Transcript Highlights:

• The House will come to order.
• The house is going to stand at ease until 11 a.m. House will come to order.
• , House Bill 8.
• House Bill 8 does that.
• Texas House.

Bills: HB8 , HB12 , SB 3 , HJR1 , SB 11 , SB 16 , SB 14 , HB 8 , HB 12 , SB 3 , HJR 1 , SB 11 , SB 16 , SB 14

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 99.
• Do not pass on House Bill 99. Do pass on House Bill 99.
• And do pass for the House Judiciary Committee substitute for House Bill 99. Hey. Good Lord.
• Okay, next we will go to Representative Chavez with House Bill 206. House Bill 206.
• to House Bill 213.

Bills: HB99 , HJR5 , HM39 , HB206 , HB213 , SB41 , SB153 , SB165 , SB261 , SB264

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman and members, Vince Perez, House Ways and Means Research Analyst, House Bill 2290, Vince Perez
• , House Ways and Means Research Analyst: House Bill 2290 specifies that the location of service is not
• We will go to House Bill 2373. We'll have a staff explanation. We will go to House Bill 2373.
• Chairman, members, Connor Sakata, House Majority Ways and Means Research Intern, House Bill 2373 requires
• We will go to House Bill 2373. We'll have a staff explanation. We will go to House Bill 2373.

Bills: HB2143 , HB2273 , HB2290 , HB2373 , HB2784 , HB2794 , HB4037

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: public safety, retirement system, investments, trust fund, board of trustees, financial report, income tax rebate, Pinal County, taxpayer eligibility, state revenue, financial assistance, transaction privilege tax, business location, tangible personal property, shared vehicle, sourcing, income tax, veterans, donations, tax refunds

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1368.
• And secondly, I would move to report House Bill 1188 to the full House.
• House Bill 983.
• on for or against House Bill 3629.
• Substitute for House Bill 123.

Bills: HB367 , HB497 , HB549 , HB983 , HB 1188 , HB 1290 , HB1368 , HB2243 , HB2310 , HB2849 , HB3099 , HB3546 , HB3629 , HB3627

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh there with us today on House Bill 10.
• </c> committee substitute to House Bill 10. committee substitute to House Bill 10.
• </c> Representative Hodgson to House Bill 10. Representative Hodgson to House Bill 10.
• &gt;&gt; House<00:30:58.240><c> Bill</c><00:30:58.480><c> 456</c> &gt;&gt; House Bill 456 &gt;&gt; House
• </c><00:37:07.200><c> Madam</c> second on House Bill 480. Madam second on House Bill 480.

Committee: House State Government

Keywords: Consideration of HB 10 -- 00:03:22 Consideration of HB 456 -- 00:20:47 Consideration of HB 480 -- 00:31:24, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> before you today is House Bill 1150. before you today is House Bill 1150.
• </c> introduce House Bill 1168. introduce House Bill 1168.
• House Bill 1245 builds a legal wall.
• House<04:31:26.720><c> Bill</c><04:31:27.040><c> 1245</c> House Bill 1245 House Bill 1245 provides<04
• </c> Three pillars of uh House Bill 1245. Three pillars of uh House Bill 1245.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with procedural announcements about report turnaround, amendment submission methods during split operations, a possible January 29 session, the governor’s State of the State on February 5, parking, cafeteria opening, and the plan to finish work by February 10. It then moved into executive session on HB 1123, which would require certain companies to post salary ranges on public job listings. Representative Granger moved ITL, arguing the bill would interfere with negotiations, especially for higher-level jobs, and raise compelled-speech concerns. Supporters, including Representatives Schultz, Sullivan, Cahill, Staub, and others, said salary ranges help applicants avoid wasted time and travel, improve transparency, and are already a common workplace disclosure. The committee voted 10-9 to ITL HB 1123. The committee next took up HB 177, concerning a definition of remote work in labor law. Representative Murphy moved ITL, saying the bill could burden employers, create vague obligations, duplicate existing protections, and potentially require intrusive compliance measures. Representative Sullivan described a proposed amendment that would narrow the bill to a definition of remote work and remove broader requirements, but the committee ultimately voted 11-9 to ITL HB 177. Members also noted that the amendment had not been fully circulated in time and that the issue might merit further review. Finally, the committee opened HB 1352, a workers’ compensation bill focused on repricing and payment practices. The sponsor withdrew an initial ITL motion and moved OTP after amendment review. Members discussed concerns raised at the hearing about delayed payments, third-party administrators, and the need for better accountability. Representative McKenzie’s amendment would define good faith, create a voluntary three-year dispute-resolution pilot, restore fines to prior levels, and add reporting/accountability requirements for carriers that miss the 30-day payment deadline. Several members supported the amendment as a way to help small businesses and providers, while others said repricing needed broader study through the workers’ compensation advisory council. The Department of Labor explained that the amendment would require carriers and related payers to report missed determinations to the department and would increase oversight of payment timeliness.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am here in opposition to House Bill 752.
• I beg all of you, do not vote yes on House Bill 752.
• House Bill 752 is framed as a bill about safety and privacy.
• I am here to testify in strong support of House Bill 752.
• I urge your action to pass House Bill 752.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from March 9, 2026, then heard House Bill 860, a cleanup bill revising Idaho’s parental rights and 988/suicide-crisis-related statutes. Representative Ehart said the bill clarifies when schools, hospitals, and crisis responders may provide non-emergency first aid, emergency treatment, suicide-related follow-up, and evidence collection without parental permission, especially in cases involving abuse or when a parent may be the alleged perpetrator. Support came from the Idaho Medical Association, Idaho 988, and several youth testifiers who described being hung up on or harmed by current law; the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association raised a late concern about language affecting time-sensitive evidence collection in child sex abuse cases and proposed a narrow amendment. Despite that concern, the committee voted unanimously to send HB 860 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 680, which would require audio or video recording of all interviews of alleged child abuse victims unless good cause exists. Representative Skog said the bill is intended to protect children, improve the reliability of interviews, and aid prosecutions. Supporters included the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association and a virtual witness who said recording preserves the child’s statement and reduces repeated questioning. No one testified in opposition, and the committee unanimously sent HB 680 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 752, a bill creating criminal penalties for knowingly and willfully entering opposite-sex public restrooms and changing rooms, with listed exceptions for emergencies, maintenance, law enforcement, family assistance, and similar situations. The sponsor and supporters argued it protects privacy and safety for women and girls and aligns with existing sex-based facility restrictions; opponents, including transgender Idahoans, clergy, parents, civil rights advocates, and Planned Parenthood, said it would criminalize transgender people, invite harassment, and be difficult to enforce. Law enforcement representatives testified that existing trespass laws already address unwanted presence and that officers cannot reliably determine sex in the field. The bill drew extensive debate over enforcement, privacy, and safety, but the transcript ends before a final committee vote on HB 752 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Democrats will caucus in House Hearing Room C. The committee is at ease.
• task force on establishing a Department of Housing.
• We are in the midst of a housing crisis that continues.
• The Department of Corrections has housing. DSHS has housing.
• The Housing Trust Fund has a few different areas as well.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met in executive session on a proposed substitute operating budget bill and worked through a long series of amendments before voting on the bill. Members discussed a wide range of budget items, including court funding for Thurston County civil filings, Attorney General funding for a domestic extremism task force, grants for Yakima aquatics access, North Mason mobile integrated health, mentoring programs, poverty reduction work, a proposed Department of Housing task force, federal grant inventory staffing, HEAL Act funding, assisted living rebasing, DCYF family resource centers and pediatric interim care, law enforcement training and equipment, shellfish and birthing center licensing fees, school bus depreciation, charter school accountability, transition to kindergarten priorities, and several Fish and Wildlife and OSPI grants. The committee also considered amendments related to the Columbia River Gorge Commission, shrub-steppe habitat mitigation, and a study on Lower Snake River reservoir drawdown impacts. Debate on many amendments centered on whether items were statewide priorities or local projects, and on the fiscal constraints of the budget. Supporters often argued that proposals would protect vulnerable populations, improve public safety, or leverage future savings and outside funding; opponents frequently cited budget pressure, the availability of existing funding, or the need to avoid singling out local projects. Some amendments were adopted, including Clark 343 on intent to fund up to 10,000 additional eCAP slots, Jones 419 on paint stewardship funding, and Stevens 070 limiting birthing center license fees. Many others failed, including amendments on Thurston County court funding, the domestic extremism task force, Yakima aquatics, North Mason mobile integrated health, mentoring, poverty reduction workgroup funding, the Department of Housing task force, federal grant staffing, HEAL Act funding, assisted living rebasing, the PIC Center contract, the Lacey regional training academy, and several Fish and Wildlife and OSPI-related proposals. The committee then moved to the underlying bill, Proposed Substitute House Bill 2289, and adopted a do pass motion after disposing of the amendments. The transcript indicates the committee ultimately reported the bill out of committee with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I thought you were busy working in the House.
• House Bill 2861.
• House Bill 2970.
• When my dad's house was stolen, it was one of four houses my criminals stole.
• The criminal also stole a house in Virginia.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee approved the minutes from its March 18, 2026 meeting and then took up a long agenda of bills and a clemency nomination. HB 2825, as amended, was heard first. The bill would replace criminal enforcement tools for nonpayment of fines, fees, restitution, and surcharges with a civil collection process, including a required summons and civil default procedures. Supporters said it would streamline restitution collection and reduce costs, while opponents argued it would weaken victims’ rights and remove effective enforcement leverage. The committee adopted the Rogers amendment and passed the bill 5-2. The committee also confirmed Neil McDowell to the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency by a 6-0 vote after hearing his background in corrections and his plans to help the board function efficiently. The committee then passed HB 4070, as amended, 5-2. That bill bars incorporation of corporations whose officers, directors, or trustees have been convicted of sex trafficking or human trafficking, and expands civil liability to those who facilitate trafficking. Supporters framed it as a corporate accountability tool to deter trafficking, while the ACLU opposed it as overbroad and potentially sweeping in people not intended to be covered. HB 2720, which increases penalties for paying or agreeing to pay for sexual conduct and adds a fee to support anti-trafficking services, also passed, 4-3. Supporters, including survivors and law enforcement, said it targets demand and helps victims; opponents warned it could criminalize victims and lacked sufficient safeguards. The committee heard several additional bills. HB 2047 would raise trespass penalties after eviction-related writs of restitution from third-degree to first-degree trespass; the sponsor and constables said it would improve scene safety and encourage law enforcement response. HB 2136 would create new crimes for “civil terrorism” and “subversion” and increase penalties for certain highway obstruction; the ACLU argued it would punish protest and speech critical of government. HB 2406 would make images and recordings of abused children and deceased minors confidential, limit dissemination, and impose civil and criminal penalties for misuse; supporters said it would prevent re-victimization and reduce trauma, while defense and media concerns were raised about access. HB 2415, dealing with kratom and 7-OH products, drew sharply divided testimony over whether the bill is a needed safety regulation or an overbroad ban that could push users to illicit drugs; the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:00:47.839><c> Bill</c><01:00:48.240><c> SF00001</c> of House Bill SF00001 of House Bill SF00001
• </c> modeling, and permitting support. modeling, and permitting support.
• </c><02:09:26.719><c> Bill</c><02:09:27.280><c> 122</c> uh House Bill I can't uh House Bill 122 uh House
• Can you give me a round House bills.
• </c> House bills? House bills?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Good morning and welcome to House Education Policy and Administration.
• House<00:06:32.160><c> Bill</c><00:06:32.560><c> 1795</c> House Bill 1795 House Bill 1795 um um um continues
• </c><00:22:51.280><c> Bill</c> And I close the hearing on House Bill And I close the hearing on House
• </c><02:15:42.320><c> Bill</c> subject of of this part of House Bill subject of of this part of House
• hearing on House Bill 1345.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I move House Bill 2825 receive a do pass recommendation.
• I thought you were busy working in the House.
• I move House Bill 2406 for a due pass recommendation.
• House Bill 2970.
• When my dad's house was stolen, it was one of four houses my criminals stole.

Bills: HB2028 , HB2047 , HB2136 , HB2244 , HB2364 , HB2406 , HB2415 , HB2557 , HB2573 , HB2589 , HB2720 , HB2749 , HB2825 , HB2861 , HB2862 , HB2870 , HB2970 , HB4070 , HB4117 , HCR2004 , HCR2051

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Elections

Keywords: community restitution, homelessness, indigence, court assessments, monetary obligations, forcible entry, detainer, writ of restitution, criminal trespass, judgment enforcement, civil terrorism, disorderly conduct, vandalism, political activism, public order, subversion, government security, evictions, judgment satisfaction, tenant rights

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, members, House Bill 2793.
• House Bill 2793... ...such as housing can come to market as efficiently as possible.
• the house from the state of Arizona.
• That is why House Bill 2662 matters.
• Chair, members, House Bill 2968. Mr.

Bills: HB2041 , HB2144 , HB2239 , HB2321 , HB2371 , HB2594 , HB2661 , HB2662 , HB2793 , HB2968 , HB2995

Committee: Senate Federalism and Family Law

Keywords: child neglect, financial resources, behavioral health, Christian Science treatment, parental rights, child support, preborn children, retroactive support, medical expenses, child welfare, child care, grant program, low-income, early learning, infrastructure, economic growth, security freeze, credit reporting, dependent children, parental notification

Transcript Highlights:

• We've kept people housed and ensured that they, where we haven't been able to keep people housed, we've
• ensured housing mobility...
• Where we haven't been able to keep people housed, we've ensured housing mobility.
• and the cost to provide housing.
• ... ...and costs that our nonprofit housing partners and other affordable housing partners are struggling

Summary: The committee held a work session in Mill Creek focused first on the eviction process. Judge Michael Scott of King County Superior Court described historic highs in unlawful detainer filings across Washington, especially in urban counties, and said King County has reduced its backlog and average time to resolution to about 60 days by adding two dedicated eviction judges and using more judges when needed. He also described how King County and other counties are implementing the right to counsel for indigent tenants, and noted that additional housing commissioners may help. Office of Civil Legal Aid representatives Philippe Knapp and Jane Paxe said the statewide appointed counsel program has represented more than 30,000 tenants, referred clients to social services, and helped many remain housed, but they warned of a funding shortfall that could eliminate about 17 attorneys and leave roughly 2,000 tenants without representation. A landlord-side panel argued that eviction timelines remain too long and fragmented, creating unpaid rent, safety issues, and uncertainty for both landlords and tenants; they urged more uniform procedures, streamlined rental assistance, and procedural changes to reduce refiling and delays. The second work session addressed theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure, especially copper and telecom cable theft. Committee staff reviewed existing criminal and regulatory laws covering malicious mischief, theft, scrap metal businesses, and metal property deception. Comcast, Mason Public Utility District, and the Recycled Materials Association testified that theft of aerial cable and copper has become a crisis affecting power, internet, 911 service, schools, hospitals, and line-worker safety. Utility representatives described outages, hazards, and rising costs, and asked for stronger audits of scrapyards, tougher penalties for theft affecting critical infrastructure, and tighter rules on payment and identification. Recyclers said they oppose the thefts and already operate under heavy regulation, but acknowledged enforcement gaps and the need for better coordination; committee members discussed possible bill concepts and asked for written recommendations. The final work session covered standards for law enforcement personnel. Criminal Justice Training Commission Executive Director Monica Alexander and Assistant Director Kimberly Bliss explained current certification and decertification rules, including background checks, training requirements, mandatory and discretionary grounds for decertification, and the hearing process. They said elected sheriffs are not currently required to undergo the same pre-election background check as other applicants, though they can still be decertified if already certified, and they reported a backlog of more than 1,000 cases with about 70 to 80 new cases coming in each month. Retired Judge Ann Levinson then outlined ways the legislature could strengthen and align standards for chiefs, sheriffs, and marshals, including requiring certification within a set time, setting a minimum age, requiring recent state background checks, and making loss of certification a vacancy in office. Committee members asked questions about accountability for elected sheriffs, background-check administration, and decertification outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are wanting nicer housing. We're wanting resources allocated more towards housing.
• So on the campus housing piece, you know, we across the state have a housing affordability issue that
• So we are wanting nicer housing. We're wanting We are wanting nicer housing.
• And so housing, it's important.
• There was a House Bill 1220.

Summary: The committee met at Dakota College at Bottineau, approved the January 15, 2026 minutes, and heard an extensive campus update from Dean Corey Gorder and other DCB leaders. Gorder described the college’s affiliation with Minot State and its growing use of shared services, including business office functions, HR, institutional research, Title IX, printing, financial aid support through UND, and payroll support through NDSU. He said the arrangement lets DCB focus on its core mission while relying on system partners for specialized administrative work, and noted that accreditation concerns were not believed to limit those shared-service arrangements. He also highlighted DCB’s mission, enrollment growth, dual-credit reach across rural schools, and the college’s emphasis on nursing, dental, paramedic, farm management, and other workforce-oriented programs. Committee members asked detailed questions about dual credit, program delivery, and whether DCB’s partnerships were exclusive. Gorder said the relationships are generally collaborative rather than exclusive, that schools can choose other providers, and that many partnerships began through personal outreach and ongoing relationships with rural schools. Lisa Johnson of the university system added that transfer complaints are rare and that dual credit generally transfers well within North Dakota, though highly selective out-of-state institutions may treat credits differently. Members also asked about stipends for high school instructors, the share of K-12 versus DCB instructors, and the capacity limits in dental hygiene and other programs. Gorder said dental hygiene is capped by space and staffing, that there were more applicants than seats, and that expansion is being considered; he also said he would provide follow-up information on the paramedic program and instructor breakdowns. Gorder closed by identifying long-term challenges, including aging residence halls, recruiting faculty and staff, and the need to review low-enrollment programs. He said DCB should consider expanding into more high-demand trades such as welding, HVAC, and electrical work, and should streamline dual credit and strengthen its Minot programming. The committee then heard from the North Dakota Student Association, whose leaders outlined student priorities from the last session and the interim. Their main concerns included campus housing quality and affordability, food insecurity and food pantries, mental and physical health resources, student-led research funding, academic and career readiness, internships, and campus collaboration. They also discussed dual credit, saying it is valuable but uneven across the state, and raised questions about how to better retain students in North Dakota through the system. Members asked follow-up questions about housing, transferability of dual credit, and whether incentives could be used to encourage students to stay in-state for higher education.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two of the key ingredients to ensure recidivism is low are housing, and to have a house, you need a job
• It's going to cause us to open additional housing units.
• We have housing units and empty housing units available.
• As you can imagine, sometimes we're permitting.
• We had halfway houses, we had intensive family counseling, individual counseling.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs. Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing. The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted. Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• House House House Republicans<00:06:48.080><c> just</c><00:06:48.319><c> voted</c><00:06:48.639><c> to
• House Calendar No. 30, House Resolution 458.
• House Resolution 469, a resolution permitting official photographs of the House of Representatives to
• Resolution 469, resolution House Resolution 469, resolution permitting<07:16:42.320><c> official</c>
• photographs of the permitting official photographs of the House<07:16:43.840><c> of</c><07:16:44.000

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> in the House of Representatives. in the House of Representatives.
• Ladies and gentlemen of the house. house. house.
• Um, item number 45, House Bill 1611. 45, House Bill 1611.
• Uh, pass over House Bill item 50, House Bill 1272, and move to item number 51, House Bill 6003, and call
• House Bill 1253. Make the usual motion. House Bill 1253.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• I know there are a number of you that are probably here on House Bill 61 and House Bill 120.
• So House Bill 99, I appreciate the sponsors being here.
• House Judiciary Substitute for House Bill 99 outlines a foundation of meaningful medical malpractice
• Please support House Judiciary Committee substitute for House Bill 99 and vote yes for the patients of
• And then it says here, in its discretion, may permit additional discovery.

Bills: SB38 , SB17 , SB41 , SB264

Committee: Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, sexual crimes, statute of limitations

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard extensive testimony on House Bill 99, a proposed reform of the Medical Malpractice Act. Representative Chandler said the bill is intended to address physician shortages, rising malpractice premiums, and litigation pressures by changing punitive damages rules, including a higher standard of proof, a requirement that punitive damages not be pleaded in the initial complaint, and limits tied to the type of provider. Supporters, including physicians, business leaders, and some patients, said the bill would help retain doctors, improve access to care, and create more predictable liability exposure. Several supporters also said current malpractice conditions are driving doctors out of the state and harming rural access to services. Opponents argued the bill would reduce patient recovery, create unequal treatment based on insurance status through the bill-versus-paid provision, and raise constitutional concerns involving equal protection, collateral source rules, and separation of powers. They also criticized the bill for not addressing other drivers of malpractice, such as hospital practices, prior authorization, staffing, and background checks for out-of-state doctors. Some witnesses urged amendments to protect the Patient Compensation Fund, ensure future medical expenses are covered, require minimum surcharge settings, and improve oversight of providers entering the state. Committee members questioned the sponsor and witnesses about whether the bill would actually lower premiums, whether it would improve access to care, and how it would affect hospitals, independent providers, and the Patient Compensation Fund. The sponsor said the bill was based on negotiations and comparisons with other states, and that it should help premiums over time. Members raised concerns about the fund’s solvency, the role of hospitals in the fund, and whether some provisions would survive legal challenge. No final vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the chair indicated amendments would be discussed later and the committee would continue the hearing the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are wanting nicer housing. We're wanting... We are wanting nicer housing.
• So on the campus housing piece, you know, we across the state have a housing affordability issue that
• of housing is across our campuses, look at housing policies across our campuses, and then try to put
• But they have a housing circumstance where it would be a... ...housing circumstance where it's going
• There was a House Bill 1220.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Summary: The committee met at Dakota College at Bottineau, approved the January 15, 2026 minutes, and heard a campus presentation from Dean Corey Gorder and President Steve Shirley. Gorder outlined DCB’s leadership changes, its affiliation with Minot State, and extensive shared services with Minot State, UND, and NDSU in areas such as business office functions, financial aid, payroll, HR, Title IX, printing, and institutional research. He said shared services help smaller campuses access expertise, and committee members asked about cost allocation and accreditation limits; Gorder said the arrangements are negotiated between institutions and that, to his understanding, academic accreditation is not affected by these service-sharing agreements. The committee also discussed DCB’s enrollment, dual credit reach, and program mix, including nursing, dental assisting and hygiene, paramedic training, drone certification, and farm management. Gorder said DCB wants to expand higher-demand, trade-oriented programs, strengthen Minot programming, and address facility needs, especially residence halls and space constraints in dental programs. Members asked detailed questions about dual credit, including how DCB develops relationships with high schools, whether it has exclusivity, who teaches the courses, and whether credits transfer. Gorder said relationships are built through outreach and existing school connections, that schools may choose other providers, and that DCB pays stipends to instructors under institution-specific formulas. NDUS staff Lisa Johnson said transfer problems are rare within North Dakota and usually arise only with highly selective out-of-state institutions. Gorder also noted that DCB’s dual credit and campus programming are heavily tied to rural schools and that the college is trying to streamline dual credit delivery as enrollment and staffing demands grow. The committee then heard from the North Dakota Student Association, whose representatives outlined student priorities from the last legislative session and the interim. Their main themes included campus safety, mental health resources, academic freedom, scholarships and affordability, teacher incentives, workforce readiness, housing, food accessibility, student research funding, internships, and campus collaboration. They said they supported or opposed various bills related to those issues during the 69th Legislative Assembly and emphasized that students want affordable, safe, and academically strong campuses. Committee members asked about housing affordability, food insecurity, research opportunities, and dual credit transfer and expansion. No votes were taken on policy matters during this portion of the meeting.