Transcript Highlights:

• Another area for comparison is the school computer technicians.
• Under current law, computer technicians are allocated based on only the middle and high school ADM at
• <00:41:41.440> under<00:41:41.760> current<00:41:42.000> law computer technicians
• under current law computer technicians under current law are<00:41:42.560> allocated<00:41:43.839
• ,<00:41:56.079> software the computer technicians, software the computer technicians, software

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They sent a technician out. The technician has a list of all your disabilities.
• They sent a technician out. The technician has a list of all your disabilities.
• <05:33:42.600> a<05:33:42.798> list technician out the technician has a list technician
• your disabilities<05:33:45.480> the<05:33:45.680> technician<05:33:46.120> will
• the technician will go over your<05:33:47.638> home<05:33:48.558> and<05:33:48.718>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• helped build and invest in industries ranging from oil and gas to cattle, public broadcasting to veterinary

Bills: HB565, HB3743, HB4310, HB5083, HB5129, HB5195, HB5331, HB5469, SB21, HB3185, SB 21

Keywords: constitutional amendment, fiscal impact, state budget, ballot measure, transparency in voting, management-to-staff ratio, state agencies, employee regulations, government efficiency, workforce management, public information, governing board, transparency, confidentiality, access rights, privacy, identifying information, state agency, consent, occupational license

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll also see trailers hauling horses, veterinary trucks visiting each barn, and countless other services

Transcript Highlights:

• We are in the process of launching a registry for dialysis patient care technicians.

Summary: The Occupational Licensing Review Subcommittee met to review two occupational licensing reports: the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and the State Board of Registration for Professional Soil Classifiers. For nursing, board officials described the board’s history, scope, and licensure categories, noting it regulates about 72,000 nurses and oversees RNs, LPNs, advanced practice nurses, medication assistants, and a new dialysis patient care technician registry. Members asked about workforce shortages, complaint types, and the board’s finances; the board said Arkansas has enough licensed nurses overall but has vacancy issues in some areas, complaints commonly involve criminal backgrounds, fraud, misrepresentation, drug abuse, and misappropriation, and the average case length is 191 days though some cases remain open much longer while awaiting criminal adjudication. Officials also said they are working on efficiency improvements and have added help positions with Department of Health support. The report was accepted without objection. The committee then reviewed the soil classifier program, now housed under the Natural Resources Commission after the former board was abolished in 2023. Agriculture Department officials explained that soil classifiers are a small, specialized profession requiring a four-year degree with coursework in biological, earth, and soil sciences, and that the state currently has 29 registered soil classifiers. Members asked whether that number is sufficient, what the work involves, and how the program’s finances are used. Officials said the profession is mainly used for septic system design, wetland determinations, nutrient management, and other soil-related work, and that current staffing appears adequate. They also noted the program has about $20,000 in reserves, above the statutory three-year balance, and discussed possible uses such as training, curriculum upgrades, and expanded administrative funding. The report was also accepted without objection, and the meeting adjourned with the next meeting scheduled for February 19 at 1:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, currently Mississippi State University has a program to certify vet technicians, but the state of
• program to to certify vet to teach has a program to to certify vet to teach vet<04:19:23.279> technicians
• 23.920> but<04:19:24.159> the<04:19:24.399> state<04:19:24.560> of vet technicians
• , but the state of vet technicians, but the state of Mississippi<04:19:25.199> does<04:19:25.439
• And on 65, eliminating has completed a Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine approved animal chiropractic

Keywords: MS House Floor - 12 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The House convened with a prayer led by Reverend Lewis Dixon of Crystal Springs and then recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Members also welcomed several guest groups, including the Hazerhurst Middle School girls basketball team, the Mississippi Society of Radiologic Technologists and students from several colleges, and Oakdale Elementary students visiting the Capitol. On the calendar, the House first took up several rules-calendar items and adopted them overwhelmingly, including a Senate concurrence resolution and multiple resolutions, with votes such as 118-0 and 121-0. The chamber also tabled House Bill 965. Later, House Bill 517, the Mississippi Charter Schools Act, passed 88-10 after members explained it was a technical bill with no substantive changes. House Bill 644, an Administrative Procedures Act measure requiring agencies to report rules or actions costing over $100,000, passed 114-0. The House then approved House Bill 1015, which replaces an inactive member on the Title 5 Advisory Council, by 119-0. House Bill 1314, dealing with contractor bonding and procurement thresholds, was amended to raise a bond amount from $25,000 to $75,000 and to increase a bidding threshold from $10,000 to $15,000; it passed 119-2. House Bill 1468, which narrows public-records access by excluding certain personal information, was amended with a reverse repealer to allow further work on the language and passed 118-1. House Bill 1529, a peer bill with a reverse repealer, passed 128-0. House Bill 1640 authorized DHS to use automated wage verification services and passed 115-2. House Bill 1754 created a fast-track option for cyber security software and hardware emergencies and passed 121-0. The House also adopted a strike-all amendment to House Bill 1218, extending the MyKids youth-court software authority for one year, requiring a progress report, and allowing continued use of MyKids or a replacement system; the bill passed 128-0 after questions about the system’s outdated nature and the need to keep AOC accountable. Finally, House Bill 1225, concerning non-consensual towing, was explained as requiring tow operators to identify who requested the tow and to provide VIN and lienholder information so certified notices can be sent; the discussion was still underway at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• A pharmacist can oversee three students and three technicians. Mr. Chairman, could I defer to...

Bills: HB441, SB274

Keywords: speech-language pathology, licensure, clinical supervision, educational qualifications, healthcare assistant, makeup application, blow-dry styling, cosmetology, licensing, regulation exemption, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HAS MENTIONED HERE'S A FIBER TECHNICIAN TRAINING PLAN THAT HAS BEEN DRAFTED BY MIAMI DADE COLLEGE AND

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's actually a track for you to be on that you can get on a path and you can become a special ed technician
• meeting to have... ...to do some paperwork or I have to have a special education meeting to have a technician
• So we did put that, and DPI has a certificate for that technician.
• do have one success that one of the people who took some of the classes did become a special ed technician

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's actually a track for you to be on that you can get on a path and you can become a special ed technician
• education meeting to have— ...do some paperwork or I have to have a special education meeting to have a technician
• So we did put that, and DPI has a certificate for that technician.
• do have one success that one of the people who took some of the classes did become a special ed technician

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 4, 2026 minutes, and received a lengthy Department of Public Instruction presentation from Stanley Schauer Jr. on North Dakota student performance data in math and ELA, with comparisons between students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Schauer explained the assessment systems used, the 1% alternate assessment cap for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the absence of 2019-20 data due to the pandemic, and how state standards are set by North Dakota educators. Members asked about cohort trends, the role of alternate assessments, grade-level patterns, and whether the state should focus more on reducing the novice category than on moving students from approaching to proficient. Schauer also discussed the new NDA Plus assessment, the state’s planned growth model, and the possibility of future breakdowns by disability category or by schools using science-of-math approaches. Special education educators testified that students with disabilities continued to receive services during COVID because of FAPE obligations, which likely helped limit learning loss, and emphasized that IEP teams focus on individual growth rather than only proficiency buckets. Committee members then shifted to special education funding and possible funding models. Brandon Bombach of Grand Forks Public Schools presented on the state aid formula, focusing on the special education weighting factor and arguing that the current formula does not adequately respond to growing student needs because it counts enrollment but does not adjust when the number of students with IEPs rises. He used examples to show that a district can have the same enrollment and receive the same weighting even if the number of students needing services increases. Members discussed whether the formula should be tied more closely to actual need and accountability, and the chair indicated that the committee would continue gathering data and ideas for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• was a dislocated worker in a millennia, a different millennia, but was retrained as an automotive technician
• For example, we need more people that are trained in being able to perform ultrasounds, radiology technicians
• For example, we need more people that are trained in being able to perform ultrasounds, radiology technicians

Summary: The meeting focused on Arkansas’s workforce development reorganization and a set of federal waiver requests intended to consolidate and streamline the state’s WIOA system. Commerce officials said the department has already centralized shared services, split the old workforce agency into reemployment and Arkansas Workforce Connections, and submitted a combined WIOA/Perkins state plan. They described nine waiver requests, including replacing local workforce boards with a single statewide board, creating one planning and accountability structure, allowing more flexible movement of funds across regions, easing the “last-dollar” requirement for training and supportive services, reducing required youth program elements, and allowing affiliate sites instead of mandatory comprehensive centers. Officials said the goal is to reduce administrative costs and redirect more money to training, supportive services, and employer-driven programs. Legislators raised concerns about rural representation, local employer relationships, and whether local offices would close. Commerce officials said local offices would remain open, some current staff could be rehired, and regional business councils would preserve local employer input. They said the current system is fragmented and expensive, with roughly $14 million in federal workforce funds flowing through local boards but only about $1.9 million spent on training and supportive services last year; they argued the reorganization could raise training spending to about $6 million to $7 million annually. Questions also addressed board composition, performance accountability, and how funds could be shifted between regions when needs change. The State Board of Workforce Development had approved the waiver package 11-3 before it was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor. Members also discussed workforce access for people with disabilities, child care and transportation supports, and the role of Arkansas Launch, apprenticeships, and career and technical education. Officials said vocational rehabilitation now has better access to the state job board and that referrals and data-sharing with DHS and other partners still need improvement. Several legislators emphasized the need for training to align more closely with employer demand, especially in manufacturing, technology, health care, and rural areas. The committee also heard a brief overview of Workforce Pell, with staff explaining that the new federal short-term Pell option has narrow eligibility rules and may not fit many existing programs, including some CDL and CNA programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• work in close partnership with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, the University of Minnesota Veterinary
• Health, the University<01:37:04.239> of<01:37:04.480> Minnesota<01:37:05.040> Veterinary
• University of Minnesota Veterinary University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic<01:37:06.400>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but anything that requires veterinary or medical care, that would be something that would fall under
• Um, but anything<01:59:05.920> that<01:59:06.320> requires<01:59:06.960> veterinary<
• /c><01:59:07.679> or anything that requires veterinary or anything that requires veterinary or

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have shared this language with stakeholders, including the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association
• c> with stakeholders, including the with stakeholders, including the Minnesota<01:41:24.000> Veterinary
• <01:41:24.800> Medical Minnesota Veterinary Medical Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 22.080> Nursing Sciences schools: Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Public Health, and Veterinary
• University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine faculty and students examined 24 dog and cat patients
• University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine faculty and students examined 24 dog and cat patients
• University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine faculty and students examined 24 dog and cat patients

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1312, sponsored by Senator Pennacchio, requires the MVC to accept emergency medical technician
• Requires the MVC to accept emergency medical technician and paramedic certification cards as two points

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Liquor and Cannabis Board, Gambling Commission agents, mental health workers, and emergency medical technicians
• Medical technicians.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bucket trucks play a vital role by allowing technicians to perform maintenance and repairs on telecommunications
• These trucks play a vital role by allowing technicians to perform maintenance and repairs on telecommunication

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several transportation-related bills, beginning with AB 431 on advanced air mobility. The author and supporters from AUVSI, Joby Aviation, United Airlines, Wisk Aero, the City of Long Beach, and Archer said the bill would create a statewide plan and technical framework for eVTOL/advanced air mobility infrastructure, public outreach, and local implementation. No opposition testified, and the bill passed the committee as amended to Appropriations on a unanimous roll call. Members then took up AB 630 on abandoned or hazardous RVs. The author and supporters, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s office, argued the bill would curb a cycle in which inoperable RVs are towed, auctioned cheaply, and returned to the streets by predatory buyers, while adding notice, recovery, and reporting requirements. Opponents from Western Center on Law and Poverty and ACLU California Action warned the bill would destroy RVs that serve as shelter for unhoused residents and could worsen homelessness. After discussion about the bill’s focus on dismantling rather than towing, the committee passed AB 630 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also approved AB 314, which would support transit-oriented development around planned and existing high-speed rail stations; AB 1223, which gives Sacramento County communities more flexibility to use local transportation revenues for related infrastructure supporting infill development; AB 1111, which adds flexibility to the zero-emission school bus transition for rural and disadvantaged districts; AB 1190, which caps fees charged by DMV business partners and requires clearer disclosure of the official DMV site; AB 987, which limits unreasonable towing fees and related charges; and AB 911, which creates a narrow exemption from Advanced Clean Fleets rules for telecommunications bucket trucks and sail-on-wheels used in emergencies. Most bills drew support from local governments, industry, or consumer groups, while AB 1111 and AB 911 drew opposition from clean transportation and environmental advocates concerned about weakening emissions goals. All of the bills were reported out as amended to the Committee on Appropriations, with recorded roll-call votes and several members adding their names as co-authors or supporters.

Transcript Highlights:

• The code mandates that a merchant or technician must report the finding of a gas pump skimmer to the
• This report should take less than 10 minutes for any merchant to complete or technician.

Bills: SB330, SB663, SB1020, SB1152, SB1164, SB1896, SB2111, SB2196, SB2383, SB2581, SB2797, SB2798, SB2371

Keywords: county funding, prosecutors' offices, elections, law enforcement, local government, community supervision, budget approval, corrections department, strategic plan, judicial oversight, SB 1020, Texas, personal bond office, pretrial release, electronic monitoring, GPS monitoring, global positioning system, bond conditions, probation, parole

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill accepts xylazine from Schedules 1 and 3 for veterinary uses.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice considered and advanced a series of criminal justice bills, with most measures reported favorably after brief presentations, amendments, and roll-call votes. Among the bills approved were CS/SB 468 on fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, which increases offense levels and allows impoundment of involved vehicles; CS/SB 1136 on age as an element of a criminal offense, which strengthens protections for minors and was amended to adjust age thresholds and luring/enticement language; CS/SB 144 on criminal justice, which was narrowed by substitute amendment after discussion with law enforcement and includes provisions on kill switches, body cameras/AI, first responder recognition, and other corrections-related items; and CS/SB 1782, which creates penalties for dangerous excessive speeding. The committee also favorably reported CS/SB 964 on objective parole guidelines, CS/SB 1450 on arrest and detention of individuals with significant medical conditions, CS/SB 612 on murder involving unlawful drug distribution by minors, CS/SB 1838 on tampering with or harassing court officials, CS/SB 716 on enhanced penalties for sexual offenses by repeat offenders, CS/SB 1604 on corrections, and CS/SB 1360 on xylazine, which preserves veterinary use while increasing penalties for illicit trafficking and possession for sale. Several bills drew substantive testimony and debate. CS/SB 1838 prompted concerns from the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers that the tampering language could be applied to prosecutors or defense attorneys; the sponsor said he would work to refine the language. CS/SB 964 received support from criminal defense advocates and a witness who argued Florida’s parole system needs revision due to prison overcrowding and staffing issues. CS/SB 1604 generated questions about inmate access to courts, the statute of limitations for confinement claims, and involuntary mental health treatment; the sponsor said the bill aims to balance inmate rights with timely reporting and to address bad actors in corrections. CS/SB 1360 was supported as a response to the spread of xylazine on the street, while noting its legitimate veterinary use. The most contested measure was CS/SB 1804 on capital sex trafficking. The bill would create a capital offense for adult trafficking of a child under 12 or a mentally incapacitated person under specified circumstances, with a life-felony fallback if capital punishment is later found unconstitutional. Supporters argued it targets especially heinous conduct and closes a gap in existing law; opponents, including the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and anti-death-penalty advocates, argued it expands the death penalty beyond homicide, raises constitutional concerns, risks retraumatizing victims, and would be costly to litigate. After extensive debate, the committee adopted an amendment aligning the bill with the House companion and reported the bill favorably. The committee also approved SB 776 adding an aggravating factor for assassination or attempted assassination of a head of state, despite objections from some members who voted no. At the end of the meeting, the chair thanked members for the session, and the committee adjourned.