Transcript Highlights:

• programming, and as they address language and culture efforts.
• Region and in our state, and then developing programs around that and ensuring that our programs are
• Program, and statewide school replacement and facility improvement programs.
• make programs accessible and accurate.
• make programs accessible and accurate.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:40.560><c> of</c><00:02:40.680><c> many</c> and to force early retirements of many and to
• It's very compelling, and I did pick up early on that you apologized.
• and prevention for Wildfire mitigation and prevention across<00:26:52.520><c> the</c><00:26:52.720><
• I oversee the mapping program and the aggregate mapping program.
• I oversee the mapping program and the aggregate mapping program.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have seen early signs that AI can help doctors find cancers, and AI can help cybersecurity professionals
• You know, concerns were raised about asbestos as early as 1899, and insurance companies began denying
• I'm the Policy and Program Director for the AFL-CIO Technology Institute, and we work alongside the AFL-CIO
• informed decisions about their likenesses, preventing exploitative practices, and protecting their intellectual
• management programs aligned with NIST standards and complete annual impact assessments.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on several artificial intelligence bills, opening with remarks about the 9/11 anniversary and then broad statements from the co-chairs about AI’s promise and risks. Chair Farley-Bouvier and Senator Moore emphasized the need for guardrails, transparency, and worker and consumer protections, while Senator Finegold described Senate Bill 37, which would create a framework for AI model training with safety assessments, audits, incident reporting, Attorney General oversight, and workforce reporting. Members also discussed Massachusetts’ position relative to other states and the need for state action in the absence of federal regulation. A large portion of the hearing focused on the Fair Act, House 77 and Senate 35, which would limit workplace surveillance, restrict collection of biometric and location data, require notice and human review for automated employment decisions, and protect workers from retaliation. Labor leaders, including AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, SEIU, building trades, and other worker representatives, testified in support, describing harms from bossware, automated benefits denials, hiring and promotion screening, scheduling, and monitoring in workplaces ranging from health care and education to manufacturing and construction. They argued that AI systems are already affecting wages, benefits, safety, and job security, and that Massachusetts should act now to set clear rules. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 74, which would require informed consent and clear contract terms for digital replicas of voices and likenesses, with SAG-AFTRA representatives supporting the bill as a protection for performers and creators. Another major topic was Senate Bill 51 on social media algorithm accountability and transparency; child safety advocates, researchers, and a public health expert described harms from engagement-based algorithms, including exposure to harmful content, eating disorders, and youth mental health impacts, and supported independent audits and public reporting. A few industry and civil liberties witnesses supported regulation but urged balance, warning against overly burdensome rules while acknowledging the need for privacy, transparency, and accountability. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the hearing excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• specifically in our dental Program specifically in our dental program<00:38:07.760><c> and</c><00:38
• We believe that upstream prevention is really the key to improving health and sustaining our economy.
• We know that fluoride is a necessary tool when it comes to preventing dental decay and cavities, and
• when it comes to preventing dental decay and<00:42:53.880><c> cavities</c><00:42:54.880><c> and</c><00
• I am the pediatric dental program director for the University of Kentucky Residency Program, and I am

Keywords: 00:00:00 Call to Order/Roll Call 00:01:37 Discussion of 25RS HB 392 00:03:10 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 392 00:04:20 Discussion of 25RS HB 580 00:13:28 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 580 00:14:54 Discussion of 25RS HB 688 00:18:40 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 688 00:21:40 Discussion of 25RS HB 16 01:19:44 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 16 01:27:32 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 392, sponsored by Representative Proctor, which would help the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities pay for emergency medical and psychiatric services provided to patients outside state facilities when those facilities cannot meet their needs. Proctor described it as a continuing improvement bill to address payment issues for services delivered at community-based facilities. The bill received no substantive opposition in the meeting and passed the committee with favorable expression by a vote of 15 yes, 0 no, and 1 pass. The committee then considered House Bill 580, presented by Representative Kim Moser and Elena Sweezy, which tightens oversight of peer support specialists. The bill was described as building on House Bill 505 from the prior year by reinstating supervision requirements, adding parameters around group sizes, creating a pathway for temporary peer support specialists to become fully registered after nine months, and addressing Medicaid reimbursement and accountability concerns. Members asked about reimbursement; the sponsor said Medicaid was okay with the bill and that commercial insurance coverage would be up to insurers. Representative Fleming emphasized the need for stronger financial oversight of the peer support code. The committee adopted a substitute and title amendment, then passed the bill with favorable expression. House Bill 688 was then heard, with Representative Bratcher explaining that it addresses two issues: preventing fraud in nurse licensure by giving the Kentucky Board of Nursing more discretion to review out-of-state credentials, and expanding school authority to administer certain emergency medications. He said the bill changes the board’s authority from “shall” to “may” so it can verify transcripts, curricula, accreditation, and exam passage. During discussion, Representative Sharp explained his yes vote by noting the bill also adds rescue medications such as glucagon and Solu-Cortef and allows prescribed emergency medications for known conditions in schools. The committee passed the bill with favorable expression. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 16, which would leave decisions about adding fluoride to drinking water to local governing bodies rather than maintaining a state mandate. Supporters, including Representative David Hale, Dr. Jack Call, and Cindy Batson, argued that fluoridation should be a local choice and raised concerns about cost, potential health risks, and the precautionary principle. Opponents, including Dr. Steve Robertson of the Kentucky Dental Association, defended fluoridation as beneficial for preventing tooth decay and warned that local removal decisions could increase Medicaid costs and may not reflect the broader public interest. The transcript provided does not show a final committee vote on House Bill 16 in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> clear definition of disability and clear definition of disability and prevent<00:10:24.800><c> termination
• The cost is measured in stolen futures and shattered lives. Number one, prevention is key.
• By embedding digital literacy education programs for both youth and parents or caregivers and creating
• </c> perable preventable perable preventable preventable<00:31:21.279><c> and</c><00:31:21.519><c> yet
• and yet we are not moving preventable and yet we are not moving fast<00:31:23.639><c> enough</c><00:

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:05 Roll Call: 00:00:14 SB 26: 00:01:50 SB 64: 00:18:29 SB 73: 00:22:54, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and heard three bills. Senate Bill 26, sponsored by Chair Storm, would protect parents and prospective parents with disabilities by barring disability alone from being the sole basis for denying an adoption petition or terminating parental rights. Testimony from Judge Marcus Vanover and Crystal Adams described the bill as a product of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health and its work groups, cited Kentucky and national cases and federal ADA guidance, and said the bill would require consideration of supportive services, clearer documentation, retention of records, and conforming language changes. Senator Carroll asked how the bill would apply to a hypothetical adult child with special needs; witnesses said the bill is aimed at adoption and termination proceedings where the Cabinet is already involved, not proactive service requests. The committee approved SB 26 by a unanimous 7-0 vote and sent it to the floor with favorable expression. The committee next considered Senate Bill 64, also sponsored by Chair Storm, which would expand the definition of key infrastructure assets to include telecommunications services such as telephone lines and broadband and make damaging, tampering with, or rendering those services inoperable a Class D felony. Representatives from Charter/Spectrum and AT&T testified that copper theft and vandalism have increasingly damaged fiber and other facilities, citing more than 20 incidents in Kentucky in 2024 affecting over 30,000 customers and diverting resources from broadband expansion. The committee adopted a committee substitute and then passed SB 64 by a 7-0 vote with favorable expression. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 73, sponsored by Senator Julie Adams, which would create a felony offense for sexual extortion, allow victims or their representatives to bring civil actions, include the offense in Kentucky’s sex-crime definitions, and require school-based notification and education efforts along with resource information for students. Senator Adams and witness Lady T. Thompson described sextortion as a fast-growing online crime targeting minors, often through social media, gaming, and messaging apps, and argued that stronger penalties and prevention efforts are needed. The transcript cuts off before any committee action on SB 73.

Transcript Highlights:

• transit and rail program structure at Caltrans, which will strengthen governance, accountability, and
• And then I think another really critical program that we've been working on at CalSTA and Caltrans is
• We have to have it completed and identified what in the early 2030s, and we'll provide the exact date
• There are two expectations and two dates, one of which is an early completion of a plan and agreement
• state's cap-and-trade program.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are 50% of the program, and their voices have not been heard, and we need to make sure we have those
• program and she has of the costs in this program and she has few<00:10:41.920><c> options</c><00:10:42.240
• to develop and be early adopters of paid leave programs that include paid time off, short-term leave
• employee- and employer-friendly paid leave programs.
• </c><00:40:06.480><c> and</c> who may be paying into the program and who may be paying into the program

Bills: HF1976

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: paid leave, family leave, employment law, Minnesota statute, benefit eligibility, seasonal employment, workforce, labor rights, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• conference on December 18, 2025, and whereas the ASBA Golden Bell Promise Program Award honors school
• culture... ...recognizing its strategic investment in Navajo language and culture programming while
• childhood development and health programs for kids from birth to kinder.
• , let's do it the right way by taxing and making sure that we actually put education programs in place
• And then, I, again, was denied by my request, and then ended up working out with the PT a payment program

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The fraud prevention software funding, and then $5,000 for the trees.
• </c><00:15:50.800><c> a</c> in the programming for that and then a in the programming for that and then
• childhood and in benchmarks in early childhood and in K-12<00:26:25.760><c> that</c><00:26:26.040><c
• do need to look at early childhood and K-12.
• managers and the uh online program managers and the relationships<01:06:04.120><c> with</c><01:06:04.560

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committee discussed a higher education attainment-goals bill and several related amendments. Members first reached agreement on funding changes: one amendment redirected money for fraud-prevention software for MnSCU and $5,000 for trees in Bemidji, and another moved $570,000 for workforce development-related funding. Members noted the use of general fund dollars to cover a FIG shortfall and expressed support for addressing fraud prevention while also saying MnSCU should be made whole in the next biennium. Both amendments were adopted. The main policy debate centered on an amendment updating the statewide attainment goal and related P-20 partnership language. Senator Um Ruebain proposed returning the attainment goal from 75 percent to 70 percent, and members discussed whether the bill’s expanded reporting and coordination duties would create costs for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Nonpartisan staff and Commissioner Olsen said the Office of Higher Education and the P-20 partnership expected no costs, while DCYF’s fiscal note assumed reporting and staffing costs. After discussion, DCYF indicated it would absorb the costs, but some members still objected to expanding the partnership and creating additional bureaucracy. Members also debated whether early childhood and K-12 subgoals should be included as part of the attainment-goals framework. Supporters said aligning early childhood, K-12, and higher education goals is necessary to improve postsecondary attainment, while opponents argued the committee should focus on existing higher education goals and basic K-12 achievement. The committee ultimately adopted the Senate language on the attainment-goals section as amended, including the change back to 70 percent and revisions directed by staff to ensure the correct references were updated. The A12 amendment on pregnant and parenting students was also adopted earlier in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• unbiased assessments and preventing potential conflicts of interest.
• ensuring unbiased assessments<00:29:19.720><c> and</c><00:29:19.880><c> preventing</c><00:29:20.360>
• <c> po</c><00:29:20.760><c> potential</c> assessments and preventing po potential assessments and preventing
• and and budgeting and have positions and and budgeting and then<00:38:58.839><c> you</c><00:38:58.960
• Identification and definition, as necessary, of the philosophy, program parameters, and regulatory requirements

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee met on February 4, 2025, for decision making on previously heard measures, then later held hearings on additional bills. Early action focused on several measures that were amended and advanced, including SB 161 on state project exemptions from county permitting, which was heavily revised to allow programmatic or project-specific agreements with counties, require public reporting of exempted projects, and create a working group to study broader permitting and construction coordination issues. The committee also advanced SB 635 on energy efficiency with changes shifting survey leadership to the Hawaii State Energy Office, SB 700 on resilience hubs after narrowing it to focus on emergency-service-capable hubs and removing distributed energy language, SB 869 on community outreach boards with a technical amendment, SB 1081 on a legislative budget office by converting it to a feasibility study, SB 711 on gubernatorial appointments with a salary threshold change, SB 405 on neighborhood board agendas with a committee-report note about OIP concerns, SB 381 with privacy issues deferred to Judiciary, SB 2 as a two-year pilot for fruit tree planting in selected districts, SB 239 on disaster preparedness with sheltering revisions, and SB 998 as introduced with a cost estimate for site selection work. Several measures were deferred or not advanced, including SB 615, which was deferred indefinitely, SB 1132, which the chair said would be set aside in favor of another childcare bill, and SB 111, which was not taken up further because of confusion during an earlier hearing. During the later hearing portion, SB 1175 on procurement drew testimony from the State Procurement Office, which supported the bill but corrected its estimated database revision cost from $7,500 to $30,000; the Department of Transportation also appeared, while the General Contractors Association submitted opposition. Committee members questioned whether the past-performance database should include more detailed quality information and whether a one-year post-completion review would be useful, but no amendment was adopted at that time. SB 1587 on retainage received written support from the Subcontractors Association of Hawaii and no opposition in the room. SB 1543 on government accountability, which would require justification for outside consultants and cap consultant spending, drew opposition from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii, which argued it could slow procurement, reduce flexibility, and worsen delays given existing vacancies and limited in-house expertise. The Public First Law Center supported the related transparency bill discussed in the hearing, arguing it would close a loophole by making contractor-created records used in government functions subject to disclosure under UIPA, while the Attorney General’s office opposed it. The transcript ends with that testimony still underway, and no final vote is shown for the later hearing bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• LEVEL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND THE NATION CONCERNING HIPAA PRIVACY RULE AND SECURITY
• BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS.
• THE FREE AND LOW-COST TRAINING PROGRAMS EXIST AND ACCORDING TO THE STAFF ANALYSIS ON THIS BILL THE COST
• IT WILL ALSO ENSURE THE INCLUSION OF KIDS WITH ANAPHYLAXIS AND BEFORE AND AFTER CARE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
• EARLY AND I HAD TO ACTUALLY PAY RENT WHILE I WAS WORKING AND LIVING AT HOME AND HE DIDN'T LIKE IT.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• involved with efforts to prevent bicycle and e-bike injuries and fatalities.
• President and senators, 428 brings This voucher program in line by study recommends adjusting the ages
• This amendment adds drowning prevention safety Measures and safe bathing practices to postpartum education
• toddlers in bathtubs, Pools and other water sources, water safety measures parents can employ to prevent
• business to maintain a cybersecurity program commensurate with that size and complexity.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• pedestrian injuries, and a member of an organization involved with efforts to prevent bicycle and e-bike
• President and Senators, 428 brings this voucher program in line with study recommendations by adjusting
• This amendment adds drowning prevention safety measures and safe bathing practices to postpartum education
• toddlers in bathtubs, pools and other water sources, water safety measures parents can employ to prevent
• I will note all the requirements on drowning prevention and safe bathing in the amendment are new.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the main highlights here is fiscal year 25 for the state revenue programs ended on.
• So moving on to slide 38 And here, this chart illustrates the roll-up of all those revenue programs and
• And this hasn't been updated because of the federal shutdown, which prevented the release.
• So any tax program, and again, there's about 40 tax programs that we administer.
• So we will go ahead And break early, but we will be back here at one o'clock.

Committee: Joint Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and roadway program, the Fish Passage Barrier Program, and improvements as a whole.
• The operating program maintains and operates our buildings and provides planning and policy for our 47
• The operating program maintains and operates our buildings and provides planning and policy for our 47
• historical data and such, and the capital facilities programs and the buildings and things, am I correct
• historical data and such, and the capital facilities programs and the buildings and things.

Summary: The committee received a detailed staff presentation on Washington State Ferries’ capital needs, current fleet status, and long-range funding outlook. Staff described the current service pattern, ridership recovery since the pandemic, the aging fleet, and the state’s plan to add three new hybrid-electric Olympic-class vessels under the 2025 budget, with delivery expected around 2030-2032. Members also heard that the fleet is operating with no reserve vessel, that preservation time is below the desired level, and that terminal electrification and vessel conversion plans face timing, cost, and procurement risks. Questions focused on ridership trends, biofuel supply, design-risk allocation in vessel contracts, sequencing of terminal electrification with new vessel delivery, and the cost and feasibility of restoring international Sidney service, which would require a SOLAS-certified vessel. Staff then outlined ferry capital funding, saying recent spending and programmed needs are far above regular ferry-specific revenues and that the system relies on a mix of dedicated accounts, transportation package money, federal grants, and transfers. They said the near-term budget is balanced through 2027-29, but the longer-term capital outlook shows a shortfall of roughly $250 million to $300 million per biennium, with broader unmet needs much higher. The presentation estimated costs for future vessels, life extensions, terminal electrification, and additional Jumbo Mark II conversions, and noted that the current enacted plan does not fully fund fleet replacement, full electrification, or life extension of older vessels. Members asked for follow-up information on terminal seismic/environmental issues, contract options for additional vessels, and the timing and cost of alternative vessel designs. The committee then shifted to WSDOT maintenance and preservation. Pascoe Focktich described maintenance operations, including winter response, guardrail repair, facilities, equipment, and the effects of underfunding and inflation. He said most of the maintenance budget is fixed cost and labor, that material prices have risen sharply, and that many facilities are in poor condition with asbestos issues and deferred upkeep. He also noted growing guardrail damage, increasing pavement claims, and the burden of maintaining aging bridges and facilities. Members asked about prior planning for these needs, the role of asbestos, and whether more proactive sequencing could help budget decisions. Troy Suing then presented the highway preservation program, saying WSDOT is in the early stages of critical failure and has stretched preservation dollars as far as possible. He explained the distinction between pavement, bridge, and other highway asset preservation, said the department is largely reactive, and estimated that delaying work can make it three to five times more expensive later. He said about 40% of roadways are currently due or overdue for preservation, bridge conditions are nearing the federal poor-bridge threshold, and the department’s 10-year preservation need is about $8 billion. Members asked about the cost of deferring work, whether the department could do more if funded, how priorities are set, and whether other states face similar problems. Finally, Evan Grimm and Mike Fay briefed the committee on bridge strikes by overheight vehicles. They described recent incidents on I-90 near Cle Elum and SR 410 near White River, the damage and closures caused, and possible countermeasures such as public outreach, improved trip-planning tools, and a pilot warning system with sensors and flashing beacons. Fay explained the state’s financial recovery process for third-party damage, saying WSDOT recovers roughly $20 million per biennium and about 78% to 80% of billed damages, with money going to the motor vehicle fund. Members asked about prevention, insurance recovery, and whether the state uses claim data to inform future design or safety changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We recognized the priority and the significance of the program and wanted to put something toward that
• How can we potentially notify people in the community and say, hey, this program is kicking off?
• And if you could just provide more... ...of how long you think this program is going to last and all
• speed limit data to detect the posted speed limit and prevent a vehicle from exceeding it.
• limit and prevent a vehicle from exceeding it.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee heard several Caltrans, CHP, and DMV budget and trailer bill items. On Caltrans fleet replacement, the department requested a one-time $225 million augmentation to replace aging medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. LAO said the request was consistent with state policy, but senators criticized the high cost of electric fleet purchases and Caltrans’ delayed zero-emission fleet report; the chair said the report must be delivered within 30 days before the request could be fully considered. Caltrans also presented trailer bill language to replace an originally intended $50 million federal transfer for the High Road Construction Careers Program with $30 million in state Highway Account funds after federal eligibility problems prevented use of the federal dollars. Members questioned the reduction, the delay in implementation, where the remaining funds would go, and whether the program would keep jobs in California and meet labor standards; Caltrans and the Workforce Development Board said the program had prior success and that the state-funds transfer was intended to preserve the original policy goal. The committee then reviewed CHP’s request for a $60 million augmentation for equipment and operating costs, which CHP said was needed because vacancy savings no longer covered rising fuel, vehicle, and other operating costs. CHP argued that recruitment success had reduced vacancies and that costs had risen sharply since 2006, while LAO recommended rejection, citing that the expenses were ongoing, CHP still had vacancies above pre-pandemic levels, and the Motor Vehicle Account faces structural insolvency by 2028-29. Members discussed whether the account can sustain these costs and whether the Legislature should consider broader funding changes. CHP also sought a permanent $885,000 augmentation for seven analyst positions for the Highway Violence Task Force; CHP said freeway shootings had fallen sharply since 2021 and that analysts were essential to solving cases, while LAO noted the request was smaller than prior years but would create an ongoing commitment. Senators generally supported the task force but asked for clearer metrics and reporting, especially because the data categories had changed over time. Finally, the DMV presented the State-to-State verification system and related modernization work under DXP. DMV said State-to-State is required for Real ID compliance and that California must join the system by February 2027, with live testing planned for the summer. Senators focused heavily on privacy and data security, especially the inclusion of Social Security number digits in the system, the role of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, and whether Californians understood their information would be shared in a nationwide database. DMV said the system only shares federally required data, uses encryption, and is designed to de-duplicate records across states, but members pressed for more information on governance, audit authority, and whether the Legislature had explicitly approved the data-sharing approach. The chair asked DMV to follow up with the Attorney General and indicated the committee would continue reviewing the issue.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:31:53.520><c> to</c> programs across state and others to programs across state and others to
• ><c> and</c><01:42:29.200><c> and</c> prevention [clears throat] and and prevention [clears throat] and
• </c><01:42:57.600><c> and</c> standardized initial prevention and standardized initial prevention and
• That's when the program is complete and we know then what the rules are and what the program actually
• </c><02:33:36.760><c> and</c> placements through prevention and placements through prevention and diversion

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Assistance Grant Program and the Rural Prosecutor Office Salary Assistance Grant Program for this Club
• Services and supports under the Medicaid program which the individual on the waiting list for services
• risk related to the parent's child and suicide preventive materials.
• Relating to the authority and political subdivision to establish and operate a guaranteed income program
• on Disease Prevention and Women and Children's Health.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the first one is the 905, and we are going to talk some more about low completion programs, Lisa.
• with in-demand programs and occupations that we all sort of participate in approving that list and revising
• And we estimate between probably 75 to 90 programs that could be on the list next month, and that would
• Lisa, and as a result of these programs being inactivated and terminated, first question is, have there
• , and our campuses are kind of moving off these diploma programs.

Summary: The committee met to review updates on low-completion academic programs, dual credit funding, and a draft higher education funding formula bill. Lisa Johnson of the University System explained the State Board of Higher Education’s proposed policy on low-completion programs, which would review associate through doctoral programs with fewer than 10 undergraduate or fewer than 5 graduate completions over a rolling five-year period. She said campuses already know which programs are low-performing, many terminations have involved programs with no students, and faculty are often reassigned rather than laid off. Members asked about online programs, the basis for the 10/5 thresholds, reactivation of inactive programs, and whether state priorities include workforce needs and legislative direction. The committee also discussed that some programs, such as sonography or foreign languages, may continue because of workforce or regional needs, and that the board’s policy is still moving through the approval process. The committee then heard a Commerce Department update on a $750,000 workforce development grant for tribally controlled colleges under SB 2018. Kerry Kraft reported that Turtle Mountain Community College was the only applicant and that it is using the grant to develop dual credit and workforce pathways in areas such as cybersecurity, medical assisting, welding, solar energy, public safety, and health care. Members asked why other tribal colleges did not apply, how many students are participating, and whether the program belongs in the Commerce budget or higher education budget. Kraft said the project is still in development, with no current enrollments yet, but the college has a goal of 210 students and has historically met a 75% completion rate or better. A major portion of the meeting focused on dual credit funding. Senator Sickler summarized the Institutions Committee’s work on quality, access, and cost, noting that most high school dual credit instructors now meet credentialing requirements and that access varies by region and school district preference. He presented cost data showing variation among campuses and discussed a possible single funding rate for subsidized dual credit, using a lower base rate as a model. Members questioned the direct and indirect cost calculations, whether dual credit is already funded through the formula, and whether a separate dual credit rate would require removing those credits from the general funding formula to avoid double payment. The committee then turned to a draft funding formula bill, with staff explaining technical corrections, a change to make UND and NDSU align with the other institutions’ undergraduate rates, a four-year average for research funding, and other revisions. Members discussed the overall fiscal impact, with staff estimating the proposal would increase funding compared with the current formula, and the committee also raised concerns about how dual credit, Tier 1 funding, and certificate programs should be treated in the formula. No final vote was taken, and the committee recessed to allow staff to refine the numbers and additional comparisons.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs; and three, public safety concerns due to increased crime and increased traffic accidents.
• to daylight saving time, and they can't tee off early because the sun's not up.
• The RA program and the local capacity is actually centrally... ...program in the local capacity is actually
• SB 1265 simply codifies this program into law and allows for future state treasurers to use and expand
• And so hence these programs, they're utilizing the money and people are very excited about them.

Summary: The committee heard several energy, telecommunications, and regulatory bills. SB 929 would require the California Energy Commission chair to appear annually and report to the Legislature on the commission’s activities, plans, and outreach; the author said it would improve oversight without raising rates or fees. SB 1138 would let load-serving entities trade hourly resource adequacy obligations to reduce overprocurement and lower ratepayer costs; supporters said it could save hundreds of millions, while questions focused on CPUC concerns, grid reliability, and whether savings would reach customers. SB 913 would expand participation of customer-sited distributed energy resources, such as home batteries and smart thermostats, in the resource adequacy market; supporters said it would unlock existing clean capacity and reduce costs, and members asked about reliability, opt-in participation, compensation, and how to handle partially charged batteries. SB 1197 would move California to permanent standard time, with the author and a sleep medicine witness arguing it would improve health and safety, while opponents from the golf industry raised concerns about economic, recreational, and public safety impacts and whether voter approval would be required. SB 1191 would extend the California High Cost Fund A and B programs for rural telephone service through 2033, with supporters emphasizing affordability and emergency access in rural areas. SB 1265 would codify and expand the Go Green financing program under the Treasurer and CAFA, and SB 1337 would create a working group to coordinate fuel-transition policy and refinery-related issues across state and local agencies. Members generally supported the bills, though several raised implementation and coordination questions. Concerns included whether SB 1197 would require another vote of the people, whether SB 1138 could create unintended market or reliability problems, whether SB 913 could affect local generation needs or depend on customer readiness, and whether SB 1337 would duplicate existing fuel-transition bodies. Authors and witnesses responded that amendments and existing safeguards would address many of those issues, and that the measures were intended to improve efficiency, affordability, and coordination. The committee ultimately voted to advance all seven bills, with each receiving a do pass recommendation, some as amended and some to different policy committees or Appropriations. Final recorded votes were overwhelmingly in favor, with SB 1197 receiving one no vote and SB 1265 receiving one no vote; the other measures passed unanimously or near-unanimously. All bills were reported out of committee.