Transcript Highlights:

• Do we have any questions from the committee for either the author or anything?
• Do we have any questions from the committee for either the author or anything?
• Do we have any questions from the committee for either the author or anything?
• Tartan High School in Oakdale and Washington County is one of the largest in the nation that donates
• </c> in one family in one school and County in one family in one school and County where<01:00:32.559

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• May we remember that every governing authority has been placed here by you.
• </c> Senator from McGomery County. Senator from McGomery County.
• Uh, we um, Senator from Baltimore<00:07:39.599><c> County.</c> Baltimore County. Baltimore County.
• Mary's County. This is the eighth St. Mary's County.
• Uh, Prince George's County delegation. >> Thank you, Mr. President.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate met on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with a quorum present. The session opened with an invocation by Chaplain David Stadler, followed by journalization of his remarks and several introductions recognizing guests in the chamber, including dentists, an intern, a former legislative staffer, and representatives from the University System of Maryland and other groups. Senators also noted upcoming committee meetings and a Legislative Black Caucus photo the next day. The main floor action centered on a resolution honoring Maryland Career and Technical Student Organizations for Career and Technical Student Organization Week. The sponsor described the role of CTSOs in serving more than 12,000 students statewide and in building leadership, professional, and career skills. The resolution was read in full and adopted unanimously, with the Senate expressing congratulations and appreciation for the organizations’ work with young people. The Senate then took up layover items and calendar bills. Senate Bill 56, concerning Maryland Longitudinal Data Center external data sharing for multi-state reporting, was special ordered for one day after members raised privacy-related questions. Senate Bill 99, the Open Meetings Act/Local Board of Education Transparency Act measure, was also special ordered for one day after discussion of its committee amendment. The chamber also received administrative corrections from the Governor and referred them to the Executive Nominations Committee, and the majority leader later moved adjournment until February 19 at 10:00 a.m., which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• program to provide financial assistance to qualified ambulance service providers in certain rural counties
• everything in the bill is similar to what we did out of it that day. $90 million grant for rural counties
• So for 20 years, it will be the 50-50 under the legislative authority.
• Fourth, it authorizes the governor or the legislature to spend the allocation of dedicated funding for
• The substitute removes the provisions of the constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mills County that I don't have anymore, but I made some great relationships out there.
• But I made some great relationships over the years in those counties and those communities.
• thousands of doors, I'm sure, in your county, so you have had that experience, I understand.
• I know I have those western counties, but I know now I do still have Beckham County, Custer County, Caddo
• County, Canadian County, Blaine County, and Kingfisher County.

Bills: HB1168

Keywords: abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, methotrexate, pro-life, pro-choice, reproductive health, unborn child, trafficking, felony, contraception, pharmacist, pharmacy, Title 63, Oklahoma statutes, abortion pill, drug distribution, criminal penalty

Summary: The Senate first came to order after repeated quorum calls, then devoted a long portion of the meeting to farewell remarks for Senator Darcy Jech. Jech reflected on his 12 years in the chamber, his rural district, campaign experiences, major events during his tenure, and the importance of relationships, compromise, and service. Numerous senators followed with personal tributes, praising his steadiness, humility, faith, work on devotions and the Rural Caucus, and his reputation as a thoughtful, respectful colleague and family man. After the farewell segment, the Senate moved to executive nominations. The chamber unanimously confirmed Sharon Shell Millington as Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs, Clayton Bullard as Cabinet Secretary of Health and Mental Health, and Clayton Bullard as administrator of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. The Senate then approved a slate of Tier 2 nominations, including appointments to the Home Inspector Examiners Committee, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology board, the State Fire Marshal Commission, the State Board of Health, the State Board of Licensed Social Workers, the Forensic Review Board, the Oklahoma State Credit Union, the Health Care Workforce Training Commission, the Alarm, Locksmith, and Fire Sprinkler Industry Committee, and the Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors. No debate or opposition was recorded on the nominations, and the votes were overwhelmingly or unanimously in favor. After announcements, the Senate agreed to recess and then adjourned until Monday, May 4 at 1:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• We refer it to the appropriate authority. Thank you.
• I represent the 28th Legislative District here in West Pierce County.
• I represent the 28th Legislative District here in West Pierce County.
• confusing, it included counties of 70,000 or more in the original bill.
• officers and support staff across both municipal and county jurisdictions.

Bills: SB6014 , SB5972 , SB5869 , SB5874

Committee: Senate Labor & Commerce

Keywords: pregnancy accommodations, pregnant workers, workplace accommodations, reasonable accommodation, undue hardship, lactation, breastfeeding, express milk, maternity leave, childbirth, pregnancy discrimination, employment law, labor and industries, L&I, confidential records, public records exemption, health care certification, workplace standards, employee rights, employer obligations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:43.880><c> wheelage</c> options things like the county wheelage options things like the county
• Louis County and a small beef farmer in St. Louis County.
• Louis County with you, so please proceed without those matching funds.
• Louis County and Southern St.
• Louis County and Southern St.

Bills: HF1167 , HF1242

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: Northern Lights Express, NLX, Minneapolis-Duluth rail, passenger rail, intercity passenger rail, high-speed rail, Duluth, Minneapolis, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Council, transportation funding, rail appropriation, general fund, trunk highway fund, rail project cancellation, infrastructure spending, commercial driver training, CDL, financial assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• Other counties also passed measures to try to get access to data and protections, but in 2016 there was
• </c><00:14:23.360><c> also</c><00:14:23.920><c> passed</c> 2491 um other counties also passed 2491 um
• other counties also passed measures<00:14:24.680><c> to</c><00:14:24.839><c> try</c><00:14:25.000><c
• </c><00:26:59.600><c> of</c> in terms of our statutory authority of in terms of our statutory authority
• </c><01:01:41.880><c> who</c> of the students and the co-authors who of the students and the co-authors

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing of Senate and House committees focused on restricted use pesticides in Hawaiʻi, with opening remarks framing the issue as one of health, environmental impact, and state-level regulation. The briefing reviewed the history of pesticide disclosure efforts, including prior county actions, a 2016 court ruling that shifted responsibility to the state, and Act 45, which enabled disclosure of restricted use pesticide data. Speakers highlighted 2019 reporting data showing concentrated use in parts of Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, especially near schools and communities, and identified fumigants such as 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium as among the heaviest-used products. Concerns were raised about potential links to cancer, respiratory illness, reproductive harms, Parkinson’s disease, and developmental effects, as well as the lack of long-term mixture studies and the need for better buffer zones, reporting, and farmer transition support. The Department of Agriculture’s pesticides program manager described the state’s regulatory framework, explaining the distinction between general use and restricted use pesticides and the department’s role under FIFRA and Hawaiʻi law. He outlined the branch’s enforcement, education/certification, registration, and laboratory functions, including inspections, complaint response, market surveillance, applicator certification, product review, groundwater protection modeling, and special registrations. He also noted staffing and resource limitations, including the absence of an in-house toxicologist and long-term monitoring capacity, and compared Hawaiʻi’s resources to California’s much larger pesticide regulatory program. He said the department supports Act 231, which was passed the previous year and is moving forward this session. A pediatrician speaking for the Hawaiʻi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized concerns about chronic low-level pesticide exposure in children, citing AAP policy statements and technical reports that associate exposure with cancer, leukemia, birth defects, neurobehavioral issues, and asthma. Drawing on work with the Kauaʻi Joint Fact Finding Task Force, the speaker said the group found the west side of the island to be an unhealthy community but could not prove causation because of missing drift, geospatial, and biomarker data. The testimony pointed to elevated cancer mortality, pneumonia admissions, obesity, dialysis, and developmental delay indicators, and described concerns about pesticide drift near schools and homes, including reports of children becoming ill after nearby spraying and low levels of chlorpyrifos detected in dust samples. An environmental health scientist from the University of Hawaiʻi described a pilot project using restricted use pesticide data in a public health context. She said the project began after seeing maps of Central Oʻahu pesticide use and aimed to pair GIS data with health and ethnicity data, while also conducting community focus groups. Preliminary focus group themes included calls to action, voting and policymaker awareness, concern about pesticide use near homes and fields, lack of community consent, and a desire to stay engaged. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We appreciate the author introducing this here for any questions.
• Uh we appreciate the author measure.
• </c> zone initiatives to all counties. zone initiatives to all counties.
• fines and authorizing Establishes fines and authorizing enforcement<01:03:43.200><c> enforcing</c><01
• </c> obtained by a state or county agency. obtained by a state or county agency.

Bills: HB1621 , HB1880 , HB1831

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Keywords: pesticides, environmental impact, agriculture, 1,3-dichloropropene, chlorpyrifos, land management, wastewater compliance, state funding, survey issues, 910, house, all

Summary: The joint committees on Agriculture and Food Systems and Energy and Environmental Protection heard three bills. HB 1621 would create a conservation, agriculture, and soil health incentive program under the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, with annual reporting and funding. Testimony was broadly supportive from the Climate Commission, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii Farmers Union, White Alliance for Progressive Action, and the Farm Bureau, and the bill was described as a way to advance soil health and support producers. HB 1880 would prohibit, beginning in 2027, the use of pesticides containing 1,3-dichloropropene (such as Telone). The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity offered written comments, Hawaii Farmers Union supported the ban citing drift and health concerns, and the Farm Bureau opposed it, arguing growers need such tools; the bill also drew discussion about crop rotation and other pest-management practices. HB 1831 would authorize funding to address survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on certain non-agricultural parklands; the Attorney General’s Office warned the bill as written may violate the U.S. Constitution’s contract clause and suggested revisions, while the department and Farm Bureau supported the measure’s intent. The committees later took up decision-making and voted to pass all three measures with amendments, with the effective dates changed to July 1, 3000 and HB 1831 amended to reflect the Attorney General’s suggested changes. The Agriculture and Food Systems committee then heard HB 1572, which would establish a four-year restorative aquaculture development program to streamline permitting, expand infrastructure and workforce capacity, create pilot sites, and convene an advisory council. The Attorney General noted a technical issue about whether council members would be compensated, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union all expressed support for streamlining aquaculture and promoting restorative aquaculture. Members asked about the bill’s focus on restorative aquaculture, and the department said the program would give the area dedicated resources and a framework. The committee also heard HB 219, which would temporarily reestablish the coffee berry borer pesticide subsidy program and manager position; the department, Waimea Coffee Association, Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union supported it. HB 2139 would fund University of Hawaiʻi research on treatment methods for the Queensland longhorn beetle. Testimony from DLNR, the invasive species council, university researchers, farmers, and the Farm Bureau emphasized the beetle’s spread and damage to trees and crops, and described nematode biocontrol as promising but labor-intensive and in need of more research and scaling. Members asked whether the funding was for research rather than a position, whether the current nematode approach is sufficient for large orchards, and whether other controls are being explored; the response was that the bill funds testing and that more work is needed, including local production of nematodes if the method proves effective.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm representing Coos County, and I'm very happy to see three members of Coos County on this committee
• I'm representing Coos County, and I'm very happy to see three members of Coos County on this committee
• </c> Hampshire and represent Sullivan County Hampshire and represent Sullivan County on<01:40:53.800>
• </c> John cavany I'm uh the chesher county John cavany I'm uh the chesher county representative<01:43
• </c> mcgonagal and I'm the belnap county mcgonagal and I'm the belnap county commissioner<01:47:37.679

Committee: House Fish and Game and Marine Resources

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You have the authority tonight to take a vote on this bill and limit that immunity.
• She has a lot of influence in our county.
• The justice we saw is from the police and the county attorney going after the perpetrator.
• You said the county attorney, did they open a case? Did they file a case?
• So that's a good thing on Travis County DA's part.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis County. This bill has been kicked to...
• Louis County, here to present House Bill 2426.
• I don’t know where the authority, if it’s statutory or regulatory, or where the authority in the specific
• Louis County. And so thank you so much, because the doctor's office has no idea.
• I am a detective sergeant for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

Committee: House Children and Families

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and individual liberty while authority and individual liberty while preserving<02:04:51.199><c> those
• across the state to cities, to counties across the state to say,<02:16:11.679><c> "Please</c> "Please
• </c><02:31:03.200><c> When</c> any violent crime in our county.
• When any violent crime in our county.
• Board of Directors and House Authority Board of Directors and House Bill<02:42:49.680><c> 1344</c><02

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Honolulu curbside profitable I County of Honolulu curbside profitable I mean<00:47:28.400><c> it<
• to adopt an invasive allows the county to adopt an invasive species<00:49:14.760><c> placard</c><00:
• </c> Matthew uh Benson Medina from the county Matthew uh Benson Medina from the county of Members, any
• </c> adding onto that the parks and County adding onto that the parks and County Parks<01:25:51.840><
• </c><01:30:53.400><c> to</c> the authority to the authority to uh<01:30:55.400><c> increase</c><01:30

Committee: Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on Senate Bill 103, relating to electric vehicle batteries, and then moved to Senate Bill 995, relating to renewable fuel. On SB 103, the Department of Health and the State Energy Office supported the measure, and Redwood Materials said it supported the bill’s intent but requested an amendment to add a battery recycler to the commission. Other testimony on SB 103 included support from several individuals and organizations, with one opponent noted. A committee member also raised a possible deadline change requested by the Alliance of Automobile Innovation for future work on the measure. The bulk of the hearing focused on SB 995, which would create tax incentives for sustainable aviation fuel and related renewable fuel production. Supporters included the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, Pono Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines/Alaska Airlines, the Tax Foundation, PAR Hawaii, Pacific Biodiesel, and others. Supporters said the bill would help build a local SAF industry, encourage camelina and other feedstocks, and advance decarbonization goals. Several supporters also said they had proposed amendments or technical comments and stood on their written testimony. Opposition testimony argued the bill could allow toxic waste feedstocks, such as construction and demolition waste, into fuel production, and questioned whether the incentives would truly benefit Hawaii farmers or consumers. One opponent said the bill’s benefits could flow to the producer and to imported feedstocks rather than to local agriculture, and another questioned the scale of local land and water available for camelina production. Committee members pressed witnesses on acreage, water use, expected yields, the role of PAR Hawaii’s refinery investment, and whether the state would be subsidizing a business decision that might not produce significant local fuel. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• County Dublin? Thank you, sir. Peter, what is that accent? County Dublin, sir. Dublin?
• So in places in Cook County, which is a county Chicago’s in, there would be eight different tax treatments
• They would simply just only authorize merchandise.
• They would simply just only authorize merchandise.
• But it's all controlled by one central authority in the Department of Revenue.

Summary: The Special Commission on the future of credit card payments and their impacts on small businesses heard testimony from credit union, retail, banking, and payments industry representatives. Much of the discussion focused on proposals to exclude sales tax and tips from interchange fees, the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act and related litigation, and whether similar state action in Massachusetts would help small businesses or instead create a patchwork that burdens state-chartered institutions. Witnesses from defense and community credit unions argued interchange helps fund fraud prevention, cybersecurity, member services, and low-fee products, while retail and NRF representatives said merchants are paying significant swipe fees and that state laws like Illinois’s are aimed at reducing costs that are not being passed on to consumers. Several witnesses emphasized that the current payment system provides security, fraud protection, rewards, and access to credit, and that many of the costs merchants complain about are actually bundled processor or acquirer fees rather than interchange itself. Others countered that small businesses are struggling with rising overall costs and that Massachusetts should consider reforms such as allowing surcharging, improving transparency in merchant contracts, and studying collection costs. There was also discussion of the recent Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement, with industry witnesses describing it as meaningful relief for merchants and opponents saying it is temporary and incomplete. No formal votes were taken on legislation. The commission accepted oral testimony, noted that written testimony would be accepted through July 31, and concluded the meeting by unanimously voting to adjourn. The chair and members said they would continue gathering testimony and work toward recommendations, with the chair stressing the need to find a fair middle ground that supports both small businesses and the broader payments ecosystem.

Transcript Highlights:

• Weber said, courts having their inherent authority and the ability to disclose this to the extent it's
• Third, the bill authorizes the Attorney General to enter into or revise memoranda of understanding with
• the Department of Health, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, and the Health Care Authority to
• the Department of Health, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, and the Health Care Authority to
• We understand the purpose of this review authority is to identify any competitive mergers that could

Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 2255, House Bill 2548, and House Bill 2320. HB 2255 would regulate third-party litigation funding by requiring disclosure of funders and agreements, prohibiting funder control over litigation, capping funder recovery at 25%, and creating enforcement remedies. Supporters, including the sponsor, insurance groups, and liability reform advocates, described it as a transparency and consumer-protection measure that could improve court efficiency and reduce costs. Opponents, including the Washington State Association for Justice and the commercial litigation funding industry, argued it would burden plaintiffs, reveal protected work product, chill access to justice, and create satellite litigation. No vote was taken; the chair closed the hearing and asked testifiers to submit written comments. HB 2548 would expand state oversight of health care market transactions by broadening the types of mergers, acquisitions, asset sales, and ownership/control changes that trigger notice to the Attorney General, pausing transactions until information requests are substantially complied with, expanding interagency data sharing, and revoking nonprofit status in certain transactions. Supporters, including patient advocates, nurses, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General’s office, physicians, and individual health care workers, said private equity and consolidation are driving higher costs, reduced access, and lower quality. Opponents from the Washington State Hospital Association and MultiCare said the bill is unclear, may contain drafting errors, does not adequately target private equity structures, and could create problems around nonprofit status and charitable assets. The hearing ended with the committee moving on to the next bill. HB 2320 would update Washington’s ghost gun laws to address 3D-printed firearms, CNC manufacturing, digital firearm manufacturing code, and the sale of machines marketed for firearm production, and would make certain violations per se Consumer Protection Act violations. The sponsor and supporters, including school officials, gun violence prevention advocates, a trauma survivor, a 3D-printing industry representative, and others, said the bill closes a public safety loophole and responds to the growing availability of untraceable weapons. Opponents, including the NRA, makerspace representatives, and some industry witnesses, argued the bill is overbroad, may sweep in lawful 3D-printing and CNC activity, raises First, Second, and Fifth Amendment concerns, and could create uncertainty through rebuttable presumptions and the CPA provisions. The transcript ends during the HB 2320 hearing, with additional testimony panels still to come and no final committee action recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kevin currently serves as a county commissioner in Miami-Dade County and vice chair of the Miami-Dade
• As a county commissioner we have oversight over the port and the airport, and I'll tell you, we face
• It covers Palestinian Authority incitement of violence against Israel.
• My friend Steve Angle did a tremendous analysis of the executive's authority to unilaterally withdraw
• Congress has its view of, for example, its authority to terminate treaties. and Mr.

Committee: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Keywords: Israel, Hamas, Panama Canal, U.S. foreign policy, terrorism, diplomacy, Chinese influence

Summary: The committee meeting was focused on various key issues, including the implications of recent violence in the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy in relation to Israel and Panama. Members discussed the need for diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Israeli officials following the recent attack by Hamas. Governor Huckabee emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and reiterated the need for accountability for terrorist organizations involved in violent acts against civilians. Senators shared their concerns regarding the ramifications of U.S. actions in Panama and the presence of Chinese influence, highlighting the significance of the Panama Canal in terms of trade and security.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> you, uh Senator Franzen, for authoring you, uh Senator Franzen, for authoring this<00:00:54.760>
• Member questions for the chief author, Senator Weber.
• Member questions for the chief author, Senator Weber.
• Member questions for the chief author, Senator Weber.
• </c> co-author as well. co-author as well.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> JEFF WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. >> Sen.
• WE ARE ALSO A COASTAL COMMITTEE ON THE SIDE OF JACKSON AND DUVALL COUNTY AND WE ARE THREE MILES. 13,000
• A PORTION OF SMALL COUNTIES AND WE HAVE 10,000 MILES OF PIPE WE MAINTAIN.
• YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >> I WORK WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN THE ENVIROMENTAL SERVICES DIVISION.
• HAVE TAXING AUTHORITY NOW AS PART OF THE NOTICE YOU SEE WITH THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• County Schools, and the development of the Boone County Sheriff's Office into one of the largest and
• </c> 27 years as the sheriff of Boone County. 27 years as the sheriff of Boone County.
• Police and the between the Boone County Police and the Boone<00:27:16.880><c> County</c><00:27:17.200
• ><c> the</c><00:27:23.360><c> Boone</c><00:27:23.679><c> County</c> the development of the Boone County
• ,</c><00:28:34.720><c> characterized</c> Boone County, Les Hill, characterized Boone County, Les Hill

Keywords: Convene 00:00 Senate Message 04:45 Calendar/2nd Readings 05:20 Report of Committees 07:05 Orders of the Day 08:23 HB 214 08:33 HB 416 12:26 HB 281 16:20 HB 134 18:13 Motions, Petitions, and Communications 21:08 Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 37:01 Recess for ConC/Rules Meeting 39:15 ConC/Rules Report 42:29 Floor Amendments 44:27 Correction to Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 46:14 Adjournment 46:40, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ONE IMPORTANT PART OF THE BILL HOWEVER DEALS WITH A PROBLEM THAT HAS EMERGED IN THESE COUNTIES WHICH
• THE FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL IS AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE FEDERAL DD ACT AND THE COUNCILS
• FUNDS AND WE WERE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN HILLSBORO REGENT TRANSIT AUTHORITY
• THE TREASURE COAST ADVANTAGE RIDE SERVES FOUR COUNTIES AND THEY STARTED WITH SOME SEED MONEY FROM THE
• COUNCIL AND THEY GOT SOME MONEY FROM THEIR COUNTIES AND FROM THIS INNOVATIVE SERVICES GRANT BUT THEY