Transcript Highlights:

• As technology and society become more complex and as the statutes that we are tasked with carrying out
• One of the appropriations that we received last session was for an upgrade because the current system
• With technology increasing, it's getting more complex.
• Fraud is complex with technology increasing. It's getting more complex.
• And we have to try to stay one step ahead of it as fraud continues to develop with technology.

Summary: The committee met to review the Attorney General’s budget and related agency operations, beginning with Legislative Council staff walking members through compliance reports and a blue-sheet base budget document. Staff highlighted current-biennium items such as FTE changes, one-time appropriations, litigation funding, opioid settlement receipts, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked for clarification on items including the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then gave an overview of the office’s structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal services to state and local government, and concerns about attorney pay lagging behind other agencies. Members discussed whether attorney compensation should be benchmarked more consistently across state government and whether some legal work could be consolidated within the AG’s office. Ness also addressed questions about AG opinion turnaround times, boards-and-commissions training, the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, office leases, and the state’s criminal justice information systems. The crime lab presentation drew significant attention. Director Jennifer Penner described severe space, safety, and infrastructure problems at the current lab, including cramped work areas, glycol leaks, outdated fire and burglar alarms, air-handling limits, and equipment failures that have delayed toxicology work. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that the preferred location would be near the current health department site, but in a new building. Members asked about possible evidence risks, backlog status, and whether the proposed building would solve the current problems; Penner said it would and noted backlogs have improved overall, though some delays remain. The committee also heard from the new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director, who described the unit’s civil and criminal work, federal-state funding split, and examples of fraud such as billing for services not provided or upcoding. The gaming division reported continued growth in charitable gaming and e-tabs, with members expressing concern about large trust-account balances, site competition, and possible misuse of proceeds. Finally, BCI outlined its caseload, cybercrime work, missing Indigenous persons task force, and the surge in CSAM cyber tips; members asked about AI-generated CSAM, and the AG’s office noted that last session’s law increased penalties and expressly allowed AI-generated CSAM to be prosecuted like other CSAM. No formal votes or actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nuclear Energy, leading over a billion dollars in annual R&D and deployment focused on nuclear technology
• , and I've spent the last 15 years working at the intersection of energy technology, policy, and finance
• As has been discussed, these credits are driving nuclear restarts, upgrades, and over 30 new development
• As has been discussed, these credits are driving nuclear restarts, upgrades, and over 30 new development
• So, thinking it is open to other new technologies as well, but thinking about nuclear, it's what...

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce met with a quorum and took up a long list of pending House bills, most of them on motions by Senator King or Senator Campbell. The committee adopted committee substitutes and favorably reported numerous bills, including HB 252, HB 700, HB 1500, HB 1545, HB 1562, HB 1732, HB 267, HB 2213, HB 2221, HB 2520, HB 2818, HB 3016, HB 3214, HB 3250, HB 3512, HB 3623, HB 3689, HB 3833, HB 4063, HB 4395, HB 4690, HB 4751, HB 5331, HB 3824, HB 4464, HB 4468, and HB 5247. Most of these were sent to the local and uncontested calendar, while some, including sunset and other significant measures, were reported to the full Senate. HB 146 was the only bill reported out on a divided vote, passing 6 ayes to 4 nays. Several bills received brief explanation of committee substitute changes. HB 3016, dealing with rental car collision damage waivers and stolen vehicles, was amended to change a cooperation standard from “fully cooperate” to simply “cooperate.” HB 3689, a major ESF/TWA financing bill, was described as making technical changes to align terminology with the Comptroller’s authority and to avoid creating state debt or new liability. HB 5247, a capital cost recovery bill for transmission in the Permian Basin, was revised to clarify how the new mechanism fits with existing Utilities Code provisions and to add a 2035 expiration date. HB 3824, the battery fire safety bill, also received technical changes to align terminology with industry usage. The committee heard public testimony on several pending measures. HB 3069, which would direct the PUC to develop supplemental multi-decade planning criteria for transmission certificates in ERCOT, drew support from industry, environmental, and manufacturing witnesses who said it would help address congestion costs while balancing consumer protections; the bill was left pending. HB 5196, requiring state agencies to adopt and post telework policies and use written telework agreements, received both support and concern: supporters said it would preserve productivity and retention, while a senator raised concerns about notice and family logistics; it was left pending after testimony. HB 3112, allowing closed deliberations on cybersecurity policy details, was laid out and left pending after brief discussion. HCR 102, supporting federal nuclear tax credits, drew testimony from nuclear industry and energy advocates, who argued the credits are essential for existing plants, new nuclear development, grid reliability, and U.S. competitiveness; the resolution was left pending, with discussion about whether the language should focus more exclusively on nuclear. HB 705, creating a cosmetology licensure compact, was supported by industry, employers, and compact experts as a mobility tool that preserves state authority; HB 3516, expanding a public information exemption for Railroad Commission administrative law judges and technical examiners, and HB 3388, authorizing group property and casualty coverage for personal lines, were also heard and left pending. At the end of the meeting, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:02.560> Garrett<00:11:03.000> Yoshimi information technology Garrett Yoshimi
• <00:20:34.600> which including Electronics technology which including Electronics technology
• Upgrade as much as possible. That being said, we're getting limited on funding.
• <02:10:17.880> or looking at any uh of those upgrades or looking at any uh of those upgrades
• A lot of technology went in.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Committee held an informational briefing with the University of Hawaiʻi, led by new President Wendy Hensel and Vice President for Budget and Finance Calbert Young. Hensel outlined the university system’s scope, student demographics, research activity, and campus missions, emphasizing four strategic priorities: serving Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi, student success, workforce development, and economic diversification through innovation and research. She highlighted the system’s enrollment, research funding, and the roles of Mānoa, Hilo, West Oʻahu, the community colleges, and specialized institutions such as JABSOM and the Cancer Center. Young then reviewed the budget request, focusing largely on making prior one-time appropriations permanent and supporting recurring needs. Items included funding for Mānoa athletics, the Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology, K-12 teacher education, Pamantasan Council support, Hilo programs, Windward’s mental health technician certificate, Maui’s practical nursing bridge program, and student support positions such as financial aid and admissions counselors. He also described workforce-related requests tied to nursing expansion at Mānoa and West Oʻahu, as well as facilities support at West Oʻahu. A major portion of the testimony addressed the university’s two Kakaʻako medical facilities. Young explained that declining tobacco settlement and cigarette tax revenues are no longer sufficient to cover debt service for JABSOM and the Cancer Center, so the governor’s budget includes general fund support to supplement those obligations. He also described a regents-approved request not included in the governor’s proposal: expanding the Hawaiʻi Promise financial aid program to the four-year campuses, estimated at about $11–12 million. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• stations and water<00:17:34.440> treatment<00:17:34.840> plants,<00:17:35.400> upgrading
• <00:17:36.000> our water treatment plants, upgrading our water treatment plants, upgrading
• I don't want Silicon Valley deciding how artificial intelligence and other new technologies will impact
• development initiatives designed to get Minnesotans ready for the age of AI and other emerging technologies

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: This was Governor Tim Walz’s final State of the State address to the Minnesota Legislature. He opened by recognizing legislative leaders, constitutional officers, tribal leaders, the judiciary, and members of his administration, then asked for a moment of silence for the Hortman family and spoke at length about recent tragedies, including the Annunciation Church shooting, political violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and what he described as the impacts of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. He framed the address around resilience, unity, and the state’s response to grief and disruption. Walz reviewed major accomplishments from his time in office, emphasizing investments in education, child care, free school meals, housing, infrastructure, climate initiatives, paid family leave, voting access, and worker protections. He also highlighted tax cuts, rebate checks, Social Security tax relief, medical debt protections, and efforts to lower costs for families. Looking ahead, he proposed expanding the dependent care tax credit, cutting the statewide sales tax for the first time, adding housing and first-time homebuyer support, and providing aid to businesses and households affected by Operation Metro Surge. A major portion of the speech focused on public safety and fraud prevention. Walz said he wanted lawmakers to reestablish the binary trigger ban, pass additional gun violence measures including bans on weapons of war and high-capacity magazines, and strengthen safe storage and insurance requirements for firearms. He also urged passage of his anti-fraud package, which would increase penalties, create a centralized fraud prevention office, and restructure human services administration to improve oversight and program integrity. He closed by urging lawmakers to act on these proposals during his remaining months in office and said the next governor would inherit a fiscally strong state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Number one, it's making much better use of technology.
• First, it's upgrading its filing system.
• Are you looking into how to apply technology algorithms, for example, to go through all the five?
• And we put up with this on almost a per media. basis, is that technology is ahead of the law.
• These are new office buildings and also critical infrastructure upgrades.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• maybe where it is in its uh, technology maybe where it is in its uh, technology life<00:52:18.319
• There are certain technologies that no matter what you do, it's not going to drive down the price.
• But there's a lot of technologies where that's not the case.
• our hardware and software technologies our hardware and software technologies that<01:27:08.239>
• ,<01:27:19.520> but and deploying GETS uh technologies, but and deploying GETS uh technologies

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are a biometrics technology company.
• So we are a biometrics technology company.
• So we are a biometrics technology company.
• Um, we are also, and so that technology is in airports across the U.S.
• TSA over the past 18 months, about our 18-month investment in technology and security upgrades.

Summary: The committee held an interim study on airport security vendors, prompted by Representative Hayes’s earlier House Bill 1271, which would have restricted Oklahoma airports from contracting with third-party identity verification companies such as Clear. Hayes explained the bill stemmed from concerns raised after a December 2022 TSA letter and broader questions about whether these vendors create security risks or bypass TSA screening. The committee heard first from Clear, then Idemia, and then Tulsa International Airport, with members focusing on how identity verification works, whether it differs from TSA screening, and whether the state should regulate these services. Clear’s representative said the company provides an opt-in biometric identity verification service at airports, not physical screening, and that every passenger still goes through TSA screening. He said Clear operates in about 60 airports in roughly 40 states, has about 40,000 members in Oklahoma, and has paid more than $1.1 million to Oklahoma airports since launching in the state. Members questioned how Clear verifies IDs, whether Real ID is required, whether the company can manually override biometric checks, whether it shares data, and whether it has had security issues. Clear said it uses source corroboration with state DMV systems, does not sell data, has no manual override, and has worked with TSA on security upgrades after earlier concerns. Idemia’s representative described the company’s broader biometrics work for Oklahoma and the federal government, including fingerprint systems for the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation, civilian background-check enrollment, TSA checkpoint credential authentication technology, and TSA PreCheck enrollment. She said Idemia’s role stops at identity verification and that TSA retains responsibility for screening and for decisions about who enters trusted traveler programs. Tulsa International’s COO said Clear does not replace TSA, that TSA retains exclusive authority over screening, and that the airport leases space to Clear and receives revenue from the arrangement. No vote was taken, and the meeting ended after questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• changes to help make it clear to the public and more effective at addressing derelict vessel crime, upgrading
• So we have really condensed that process down as much. crime, upgrading our derelict vessel database
• They are technologies that control and monitor a building system.
• So you're tied into something for three to five years, and the technology changes; you shouldn't have
• to wait the balance of that time before you can take advantage of the technology.

Summary: The committee heard three informational presentations. First, Lieutenant Rob Rowe of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discussed derelict vessel removal, explaining the legal definition of derelict and at-risk vessels, the causes of vessel abandonment, and the impact of recent hurricanes on the number of cases. He said FWC has nearly 1,000 active derelict vessel cases, with 576 ready for removal, and described the agency’s use of ARPA funds, grants to local governments, contractor lists, and the V-TIP vessel turn-in program to speed removals and prevent vessels from becoming derelict. Senators asked about how to expedite removals, insurance coverage, due process timelines, and storage challenges; Rowe said the 21-day process is constrained by constitutional due process and that more staffing and prevention funding would help. Next, Stephen Fielder of the Department of Financial Services presented on the My Safe Florida Home program, which provides grants for homeowners to harden homes before storms. He reviewed program eligibility, grant types, reimbursement averages, and performance data, and said the program has received $633 million in appropriations overall. He noted that the program is outsourced to private vendors, has low administrative overhead, and has processed large numbers of inspections and reimbursements. Senators questioned contractor requirements, permits, overhead costs, and whether the program should be brought in-house; Fielder said permits are required before reimbursement, contractor licensing is verified, and the department is considering several administrative clarifications, including townhome roof work, inspection expiration, and whether grants should be limited per person or per home. A retired educator also testified in support of more assistance for homeowners facing insurance problems. Finally, Tom Berger of the Department of Management Services outlined the Florida Facilities Pool and the state’s real estate development and management work. He described the bonded facility program, the state’s 112 managed facilities, lease administration, parking contracts, maintenance operations, and more than $1 billion in active construction projects. He highlighted major projects such as the Emergency Operations Center, Capitol complex upgrades, a new visitor screening center, and facilities for other agencies including veterans’ services, juvenile justice, and the courts. Senators asked about lease terms, appropriation language, vacancy in leased space, and whether the state uses a uniform lease form; Berger said the lease document is standardized and that agencies determine their space needs. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• both technologically both technologically and<01:25:58.400> also<01:25:58.960> in<
• You mentioned upgrading your system. Who owns that system?
• Is it HPIA that owns the system that you're upgrading?
• <01:52:36.079> your um you mentioned upgrading your um you mentioned upgrading your system
• so after 2027 when Marsh's upgrading so after 2027 when Marsh's contract<01:52:46.920> runs<01

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AND OTHER SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES.
• TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY IS CONTINUOUSLY AND RAPIDLY EVOLVING.
• SUN TRACKS A PREMIER TESTING FACILITY FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS AUTOMATED VEHICLE AND TOLLING TECHNOLOGY
• HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE AIR TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY.
• SOME TECHNOLOGY, SOME ROADWAY DESIGN ON THIS.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:41:43.599> was the processes I mean the technology was the processes I mean the technology
• knowing full well the technology knowing full well the technology<00:53:51.079> that<00:53:51.200
• You know, we do—we spend so much time talking about buying into today’s technology.
• You know, we do—we spend so much time talking about buying into today’s technology.
• We’ve looked at the technology.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So is that $14 million just simple surveillance-type technology?
• Awesome technology if it's being used by the good guys, I guess, right?
• And incredibly scary technology if it gets in the wrong hands.
• This funding will be used for campus security upgrades and armed patrols.
• There's money for other technology to help us with meeting the requirements of H.R. 1.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wanted to share that point It seems to me that we're already getting into the technology industry
• And I know this gets into the second panel, but into clean technologies that we can export.
• Satellite technology that's making a difference in the firefight.
• And this technology, irrigation technology, is one of those exportable technologies that we can take
• Also support within CALSTIS budget maintenance of funding for port infrastructure. upgrades generally

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not something that would be protracted, and it's essentially because they have software upgrades
• It's not something that would be protracted, and it's essentially because they have software upgrades
• It's not something that would be protracted, and it's essentially because they have software upgrades
• Um, $25,000 is what's listed to actually provide for the system upgrade for the new plate.
• Um, $25,000 is what's listed to actually provide for the system upgrade for the new plate.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The reality is that kids have technology and their phones, right? And these are not just programs.
• Centers are also facing workforce shortages, delays in technology reimbursement, and uncertainty around
• For our infrastructure projects, we have two electrical infrastructure project upgrades at our hospitals
• The project will upgrade the electrical distribution infrastructure with a 2.4-kilovolt to a 12-kilovolt
• phase is to upgrade low-voltage electrical distribution at each building by replacing old panels and

Summary: The hearing focused first on behavioral health, especially serious mental illness and anosognosia, a condition described by witnesses as a neurological symptom that prevents people from recognizing they are ill. The chair framed the issue around families cycling through emergency rooms, jails, conservatorships, and short-term stabilization without lasting treatment, and warned that federal changes under H.R. 1 could reduce Medi-Cal funding and worsen access. Dawn Marie Anderson gave a personal account of her son’s long history of psychosis, homelessness, arrests, repeated jail and state hospital stays, and eventual stability when he received sustained medication and coordinated support. She argued that the system often treats the problem as criminal rather than medical and that voluntary programs and short-term services are not enough for people who lack insight into their illness. Other panelists, including representatives from the California Behavioral Health Association, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health, and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, agreed that anosognosia is not denial or noncompliance and said the system needs long-term, coordinated care, including assertive community treatment, mobile crisis, supportive housing, medication support, and stronger handoffs between county and managed care systems. They said CalAIM and other reforms have improved some coordination, but significant gaps remain, especially for people with serious mental illness, for those in jail or locked settings, and for people with private insurance, which witnesses said often offers little meaningful coverage for early psychosis or intensive behavioral health services. Several witnesses urged the Legislature to protect Medi-Cal, shore up county safety-net services, and invest in training and family engagement. The committee then turned to the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, with a focus on the virtual services platforms BrightLife Kids and Soluna and the CYBHI fee schedule. DHCS reported strong growth in app registrations, coaching sessions, referrals, and positive user outcomes, saying the platforms provide free, culturally responsive, early-intervention support statewide and help connect users to higher levels of care when needed. On the fee schedule, DHCS said more than 500 LEAs, colleges, universities, and school-linked providers are participating, 181 LEAs have submitted claims, and $9.6 million has been reimbursed to date, with 41,556 students represented in claims. The chair and several members criticized the pace of implementation and the amount of money spent relative to reimbursement levels, saying the Legislature had requested data earlier and that the return on investment still appeared low. DHCS responded that many claims are still being submitted, that 70% of denials are correctable, that $400 million in capacity grants has been distributed locally, and that reimbursement is increasing rapidly as more districts come online. Public comment included a rural county behavioral health director who said private insurance denials leave counties with significant uncompensated work, especially for unlicensed staff providing case management and mobile crisis services.

Transcript Highlights:

• at the fairgrounds, and $1.75 million for energy plant upgrades at a university in western Oklahoma.
• at the fairgrounds, and $1.75 million for energy plant upgrades at a university in western Oklahoma.
• The second one is to a facility, to facility upgrades in a central Oklahoma fairgrounds.
• The third one is $1.75 million for energy plant upgrades at a university in western Oklahoma, which would
• sexual and labor trafficking, and the remaining $250,000 will be transferred to a public safety technology

Bills: SB1290, SB1530, SB1847, HR1050, SB169, SB1377, SB1990, SB1991, SB1778, SB1579, SB1992, SB3, SB2028, SB1928, SB2127, SB2117, SB1439, SB1930, SB330, SB1191, SB2110, SB2134, SB2069, SB2095, SB1613, SB1246, SB1976, SB1346, SB1509, SB2071, SB259, SB1314

Keywords: 2-1-1 services, revolving fund, Department of Human Services, crisis pregnancy, abortion, legal funding, research funding, development rebate, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, tax incentives, higher education partnerships, Medicaid, ADvantage Waiver, home-based services, eligibility criteria, healthcare, senior services, Taiwan, Oklahoma, sister-state relationship

Transcript Highlights:

• the Commonwealth Office of Technology. the Commonwealth Office of Technology.
• technology-related technology-related had<00:14:24.880> to<00:14:24.960> be<00:14:25.040
• technology operations. technology operations.
• And those are for a portion of the required equipment to upgrade the technology due to some of the technology
• <00:57:19.960> some<00:57:20.200> of upgrade the technology due to some of upgrade

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Report of KCNA Board Meeting 00:00:09 KCNA Transition to COT 00:35:55 KCNA Request for Proposals 00:42:00 Kentucky Wired Operations Company 00:42:30, 958, all

Summary: The Information Technology Oversight Committee met, approved the January 12, 2026 minutes, and then heard testimony from KCNA Chair David Couch, KCNA Director Jim Barnhart, and KCNA General Counsel Adam Adkins about the ongoing dispute involving KCNA, Excelacom, and the implementation of House Bill 314. Couch said the board and vendor had recently shown some willingness to work toward a settlement, and he emphasized the importance of KCNA’s broadband service to K-12 schools, noting that litigation had already cost about $1.4 million and could cost another $1.4 million if it continued. He also said the board had identified five immediate goals, including reconnecting 38 K-12 sites, de-escalating disputes, better understanding KCNA finances, protecting the state’s bonding rating, and examining whether duplicate networking hardware could be consolidated. A major portion of the discussion focused on whether House Bill 314 changed KCNA’s authority and how much control the Finance and Administration Cabinet and KCNA’s legal counsel have over operations and contracts. Senator Williams argued that the board now has authority to set policy, implement policy, and approve budgets, and questioned why the cabinet appeared to be exercising operational control. Adkins responded that HB 314 changed the reporting chain from the general government cabinet to the finance cabinet but did not alter the board’s authority, and said budget work on the Ice Miller contract predated HB 314. Couch and other members disputed that interpretation, saying the board had not been properly informed about a recent extension or increase in legal spending and that the board’s directives were not being followed. Representative Hodgson asked why the board could not terminate a contractor if it was not carrying out the board’s wishes, and Adkins replied that Ice Miller was not a party to the board’s contract and that the Finance and Administration Cabinet signs such agreements. The exchange ended with committee members and KCNA representatives agreeing to disagree on the meaning of the statute and the extent of board authority. No formal action was taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite my background, I've been startled by just how much has changed and developed technologically
• Air Force said it would upgrade the airfield at the Iowa National Guard facility.
• They failed in their commitment to complete the runway upgrade.
• If confirmed, do I have your commitment unequivocally that you will fully fund the runway upgrade at
• The very mission of this unit relies upon an upgrade. of its runway.

Keywords: Department of Defense, nominations, Matthew Lohmeyer, Justin Overbaugh, global security, military readiness, NATO, Russia, China, defense infrastructure

Summary: The meeting was primarily focused on discussing nominations for key positions within the Department of Defense, specifically for roles such as the Undersecretary of the Air Force and the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. Senators expressed urgent concerns about global security threats, the need for robust military readiness, and the emphasis on effective collaboration with NATO allies amidst rising tensions with adversaries such as Russia and China. Several senators highlighted the challenges facing military infrastructure and defense capabilities, suggesting a critical need for improvements and investment in these areas to ensure national security.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got it upgraded.
• And you want to upgrade to a fortified standard roof instead of just getting what you had.
• Could we make it, uh, attractive for you as a homeowner to upgrade to this fortified standard?
• It is important to us to advance the technology and the engineering, um, and then we think the market
• When you're replacing a roof, having an endorsement says, hey, we'll upgrade you to a fortified if you

Transcript Highlights:

• This provides that the technology grants that are currently available for child care programs can also
• For me to upgrade to the level which this bill would require would mean that I would have a significant
• Unfortunately, efficiency when it comes to technology is not serving our counties well right now.
• Then they're having to figure out how to use what we call green screen technology.
• As Commissioner Halverson testified, we couldn't thank you more for the investments in This technology

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras