Transcript Highlights:

• fetal cell lines, polyarbate 80, which causes cancer, antibiotics, mRNA that alters the human genetic code
• fetal cell lines, polyarbate 80, which causes cancer, antibiotics, mRNA that alters the human genetic code
• I'm Terry Arburster, Air Force veteran, military pilot, and commercial pilot for over 30 years.

Committee: House Health

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several health-related resolutions and received testimony on each. HCR 28/HR 27 would ask the Department of Health to reconvene a working group on water and air contamination and remediation tied to the Pu‘uloa Range training facility; supporters said nearby residents and the broader public may be exposed to lead and heavy metals, and that further testing and eventual relocation of the range are needed. HCR 35 would request an auditor’s report on the social and financial effects of mandatory insurance coverage for biomarker testing, and HCR 36 would request a similar report on colorectal cancer screening coverage. The Department of Health and cancer advocates supported both, saying biomarker testing helps match patients to the right treatment and that earlier colorectal screening improves outcomes; DOH also cited screening data showing lower screening rates among uninsured people. HCR 134, on limiting cost sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging, drew support from the Susan G. Komen Foundation and others, who said out-of-pocket costs can delay diagnosis and treatment. HCR 171, on mandatory coverage for continuous glucose monitoring, also drew support from health and disability advocates. HCR 185, on coverage for Native Hawaiian healing and cultural practitioners through federally qualified health centers, received support from Papa Ola Lōkahi and a community testifier who described the value of traditional healing and access gaps. HCR 173, urging DOH outreach and vaccination drives at schools with low vaccination rates, drew support from DOH, DOE, and public health and disability advocates, but also strong opposition from several testifiers who argued the measure was government overreach and raised concerns about vaccine safety and parental choice. Testimony on HCR 173 was the most divided, with supporters emphasizing the need to raise immunization rates to prevent outbreaks and protect vulnerable children, while opponents argued schools should not host vaccine drives and that parents should make vaccination decisions without government involvement. The Department of Health said it is already working with schools and community partners to expand school-based immunization efforts and would prioritize schools with rates under 30%. The State Health Planning and Development Agency also supported the measure, saying rates below 50% are a serious public health concern. No votes or final committee actions were announced in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when people go to jail, their Medicaid is turned off, or their commercial insurance.
• And we would apply the policies we do have: employee disciplinary policies, conduct policies, code of
• Thank you. ...policies, code of ethics, those sorts of things.
• It's really a variety of different class codes that over the years, based on the evaluation that we've

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard a series of Arkansas Department of Human Services budget presentations and questions, beginning with the Secretary’s Office and then the Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services. Staff described the divisions’ appropriations, funding sources, and major programs, including senior centers, Meals on Wheels, mental health grants, substance abuse treatment, community alcohol safety, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, and crisis stabilization units. Members raised concerns about flat or limited funding for senior services, the use and tracing of federal block grants, the lack of a funding source for the veterans’ mental health grant, and the mechanics of the community alcohol safety and treatment programs. The committee also discussed patient benefits funds at state facilities, transportation for senior center clients, and whether some special-language appropriations or fund balances should be revisited. Executive recommendations were adopted for the divisions considered. The committee then reviewed the Division of Children and Family Services and the Division of County Operations. Questions focused on foster care growth, adoption subsidies, professional fees tied to staff training and onboarding, vacancies, the Children’s Trust Fund, and TANF subgrants. Members asked about the reduction or elimination of TANF funding to child advocacy centers and other subgrantees, and DHS explained that prior reserves had been spent down and that the department was now trying to live within the annual TANF block grant and rebuild reserves. County operations questions also covered summer EBT, SNAP employment and training, the farmers’ market program, and the expected impact of a federal SNAP administrative match change, which DHS estimated would increase state costs by about $24 million annually, with roughly $18 million affecting the current year because the change begins October 1. Executive recommendations were again adopted. Finally, the committee heard from the Division of Developmental Disability Services and the Division of Medical Services. DDS testimony covered vacancies, staffing shortages, human development center construction and repairs, the reopening of the Boonville work training program, and funding for infant infirmary and child/family life programs. Medical Services testimony covered the Medicaid program, the current FMAP rate, the Our Kids B CHIP program, Medicaid payments to schools, nursing home distress funding, and large appropriation lines used to provide flexibility for claims and potential facility closures. Members asked for more detail on school Medicaid payments, reserve balances, and why some appropriations were much larger than actual spending. In each division, the committee moved and adopted Executive REC after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when people go to jail, their Medicaid is turned off, or their commercial insurance.
• And we would apply the policies we do have: employee disciplinary policies, conduct policies, code of
• And we would apply... ...policies, code of ethics, those sorts of things.
• It's really a variety of different class codes that over the years, based on the evaluation that we've

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public Media is the country's only local, free, commercial-free nonprofit news and information service
• free nonprofit news and commercial free nonprofit news and information<00:21:37.200><c> service</c><
• And if you were to compare salaries with commercial radio stations and commercial media stations, I don't
• And if you were to compare salaries with commercial radio stations and commercial media stations, I don't
• And if you were to compare salaries with commercial radio stations and commercial media stations, I don't

Bills: HF1679 , HF1019 , HF2321 , HF1740 , HF2278

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Keywords: public television, funding, grants, arts and culture, Minnesota, Minnesota Public Radio, arts education, cultural heritage, community engagement, public radio, community radio, educational grants, community cable, public access, programming funding, civic engagement, ethnic media, public access television, Minnesota Humanities Center, funding appropriation

Transcript Highlights:

• It is at a commercial reimbursement rate, so they pay more than a state-funded program.
• It is at a commercial reimbursement rate, so they pay more than a state-funded program.
• It is at a commercial reimbursement rate, so they pay more than a state-funded program.
• </c><01:20:46.679><c> plan</c><01:20:47.080><c> or</c> care or Medicare or a commercial plan or care
• or Medicare or a commercial plan or an<01:20:47.400><c> Arisa</c><01:20:47.920><c> style</c><01:20:48.280

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> That was secret code for something. >> It's not secret code.
• Are these secret codes with the libraries?
• . >> Right, for rentals. >> No, I mean you could do commercial. >> Yeah, that one I think is even harder
• </c><02:28:23.040><c> They're</c><02:28:23.359><c> still</c> codes are being met.
• They're still codes are being met.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 43.200><c> current</c> least 40% more efficient than current least 40% more efficient than current code
• ,<00:59:43.920><c> saving</c><00:59:44.319><c> approximately</c> code, saving approximately code, saving
• The building will be roughly 40% more efficient than code requires.
• The building will be roughly 40% more efficient than code requires.
• just did want to mention the piece around how excited I am to hear a 40% energy reduction from base code

Bills: HF2928 , HF2912 , HF2297

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: water appropriation, data centers, environmental review, energy conservation, permit application, carbon-free energy, geothermal energy, renewable energy, Macalester College, appropriation, sustainability, solar energy, pollinator programs, license plates, agrivoltaics, environmental sustainability, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• That's commercial plans or Medicare.
• <00:48:57.520><c> opportunity</c><00:48:58.319><c> particularly</c><00:48:58.880><c> for</c> commercial
• opportunity particularly for commercial opportunity particularly for intermediaries<00:48:59.920><c>
• just pay the contractual rates that were negotiated, whether those are for Medicare Advantage, commercial
• </c> commercial or self-pay. commercial or self-pay. &gt;&gt; Thank<00:56:19.839><c> you.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the March 11, 2026 minutes, then heard House File 4048, which would exempt chiropractors from Minnesota’s provider tax if they are no longer eligible to provide chiropractic benefits under Medicaid/MinnesotaCare. Representative Robbins said the bill corrects an unfair situation because chiropractors still pay the tax even though the benefit was eliminated. Testifiers from the Minnesota Chiropractic Association and a longtime chiropractor supported the bill, arguing that most chiropractors are small-business owners and should not pay a tax for services they can no longer provide. Several members said they supported restoring chiropractic coverage instead of changing the tax, and there was discussion about whether the tax applies to all providers and whether it is effectively passed on to patients. The committee adopted a motion to recommend HF 4048 to the Committee on Taxes. The committee then took up House File 3893, as amended, a bill to restrict artificial intelligence from engaging in psychotherapy or counseling with humans. The author and supporters said the bill is intended to prevent AI chatbots from posing as therapists or counseling vulnerable people, citing reports of suicides and other harms linked to chatbot interactions. The A2 amendment was adopted; the author said it reflected stakeholder concerns and added informed-consent language. Testifiers in support, including a psychologist and a suicide-prevention nonprofit leader, urged strong safeguards and said AI should not replace licensed professionals in crisis settings. Other testimony raised concerns about overbreadth and unintended effects. TechNet and a rural mental health provider said the bill should be narrowed so it applies to clinical therapy rather than wellness or educational tools, and should allow supervised AI uses such as transcription and administrative support. Members discussed rural access, existing licensing-board authority, privacy laws, and whether the bill should target AI companies directly rather than licensed clinicians. The transcript ends during continued discussion of HF 3893, with no final committee action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Brooklyn Park, 86,000 to 87,000 people—Bloomington is slightly bigger—they have $5.5 billion in commercial
• ><01:21:14.800><c> in</c> bigger uh they have 5.5 billion in bigger uh they have 5.5 billion in commercial
• 15.679><c> values</c><01:21:16.040><c> we</c><01:21:16.159><c> have</c><01:21:16.320><c> two</c> commercial
• property values we have two commercial property values we have two billion<01:21:17.280><c> uh</c><01
• life into my city and new commercial life into my city and these<01:24:36.679><c> Investments</c><01

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We practice zip code discrimination in our public schools.
• c><01:07:33.119><c> we</c><01:07:33.480><c> practice</c><01:07:33.920><c> zip</c><01:07:34.200><c> code
• Support ending zip code discrimination and expand education freedom by pressing the green button, Mr.
• Support ending zip code discrimination and expand education freedom by pressing the green button, Mr.
• and if I know assigned to by ZIP code and if I know that<01:15:23.679><c> some</c><01:15:23.960><c>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, which I think is another interesting commercial opportunity.
• </c><01:24:06.560><c> implications</c><01:24:07.120><c> of</c><01:24:07.280><c> it</c> the commercial
• commercial commercial opportunity.<01:24:23.199><c> Uh</c><01:24:23.520><c> members,</c><01:24:23.920
• Um, one of the places honey production is mostly commercial folks.
• So folks who have more than 500 hives, and we have around 50 commercial beekeepers in Minnesota.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh the vertical commercial builders.
• Captain Robert Zach with the State Patrol commercial vehicle section.
• Captain Robert Zach with the State Patrol commercial vehicle section.
• Captain Robert Zach with the State Patrol commercial vehicle section.
• </c><01:08:56.400><c> vehicle</c> with the State Patrol commercial vehicle with the State Patrol commercial

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:40:35.760><c> from</c><00:40:35.880><c> the</c><00:40:35.960><c> criminal</c><00:40:36.320><c> code
• This would be something they would have to essentially rewrite all the code within some of these POS
• Right now the federal code allows up to $2.5 million, well, let you take up to $2.5 million of that in
• c><01:10:46.280><c> now</c><01:10:46.680><c> the</c><01:10:46.840><c> federal</c><01:10:47.200><c> code
• If you want houses, if you want schools, if you want commercial businesses, you need water.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've spent 30 years in the data industry, both on the commercial side and on the defense side.
• </c> um both on the sides of the commercial um both on the sides of the commercial side<01:08:39.679>
• Being in the commercial data business for as long as I have, much of the data that is being requested
• and warranted is already commercially available and can be, you know, combined, construed in hybrid
• available and can be uh you commercially available and can be uh you know<01:10:32.560><c> combined<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> known as nrcs to support commercial known as nrcs to support commercial Urban<00:21:24.520><c> farmers
• What about the deer farmers, the commercial deer farmers that are in the state?
• What about the deer farmers, the commercial deer farmers that are in the state?
• So how many grants were given out to the commercial deer farmers? Mr.
• That's eight commercial premises and four backyard premises, basically from November to today.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, in essence, this bill with ERISA carved out of it is going to do is just going to affect the commercial
• what, in essence, this bill with ERISA carved out of it is going to do is just going to affect the commercial
• They failed on doing that in the commercial marketplace, and now they are coming to states to try to
• And so, you know, a big insurance company that would offer a product in the commercial marketplace that

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I was on the commercial mobile radio board before this board, and I was on there about eight years.
• on</c><00:16:21.120><c> the</c><00:16:22.079><c> uh</c><00:16:22.720><c> uh</c><00:16:22.959><c> commercial
• </c><00:16:23.440><c> mobile</c><00:16:23.759><c> radio</c> was on the uh uh commercial mobile radio
• was on the uh uh commercial mobile radio board<00:16:24.480><c> before</c><00:16:25.120><c> this</c><

Committee: Joint Technology

Keywords: Technology - Room 216, 18 March, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It fits within our current rotations and is currently on the landscape in the pilot phase, early commercial
• That includes my role, as well as our director of commercialization, as well as four of our breeders
• It fits within our current rotations and currently on the landscape are in the pilot phase early commercial
• That includes my role as well as our director of commercialization, as well as 4 of our breeders who

Bills: HF3692

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: Farmer-Lender Mediation Act, mediation, agriculture finance, debt relief, civil law, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• serve as a resident of a community affected by general aviation airport traffic or traffic at a commercial
• aviation airport traffic or traffic<00:31:01.240><c> at</c><00:31:01.360><c> a</c><00:31:01.400><c> commercial
• c><00:31:01.760><c> airport</c><00:31:02.320><c> at</c><00:31:02.520><c> which</c> traffic at a commercial
• airport at which traffic at a commercial airport at which there<00:31:02.960><c> is</c><00:31:03.080

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, suspended Rule 1B to allow a non-senator to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a special guest introduction before approving the March 2, 2026 journal. The chamber then received committee reports and messages from the House and revisor, including action on several bills and appointments, and briefly moved out of order for personal privileges recognizing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the challenges facing that community amid budget pressures. The Senate adopted House Joint Resolution 1018, designating State Highway 86 through Elbert County as the Plains to Pines Scenic Corridor, after lengthy remarks describing the route, local communities, and scenic and historic features. The resolution passed 35-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. The Senate also passed the consent-calendar bills on third reading: SB 59, SB 50, SB 51, SB 110, SB 61, and SB 26, with several senators recording no votes on SB 59, SB 50, and SB 51. SB 21, concerning the clean fleet enterprise and replacement of high-emitting trucks and fleets, also passed 33-2. The Senate confirmed governor’s appointments to the Colorado Tourism Office Board of Directors on the consent calendar, including Lisa Augustin, Carolyn Glover, Megan Letham, George Keriannac, and Lisa Boyer, all by a 35-0 vote. It also laid over general orders, second reading of bills, until March 4, 2026. The meeting ended with announcements about committee meetings, Read Across America Week, and a Colorado Optometrist Association reception, followed by a motion to recess until 11:00 a.m., which was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 697, Representative Tate, an act relating to commercial surrogacy.
• Representative Tate, an act<00:34:54.320><c> relating</c><00:34:54.720><c> to</c><00:34:54.840><c> commercial
• </c> act relating to commercial surrogacy. act relating to commercial surrogacy.

Keywords: 958, all