded by a dedicated account, the Digital Equity Account.
• This bill recreates a series of grant applications for digital equity.
• This bill recreates a series of grant applications for digital equity.
• It recreates a series of grant applications for digital equity.

Summary: The committee first received staff briefings on amendments for a series of bills, including measures on child care workforce standards, homelessness programs, community preservation authorities, domestic violence survivor relief, public defense funding, student behavioral health supports, water system ownership changes, nonprofit health carrier surplus assessments, 340B drug pricing reporting, Secretary of State filing fees, step housing, campaign security reimbursements, digital equity programs, a Boys and Men’s Commission, a waste-to-energy facility’s Climate Commitment Act obligations, 6PPD tire substitutes, and an early education scholarship. Staff described the policy changes and, where available, the expected fiscal effects of each proposed substitute or line amendment. The committee then went into caucus before returning for executive session. In executive session, the committee voted out House Bill 1073, then adopted a Couture line amendment to House Bill 1128 exempting private K-12 schools with licensed child care programs from the child care employer definition before reporting the bill out as Second Substitute House Bill 1128. House Bill 1316, 1408, 1591, 1592, 1634, 1906, 1960, 2073, 2145, 2248, 2266, 2301, 2333, and 2365 were also reported from committee, with several amendments adopted along the way. Notable actions included adopting an emergency clause for House Bill 1408, rejecting proposed amendments to House Bill 1591 that would have narrowed relief for survivors and removed retroactivity, adopting a narrower amendment to House Bill 1592’s public defense funding formula, and adopting a substitute to House Bill 2145 that limited 340B reporting to hospitals. The committee also debated and rejected several amendments to the step housing bill, House Bill 2266, including proposals for larger school/daycare buffers, more local oversight, and broader local government authority; the bill still advanced on a 16-13 vote. House Bill 2073, which requires nonprofit health carriers to contribute surplus funds to Cascade Care Savings, advanced over concerns about using one-time money for an ongoing program. House Bill 2248 advanced after an amendment redirected annual license fee deposits to the state treasury rather than the Secretary of State’s revolving fund. House Bill 2333 was narrowed to allow use of campaign funds for personal security reimbursements, and House Bill 2365 advanced with some amendments adopted and others rejected as the committee began discussing additional digital equity oversight provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're the digital information.
• ><c> exceptions</c><01:40:40.560><c> for</c> have created digital exceptions for have created digital
• </c> the digital world. the digital world.
• </c><02:22:54.160><c> Things</c> learn about digital literacy. Things learn about digital literacy.
• </c> young man who grew up in the digital young man who grew up in the digital world, world, world, I

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And taxing this digital advertising also brings more revenue to Massachusetts.
• You know, each month more people will be consuming digital advertising.
• In practice, this would raise costs for small businesses that rely on digital advertising.
• Also rely heavily on digital advertising to organize and reach diverse audiences.
• In short, it penalizes the very groups that depend most on affordable access to digital advertising.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a long hybrid hearing on a wide range of tax bills, with testimony covering cigarette and tobacco taxes, nicotine pouches, contractor rental equipment exemptions, aircraft sales tax exemptions, rolling stock, advanced sales tax payments, a gun and ammunition excise tax, a digital services tax, and a psilocybin cultivation/tax proposal. Committee chairs outlined the hearing process and noted that 39 House-filed sales and excise tax bills were being heard for required reporting by November 28. No votes were taken during the hearing. On tobacco-related bills, supporters including Senator Keenan, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and Tobacco Free Mass backed higher cigarette taxes and closing the synthetic nicotine loophole, arguing the measures would reduce youth initiation, encourage cessation, and offset health care costs. Retailers, wholesalers, and convenience-store groups opposed the increases, warning of smuggling, out-of-state purchasing, and harm to small businesses; premium cigar representatives argued cigars should be treated separately from cigarettes. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3067 and related bills concerning nicotine pouches, with public health advocates supporting taxation and industry witnesses urging a lower, more competitive rate. Several other bills drew sharply divided testimony. United Rentals supported H. 3065 to simplify contractor rental equipment exemption paperwork, while airport and aviation groups opposed bills to repeal the aircraft sales tax exemption, saying it would hurt airport competitiveness and jobs. The Transportation Association of Massachusetts backed rolling stock tax exemptions, saying the current tax discourages fleet investment and interstate commerce. Restaurant industry representatives supported repealing advanced sales tax payments and changing penalty rules, saying businesses were hit with retroactive penalties after unclear pandemic-era changes. On H. 3082, an excise tax on guns and ammunition, gun violence prevention advocates, Roca, and Giffords supported the bill as a dedicated funding source for prevention and survivor services, while sportsmen’s groups opposed it as unfair to lawful gun owners and harmful to conservation funding. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3208, a digital advertising services tax, with Representative Paulino supporting it as a way to capture revenue from online advertising and fund public needs, while the Chamber of Progress opposed it as costly and burdensome for small businesses and campaigns. Finally, multiple witnesses testified on H. 4050 regarding psilocybin cultivation and taxation: advocates from Mass Healing, Roca, the Reason Foundation, and individuals describing personal medical benefits urged a regulated, permit-based system, while the hearing ended after all signed-up speakers were heard and the chair adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, members, HB 2010, digital goods seller requirements enforcement.
• Kupper, in his bill, outlines merchant requirements for selling digital goods that are not able to be
• The bill outlines what a digital good is and also clarifies that a seller is not required to offer a
• download of a digital good or the actual product of a digital good in the sale.
• When this statute was written, there were no digital books, and it's a good fix. Thank you.

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of bills and resolutions, with members frequently asking to pull measures from consent and noting party-line or unanimous votes. Topics included medical and vaccination restrictions (HB 2248, HB 2086), state investment and conflict-of-interest rules for the treasurer (HB 2303), budget and reporting requirements (HB 2688, HB 2015), procurement limits involving China-linked companies (HB 2170, HB 2134), homelessness administration (HB 2533), traffic and transportation measures (HB 2109, HB 2574, HB 2210), school testing and education policy (HB 2032, HB 2033, HB 2075, HB 2266, HB 2395, HCR 2003), and several health-care bills involving lactation services, gender-transition care for minors, abortion-related restrictions, and hospital immigration-status reporting (HB 2072, HB 2085, HB 2364, HB 2689, HB 2796). Members also discussed water policy, including desalination, groundwater transport, and water-use limits (HB 2052, HB 2056, HB 2098, HB 2758, HB 2328), as well as food and agriculture measures such as SNAP restrictions, cultivated-cell food labeling and bans, and the Beef Council extension (HB 2396, HB 2762, HB 2791, HB 2155). Several members criticized bills as unconstitutional, costly, or harmful to affordability, while sponsors described them as clarifications, consumer protections, or administrative fixes. The caucus also considered a number of bills affecting labor, property, and consumer issues, including unemployment eligibility changes, mobile home park submetering fees, appraisal management company rules, digital goods seller requirements, property tax clarifications, and protections for minors in online content creation (HB 2690, HB 2459, HB 2501, HB 2010, HB 2120, HB 2192, HB 2261, HB 2279). Other measures addressed sexual extortion penalties, name-change procedures for sex offenders, and restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs and gender-transition procedures for minors (HB 2666, HB 2223, HB 2364, HB 2085). Members repeatedly raised concerns about federal preemption, constitutional issues, implementation costs, and unintended consequences, and several sponsors or members indicated they were working on amendments or stakeholder discussions. At the end of the meeting, the caucus also heard memorials and resolutions, including a proposal to limit voting centers and precinct voting, and memorials urging withdrawal from the United Nations and defunding the IMF (HCR 2016, HM 2001, HM 2004). The meeting concluded with caucus announcements, including an affordability-themed award recognizing Rep. Betty Villegas, a Black History Month sign-up request, and reminders about upcoming affordability and Latino Caucus events. No final floor votes were taken in the transcript, but multiple bills were pulled from consent or noted for opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a study from the Digital Education Council across 16 countries.
• This is a study from the Digital Education Council across 16 countries.
• And two years ago, they required us to teach digital responsibility to our children.
• And the state does have... ...required us to teach digital responsibility to our children.
• And two years ago, they required us to teach digital responsibility to our children.

Committee: Senate Education Pre-K - 12

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in K-12 education. Dr. Maya Israel of the University of Florida gave an overview of AI literacy, the benefits of AI for personalized learning and teacher support, and the risks involving data privacy, overreliance, hallucinations, and misuse. She described the Florida K-12 AI Task Force, which published statewide guidance in March and is now providing professional development, case studies, surveys, and resources for teachers and families. She also noted that teacher preparation programs and microcredentials are being developed, but there is not yet a statewide baseline standard for teacher AI training. Superintendents Van Ayers of Hillsborough County and Kevin Hendrick of Pinellas County described district policies and implementation efforts. Hillsborough adopted an AI governance policy, created an implementation guide, and set rules barring generative AI use for students in pre-K through 7th grade while allowing limited, teacher-approved use for older students with district-vetted tools. Pinellas emphasized digital responsibility, parent transparency, data-use agreements, and a governance process for approving tools. Both districts said AI is being used for lesson planning, tutoring, reading-level adjustments, scheduling, and other administrative tasks, but they do not yet have reliable evidence that AI is improving academic performance. They also discussed teacher training, stipends, and certification efforts, including partnerships with universities and vendors such as Microsoft, Google, Magic School, and Gemini. Drew Allen of FSU Inspire offered an industry-focused perspective, arguing that AI is not new but that education must adapt more quickly to industry needs. He described Inspire’s workforce and research mission, its AI and robotics training for teachers, and the need to build teacher comfort and confidence through incentives and applied training. Committee members raised concerns about student dependence on AI, academic integrity, mental health, moral decision-making, data privacy, and whether schools should return to more paper-based testing. The panel generally agreed that AI should be used with strong guardrails, human oversight, and a balance between technology use and traditional learning. No legislation was considered, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2021, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was authorized to implement a system. of digital tagging
• In August 2025, the commission is to take action to expand digital tagging across all license types.
• Currently, harvest location data collected from digital tagging down to the pinprick latitude and longitude
• If people fear the data is not protected, they may stop. up using digital tagging or provide inaccurate
• This information in SB 1248 gives hunters and anglers the confidence to continue using digital tagging

Keywords: wildlife corridors, animal-vehicle collisions, HB5259, licensing, concurrent resolutions, cultural significance, Senate Bill 1247, public safety, environmental conservation

Summary: The meeting of the committee centered around significant legislative measures, including several bills aimed at enhancing wildlife safety through the establishment of wildlife corridors and licenses for outdoor activities. Key discussions highlighted House Bill 5259, led by Vice Chair Flores, which proposes a wildlife corridor action plan to reduce animal-vehicle collisions in Texas. This bill is crucial given Texas's alarming rate of wildlife-vehicle accidents, and testimonies from supporting members emphasized the need for action to protect both wildlife and public safety. Furthermore, Senate Bill 1247 was brought forward, simplifying the non-resident hunting license system to improve compliance and conservation funding. The committee also addressed multiple concurrent resolutions recognizing towns for their cultural significance, reflecting a broader commitment to community identity and heritage.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, members, please turn to your digital action sheets by clicking on the action sheet tab on the top
• notice of the intent to agree to the amendments to the following House bills as referenced on your digital
• 00:14:07.920><c> referenced</c><00:14:08.320><c> on</c><00:14:08.480><c> your</c><00:14:08.639><c> digital
• </c> bills as referenced on your digital bills as referenced on your digital action<00:14:09.720><c>

Transcript Highlights:

• And most retailers have single-digit profit margins.
• Digital payments support nearly every sector of the modern economy and are central to economic growth
• As PwC found, simply accepting digital payments drives $34 billion a year to entrepreneurs, which can
• There is a value to digital payments, as was pointed out by the representative PWC.
• Their credit cards are stored in their phones, in digital wallets like Apple Wallet.

Summary: The commission met to hear testimony on the future of credit card payments and swipe fees, with a focus on impacts to small businesses, especially restaurants and retailers. Members and witnesses discussed interchange fees, processing fees, chargebacks, fraud risk, rewards programs, and the growing use of card-not-present and digital wallet transactions. Several witnesses urged the commission to support legislation that would prohibit fees on the tax and tip portions of transactions and allow businesses to pass credit card fees on to customers if they choose, while others warned that state regulation of interchange could reduce fraud protections and harm consumer rewards programs. Small business owners and trade groups described rising costs and thin margins, saying card fees are now among their largest expenses and are often charged on money that is merely passing through the business, such as sales tax and gratuities. Restaurant representatives said the current system shifts fraud and chargeback losses onto merchants, with little ability to negotiate rates or recover disputed funds, and argued that transparency and fee relief would help keep independent businesses open. Retailers gave similar testimony, citing rising swipe fees, complex statements, and the burden of online and phone transactions. A representative from the airline industry opposed interchange reform, arguing that airline credit card rewards are popular with consumers and support travel and jobs in Massachusetts. Credit union representatives cautioned that state-level interchange limits could weaken fraud prevention and force higher rates or reduced services, while the National Restaurant Association and a payments-policy attorney countered that banks and networks already operate under fee caps in other contexts and that interchange rates are fixed rather than competitive. Commission members asked questions about how chargebacks work, how fees are broken down, whether businesses can negotiate with processors or POS providers, and how consumer behavior has shifted toward cards, online ordering, and delivery since the pandemic. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, and why would you provide five-digit numbers?
• Most of us, when we're inquired about a Social Security number, give our last four digits.
• My guess is they were trying to reduce the amount of duplication by using five digits versus four, to
• But if no other entity is requiring five digits, why would we?
• So a non-governing authority is requesting that we provide five digits?