Transcript Highlights:

• <00:25:06.080> I'm it's it's an expensive process. I'm it's it's an expensive process.
• That was um one of the late adds that the House had near the end of their process.
• For the Department of Health process.
• and the Market Street Marine Terminal and the Market Street Marine Terminal warehouse<00:34:20.560
• That would have to be done through a legislative special and go through the legislative process.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ari Goldstein, who are up there learning about our legislative process as well.
• learning about our legislative process learning about our legislative process as<00:07:57.759>
• organizations navigator termination organizations navigator termination provision<00:21:24.240><
• repeals the termination provision repeals the termination provision associated<00:21:34.400>
• :25:52.480> question<00:25:52.799> the appeal process uh to question the appeal process

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, journalized the prayer, and recognized Read Across America Day with a special resolution congratulating the Maryland State Education Association on the program’s 28th anniversary. Senators also welcomed several guests and student groups, including Eleanor Roosevelt High School students, Maryland Federation of Republican Women members for Red Scarf Day, medical shadows from Johns Hopkins, a student page prospect, and a group from Matthew Henson Elementary School. The chamber then took up multiple Finance Committee consent calendars and individual local alcohol-related bills, all of which were reported favorably, adopted without objection, and ordered printed for third reading. Measures included changes to alcohol license fee refunds for uniformed service members, Anne Arundel County license classifications and compensation for liquor board officials, a Baltimore City racetrack license extension, a Cecil County license quota change, and new or expanded licenses for golf courses, sports venues, and barber shop/beauty salon establishments. The Senate also advanced bills on social work licensing, a rural readiness economic development program, a Maryland-Ireland Trade Commission extension, peer-to-peer car sharing insurance rules, telematics-based auto insurance disclosures and appeals, and veteran status notation on public profiles. Several bills were amended before being advanced, generally with technical or clarifying changes and no recorded opposition. Senate Bill 18 would create a provisional social work license; Senate Bill 351 would regulate insurer use of vehicle telematics data; Senate Bill 395 would revise insurance and liability rules for peer-to-peer car sharing; and Senate Bill 197 would alter comprehensive plan elements in land use law. Senate Bill 439, protecting fire and rescue public safety employees from adverse action based on medical cannabis certification, also moved forward without amendment. One measure, Senate Bill 69, which would make permanent the nonprofit navigator position in the Department of Commerce, was discussed at length after a member raised concerns about oversight of nonprofit grant funding. On request, the bill was special ordered to the next day for further consideration. All other bills discussed in the transcript were advanced to third reading by unanimous or near-unanimous voice action, with no recorded roll-call votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• salvage yards in the process of this. salvage yards in the process of this.
• , review process, review process, because<01:14:09.760> it<01:14:09.920> just<01:14
• process, if you know what's going on. process, if you know what's going on.
• So, in order to be able to effectively terminate an employee who needs to be terminated, you won't be
• > it<03:00:22.240> says on termination decisions, it says on termination decisions, it

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, approved the corrected journal, and heard announcements about committee meetings later in the day. The main floor action was a motion to place House Bill 1101, House Bill 1193, Senate Bill 118, and House Bill 1210 on the special orders calendar, which was adopted without objection. The House then moved into committee of the whole for consideration of House Bill 1101, a bill concerning criminal offenses related to critical infrastructure components and commodity metals. During debate on HB 1101, the sponsor explained that the bill is intended to address theft of critical infrastructure such as street lights, RTD equipment, cell towers, and similar materials by targeting the scrap metal market where stolen goods are sold. The committee adopted amendment L004, which reorganized the statutory structure and aligned offenses more closely with the conduct involved; the sponsor said this reduced the highest charge level from an F5 to an F6 in some circumstances. Amendment L005, a technical correction to L004, was adopted. Several members raised concerns that the bill could unfairly burden scrap yards and legitimate businesses, while others supported the measure as a response to widespread infrastructure theft. The committee rejected amendment L006, which would have required buyers to know or reasonably know that material was unlawfully obtained, with the sponsor arguing it would increase liability and undermine negotiated protections for scrapyard dealers. Amendment L008, which sought to add a good-faith protection for legitimate businesses and reduce chilling effects on commerce, was also defeated after members said similar protections already existed in the bill. Amendment L009, creating an affirmative defense for documented commercial transactions and record-keeping compliance, was likewise rejected because members said the bill already contained a stronger affidavit-based safe harbor. Finally, amendment L10, which would have added a five-year repeal/sunset date for the bill, was debated at length but was not adopted; opponents argued criminal provisions should remain stable, while supporters said a sunset would allow review of the bill’s effectiveness and unintended consequences.

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite this, the scope of Tory evidence are parental rights were terminated.
• I actually terminated parents, Corona rights when they're alga still abuse.
• Petition was filed and the parental rights were terminated.
• It sets up a process where the county I can go to the court and and improve that.
• It just sets up a judicial process.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the only way that this process can go forward.
• And terminated means it has been shut down entirely. So it's kind of a two-step process.
• And then programs that were terminated, again, for that same period, were 75 programs placed on termination
• This is not the budgeting process.
• And that's part of this whole process, too.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 90 calendar days after the agreement is signed or on a termination date indicated in the temporary order
• 90 calendar days after the agreement is signed or on a termination date indicated in the temporary order
• Members, in 2023, my Senate Bill 1612 and House Bill 3474 by Senator Hughes established a process for
• Folks are dealing with tough situations, having lost a loved one, and we want to make the process as
• I’m sure there will be other good uses for your time. ...process and eliminate costs on their part.

Bills: SB387, SB1650, SB1838, SB1839, SB1923, SB1940, SB2052

Keywords: judicial bond, guardianship, probate law, county judge, statutory county court, attorney general, criminal prosecution, public order, law enforcement, jurisdiction, attorney ad litem, parent-child relationship, compensation, legal representation, government entity, probate, court proceedings, record delivery, wills, legal documentation

Summary: The Senate Committee on Jurisprudence heard several family-law and probate bills. Senate Bill 2052 would codify a rebuttable presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of a child and require clear and convincing evidence to overcome that presumption in disputes involving non-parents; the author and several witnesses supported the bill as a clarification of existing case law, while one witness suggested refining the modification language. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1923, which would allow child support to follow a child placed temporarily with kin or fictive kin under a parental child safety placement or authorization agreement; the bill’s author and a grandparent caregiver testified in support, while one witness suggested the Attorney General could handle the change administratively. That bill was also left pending. Senate Bill 1838 would standardize fee schedules and compensation rules for attorneys ad litem and related court-appointed counsel in DFPS child-protection cases. The author said the bill would clarify unclear current law, and witnesses from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission and family-defense bar supported it, though one asked that expert-witness expenses be expressly included. Senate Bill 387 would raise the bond requirement for county judges handling guardianship proceedings to at least $500,000; the author described it as a refiling of a prior bill that passed unanimously but was vetoed, and a statutory probate judge testified in support. Senate Bill 1839 would require original or paper wills to be delivered to the transferee court when probate proceedings are transferred; the committee substitute broadened the delivery methods, and the district clerk witness supported the change. All three bills were left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 1536, which had previously been voted out with the wrong committee substitute; members reconsidered the vote, adopted the corrected substitute, and then voted 3-0 to report the bill favorably to the full Senate, with local and contested calendar certification. Finally, Senate Bill 1940 would create a transfer-on-death mechanism for manufactured homes classified as personal property, similar to existing tools for real property and vehicles; the author and an estate-planning attorney testified that it would streamline transfers and reduce probate costs. A non-substantive committee substitute was still being prepared, and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's making me think Terminator, Skynet. We're not there yet, but it's attempting.
• making reasoning and thinking right it's making me<00:01:17.040> think<00:01:17.360> Terminator
• <00:01:18.040> Skynet<00:01:18.640> we're<00:01:18.799> not me think Terminator
• Skynet we're not me think Terminator Skynet we're not there<00:01:19.320> yet<00:01:19.640>
• there's processes and there's technology<00:05:20.039> that's<00:05:20.440> that's<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HG 4516 by gain a ruling prohibiting the use of Chinese technology to collect, process, transfers, store
• History 4570 by Dean relating to an appraisal process for disputed.
• Management regarding the process for obtaining disaster related financial assistance for the Committee
• HG 4853 by Perez of Harris ruling the skimmers of electronic terminals authorizing against civil penalty
• HB 5046 by Reynolds relating to the collection, use, processing, and treatment of consumer personal data

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a lot of data cleanup associated with this whole process.
• That is what is a bona fide termination.
• We process it, and those changes are effective on... August 1st.
• Whether that's a bona fide termination.
• In explaining the oversight process to the Oversight Committee. Thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we can go to the next slide about the compacting process.
• So our tribal gaming compact amendment approval process is outlined in RCW 94.6.360.
• And that is all I have, unless you have any questions about the process or me.
• In addition, they have Terminals and language for a second facility.
• And then number two, what is the self-exclusion process?

Summary: The joint House and Senate committee meeting heard public testimony on tentative tribal-state gaming compact amendments for the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. Staff from the Washington State Gambling Commission explained the compacting process, the role of ex officio legislative members, and that the amendments would next go to the Gambling Commission for a January 8, 2026 vote before possible governor review. The Port Gamble S'Klallam presentation emphasized how gaming revenue supports tribal government services, health care, housing, education, language revitalization, natural resources work, and community investment projects in Kitsap County. For Port Gamble S'Klallam, the proposed changes include expanded credit and wager limits, more gaming stations and player terminals, language for a second facility, and adoption of an electronic table games appendix similar to other tribes. Members asked about pre-screening for high-limit tables, including how the tribe would define problem gambling and self-exclusion; tribal counsel said internal minimum control standards were still being developed and more detail would follow. A question about green crab removal in Port Gamble Bay was deferred for follow-up because the natural resources director was not present. The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe described its history, sovereignty, gaming operations, and how gaming revenue supports member programs such as nutrition assistance, education aid, homeownership down payment help, and charitable giving in Skagit County. Its amendment would allow electronic table games after the tribe removed traditional table games due to staffing and cost pressures, with the goal of remaining competitive. Committee members also asked about air quality and smoking-related provisions in the compact; the tribe said it maintains separate smoking and non-smoking areas and supports smoking cessation efforts. Chairs from both chambers closed by thanking the tribes for their contributions to members, local communities, and natural resource protection.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they want to terminate the contract for whatever reason, And give at least two years' notice to do
• If they want to terminate the contract for whatever reason, they're not walking away without paying for
• There is a process already in place voluntarily where you request a large user to reduce their usage
• They have not gone through the vetting process.
• I don't really have a way to evaluate it until they go through that process what it is.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's appellate process, correct. What is the venue provision? Appellate process.
• There's appellate process, correct. What is the venue provision?
• Respectfully, the state systems have a process: there is an intake process when people are hired, and
• Again, speeding up the process. So delays result in operational costs.
• Like right now, what is the appeal process?

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Merchant processing fees in one month...
• That is a fee for a service charged by the point-of-sale software terminals that process the transactions
• That is a fee for a service charged by the point-of-sale software terminals that process the transactions
• It is a longer, drawn-out process.
• So there is a process already there.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses held a public hearing focused on interchange fees, sales tax and tip processing, chargebacks, fraud, surcharging, and the broader future of payment systems. Chair Paul Feeney and co-chair Rep. Jamie Murphy opened by explaining the commission’s charge and inviting testimony from small businesses, industry groups, banks, and policy experts. Representative Sean Garballey testified first, arguing that Massachusetts tourism depends on universal card acceptance and stable interchange, and urging the commission not to disrupt the current system ahead of major events expected to bring millions of visitors to the Commonwealth. A large portion of the hearing featured independent restaurant owners and advocates describing thin margins and the burden of paying percentage-based processing fees on sales tax and tips that are not business revenue. Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, Kerry Colzer, and others said restaurants often operate on very small profits and that processing fees on taxes and gratuities can amount to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Ryan Lotz also urged reforms to chargebacks, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses before disputing charges, and limiting repeat abuse. Commission members pressed witnesses on whether tax and tip amounts could be separated at the point of sale, and several witnesses said current consumer card systems do not transmit that level of detail. Testimony from credit union, banking, and payments representatives largely opposed state-level changes that would carve out taxes or tips from interchange, warning of compliance burdens, higher costs, reduced rewards, and possible effects on fraud protection and access to credit. Alex Verine of America’s Credit Unions and Deb Peters and Keely McEwen of the Electronic Payments Coalition said the payment system is complex, that interchange funds fraud prevention and network infrastructure, and that new state mandates could create operational and legal uncertainty. Dan Swanson argued states have authority to act and pointed to Illinois litigation and federal court rulings, while Julian Morris and Brad Popolado emphasized the benefits of card acceptance, the decline of cash, and the need to consider other payment methods and check fraud as well. Several witnesses discussed international payment systems, instant payments, and QR standards as possible future directions. The chairs and members engaged in extended back-and-forth with witnesses about whether Massachusetts could exempt sales tax from swipe fees, whether surcharging should be revisited, and whether vendor compensation or other targeted relief might be more workable than broad changes to interchange. No votes were taken. At the close of the hearing, the chairs said the commission would hold one additional public hearing date to be determined, after which members would begin developing next steps and a report.

Transcript Highlights:

• the coordinated entry process. the coordinated entry process.
• Then there is a rulemaking section, including any process for reinstatement after termination.
• Then there is a rulemaking section, including any process for reinstatement after termination.
• Then there is a rulemaking section, including any process for reinstatement after termination.
• after process for reinstatement after termination. termination. termination.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not an adjudicative process.
• in the sworn complaint process.
• I'm the former treasurer because of our election process.
• These are our proposed treasurer terminations.
• On the sunset process, there's not much to report there.

Summary: The Texas Ethics Commission met on March 11, 2025, first in executive session and then in open session. The chair announced that, in light of Texas Attorney General Opinion KP-484, the commission would conform its practices to the opinion and move to repeal tolling rules for sworn-complaint deadlines. The chair also said the commission would dismiss 36 pending sworn-complaint cases in which the 120-day settlement deadline had been exceeded, even though the delay had been tolled under prior TEC rules. The commission then set future meeting dates for June 12 and September 17 and approved prior meeting minutes. The commission adopted a new criminal-referral rule clarifying that, once jurisdiction over a complaint is accepted, commissioners may vote to make a criminal referral. It also adopted revised advisory-opinion rules, with a clarifying amendment from a commenter, and republished proposed changes to the definition of “principal purpose” for political committees after staff recommended a 49 percent political-activity threshold and further public input. The commission published for comment proposed changes to ethics training rules, facial-compliance review procedures, late-filing waiver and reduction rules, and sworn-complaint procedures, including tighter discovery limits, a default-order set-aside process, and removal of tolling language inconsistent with KP-484. It also republished Chapter 28 rules on Speaker-candidate reporting. The commission adopted several advisory opinions. It declined to give an affirmative defense on whether certain school-district communications were political advertising because related litigation had already addressed the issue. It reaffirmed that a House member may use donated district-office space if it is not reimbursable with public funds and was accepted before the contribution moratorium. It also concluded that a judge may use political funds for travel to a Navy-hosted event as a local dignitary, that legislators’ use of a corporate aircraft for a border-region fact-finding trip could be permissible but would likely trigger reporting obligations, that a TCEQ commissioner’s revolving-door restrictions apply only to matters actually placed before the commissioner, and that a part-time legislative staffer may not take outside employment assisting a registered lobbyist. The commission then heard and acted on numerous fine-waiver appeals, granting several full waivers or reductions and approving staff recommendations on others, and terminated a number of inactive campaign treasurer appointments. Finally, the executive director briefed the commission on the 2025 legislative session, noting that staffing requests are tied to Sunset recommendations and that the House had preliminarily recommended about half of the commission’s appropriations requests.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:16.800> by base or is there a means by a process by base or is there a means by a process
• for us to it's very early in the process for us to be<00:10:03.519> able<00:10:03.839> to<
• It's still in the process. I changes. It's still in the process.
• I certainly think it would give, you know, as we progress through this process, we will probably ask
• I certainly think it would give, you know, as we progress through this process, we will probably ask

Keywords: 00:02 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:55 FB 2026-2028 Executive Branch Budget 15:17 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on budget instructions for the 2026-2028 state budget, as required by KRS Chapter 48. Staff from the Office of State Budget Director outlined three recommended changes: restructuring Form B4 for additional budget requests to emphasize the problem, solution, and quantitative data; adding page numbers to the Record P report so agencies’ additional budget requests can be located more easily; and updating the budget calendar to reflect the December 20 presentation of the consensus forecast to LRC under changes made by House Bill 360. Members asked follow-up questions about contribution rates, debt service template rates, and employee health rates. Staff said the fiscal 2026 KS non-hazardous contribution rate is 42.76%, but fiscal 2027 and 2028 rates have not yet been set; debt service rates would be posted later; and employee health rate assumptions are still being discussed with the Personnel Cabinet. Members also asked how program reductions or terminations would be handled, and staff explained that agencies base requests on statutory and federal requirements, while budget reductions are handled through the appropriations act. The committee discussed whether Form B4 should ask agencies to describe alternative options considered and how they were evaluated. Staff said the current instructions do not specifically require that, though some implications may appear in narrative responses, and members agreed to continue working on the instructions. The committee then adopted a motion directing the co-chairs to work with LRC staff to finalize the 2026-2028 budget instructions and present them for adoption, with the motion approved by roll call. Members also noted that federal budget developments, including possible SNAP cost shifts to states, are being monitored but are too early to incorporate into the instructions at this time.

Transcript Highlights:

• and poultry processing workers. and poultry processing workers.
• um job application process. um job application process.
• By requiring interview process.
• job posting process. job posting process.
• > of to terminate to terminate payment of to terminate to terminate payment of Workers'<00:44:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the whole process.
• control over the whole process. control over the whole process.
• step in the local process. step in the local process.
• racing locations and terminal counts. racing locations and terminal counts.
• The idea of due process is due process.

Bills: SF0045, SJ0001

Keywords: pari-mutuel wagering, simulcasting, historic horse racing, HHR terminals, horse racing, gaming commission, Wyoming Gaming Commission, local control, city approval, county approval, municipal approval, permit renewal, gaming permit, wagering regulation, racetrack, live pari-mutuel event, district court appeal, public notice, land use, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• . terminals. terminals.
• <04:10:30.160> but terminal gaming. That's a quote. but terminal gaming.
• video lottery terminal video lottery terminal called<04:15:12.000> lottery<04:15:12.640><
• Uh we've [clears throat] terminals.
• terminals terminals and<04:26:04.640> uh<04:26:04.800> it<04:26:05.040> amends<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There seems to be quite a bit of confusion, and I believe it's a misunderstanding of how the process
• There was no due process allowed for the employee to have an option there.
• This is what the administrative process would grant had there been no reversion and timely payment.
• Do I hear a motion to terminate a treasurer's place? Commissioner Urban moves to terminate the...
• Currently, we're in the process of working on that.

Keywords: Texas Ethics Commission, legislative recommendations, general counsel appointment, foreign lobbying, political contributions, quarterly meetings, public testimony, rule amendments

Summary: The meeting focused on the Texas Ethics Commission's (TEC) evaluation of legislative recommendations and personnel updates, including the appointment of a new general counsel and discussions about upcoming quarterly meetings. Commissioner Schmidt reported on the progress of various bills, including amendments to existing laws, the need for increased regulation on foreign lobbying, and the publication of new rules in the Texas Register. Public testimonies were heard regarding compliance issues and proposed changes in political contribution regulations. The Commission agreed to schedule further review on the legislative items discussed and the proposed rule amendments.