Transcript Highlights:

• Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to release certain sewer line easements in the West
• Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to release a certain sewer line easement in the West
• Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to release a certain sewer line easement in the West
• I want to thank my parents, my mother, Virginia, the daughter of Irish immigrants, who was turning 94
• Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to lease a certain sewer line easement in the West

Summary: The House first handled several routine matters, including adoption of a birthday resolution honoring Caroline San Martino Moran and suspension of Joint Rule 12 to allow consideration of a petition involving the City of Waltham and the Veterans Memorial Rink. It also advanced two local bills: one authorizing DCAMM to release a sewer line easement in West Roxbury, and another relative to the town administrator of Carlisle. Both bills were amended by Ways and Means and ordered to third reading or engrossed as amended. The chamber also passed a memorial-marker bill for fallen law enforcement officers in Milton and Canton. The main floor debate centered on House Bill 5305, the “Protect Act,” which was presented as a measure to limit state and local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement, restrict ICE access in courthouses and other sensitive locations, strengthen notice and language-access protections for detainees and workers, and expedite U and T visa certifications. Supporters, including members of the Black and Latino Caucus and other legislators, argued the bill would protect due process, encourage victims and witnesses to come forward, preserve public trust, and keep local police focused on criminal matters. They cited courthouse arrests, fear in immigrant communities, and the need for clearer boundaries between state and federal authority. Several amendments were offered and voted on during consideration of H.5305. An amendment to strike Section 4 was rejected, as were amendments seeking to alter the courthouse enforcement provisions and to recognize immigration judge warrants. Other amendments were adopted, including one clarifying sheriff-related provisions, one expanding language around release dates, one adding protections related to school settings, and one expediting U visa certification for family members aging out. A roll call was taken on the bill and on multiple amendments, with the House ultimately adopting the amendments described and continuing consideration of the bill as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• West. Wolfin.
• West? Wolfin, I'm sorry, you said no. Okay, thank you.
• West, Wolfin. By your vote of 13 ayes and 6 noes, you have voted House Bill 2291 do pass.
• We've seen, let me try to think here—Georgia, Virginia, Idaho.
• Representative West? Thank you to inquire briefly. Proceed briefly. Good morning.

Committee: House Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• in Albuquerque, from Balloon Fiesta Park all the way down to Tingly Beach and also a portion of the West
• I'm Antonio Maestas from West Mesa, Albuquerque, Bernal County.
• I did this research on January 4th—of issuing licenses for the compact if you live in Louisiana or West
• Virginia.
• We are seeing an influx of mothers in West Texas, women who need health care in New Mexico because they

Bills: SB1 , SB3 , SB1 , SB3

Committees: Senate Senate Judiciary , Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: interstate medical licensure compact, physician licensure, medical license reciprocity, expedited licensure, medical practice act, New Mexico medical board, compact commission, physician mobility, telemedicine, license portability, background check, disciplinary action, joint investigation, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, scope of practice, medical board transparency, multistate compact, licensure renewal, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• in Albuquerque, from Balloon Fiesta Park all the way down to Tingly Beach and also a portion of the West
• I'm Antonio Maestas, representing West Mesa, Albuquerque, Bernal County.
• only capable, at this very moment, of issuing licenses for the compact if you live in Louisiana or West
• Virginia.
• We are seeing an influx of mothers in West Texas, women who need health care in New Mexico because they

Bills: SB1 , SB3

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• have a diversified trade pattern that helps insulate us here as opposed to some of the ports on the West
• we're building for their largest class vessel and Icon class, 7,000 passengers, which will be on the west
• we're building for their largest class vessel and ICONC class, 7,000 passengers, which will be on the west
• Most of the fuel for the state of Florida is coming through the port to the west and central Florida
• fortunate that we are in our cargo area down to 50, 52 feet, where the deepest port just south of Virginia

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard SB 356 by Senator Wright, which would create an opt-in framework allowing counties and municipalities to designate certain roads for utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) under local conditions, including driver licensing, insurance, and speed-limit restrictions below 55 mph. Senator Wright said the bill would give law enforcement clearer authority and mirror the local-option approach used for golf carts. Supporters included a retired Volusia County sheriff and county commissioner, who argued UTVs are safer than golf carts and are already being used on roads, while opponents from the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and Honda warned that UTVs are designed for off-road use, lack federal safety standards, and pose crash and tire-blowout risks on public roads. Several senators raised safety concerns, especially about speed and crash severity, but the committee ultimately voted to report SB 356 favorably. The committee then held a lengthy discussion on seaport infrastructure and funding, beginning with a moment of silence for JaxPort COO and former FDOT employee James Bennett. FDOT presented data showing Florida’s 16 deepwater seaports generate major cargo volume, jobs, and economic impact, and described state funding programs such as FSTED, SPI, and the construction aggregate grant program. Port representatives from Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and the Port of Palm Beach described record cargo and cruise activity, major capital projects, and the need for continued state and federal support for dredging, bulkheads, cranes, rail, and terminal expansion. Senators asked about ROI, trade shifts, intermodal connections, fuel and LNG availability, leverage and reserves, and operational risks such as flooding, sea level rise, and channel depth; port officials emphasized resiliency, private partnerships, and long-term master planning. The committee also confirmed appointees to the Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority and the Tampa Port Authority in one vote, with no objection. Finally, FDOT presented the statewide mapping programs work group report required by SB 1662, explaining that coordinated statewide use of LiDAR and aerial imagery could reduce duplication, improve emergency management and planning, and support insurance and storm-damage assessment. FDOT recommended a formal statewide coordination program, shared procurement and cost-sharing agreements, dedicated staffing, and statutory updates to Chapter 334 to support interagency agreements and recurring funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, DC, and legislation is pending in Missouri and West Virginia
• pending<01:23:39.840><c> in</c><01:23:40.080><c> Missouri</c><01:23:40.480><c> and</c><01:23:40.719><c> West
• </c><01:23:40.960><c> Virginia.
• </c> pending in Missouri and West Virginia. pending in Missouri and West Virginia.

Committee: House Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• And these are the links to go to West Virginia, South Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, South
• And the these are the uh links to<00:25:15.360><c> go</c><00:25:15.720><c> to</c><00:25:16.720><c> West
• </c><00:25:17.039><c> Virginia,</c><00:25:18.320><c> uh</c><00:25:18.480><c> South</c> to go to West
• Virginia, uh South to go to West Virginia, uh South Carolina,<00:25:19.360><c> Rhode</c><00:25:19.600

Summary: The subcommittee met to continue its review of recommendations for New Hampshire’s family court, with the chair emphasizing a collaborative approach and noting that the group would focus on the origins of the family division, recurring problems identified in earlier reports, and comparisons with other states. Members discussed organizing testimony into three broad topics: the court hearing process and pro se litigant preparation, mediation/arbitration/counseling, and the interaction of domestic violence issues with family court and related criminal proceedings. The chair also noted that the subcommittee would not meet again for two weeks and encouraged members to review materials from Judge Michael Mace and NCSL research on other states’ family court systems. Attorney Heather Culp, senior administrator for the judicial branch’s circuit court, testified about New Hampshire’s ADR programs. She explained that the Office of Mediation and Arbitration, created by statute in 2007, oversees more than 12 statewide ADR programs across the Supreme, Superior, and Circuit Courts, including family division programs such as divorce-parenting mediation, neutral case evaluation, guardianship, termination of parental rights, and voluntary adoption mediation. She said the divorce-parenting mediation program is the largest family division ADR program, with about 3,400 mediation sessions in 2023 out of roughly 6,700 cases, and that most cases involving minor children are referred to mediation soon after the first appearance session. Culp described the family division process as beginning with a first appearance session led by a case manager, who provides information, helps with paperwork, and schedules mediation, usually within 30 to 45 days. She said mediation is strongly encouraged in parenting and divorce cases, but there is no requirement to reach agreement, and parties may settle some issues while leaving others for court. She also explained that mediation is prohibited or limited in certain domestic violence cases: cases with active civil protection orders may proceed only with both parties’ consent and possible safeguards, while cases involving criminal protective orders are not sent to mediation. Mediators in court-referred family cases are contracted with the court and must be certified by the executive branch’s mediator certification board; mediators do not communicate with judges, except through a brief ADR report noting whether the case settled or what the next procedural step is. Members asked about referrals, timing, and the meaning of “neutrals,” and Culp said the court uses in-house contracted neutrals for family division ADR and does not refer divorce-parenting cases to outside providers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nora Horwitz, 38, Virginia Beach, ... Nora Horwitz, 38, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• Kaia Lee Roberts, 55, West Valley City, Utah. Kamora Woods, 27, Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Kay Holmes, 31, Lynchburg, Virginia. Onyx Cornish, 18, Caldwell, Idaho.
• Blake Sturm, 25, Rowan Oak, Virginia. Lilia Holland, 19, Portland, Oregon.

Transcript Highlights:

• Virginia or Florida, or whether it applies only to people from other states traveling into Maryland.
• </c> here, but I was out of town in West here, but I was out of town in West Virginia<00:17:33.400><c
• > or</c><00:17:33.840><c> Florida,</c> Virginia or Florida, Virginia or Florida, could<00:17:35.480><
• House Bill 1117, Virginia I.
• House Bill 1117, Virginia bill, please.

Transcript Highlights:

• were inadvertently addressed as being part of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, and that's based in Virginia
• Action, through their money, they donated $1.55 million. $1.4 million of that from this group in Virginia
• First Street, PLC, also I believe in Delaware for legal compliance, and then Chain Bridge Bank in Virginia
• Is that where the... ...Bridge Bank in Virginia. Is that where the monies are residing?
• Is it a bank in Virginia for this ballot question? Yes, Cambridge, yes.

Bills: H5005

Committee: Joint Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Keywords: environment, water conservation, natural resources, public funding, environmental justice

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a hearing on Initiative Petition 25-10 / House Bill 5002, “An act to restore a sensible marijuana policy,” which would repeal Massachusetts’ adult-use cannabis legalization framework. The chair explained the Article 48 initiative process and noted that, if the Legislature does not enact the measure as written, additional signatures would be needed for it to qualify for the 2026 ballot. The committee heard testimony from an expert, proponents of the petition, opponents, and members of the public, and accepted written testimony through March 27 at 5 p.m. Jessica Trow of MassBudget testified first, focusing on cannabis revenue and spending in Massachusetts. She said legalization has generated nearly $2 billion for the Commonwealth and municipalities since FY 2018, including excise tax, sales tax, local option taxes, fees, and community impact fees. She described how revenues are distributed to public health, the Cannabis Control Commission’s social equity efforts, the cannabis social equity fund, the MBTA, the School Building Authority, the general fund, and local budgets, and argued the industry has supported social equity and community investments. Opponents of the petition argued that repeal would harm public health, consumer safety, jobs, tax revenue, and social equity programs. Wendy Wakeman, speaking for the ballot committee, said legalization has increased potency, addiction, and mental health concerns, and that the state lacks sufficient data on harms. In contrast, business owners, clinicians, and advocates including Caroline Pino, Kristen Rogers, Drudus Ledbetter, Armani White, Lucas Thayer, and Jeff Rawson said the regulated market provides tested products, jobs, tax revenue, and pathways for people harmed by prohibition, while repeal would push consumers back to the illicit market and undermine equity goals. Committee members questioned witnesses about the evidence base, the role of out-of-state funding, the petition’s impact on existing businesses, and whether narrower regulatory fixes might address concerns instead of repeal. No vote was taken; the hearing was closed after testimony ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I represent the 36th District up in Northern Virginia.
• everyone—afternoon—and I am Virgil Thornton, representing the 86th House District, which is Southeast Virginia
• "District, which is Southeast Virginia, Hampton, York, and Poquoson. Dr. Ward.
• I'm Karen Turner Ward, and I am representing Hampton, Virginia. Hampton is truly in the house.

Transcript Highlights:

• Military Academy at West Point.
• Military Academy at West Point.
• It is literally the Wild Wild West when it comes to data protection.
• President, another very short excerpt from the Norfolk, Virginia, courthouse news.
• ensure that long term and to ensure that we have those emergency services on that section of I-90 west

Bills: SB5223 , SB5286 , SB6002 , SB6178 , SB5892 , SB5177 , SB6039 , SB5874 , SB5863 , SB5972 , SB5941 , SB5203 , SB6014 , SB5993 , SB5831 , SB5928 , SB5912 , SB5825

Summary: The Senate convened with opening ceremonies, approved the previous day’s journal, and referred committee reports and new bill introductions to the designated committees, including sending SB 6118 and SB 6292 to Ways and Means. The chamber then confirmed several gubernatorial appointments to college boards: Glenn F. Ellis to the Peninsula College Board of Trustees, Suzanne Donaldson to the Clark College Board of Trustees, and Jesse E. Johnson to the Highline College Board of Trustees, all by unanimous or near-unanimous roll call votes. The Senate then considered and passed several bills. SB 6014, a technical cleanup to pregnancy and postpartum accommodation laws, passed 41-8 after supporters said it clarified privacy protections and removed barriers for workers. SB 5863, dealing with preservation and inspection of state historical records tied to Lakeland Village, passed 49-0. SB 5825, authorizing the Washington State Leadership Board to solicit gifts, grants, and endowments, passed 33-16 after two proposed amendments to limit administrative costs and cap contributions were rejected. SB 5874, allowing employers to correct certain unemployment insurance reporting errors, passed 49-0, and SB 5286, setting a statutory reimbursement cap for local police and fire services provided to state hospitals, passed 49-0 after an amendment set a $750,000 per-biennium maximum per facility. The Senate also passed SB 5904, requiring nursing titles to be used only by licensed human persons, and SB 5915, updating the health technology assessment process used for coverage decisions, both unanimously. SB 5919, creating voluntary wildfire-prevention incentives for agricultural producers and fire districts, also passed 49-0. SB 5938, making adjustments to foreclosure prevention fees and exemptions, passed 49-0. SB 5957, expanding the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Program and its advisory committee, was taken up near the end of the transcript, with supporters emphasizing youth safety and trafficking prevention; the roll call was underway when the transcript ended. A major policy debate centered on SB 6002, which regulates automated license plate reader systems and driver privacy protections. After a proposed amendment to expand authorized uses was rejected, the bill’s striker was adopted. Supporters described the measure as a bipartisan privacy-and-public-safety balance that limits misuse and unauthorized sharing of ALPR data while preserving law enforcement utility; opponents argued it still needed more work or broader privacy protections. The engrossed second substitute passed 48-9. Another significant debate involved SB 5972, expanding interest arbitration for correctional employees in local city and county governments; supporters cited consistency and labor stability, while opponents warned of burdens on smaller counties. That bill passed 34-15. SB 5203, creating a wildlife connectivity planning and funding framework, passed 31-18 after supporters argued it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve grant competitiveness, while critics said it was too prescriptive and could affect rural land use and agriculture.

Transcript Highlights:

• Virginia Mendoza, Ry Myoho, Robert D.
• Virginia Mendoza, Ry Myoho, Robert Castro, Leslie Flores, Sergio Quiros, Paige Dion, Bringetto, Lisa
• Virginia Mendoza, Ry Myoho, Robert D.
• Virginia Mendoza, Ry Myoho, Robert D.
• Virginia Mendoza, Ry Myoho, Robert D.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Summary: The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held decision-making on SB 146, SB 147, and SB 1166. SB 146 and SB 147, both relating to condominiums, were recommended to pass with amendments. The committee adopted amendments based on testimony from Anne Anderson, including mediator/arbitrator qualifications, clarifications about disputes involving managing agents, small claims timing, lien rights, and refund determinations by an early neutral evaluator. For both bills, the effective date was deferred to July 1, 2050 for further discussion. Each measure was adopted with no objections. SB 1166, relating to insurance, was also passed with amendments. The committee removed language that would have required insurers to bring claims and condition rates on doing so, replacing it with encouraging language. The amended bill adds a private cause of action against responsible parties, authorizes insurer actions under certain conditions, defines terms tied to climate-related events and fossil fuel products, and requires HPIA to report to the insurance commissioner on whether it exercised direct action rights. The effective date was likewise deferred to July 1, 2050, and the measure was adopted without objection. The committee then heard SB 985, relating to consumer protection and gift card fraud, and SB 1525, relating to electronic smoking devices and e-liquids. SB 985 drew support from a consumer fraud victim and others who said gift card scams disproportionately harm kupuna, while the Retail Merchants of Hawaii opposed the bill’s packaging/display requirements and suggested stronger penalties instead. The committee voted to pass SB 985 with amendments, deferring its effective date to July 1, 2050, and noted it would move on to Judiciary next. SB 1525 drew significant opposition from the Attorney General’s office, Department of Taxation, Department of Health, and public health groups, who argued it conflicted with federal tobacco law, was hard for Tax to administer, and would not effectively remove unauthorized vape products. After testimony, the committee recommended deferral of SB 1525 without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Co-Chair West. Here. And Chair Lewis. Here.
• ><c> Lewis</c><00:07:32.920><c> and</c> Chairman West and Chairman Lewis and Chairman West and Chairman
• Co-chair West. West. West.
• Co-chair West. Representative. Co-chair West.
• </c> Co-chair West. I. And Chair Lewis. I. Co-chair West. I. And Chair Lewis. I.

Summary: The committee first reviewed several Fish and Wildlife regulations. Staff explained amendments to 301 KAR 2:176, 4:112, and 6:030, including updating wildlife control tag language, creating an impoundment agent program for seized wildlife, and clarifying boating safety rules. A member raised a concern about boat wakes near docks, and staff said the commission had recently voted on related changes that were not yet included because the regulation had been filed earlier; those changes would have to come back later. The committee approved the staff amendments without objection. The Board of Veterinary Examiners then presented 201 KAR 16:767, which would require veterinary managers to be physically present during business hours and limit them to five registered facilities. Board representatives said they had tried to meet with affected parties before the hearing but had not reached agreement. A representative for Kentucky Pet IQ argued the rule was written for full-service hospitals and would be impractical for short, limited-service clinics that only provide vaccinations, preventive care, and parasite testing. Members expressed concern about the rule’s impact on veterinary access in underserved areas, and the committee voted to defer the regulation until the next month so the parties could continue negotiating. The committee next considered Transportation Cabinet 601 KAR 9:120, the online insurance verification system, in both ordinary and emergency form. The chair said staff had identified conflicts with a bill passed the prior year and moved to find the regulations deficient. The motion passed on a roll call vote, with six ayes and two pass votes. The committee then found ordinary ABC regulations 804 KAR 12:020 and 12:030 deficient as well, again by six ayes and two pass votes, after noting that the emergency versions had already been found deficient the previous month. Finally, the committee reviewed Cabinet for Health and Family Services 902 KAR 55:110, which would require veterinarians to report dispensed controlled substances to KASPER while exempting administered medications. OIG staff said the rule was meant to align regulation with statute, which includes veterinarians as prescribers, and emphasized that the reporting duty applies to prescriptions, not administration to animals. Some members supported the change as a needed anti-diversion measure, while others worried about implementation burdens and timing. After discussion, the committee found the regulation deficient by a 6-2 vote. The meeting then moved into full review of 922 KAR 1:565, a Department for Community Based Services rule implementing kinship care provisions from Senate Bill 151; staff said it was needed for implementation once funding is available, but a member criticized the two-year delay and the inclusion of language conditioning implementation on funding. A public witness from the Kinship Families Coalition argued the rule should not shift the 120-day application window in a way that could affect federal funding eligibility and urged the committee to reject the regulation as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last, not last week, two weeks ago—times ephemeral—I was at the Virginia 250th Commission, which has
• I was the only Massachusetts person in the room, and they tried to say that Virginia was the birthplace
• When I was at, in Virginia and Williamsburg at this meeting, they had the executive director of United
• The Honorable Stephen Atkins, who's chief of the Chickahominy tribe in Virginia, did a really excellent
• The Honorable Stephen Atkins, who's chief of the Chickahominy tribe in Virginia, did a really excellent

Summary: The DEIA subcommittee of the Special Commission on the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution met with a quorum and discussed planning for the upcoming Patriots Day period, grant opportunities, and ways to make 250th programming more inclusive. Dr. Trent reported on a Virginia 250 conference and shared examples such as the Made by Us youth engagement toolkit and a Smithsonian-related traveling exhibition. Brian also updated the group on Mass Humanities’ grant programs, including Museum on Main Street, Reading Project Douglas Together, and the Promises of Revolution grants, noting that the latter has $600,000 available and is expected to fund roughly 30 to 40 projects through letters of intent due in June. The committee also noted that state tourism 250th grants are open with an April 11 deadline. A major discussion focused on ensuring respect for Indigenous sovereignty and improving representation in marketing. Members raised concerns that Indigenous leaders were not being treated with sufficient respect in state-level engagement, and they discussed whether the full commission should hear from tribal leaders and whether the subcommittee should recommend a broader conversation at the next commission meeting. On marketing, members criticized recent promotional materials as too formulaic and insufficiently reflective of Massachusetts’ diversity, especially in their limited inclusion of Indigenous people, Black patriots, women, and other communities. The group agreed that the commission should push for more inclusive visuals and narratives, and that there is still time to influence digital and future materials. The subcommittee also discussed possibly inviting the marketing and education committees, or commission staff and the outside marketing agency, to explain the rollout and scope of possible changes. The committee then considered a Utah 250 idea for a July 5, 2026 “America’s potluck” style community event and agreed it could be adapted for Massachusetts as a foodways-focused, culturally diverse statewide activity. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to recommend that the full commission and MOTT promote the potluck concept. The meeting ended with agreement to continue developing recommendations on representation, Indigenous engagement, and public outreach, and then adjourned by unanimous vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Griffith of Virginia, Mr. Lynch of Massachusetts, Mr. Keing of Massachusetts.
• Griffith of Virginia,<00:07:36.160><c> Mr.
• </c><00:07:36.479><c> Lynch</c><00:07:36.800><c> of</c><00:07:36.960><c> Massachusetts,</c> Virginia,
• Lynch of Massachusetts, Virginia, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• 01.599><c> and</c> fact that the District of Columbia and fact that the District of Columbia and Virginia
• c> pass</c><00:41:02.720><c> their</c><00:41:02.960><c> own</c><00:41:03.200><c> legislation</c> Virginia
• must pass their own legislation Virginia must pass their own legislation matching<00:41:04.880><c> the
• It'll be at the Miller West conference room. Thank you.
• It'll be at the Miller West conference room. Thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• do recommend that Alabama focus on improving online literacy programs as states like Florida and Virginia
• have done, educating... and Virginia have done, educating students and parents about how to safely use
• Absolutely, and I'll kind of touch on this on the next bill as well, but Virginia and Florida have...
• well, but Virginia and Florida have incorporated into their school curriculum digital literacy programs
• members concerning HP... concerning HB235, I would like to get a copy of those bills from Florida and Virginia

Bills: HB235 , HB276 , HB285

Committee: House Children and Senior Advocacy

Keywords: social media, age verification, minors, under 16, children online safety, online privacy, platform regulation, deceptive trade practice, Attorney General, civil penalties, punitive damages, consumer protection, account creation, algorithmic feeds, internet safety, youth social media, minor safety, child online safety, teen accounts, parental controls

Transcript Highlights:

• "I mean, I think partially the reason why Virginia in particular is being used is Virginia's rules for
• I know overall there's complaints about, again, people with Virginia tags who are using those tags to
• "Virginia you could pay like $50 and not have insurance."
• I know overall there's complaints about, again, people with Virginia tags who are using those tags to
• </c><00:38:17.640><c> tags</c> about again people with Virginia tags about again people with Virginia

Summary: The House convened with 124 members present, offered a prayer, and recognized foster youth visiting the chamber. Members then adopted two House resolutions honoring Dr. Sonja Santelises for 10 years as CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools and recognizing Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, for 104 years of service, scholarship, and sisterhood. The House also received Senate bills and began taking up committee reports. Several bills were reported favorably and advanced to third reading, including measures on higher education grants, public safety pay restrictions, retirement and pension system work group extensions and cost-of-living adjustments, synthetic turf and aquaculture studies, rail crew requirements, Howard County speed limits, election address confidentiality, IT investment fund uses, ethics financial disclosures, Public Information Act divorce records, aging-in-place grants, judicial assignments, clerk and register salaries, and firearm literature distribution. House Bill 428, concerning temporary assignment of former judges, was special ordered until the next day after the minority whip requested time for an amendment. The chamber also considered and adopted amendments on several bills. House Bill 437, the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026, was amended to exempt the Chesapeake Bay Bridge project and then special ordered after questions about greenhouse gas impacts on major highway expansion projects. House Bill 457 on menstrual hygiene products at higher education institutions, House Bill 538 on student enrollment disclosures, House Bill 561 on child care credential funding, House Bill 720 on a veterans scholarship, and House Bill 212 on out-of-state vehicle registration all received amendments and favorable reports as amended. HB 212 drew extended debate about Maryland residents using out-of-state tags, with supporters saying it would help enforce registration laws and opponents raising concerns about legislative вмешательство in vehicle regulation and enforcement discretion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Virginia being really the poster child for this, where in Northern Virginia there are many large
• ><c> poster</c><00:46:00.880><c> child</c> Virginia being really the poster child Virginia being really
• </c> Northern Virginia experience. Northern Virginia experience.
• </c> You think the that north that Virginia You think the that north that Virginia and<00:46:32.400><
• </c> traffic goes through Northern Virginia traffic goes through Northern Virginia data<00:47:08.960>

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy