Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment to the amendment is coded A-22.
• The amendment is coded A-14.
• The amendment is coded A-3.
• The amendment is coded A-1.
• The amendment is coded A12.

Transcript Highlights:

• is a committee strike-and-insert amendment before you, which moves the bill's provisions to a new code
• It amends a section in Chapter 3 of the code, clarifying that foreign drivers are not eligible to vote
• is a committee strike-and-insert amendment before you, which moves the bill's provisions to a new code
• It amends a section in Chapter 3 of the code, clarifying that foreign drivers are not eligible to vote

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met, approved the March 9, 2026 minutes, and then took up the engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 4577 relating to driver's licenses. Counsel explained that the bill would authorize the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to enter reciprocal agreements with Ireland and Japan to recognize each other’s driver’s licenses, provided the foreign licensing standards are at least as stringent as West Virginia’s. The bill also requires drivers using recognized foreign licenses to carry insurance and comply with state financial responsibility laws, clarifies that foreign license holders are not eligible to register to vote through the DMV, and allows the commissioner to set related fees and adopt rules. A strike-and-insert amendment and a title amendment were adopted. The committee heard from DMV counsel Adam Hawley and the bill’s House sponsor, Delegate Mike Hornby. Hawley said the measure would allow citizens of the listed countries to avoid retaking written and skills tests when transferring licenses, and noted West Virginia already has similar arrangements with Taiwan, South Korea, and Germany. Hornby said the bill was intended to support economic development and trade ties, especially with Ireland, where American workers and companies face licensing hurdles; he said Ireland had requested state-level reciprocity and that Japan was added because of West Virginia’s existing trade relationship there. Several senators expressed support, describing the bill as a symbolic and practical step toward foreign investment and job creation. After discussion, the committee voted to report the engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 4577, as amended, with a recommendation that it do pass. The title amendment was then adopted, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's brought to me by some foster parents, and the intent here is to establish an Idaho Code assurance
• And so that's really clear in the code.
• And so that's really clear in the code. says if in a what could happen to them.
• And so that's really clear in the code.

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from February 11, 12, and 16, and removed House Bill 578 from the agenda pending more information. The committee then introduced RS 33422, brought by Representative Wheeler, which would establish a foster youth bill of rights to clarify safety, health, placement, visitation, and basic needs protections for children in foster care without creating new causes of action or requiring an appropriation. The committee also introduced RS 33310 C1, presented by Representative Erickson, a measure developed over several years in response to concerns in residential care facilities and a related study. The bill would add quality care oversight, individualized service planning and documentation requirements, a youth bill of rights, and critical incident reporting rules, including prompt notice to parents or guardians. Representative Burgoyne objected to the concept of a youth bill of rights, arguing that children’s rights should remain with parents, while Erickson said the state acts as guardian when children are in state care and described serious abuse and restraint incidents as the reason for the bill. Both RS 33422 and RS 33310 C1 were introduced by committee vote. The meeting also included a lighthearted sendoff for the committee page, who said she planned to join the Army as a nurse, and members offered comments and a gift before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fourth, we have narrowed the specific provisions of a section of code that applies to education preparation
• It makes sure that these provisions of code are actually in place so that at the certification level,
• provision to ensure that HB 2 is the governing. policy over other vehicles addressing similar sections of code
• If there was a conflict between those policies in the code, often that happens. and they reconcile quite

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• teacher's retirement system to provide relative to compliance with amendments to the Internal Revenue Code
• Chairman, this amendment is coded 1306 in the upper right-hand corner.
• Chairman, this amendment is coded 1306 in the upper right-hand corner, is on line in your folders.
• Like Chairman Bacala said, the amendment is coded 1446. It's online and in your folders.
• This set of amendments is coded 1642 in the upper right-hand corner, as online and in your folders.

Committee: House Retirement

Summary: The Retirement Committee met on March 26, 2026, with a quorum present. House Bill 24 was voluntarily deferred at the start of the meeting. The committee then heard House Bill 20, which would have allowed retired teachers to return to work under superintendent discretion while drawing retirement benefits. Representative Bagley argued the bill would help address teacher shortages by letting districts hire experienced certified teachers, while Representative Taylor raised broader concerns about how returning retirees are treated. After discussion, HB 20 was voluntarily deferred. The committee next considered House Bill 25, a technical update to the Teachers’ Retirement System to conform with changes in the Internal Revenue Code, including benefit commencement and surviving spouse election provisions. Catherine Whitney of TRSL said the bill is routine compliance legislation reviewed periodically by the system’s tax attorney. An amendment was adopted, and HB 25 was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 23, a cost-of-living adjustment bill for LASERS retirees, was also amended to raise the benefit cap from $80,000 to $81,201 and then reported favorably as amended. House Bill 42 proposed a phased retirement program for higher education employees in the Teachers’ Retirement System, allowing partial retirement and part-time work with partial benefits. Bacala said it was intended to help retain talent at universities and was based on prior task force recommendations; an amendment was adopted to set the participation framework for universities, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 32, a LASERS cleanup bill addressing disability retiree restoration, administrative errors, and benefit calculations, was described by LASERS as technical in nature and was reported favorably. House Bill 13, a State Police Retirement System reamortization bill, was amended to adjust timing and technical provisions and then reported favorably as amended. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 41 on the Firefighters’ Retirement System board makeup. A new amendment package replaced earlier amendments and would eliminate term limits, expand elected active-member seats from two to five, remove chief association appointments, and require vacancies to be filled by election. Supporters described it as a compromise intended to better represent the system’s active members, while the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association objected that chiefs had been left out of the negotiations and said they provide important budget and governance expertise. Despite the opposition, the committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 41 favorably as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• something that is used at the executive department level and the state board, but had not been added to code
• And it is, however, listed by the State Department as funding under instructional assignment codes.
• And it is, however, listed by the State Department as funding under instructional assignment codes.
• There's even one vice principal under this coding, director, director of Elevate Industries, learning
• There's even one vice principal under this coding, a director of Elevate Industries, learning coach,

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 16 and 17 without objection. It then heard House Bill 623, which would require a 60-second moment of silence at the beginning of each public school day. The sponsor and several supporters, including a rabbi, a pastor, a church representative, and a former teacher, argued that the bill is neutral, low-cost, and intended to promote calm, reflection, and better student behavior while protecting religious freedom and parental authority. Some members raised concerns about mandating the practice, local control, whether it could be seen as encouraging prayer, and how it would apply to late arrivals or charter schools. The sponsor said it would apply to public and charter schools but not private schools, and that students could silently read or pray if they wished. The committee passed HB 623 on a 10-4 roll call vote and sent it to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 728, a school funding and staffing definitions bill sponsored by Representative Church. She said the bill would clarify statutory definitions for instructional, administrative, classified, and per-pupil staff, and would move positions that are not directly instructing students into the administrative category, based on LSO review and Department of Education guidance. Supporters said the bill would improve transparency and accountability in how state education dollars are categorized and spent. Questions focused on how the new definitions would affect principals, superintendents, teacher-leaders, mentors, instructional coaches, and rural districts that split duties between teaching and administration. The Idaho Association of School Administrators testified in opposition, warning that the bill would reduce flexibility and could make instructional coaching unsustainable, especially in smaller districts with limited administrative allocations. Members debated whether to hold HB 728 for further clarification or move it forward. A substitute motion to hold the bill until February 27 failed on a 6-8 roll call. The committee then voted on the original motion to send HB 728 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and that motion passed unanimously on the recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, is that in Title 67, Chapter 1904, Idaho Code, there is a requirement that germane chairs invite
• So there is that opportunity as well that's outlined in Idaho Code. So it, it, all right.
• Chapter 1904, Idaho Code, there is a requirement that germane chairs invite the agency heads to talk
• So there is that opportunity as well that's outlined in Idaho Code. So it, you know, take that.
• John, tell me that code number again? 67, 1904.

Summary: The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee met to hear a JFAC budget presentation from Senator Scott Groh and Keith Bybee on the state’s general fund outlook and budget process. The discussion focused on structural balance, revenue trends, sales tax distributions, and the growing share of sales tax that is directed away from the general fund to earmarked programs, tax relief, and local government distributions. Bybee also reviewed long-term budget growth by category, noting major drivers such as public schools, Medicaid, higher education, and other policy-driven spending increases. A major topic was the state’s fiscal position for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Bybee explained that revenue projections have come in below prior expectations, leaving a much smaller ending balance than originally projected. He said the governor’s budget relies on one-time money, a 3% holdback, and other assumptions to maintain balance, while the legislative scenario still faces uncertainty, especially around tax conformity and possible federal tax changes. Senators asked about the reliability of the revenue and conformity estimates, the use of one-time funds versus rainy day reserves, and the potential impact on Idaho’s AAA bond rating. Senator Groh summarized JFAC’s approach as cautious and conservative, emphasizing uncertainty in revenue forecasts and the need to avoid relying too heavily on one-time money or stabilization funds. He said JFAC planned to vote Friday on a 3% governor holdback, with agencies asked to identify 1% to 2% cuts for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. No formal votes were taken by the committee in this meeting, and the chair adjourned after thanking the presenters.

Transcript Highlights:

• certificate of appointment: Know all people by these presents that pursuant to Section 59-904A, Idaho Code
• Appointment, know all people by these presents that pursuant to the provisions of Section 59-904A, Idaho Code
• Idaho Code, the District 25 Legislative Committee of the Republican Party has submitted a list of three
• Last year, this body took the next step by passing the Code Cleanup Act, turning our attention and our
• The agencies of my administration got to work, dedicated countless hours to scrub the Idaho Code and

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Over time, amendments to the Family Code have refined these provisions to balance parental rights with
• create the official record of a proceeding also established that digital recorders must abide by a code
• And a lot of this stuff, page after page after page, is merely updating the code where there's a list
• I mean, for example, there are lots of little changes to the civil practice and remedies code in the
• The bankruptcy code has related to jurisdiction and it's, what is it, 28 USC 1334.

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• I know in my own city taxes increase.
• It was $70 million on the city, okay?
• It was $70 million on the city, okay?
• It was $70 million on the city, okay?
• It was $70 million on the city, okay?

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I was in the House before that and on a city council in St. Louis Park before that.
• I am a and the city of Medicine Lake.
• No state or city says we will that.
• No state or city says we will never hand over any immigrants who are in our jails.
• </c> the four that were committed in the city the four that were committed in the city of<03:11:17.120

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So to say went to cities and towns.
• So again, available to cities and towns.
• We raised revenues for cities incorrect. We raised revenues for cities and<01:16:39.360><c> towns.
• The city and town people are responsible.
• So again, the tax code of New Hampshire.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the purpose of that, and it has to have a description of the service and the billing code.
• So that's the purpose of that, and it has to have a description of the service and the billing code.
• So that's the purpose of that, and it has to have a description of the service and the billing code.
• your diagnosis codes it's your procedure<00:54:05.359><c> codes</c><00:54:06.280><c> it's</c><00:54:
• 06.520><c> demographic</c> procedure codes it's demographic procedure codes it's demographic information

Keywords: 00:00 Call to Order/Roll Call 00:16 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations 25:49 Discussion of Hospital Rate Improvement Plan 58:50 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee began by reviewing a large slate of administrative regulations and explaining that it does not approve regulations but can find them deficient and send them back for further work. Members then asked questions on several items, including EMS reciprocity, dental hygienist licensure, and interpreter licensure. The EMS board explained that reciprocity would extend to applicants from any state, not just contiguous states, because the underlying statute had been amended. On the dental regulation, staff said the changes mainly clarified licensure requirements, reinstatement fees, and that dental hygienists administering local anesthetic must do so under direct dentist supervision. The most extended discussion involved the Board of Interpreters for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The board chair said the main concern was that the EIPA is an educational specialty assessment, not a nationally recognized certification, yet the regulation would allow it to support full licensure. Members discussed whether that could let educational interpreters work outside their intended scope and whether a separate educational license or statutory change would be more appropriate. The board said it did not think the regulation could be fixed further at this point and suggested a statute could create a narrower educational interpreter license. After discussion, the committee voted to defer both related interpreter regulations, 201 KAR 39:030 and the companion regulation, for further work. The committee then took up two community mental health regulations, 907 KAR 1:044 and 907 KAR 5:005, which had been found deficient in Administrative Regulations. Department for Medicaid Services staff said the rules would expand and rename the mental health associate role as a behavioral health associate, making the role available in many more facilities, but would also require additional coursework or progress toward licensure. Some members and providers raised access-to-care concerns, especially for rural areas and unlicensed staff already working in the field. Staff said the proposal had been revised through work with CMHCs and licensing boards, but the committee ultimately voted to defer both regulations as well. After finishing the regulation review, the committee heard a presentation from the Kentucky Hospital Association on the ATRIP hospital rate improvement program. Hospital representatives said ATRIP is a Medicaid state-directed payment program funded through a provider tax and federal matching dollars, allowing hospitals to receive payments tied to quality measures. They reported improvements including lower Medicaid readmissions, high sepsis screening rates, reduced infections and opioid prescribing, expanded postpartum depression and suicide screening, and training for more than 1,000 people. They said the program has helped hospitals invest in staffing and quality improvement and warned that without it, many hospitals would face severe financial strain.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:46:09.599><c> in</c><00:46:09.839><c> the</c> portion of the major cities in the portion of the
• major cities in the state.<00:46:10.240><c> Now,</c><00:46:10.560><c> some</c><00:46:10.720><c> might
• um now within a co-op he is thriving and doing so well but when he was in the public school he was coded
• um now within a co-op he is thriving and doing so well but when he was in the public school he was coded
• special needs but he wasn't coded special needs but he wasn't getting<02:48:35.439><c> all</c><02:48

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um City Bank the purchase of of Bridge.
• Um City Bank is<00:27:11.360><c> exploring</c><00:27:11.919><c> what</c><00:27:12.080><c> to</c><00:27
• The code base for Hedera is operated and governed by the Linux Foundation in an open-source manner.
• </c><01:09:55.280><c> The</c><01:09:55.679><c> code</c><01:09:56.000><c> base</c> have uh interacted
• The code base have uh interacted with.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission met with a quorum, approved the agenda, and approved the November 12 minutes after a motion, second, and unanimous voice/online consent. The chair said the meeting would include two presentations—one from Noah Herman of Fortress Global and one from John Kicko and team from Hedera—followed by discussion of the commission’s next steps and public comment. The chair also noted he was still seeking a clerk for note-taking. Herman’s presentation focused on stablecoins, blockchain use cases, and operational considerations for states and other institutions. He described Fortress as an enterprise crypto-wallet and treasury platform serving corporates, governments, and nonprofits, and used examples such as Save the Children and a large global commodities firm to illustrate custody and treasury management on blockchain rails. He said stablecoins are designed to maintain a U.S. dollar peg, are increasingly backed by treasuries and subject to greater transparency, and are being adopted by major firms and payment companies because they can improve speed, reduce cost, and simplify payments. He also highlighted market growth, including claims that stablecoins now represent a significant share of on-chain activity and are a major holder of U.S. Treasuries. He identified custody as a key issue for state and institutional use, outlining qualified custody, managed custody, and self-custody models. He said the main practical challenge for the commodities client was moving funds safely and quickly across global time zones and that blockchain rails could solve problems that traditional banking rails could not. He framed the broader trend as one of accelerating institutional adoption, citing recent acquisitions and product launches by Visa, Stripe, Citi, and PayPal as evidence that stablecoin infrastructure is becoming mainstream.

Transcript Highlights:

• newly created parcels must comply with existing development standards and local zoning and building codes
• avalanche hazard, which causes a life safety concern for parcels that do not go through our subdivision code
• Also, within our code, we allow agricultural—we have what used to be called a family short plat.
• we do go through and make sure that it meets all of the requirements of our subdivision and zoning code

Committee: Senate Local Government and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, inconsistency in the definition of a license holder between labor code and occupation code
• One code defines a license holder as a person who is licensed while the other defines it as a person
• SB 1254 addresses these issues by making the definition of a license holder consistent across codes specifying

Committee: House Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I don’t know what legislation or code set this up or how long we’ve been doing it.”
• “I mean, I don’t know what legislation or code set this up or how long we’ve been doing it, but this
• I thought I would just start by explaining that on these three, the reason we are here is Arkansas Code
• “Arkansas Code Annotated 10-3-312, which requires us to notify the Bureau of Legislative Research of
• And that's Arkansas Code 26-37-204(f). Senator Penzo, you're recognized. Thank you, ma'am.

Committee: All ALC-CLAIMS REVIEW/LITIGATION REPORTS OVERSIGHT

Summary: The committee first reviewed several wage-claim and labor-related litigation reports from the Department of Labor and Licensing. Members questioned the department’s authority and jurisdiction, whether it was acting like a court, and why it sought attorney’s fees and costs. Department staff explained that the claims arose under the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act and related labor statutes, that the department investigates small wage claims and can file suit when informal resolution fails, and that filing fees are waived by statute though service costs may be incurred. The committee reviewed individual cases, including one where the employer had not proven cash payments, another that had already been paid and dismissed, and a third where service could not yet be completed. The committee then voted to review or batch-file the labor items. The University of Arkansas System then reported on three pending lawsuits under the litigation-notification statute. One case involving a tenured professor alleging age and race discrimination had already been resolved and dismissed after the university re-engaged in discussions about a position. A second case involving a former employee alleging ADA and FMLA retaliation was moving forward after partial dismissal and an answer denying liability. A third case involved a former vendor employee alleging retaliation tied to a parking ticket; members asked about individual-capacity exposure for a university police sergeant, and counsel explained that punitive damages could potentially create personal exposure. The committee reviewed each report. The Department of Finance and Administration presented a proposed tax settlement reducing a sales-and-use tax assessment from about $48,000 to $20,000, with interest and penalties waived, and the committee approved it. The Claims Commission then presented several claims and settlements, including an unpaid salary differential for the Department of Health, reissued warrants, unpaid bills for DHS, and multiple negotiated settlements involving UAMS, Arkansas State Police, and ARDOT; these were generally approved or batched for approval. The most extensive discussion involved a settlement between the Teacher Retirement System and Tetronics International Limited in liquidation, arising from losses tied to the failed Blue Oak project; members questioned the company’s liquidation status, the prior investment loss, and why the matter was settling for $65,000, and the committee ultimately affirmed the settlement. The committee also heard a disputed tax-sale claim involving the Commissioner of State Lands, where a claimant argued that excess proceeds from a 2009 tax sale should have gone to her family rather than escheating to the county. After testimony from the claimant and counsel, members debated sovereign immunity, heirship, and whether the committee could or should award the $4,200 overage. The motion was amended and then replaced with a motion to hold the matter over for further review in a future joint session, which passed. Finally, the committee considered an appeal by Andrew Simpson challenging dismissal of his claim against the Arkansas Court of Appeals; after Simpson and court staff explained the underlying dispute, the committee reviewed the dismissal and the matter was held over for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some airlines have the code when you're sitting there, and they'll announce it, but they don't announce
• But make sure we're on the right city. Apologies for the confusion. We will, we will.
• But make sure we're on the right city. Apologies for the confusion. We will, we will.
• </c> themselves out of the ethics code. themselves out of the ethics code.
• The remainder of the employees are subject, as state employees, to the state ethics code.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This hospital was able to, using the code, as you can see in the code, to change form, to transform to
• is we've had judges tell us, we've had law enforcement, that we have not been clear enough in the code
• we've had that judges tell us, we've had law enforcement, that we have not been clear enough in the code
• And so we just need to set more structure in our code.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met to consider a series of RS introductions, mostly sponsored by Representatives Barbieri and Scott, along with measures from Furness, Petske, Ehart, and Monks. Barbieri presented three related proposals concerning hospital conveyances and nonprofit conversions: one on libel/slander retractions and punitive damages (RS-33606), and two aimed at adding transparency, notice, and limits on transfers of former public hospitals to nonprofit or other entities (RS-33609 and RS-33610). The committee also introduced RS-33614, an internal House rules resolution, after a substitute motion to send it to the second reading calendar. RS-33624, another internal House ethics rules proposal, drew the most discussion and concern over confidentiality and attorney participation; it was introduced with amendments, with Representative Birch recorded as voting no. The committee also introduced RS-33630, which would place the Department of Finance under the Department of Insurance to seek cross-departmental efficiencies beginning in July 2027, and RS-33646, which would extend Idaho residency requirements for lifetime hunting licenses from six months to five years. Representative Scott’s measures were all introduced: RS-33651 would expand prohibitions on the sale, purchase, or lease of human remains artifacts; RS-33666, RS-33667, and RS-33668 were part of a split-up parental rights/custody package, addressing parental access to records, court-appointed professionals serving only in an advisory role, and make-up parenting time when custody is lost due to unsubstantiated allegations. Representative Ehart’s RS-33615 updated the 2024 medical parental rights law to clarify treatment standards, 988-related language, and evidence collection in child-crime allegations. Finally, the committee introduced RS-33675, which would allow universities to apply for a share of tourism-related bed tax grant funds currently distributed through the Department of Commerce to nonprofit tourism-promoting organizations. Several members asked clarifying questions on the various RSs, but no bills were advanced beyond introduction except RS-33614, which was also recommended to the second reading calendar. The committee then adjourned, with the chair noting more measures may return later in the week.