Transcript Highlights:

• So it's a program that's been established for a number of years.
• So it's a program that's been established for a number of years.
• And then on top of that, there is a program called IPAWS.
• So it's a very, very good program.
• So it's a very, very good program.

Summary: The committee met as the Commerce and Legal Services Division and first approved the minutes, then received a Legislative Council overview of the Attorney General’s current budget status and a blue-sheet summary of the AG’s base budget for the next biennium. Staff highlighted compliance with legislative intent items, including FTE changes, one-time funding updates, litigation pool spending, opioid settlement receipts, and continuing appropriations. Members asked about specific funds such as the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund and the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and staff explained the statutory basis and status of those items. The Attorney General’s office then presented an extensive overview of its divisions and budget pressures. Chief Deputy Attorney General Clare Ness described the office’s 14 divisions, the role of the office in defending the state and recouping funds, and concerns about attorney pay, recruitment, and retention. Members discussed whether attorney salaries should be benchmarked across state government and whether more legal work could be centralized in the AG’s office. The office also described challenges with the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, leased office space, and the criminal justice information systems used to connect law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts. The Crime Laboratory director gave a detailed update on space and infrastructure problems, saying the current lab is overcrowded and outdated, with safety, workflow, air-handling, glycol leak, alarm, and maintenance issues that can delay casework and risk evidence integrity. She said a 2024 study projected a need for a much larger facility and that the preferred option would be a new building on the current health department site, at an estimated cost of roughly $40 million to $45 million. She also reported that backlogs have improved significantly in DNA, firearms, fingerprint, and drug cases, though toxicology had recently developed a small backlog after an air compressor failure. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, gaming division, and BCI also provided updates. MFCU’s new director said the unit is federally funded 75/25, focuses on fraud, abuse, and neglect, and is seeking two attorney hires while continuing to work with federal partners on cases and recertification. Gaming staff reported continued growth in charitable gaming and electronic pull-tab activity, with concerns about site competition, large trust balances, possible ineligible expenditures, and the need for more scrutiny as revenues have grown. BCI outlined its staffing, drug task forces, ICAC work, and the Missing Indigenous Person Task Force, which is using its $250,000 appropriation to help tribal nations develop emergency response plans and purchase alerting tools such as IPAWS. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 69 addresses the overarching goal of depopulating the Fair Plan through the clearinghouse programs
• And, importantly, strengthening the clearinghouse program.
• They're not going to opt into this particular program.
• I'm actually not qualified for this program, and maybe I better become a good driver.
• So there are a few different ways that telematics programs can operate.

Committee: Senate Insurance

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then if you go to section five, that relates also to the hospital stabilization grant program that's
• that could be extended and be an ongoing program.
• stabilization program, um since we<00:30:50.280><c> just</c><00:30:50.520><c> have</c><00:30:50.720>
• , but it could be something that program, but it could be something that could<00:31:25.280><c> be</c
• So, that is as much as we could program.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:16.800><c> Welcome</c> of the Mississippi Lead program.
• Welcome of the Mississippi Lead program.
• </c> management performance grant program. management performance grant program.
• </c><00:40:29.599><c> Uh</c> programs. That is happening today. Uh programs.
• If our IHL is not failing programs.

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 24 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have opened the apprenticeship program.
• So, a a non-traditional program.
• Um, successful completion does program.
• And so the board still is program.
• must be the theory written program must be the theory written bookwork<00:36:31.839><c> and</c><00:36

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 5 February, 2026; 8:30 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So please let’s keep this program.
• I'm the Director of the Wildlife Program for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• And the wolf program has been a real disaster for what we intended.
• I agree with the previous comment that we need a science-based program.
• I agree with the previous comment that we need a science-based program.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2619, which would create a joint legislative task force to review and recommend ways to reduce regulatory burdens in agriculture, and on House Joint Memorial 4009, which asks Congress to ensure federal wildfire response agencies remain capable of protecting communities, natural resources, and firefighter safety. On HB 2619, the prime sponsor and supporters from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, cattle, wheat, potato, onion, and dairy interests said the bill responds to farm stress and suicide concerns by examining regulatory overload; WSDA supported the concept but noted a fiscal note, and members discussed whether the task force scope and cost could be reduced before policy cutoff. On HJM 4009, staff and the sponsor described the memorial as a request for stronger federal wildfire capacity and coordination, with testimony from tribes, counties, forest landowners, conservation groups, and public employees emphasizing wildfire risk, smoke impacts, and the importance of federal-state cooperation; the committee also repeatedly tied the memorial to support for state wildfire funding under 1168 and heard broad support for restoring that funding. The committee then took up House Bill 2221, which would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife to designate at-risk ungulate populations and begin predator mitigation when certain population declines occur, while also requiring annual reporting and white-tailed deer surveys. The sponsor argued the bill addresses rapidly declining deer and elk herds, predator pressure, food security, and rural economies in northeast Washington. Supporters included some local residents, ranchers, sheriffs, county officials, and the Colville Tribes, who said predators, livestock conflicts, and reduced hunting opportunity are harming communities and that the state should act more aggressively. Opponents included WDFW staff, Washington Wildlife First, the Sierra Club, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and other conservation voices, who said the bill is not scientifically supported, would be costly, and wrongly blames predators rather than habitat, forage, weather, disease, and vehicle collisions; several said predator control would have limited value and could undermine wolf recovery. Some agricultural and sportsmen groups supported the bill in principle but asked for amendments, especially to remove or revise the in-state wolf translocation provision. No final votes or executive action were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ourth is the the RAP program. I don't like acronyms.
• Next, our second ask is a rural loan assistance program.
• And so, the idea with this ask is a rural loan assistance program.
• That's coming up with Cynthia's program. Go ahead, Janny.
• That program. Any follow-up questions or questions?

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a young legislators or young senators program in my district, and one of the things that they
• Ten years will allow ample time for development, teacher preparation, and program adjustments.
• I would have seen the school understand and implement programs that supported these students.
• And I would have seen data gaps filled and seen the programs to help students just like my sister.
• I would have seen the school understand and implement programs that supported these students.

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Education Committee hearing featured opening remarks from legislators welcoming students from the California Association of Student Councils and SABLE, with members emphasizing student voice and noting that several past student proposals had become law. The hearing then moved through multiple student panels presenting policy ideas, with members responding in a mix of support, technical questions, and cautions about cost, implementation, and tradeoffs in instructional time. The first panel proposed an annual civic engagement day for grades 7-12 to increase civic literacy and participation through flexible school-based activities. Members asked about costs, flexibility for sixth grade, voter registration, and how the proposal would fit within existing curriculum and standards. The second panel proposed amending Education Code Section 35012 to require at least one student board member in every unified and high school district, with added motioning rights and training on budgeting and LCAPs; members raised concerns about mandate costs, board size, and the scope of motioning authority. The third panel proposed middle school financial literacy instruction, potentially embedded in existing classes like math, with a 10-year phase-in for teacher training and curriculum updates; members questioned whether the state should wait for the already-approved high school financial literacy course to be implemented first. The fourth panel proposed expanding restorative justice by creating a CDE task force and authorizing PPS-certified staff to use restorative justice materials in discipline processes; members discussed prior legislation, confidentiality in expulsion hearings, and the likely cost of a state task force. The fifth panel proposed short, twice-a-semester mental health and life-skills sessions for grades 7-12, but members expressed skepticism that brief classroom sessions could meaningfully address mental health needs and suggested wellness centers or student-led awareness efforts instead. The hearing then began panel six on AI implementation in classrooms, with students arguing that districts need clearer guidance on AI use and that education must adapt rather than ignore the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a young legislators or young senators program in my district, and one of the things that they
• Ten years will allow ample time for development, teacher preparation, and program adjustments.
• I would have seen the school understand and implement programs that supported these students.
• And I would have seen data gaps filled and the programs to help students just like my sister.
• I would have seen the school understand and implement programs that supported these students.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a trades training program that we operate here.
• </c> about 20 involved with our program now. about 20 involved with our program now.
• </c><00:10:17.920><c> that</c> employer aligned training programs that employer aligned training programs
• Distributed back to the local markets within the market in order to fund these workforce programs.
• I'm the interim program director of the marriage and family therapy program at Campbellville University

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from Northern Kentucky building industry representatives Brian Miller and Matt Mains on housing affordability and construction workforce issues. They argued that regulatory and code requirements add significant cost to new homes, citing an estimate of nearly $94,000 per home nationally and $15,000 to $20,000 per home in Boone County over the past decade. They recommended reforms to building code adoption, architectural design mandates, permit fees and delays, and setback/land dedication rules, saying these changes could reduce costs by $25,000 to $35,000 per home without affecting public safety. They also discussed workforce training efforts through the Enzwe Building Institute, dual-credit programs, apprenticeship incentives, and workforce grants, saying these efforts have helped hold wage growth below regional trends and improve housing affordability. Committee members asked about the breakdown of regulatory costs, the effect of energy codes, and ways to speed up permitting. The presenters said the costs were roughly split among federal, state, and local requirements, with local regulations adding about $25,000 to $35,000 and some energy-code changes adding about $19,000 per home. They said faster plan review, coordination with the Kentucky Division of Water, and addressing municipal staffing shortages could cut 30 to 45 days from approvals. Members also discussed the difficulty of building starter homes under about $350,000 and the need for more missing-middle housing, with the presenters saying such homes are hard to produce without sacrificing quality. The committee then took up Representative Kim Moer and Dr. Dale Bertram’s discussion of marriage and family therapist licensing and healthcare workforce data reporting. They explained that the bill would allow Kentucky to recognize out-of-state marriage and family therapists who meet licensure requirements, have no disciplinary history, and have passed the national exam, in order to reduce barriers and address provider shortages, especially in rural areas. They also described a separate workforce data reporting section that would require licensure boards to collect consistent information on where licensees practice and whether they are actively seeing patients, including through telehealth, so the state can better understand its healthcare workforce. Members supported the portability idea, noted that some qualified applicants are currently working in Indiana instead of Kentucky, and asked whether the data collection could be handled administratively; the sponsors said the bill would create consistency across boards. The committee also briefly discussed occupational board updates and the need for stronger communication between legislators and licensing boards, including architecture licensure issues and efforts to recruit more professionals.

Transcript Highlights:

• We intended it to be a safety program. It's back to being a safety program. So, thank you.
• We intended it to be a safety program. It's back to being a safety program. So, thank you.
• We intended it to be a safety program. It's back to being a safety program. So, thank you.
• drop out of the program or not not<00:38:20.640><c> be</c><00:38:20.720><c> able</c><00:38:20.800><c
• We're doing it in the aggregate basis, like, you know, when you have a health insurance program that's

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're now going to proceed with our official program to receive the report of scouting.
• We're now going to proceed with our official program to receive the report of scouting.
• I was unsure of what my future in the scouting program would look like.
• There were 9,835 K through fifth graders who participated in the Cub Scout program.
• There were 9,389 11- to 18-year-old boys and girls who participated in the Scouts BSA program.

Summary: The Senate met in an informal session that mixed brief legislative business with a special program recognizing Scouting America. Early in the session, senators recited the Pledge of Allegiance and Scout Oath/Law with visiting scouts, and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr helped lead the chamber through the scouting presentation. The Senate also adopted an order to adjourn to meet again on Monday at 11 a.m. and to dispense with printing a calendar. On legislative matters, the Senate gave final passage to House No. 4225, authorizing Marblehead to establish a means-tested senior citizen property tax exemption, and House No. 4584, further regulating the appointment of a special police officer in Malden. The chamber also adopted a resolution commending the IBS patient support group on recognition of April 19, 2026, as World IBS Day. In addition, the Senate considered and adopted amendments and then engrossed House No. 4234, providing for the appointment of retired police officers as special police officers in Fairhaven, and engrossed House No. 4057, increasing the Haverhill Board of Health from three to five members. The main feature of the session was the annual scouting report to the Commonwealth. Eagle Scout Molly Murphy delivered remarks describing her experience in scouting, including leadership roles, an Eagle project, and the challenges and benefits of being one of the early female scouts in the program. She and other scouts presented statewide statistics for 2025, including 19,761 youth in 872 units, more than 23,500 merit badges earned, 482 Eagle Scouts, and over 203,000 hours of community service valued at about $3.06 million. The Senate voted to enter the scouting report into the Journal and received a gubernatorial proclamation designating April 23, 2026, as Scout Appreciation Day in Massachusetts.

Transcript Highlights:

• I speak to you as someone who sees every day the impact of our athletics program on our campus and our
• Athletic programs exist in small towns and mid-sized cities.
• We have more than 150 team conference championships across 18 sport programs.
• We have more than 150 team conference championships across 18 sport programs.
• We have over 100 young men in our football program that are going to be husbands, fathers, and a lot

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With the recent expansion of the program to cover bipolar disorders with psychotic features, in addition
• With the recent expansion of the program to cover bipolar disorders with psychotic features, in addition
• We will continue to make resources available to the courts through our temporary assigned judges program
• The judicial branch is laying a strong foundation with its model policies, training programs, and...
• ...a strong foundation with its model policies, training programs, and pilot case studies that explore

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• funds in the Contractor-Operated Institute's Inmate Welfare Trust Fund to support inmate reentry programs
• these locations throughout the state where we have a privatized contractor operating the actual programs
• Reintegration programs funded by these sources is very positive, so I thank you for this.
• It also exempts a PBM that exclusively serves a PACE program, which is a program of all-inclusive care
• The state process is broken, and what's happening is that providers are opting out of the program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Health and Safety Act, and the rules promulgated pursuant to that act following participation in that program
• So do all police officer employers have physical training programs?
• There was also a question earlier, if I could, regarding the exercise program and heart issues.
• They have to have a physical on file and their department has to have an exercise program.
• That's how I would envision this moving forward, and that strengthens our programs, actually, and our

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up its only bill, House Bill 132, which would create workers’ compensation presumptions for police officers for certain conditions, including noise-induced hearing loss/tinnitus, PTSD, and heart injury or stroke occurring within 24 hours of responding to or returning from a call or emergency. The sponsor described the bill as a bipartisan effort developed with input from workers’ compensation officials, PERA, and the Albuquerque Police Department, aimed at easing the burden on officers to prove causation while still allowing employers to rebut claims. An amendment was adopted first, refining definitions and adding language that preserves an officer’s ability to prove causation even when the presumption does not apply, and tying the heart/stroke presumption to the existence of a physical training program and medical screening requirements. Supporters included representatives of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, the Workers’ Compensation Administration, New Mexico State Police, AFSCME/NMFL, and a workers’ compensation attorney. They argued the bill recognizes the cumulative physical and psychological toll of law enforcement, could improve treatment and retention, and would reduce disputes over causation while remaining balanced. One supporter asked the sponsor to consider changing the 20-year requirement tied to PTSD coverage so officers in smaller departments could access benefits earlier. Committee discussion focused on the amendment’s physical training and medical screening condition for the heart/stroke presumption, with questions about whether all departments have such programs and whether the language could limit coverage. Workers’ compensation staff testified that, from 2016 through 2025, there were 75 statewide claims potentially covered by the bill’s provisions before amendment, including about 20 hearing-loss claims, 11 heart-related claims, and about 44 mental-injury claims. A medical witness said research supports a correlation between law enforcement work and these conditions, though no New Mexico-specific study was available yet. After discussion, the committee voted to give House Bill 132, as amended, a do-pass recommendation, with no opposition recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, can you explain the criteria in which someone is going to oversee this program?
• So does IFAS have those programs or protocols in place today? Senator Bradley.
• Composting Council seal of testing assurance program? Yes.
• That is, that ensures... ...insurance program. Yes.
• We don't create a new permitting program or a new regulatory scheme.

Bills: S0204 , S0540 , S0772 , S1294 , S1474 , S1504 , S1708

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Keywords: gaming, slot machines, veterans organizations, regulatory compliance, Florida Gaming Control Commission, declaratory statement, criminal penalties, financial regulation, vulnerable adults, information security, financial exploitation, licensing, biosolids, agronomic rate, land application, environmental protection, Florida statutes, nutrient management, recordkeeping, farming

Transcript Highlights:

• exempts the emissions from waste-energy facilities used by county and city solid waste management programs
• the carbon intensity pathway for alternative jet fuel under the Department of Ecology’s Clean Fuels Program
• the carbon intensity pathway for alternative jet fuel under the Department of Ecology’s Clean Fuels Program
• Quebec has announced that its program of allowances, as good as it sounded and how they sent a lot of
• That program funding was removed, and it's been shown not to be very useful.

Summary: The Environment and Energy committee met for executive session on four bills. Staff briefed House Bill 2416, which would replace Climate Commitment Act no-cost allowances for the Spokane waste-to-energy facility with a separate regulatory scheme requiring emissions reductions, reporting to Ecology and Commerce, and enforcement provisions; members discussed whether emissions accounting included biogenic emissions and confirmed the reduction measures would need to occur on-site. House Bill 2537 would direct Ecology to recommend a future allowance schedule for emissions-intensive, trade-exposed facilities and require biennial reporting and periodic plans, while House Bill 2575 would reduce several Energy Independence Act and state energy strategy reporting requirements for utilities and Commerce. House Bill 2322, as amended in a proposed substitute, would delay alternative jet fuel tax incentives until July 1, 2031, remove capacity thresholds, tie eligibility to life-cycle rather than direct emissions, and drop a Clean Fuels Program carbon-intensity change. During executive action, the committee debated the policy impacts of the waste-to-energy bill, with supporters saying the Spokane facility is unique and needs a separate framework, and opponents arguing it would create costly disincentives and raise ratepayer costs. The EITE bill drew support from members who said it would help identify facility-specific decarbonization options, while opponents warned about competitiveness, job losses, and industry leaving the state. The reporting-reduction bill was described as a streamlining measure that would save utilities money and remove duplicative or outdated reports. The alternative jet fuel substitute was presented as a clarification and simplification of the incentive structure, and members praised the changes. All four measures were reported out of committee with due pass recommendations. House Bill 2416 and House Bill 2537 each passed on 12-9 votes, House Bill 2575 passed unanimously by voice vote, and the proposed substitute for House Bill 2322 also passed unanimously by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• IF THIS HAPPENS, IF PLANNING COUNCILS WERE REMOVED FROM STATUTE IT WOULD DISRUPT CRITICAL PROGRAMS THAT
• IT IS AMAZING TO ME THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT THE COUNCILS HAVE AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAMS AND HOW
• THAT YOU KEEP AND THAT WE KEEP THESE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES GOING FOR ALL COUNTIES AND CITIES IN FLORIDA
• REMOVING REGIONAL COUNCILS FROM STATUTE WILL DISRUPT PROGRAMS THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES RELY ON.
• THIS COMES THROUGH THE BUSINESS FUNDING SUPPORT PROGRAMS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• THE PROGRAM IS A TESTAMENT TO THE LEGISLATURE'S COMMITMENT TO HELPING OUR HOMEOWNERS AND MADE A DIFFERENCE
• AND OUR SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM HAS CHANGED LIVES.
• OUR UNIVERSAL SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM WORKS.
• THANKS TO HELP OF A HOPE FLORIDA NAVIGATOR THIS HELPED HER COMPLETE HER PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM AND
• WE CREATED A PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE THE REPAYMENT OF STATE DEBT AND WE SAVED HUNDREDS OF MILLION DOLLARS

Keywords: 999, senate, all