Transcript Highlights:

• Foster care at age 21 has unknowingly opened Pandora's box to adult systems.
• CWA appreciates DSS's engagement through their listening sessions and their openness to working through
• That they know that they can at least participate if it's open to them. Absolutely.
• We will even have trouble keeping our schools open by that time.
• aimed to create economic mobility and narrow the racial wealth gap for children who lost a parent. a primary

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They opened my mind to greater possibilities, to say the least.
• Approximately how many beds were open on the pre-release side?
• So there's always been open. Concaparra never packed. So how many beds were open exactly?
• That was open. So that's for sure.
• Then they opened up to two classrooms where we used both homes.

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met to approve prior minutes and then heard extensive testimony focused on reentry, programming, and the differences between Department of Correction facilities and county sheriff programs. Much of the testimony came from incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people describing how county facilities offered education, treatment, work release, identification documents, housing help, and reentry planning that they said were often unavailable or harder to access in state DOC settings. Several witnesses emphasized that these programs helped them obtain sobriety, employment, family reunification, and parole readiness, while others said they needed more time, mentoring, or transitional support before release to make the most of those services. Witnesses from Hampshire, Barnstable, Hampden, and Franklin counties described specific programs such as high school/GED completion, college courses, culinary arts, vocational training, recovery groups, therapeutic treatment, and community-based reentry centers. Many said staff treated them with dignity and that the facilities’ culture encouraged accountability and personal change. A few witnesses also noted that some programs were not a fit for their needs, especially for people without substance-use issues or for those whose mental health needs were not adequately addressed. One Barnstable witness said she returned to custody within 48 hours of release because she was not mentally prepared for reentry, and another from Framingham said mental health support was insufficient and visitation restrictions worsened her experience. Commissioners asked follow-up questions about DOC access to programming, classification barriers, reentry preparation, and visitation policies. Several witnesses said DOC programming was limited by sentence length, classification status, or program waitlists, and that some people were steered into programs that did not match their needs. A number of commissioners and the sheriff present responded by stressing the importance of wraparound services, individualized planning, and hiring formerly incarcerated staff. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, I know I've gone through these opening remarks each day, but each day we've done a different
• I understand that he has some brief opening remarks that he would like to make.
• and unjust redistricting act, will you remember it as an inflection point, a point at which we all open
• You weaken their representation and open the door wide open to underfunding and privatization.
• I work with ...and open the door wide open to underfunding and privatization.

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting met virtually for its West Texas regional hearing, established a quorum, and explained that the hearing was part of a series of statewide information-gathering sessions before any map was filed. The chair outlined the Zoom procedures, the two-minute testimony limit, and the availability of written comments through the committee’s public portal. Senators also discussed the logistics and transparency of the process, including the expectation that any proposed map or amendment would be made public once filed and that additional hearings would follow. Senator Blanco, whose district includes West Texas and the border region, said the area’s communities of interest should be kept together and warned against repeating the loss of representation that followed the last redistricting cycle. Senators Alvarado, Hinojosa, Miles, and others debated the value of virtual hearings versus in-person hearings, the number of people who had testified, and whether the committee could subpoena witnesses after the regional hearings ended. The chair said he was awaiting legal guidance and would consider a subpoena motion at a formal meeting the next day. A lengthy exchange also occurred over the tone of public testimony and the chair’s view that some comments directed at Republicans and the president had been offensive or historically inaccurate. Invited witnesses and public commenters largely opposed mid-decade redistricting and argued that any new map should reflect population growth, especially among Latino and other minority communities, and comply with the Voting Rights Act. Nina Perales of MALDEF said the hearings were not meaningful without a draft map and testified that Texas has a long history of discriminatory redistricting; senators questioned her about litigation, DOJ’s July 7 letter, and the 2021 congressional map. Tania Chavez Camacho, Luis Figueroa, and several El Paso residents emphasized that maps should preserve communities of interest, avoid cracking and packing, and be transparent and participatory. A smaller number of witnesses supported redistricting, including one El Paso resident who said the current districting leaves the area underrepresented and another who argued that some communities want to return to a map closer to the earlier District 16 configuration. Several witnesses also criticized the DOJ letter as inconsistent with the state’s position that the 2021 maps were drawn race-blind, while others said the current process was too rushed and lacked sufficient public input.

Transcript Highlights:

• [Music] Yeah, we'll get an open committee on Ways and Means, and I'd ask Senator Sullivan to lead us
• Um, is there any opening statements anybody wants to make first?
• Um, is there any opening statements anybody wants to make first?
• By June, we expect to have 49 because another facility opened in June in Salem.
• I'm just doing the actual numbers we know about for open lottery.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The witness said they just do not know if there is a need or a mandate that necessitates the need to open
• mandate or that necessitates the<00:23:11.080><c> need</c><00:23:11.240><c> to</c><00:23:11.360><c> open
• c><00:23:11.640><c> school</c><00:23:12.000><c> facilities</c><00:23:12.520><c> so</c> the need to open
• school facilities so the need to open school facilities so we're<00:23:13.039><c> because</c><00:23:
• </c> And those were many of the primary drivers of those costs, but I can talk to Henry in advance of

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began as a Division 3 work session on HB 71, but much of the early discussion focused on whether a previously discussed non-germane amendment could be considered or voted on that day. Members and the chair debated process and notice requirements, and the clerk’s guidance was that the amendment needed a separate public hearing before the full Finance Committee. The amendment was described as requiring DHHS contracts and addenda to include compliance with the Patient Bill of Rights, with a repeal date so the requirement would expire on November 30, 2026. The motion to move OTP on HB 71 with the amendment was withdrawn, and the committee agreed the amendment would be scheduled for a future full Finance hearing instead. The committee then turned to HB 71 itself and heard testimony from DHHS representatives John Williams and Jenny O’Higgins on the fiscal note and policy implications. Members questioned the estimate that the bill could put $12 million to $18 million per year in federal funding at risk, including HUD and Office of Refugee Resettlement funds. DHHS explained that the estimate was based on a broad reading of the bill’s term “specified alien,” which they said was not clearly defined in the bill, so they analyzed it using the federal definition of “alien” and assumed the bill could affect lawfully present non-citizens as well as undocumented individuals. They said the figure represented a worst-case scenario and that they were not claiming the loss was certain. Members also pressed DHHS on whether the bill could affect emergency sheltering in schools, public academies, or institutions of higher learning during disasters. DHHS said the language could create conflicts with federal funding conditions because emergency shelter programs generally cannot impose barriers on who may be sheltered, and they warned that excluding certain people could affect refugee-related and HUD funding. Questions were raised about whether the bill’s language would apply to private institutions as well as public ones, and whether the state could still use schools in short-term emergencies. DHHS said the language was broad, that they could not answer every legal question definitively, and that they would need input from public health and legal staff. No final vote on HB 71 was taken in the portion provided; the committee remained in discussion/work session mode after the amendment motion was withdrawn.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and then we'll come back at 1 um I open and then we'll come back at 1 um I open the<01:59:25.760
• And this land is open for the public. It will be open for the public.
• It's open for snowmobiling, it's open for hunting, and it's open for fishing, of which, quite frankly
• And this land is open for the public. It will be open for the public.
• It's open for snowmobiling, it's open for hunting, and it's open for fishing, of which, quite frankly

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed scheduling and notice for upcoming executive sessions on a larger slate of bills, including plans to take up eight bills in the morning and possibly the last three bills in the afternoon, with caucus time provided if needed. The chair emphasized advance notice, publication, and flexibility if more bills are added later. The hearing then opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and proceeded to HB 568, a bill allowing local planning boards to request water supply studies for subdivisions to ensure water adequacy as housing density increases. Representative Kat McGee, the prime sponsor, said HB 568 was developed after constituent concerns about private wells being affected by nearby development. She described the bill as narrowly tailored, non-mandatory, and intended to preserve local control while clarifying that planning boards may request studies under local regulations. She noted bipartisan support, an exclusion for community water systems and larger groundwater withdrawals regulated elsewhere, and said the bill would help prevent water shortages and related problems for new and existing homes. Questions from members focused on whether the bill should specify that it applies to subdivisions of four or more lots, since that language had been in an earlier version. Testimony on HB 568 was mixed. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors opposed the bill, arguing it lacked a definition of “water supply study,” could lead to expensive hydrology studies, and might raise housing costs; he suggested more work with DES or a study committee. DES administrator Brandon Kernin said the department had worked from a 2010 groundwater commission report, that such problems arise only intermittently in certain areas, and that the bill would make explicit local authority to adopt such ordinances. He also said DES data and homeowner surveys can help identify problem areas and that more robust wells could be considered in the long term. The committee noted 10 online submissions in favor and 3 opposed, plus blue-sheet testimony of 2 in favor and 1 neutral, and then closed the hearing on HB 568. The committee immediately opened HB 582, a bill on safety requirements for operation of personal watercraft. Representative Darby, the sponsor, said the bill responds to the speed and maneuverability of modern personal watercraft, which he described as more like motorcycles on water than traditional boats, and cited a fatal accident on Lake Monomonac as an example of the risks. He said the bill is not intended to restrict ordinary recreation or wake surfing, but to update safety standards for a newer class of larger, quieter three-person PWCs. The hearing began with Darby’s presentation, and no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• She is one of the most open and proud superintendents.
• The United because of open borders.
• So, it must stay open.
• The moratorium is pretty open-ended, right?
• So we would pretty open-ended, right?

Keywords: House streaming session for Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c> care community to provide specialty care community to provide specialty care,<00:10:25.680><c> primary
• 26.160><c> and</c><00:10:26.399><c> to</c><00:10:26.560><c> continue</c><00:10:26.880><c> to</c> care, primary
• care, and to continue to care, primary care, and to continue to deliver<00:10:27.760><c> care</c><00
• Class 4 is the one of primary interest here, and that includes all of the provider claims for health
• option from Hennepin County is to ensure that it has ongoing, sustainable funding to keep the hospital open

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, um, back to the school board issue, is that something that you're open to adding into the bill
• He then launched immediately a primary challenge against then Congresswoman Connie Morella, who he's
• He then launched immediately a primary<01:48:23.520><c> challenge</c><01:48:24.400><c> against</c><01
• :48:25.080><c> then</c> primary challenge against then primary challenge against then Congresswoman<01

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, April 10, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh we're opening up, it's district.
• be open-minded on what you're I'll be open-minded on what you're trying<00:37:10.800><c> to</c><00:37
• looking</c><00:37:39.200><c> at</c><00:37:39.359><c> this</c> be open-minded and looking at this be open-minded
• It's open to time frame allotted.
• They're open cases, load factor tariffs.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:01:12 Approval of Minutes 00:02:25 Co-Chair & Member Comments 00:02:48 Discussion of 2025 SB 137 00:06:58 Outdoor Adventure Tourism Opportunities 00:41:56 Public Service Commission Update 01:21:37, 958, all

Summary: The committee meeting began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and approval of the prior minutes. Members also observed a moment of reflection for Charlie Kirk and offered condolences to Representative Bobby McCool on the death of his mother. Representative Fugate then made announcements about the ongoing ATV/UTV trail system, including an October 21 opening in Letcher County and an October 2 groundbreaking in Knott County, and staff was asked to circulate the dates to members. The main agenda item was Senate Bill 137, presented by Senator Cassie Chambers Armstrong with testimony from George Ecklan of the Coalition of the Homeless and Wesley Bryant, a flood survivor and Eastern Kentucky resident. The bill would prohibit utility disconnections for non-payment during dangerous weather and emergencies, including extreme cold, excessive heat, and declared natural disasters. Supporters said the measure is narrow, does not forgive past-due balances or change reconnection policies, and is intended to protect vulnerable residents, reduce risks to first responders, and create a minimum statewide standard amid a patchwork of utility policies. They cited weather thresholds and historical examples of extreme weather and disaster declarations in Kentucky. Testimony emphasized the human impact of shutoffs, especially for low-income households, older adults, and families facing illness or disaster recovery. Bryant described experiences with people shivering without heat or struggling to keep children cool when power was cut off, calling electricity a lifeline rather than a luxury. Representative Gu raised concerns that utility bills have become unaffordable due to broader policy and rate issues, argued that some customers may not pay if shutoffs are prohibited, and questioned whether the bill was needed. Senator Chambers Armstrong responded that the proposal is limited to non-payment shutoffs during short periods of dangerous conditions and is meant to keep people safe during emergencies. No vote or final action on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• By the way, the individual market has an annual open enrollment period.
• By the way, the individual market has an annual open enrollment period.
• And I have some early reporting that would need to be validated that we just finished open enrollment
• One of the key ones was changing the actuarial method we had originally used, open group aggregate, to
• The open group aggregate method had provided for a much lower unfunded liability and artificially low

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented an overview of its budget and operations, emphasizing that it is the lowest-spending agency in state government and that its general fund allocation has declined since 2019. Commissioner Arling House explained that DAS also handles back-office functions for several administratively attached boards, which has affected staffing and spending comparisons. He said the department’s current general fund spending is roughly split between retiree health and other operations, and that the presentation was based on adjusted authorized spending rather than the original budget figures. A major portion of the meeting focused on retiree health benefits and the long-term effort to control costs. Deputy Commissioner Cassie Keane described how the state moved from a projected deficit in retiree health to savings through a series of changes, including higher premium contributions, co-pay adjustments, and shifting Medicare retirees into Medicare Advantage arrangements to capture federal reimbursement. She said the state has about 12,500 retirees and spouses on the plan, with roughly 10,906 Medicare retirees and 1,580 non-Medicare retirees, and that the savings have depended heavily on federal funding and procurement decisions. She also noted that Medicare retirees pay Part B premiums and that the state has grandfathered older retirees from some premium contributions. Members asked about what the expenditures cover, why the state offers retiree health instead of simply giving retirees a payment to buy coverage themselves, and whether out-of-pocket costs changed under Medicare Advantage. Keane said the plan covers actual health claims or insurance premiums, that co-pays and maximum out-of-pocket limits remain in place, and that the state has no authority to change benefit details without legislative action. She explained that retiree health is a long-standing employee benefit that wraps around Medicare and is not collectively bargained in the usual sense, though its eligibility rules and cost-sharing have been tightened over time to better target the benefit to long-term state service. The discussion also covered vendor performance problems. Keane said Anthem recently won the contract back from Aetna, but its pharmacy subsidiary, Caroline, caused serious service disruptions. DAS responded by withholding payments, assessing more than $2 million in performance guarantees, and hiring a third-party auditor to review the pharmacy processes. The current contract runs through the end of calendar year 2026, and officials said they are watching federal Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes closely because future savings are uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sheila, please open the machine and members proceed to vote.
• Sheila, please open the machine and members proceed to vote.
• The primary purpose of a policy is to not raise revenue.
• It is the primary purpose of the bill.
• It is the primary purpose of the bill.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• commissioner of natural resources and to chairs and ranking members of the legislative committees with primary
• Um, so we suggest more specific language if considered appropriate, such as an open cone, fallen leaves
• And so if we could separate those two things, we could open up lands to non-native and invasive plant
• up lands to two things, we could open up lands to non-native<01:01:53.440><c> and</c><01:01:53.599><
• up a whole another so that that opens up a whole another level<01:14:28.320><c> of</c><01:14:29.040>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They opened my mind to greater possibilities, to say the least.
• Franklin County Sheriff's Office opened my eyes to so many meetings and programs.
• Approximately how many beds were open on the pre-release side?
• So there's always been to open. Concaparra never packed. So how many beds were open exactly?
• Then they opened up to two classrooms where we used both homes.

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met to approve prior minutes and then heard extensive testimony from people incarcerated or formerly incarcerated in county and state facilities, along with a few family/community perspectives. Much of the testimony focused on how county sheriff programs, reentry services, and step-down placements helped people obtain education, treatment, work experience, housing, IDs, and support for sobriety and family reunification. Witnesses from Hampshire, Barnstable, Hampden, and Franklin counties repeatedly described these programs as life-changing and credited staff with treating them with dignity, helping them prepare for release, and connecting them to community resources. Several witnesses contrasted county programming favorably with their experiences in DOC custody, saying DOC facilities often had overcrowding, limited access to programs, long waits, and little individualized reentry planning. Some said their sentence length or classification status made them ineligible for needed programs, while others described county facilities as more responsive and rehabilitative. A few witnesses also highlighted the value of culturally specific programming, educational blocks, restorative justice, and employment training. One witness from Hampden County described All-Exclusive Support Services as pivotal to her recovery and later employment with the sheriff’s office; another from Franklin County said the reentry center’s outside location made it easier to access help after release. Not all testimony was uniformly positive. A witness from Framingham described serious mental health needs that were not adequately addressed, saying she was offered superficial coping tools instead of counseling and that visitation restrictions for family members worsened her mental health. Another witness, a juvenile lifer, said long sentences and classification barriers limited access to meaningful programming and delayed preparation for release. Commissioners asked follow-up questions about DOC programming access, reentry preparation, visitation policies, and whether people were ready to benefit from services. No formal votes or policy actions were taken beyond approving the prior meeting minutes and moving through the testimony agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• You think about where all the open space is: Central Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts.
• We've had at least $22 million collected by our community, and about 70% of that goes to open space.
• We have been preserving open space, but now you want us to add more housing into the limited space that
• You think about where all the open space is: Central Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts.
• We've had at least $22 million collected by our community, and about 70% of that goes to open space.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government held a long public hearing focused mainly on two sets of issues: proposals to amend or repeal the MBTA Communities Act, and bills to allow local rent stabilization. Committee chairs opened by explaining the hearing would be tightly managed because of the very large number of speakers, with testimony limited to two minutes per person and written testimony still accepted by email. Members and witnesses were called in a mix of in-person and virtual order throughout the hearing. On the MBTA Communities Act, several legislators and local officials argued the law is too rigid and should be revised to account for local conditions. Speakers from small, rural, or infrastructure-limited communities such as Hanson, Halifax, Marshfield, Winthrop, Dracut, Carver, Rehoboth, and others said the law’s one-size-fits-all approach does not fit towns with limited water, sewer, transit access, or buildable land. Some filed bills would repeal the law, exempt certain communities, or create appeals processes based on infrastructure, environmental, or historical constraints. Supporters of the law’s changes emphasized local control and the need to avoid forcing development where communities believe it is impractical or inconsistent with town character. A large portion of the hearing was devoted to rent stabilization legislation, especially S. 1447 and related House bills. Supporters included legislators, city councilors, tenant advocates, labor leaders, housing nonprofits, public health organizations, and residents who described sharp rent increases, displacement, homelessness risk, and the strain on working families, seniors, students, and people with disabilities. They argued local-option rent stabilization would let municipalities cap excessive increases and prevent no-fault evictions while preserving flexibility for local conditions. Opponents, including small landlords and property owners, said rent control would discourage investment, worsen housing quality, burden responsible owners, and drive small landlords out of the market. Some witnesses also supported a Cape Cod/Island transfer fee bill and a suburban infrastructure fund, arguing those would provide local revenue for housing or roads. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our primary fund is the Medicaid 1915(c) waiver. As you know, there are two waivers in Hawaii.
• Custom Products first opened in 2010, where they print shirts and bags for various schools and companies
• First time since COVID that we're going to be fully open, and I'm proud that my new colleagues at the
• First time since COVID that we're going to be fully open, and I'm proud that my new colleagues at the
• We're going to be fully open, and I'm proud that my new colleagues at the HHS are present here to know

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held an informational briefing on the Developmental Disabilities Council and related agencies. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities outlined its 2025 legislative priorities, including a pilot project for guardian ad litem and capacity evaluations in guardianship/conservatorship cases, a supported decision-making bill, a health disparities study for people with disabilities, an ABLE savings outreach/staffing measure, a Medicaid buy-in proposal, an adult changing tables equity bill, and a resolution on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Council representatives emphasized that supported decision-making would complement tools like powers of attorney and medical releases, and that the health disparities study would help identify unmet needs by ZIP code and improve state data on the intellectual and developmental disability population. The Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii described its role as the research and training arm within the DD system, working with the DD Council and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center. It reported activities such as interdisciplinary training, community education, technical assistance, research collaborations, the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, publications, telehealth, ECHO Autism, and counseling for Maui fire survivors. The center said it leveraged about $16 million in outside funding last year and highlighted goals focused on workforce development, community capacity, research with direct participation from people with disabilities, and accessible dissemination of information. The Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the state’s protection and advocacy agency, supported the Council’s priorities, especially supported decision-making, which it said could help some people avoid guardianship while preserving liberty and reducing state resource use. The center also raised concerns about the DD system budget and urged legislators to review whether the Developmental Disabilities Division is requesting enough funding, noting possible backsliding in services and eligibility. The Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health then outlined its statewide waiver program serving just over 3,500 people, its service array, and its budget request for increased waiver funding, a federal initiatives coordinator, and IT upgrades to comply with the new HCBS access rule; no votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh cafeteria is supposed to open this week.
• I know Lo supposed to open this week.
• </c> is hereby open is hereby open requiring<00:23:42.640><c> certain</c><00:23:43.039><c> companies<
• Since the mediation is kind of open-ended here, would this open a window for a carrier to request, say
• I hereby open the session.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think I made that very clear in my opening.
• Plus, we have like 1,500 open spaces, and it hasn't, I mean, it hasn't dropped the cost, and that's very
• So this bill provides for that consistency: it has to be consistent with the primary dwelling and has

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So hopefully that will probably be the primary way in which most of our students who need that support
• Community colleges have long been open access institutions, and our goal is to serve students from all
• colleges<00:11:53.920><c> have</c><00:11:54.160><c> long</c><00:11:54.480><c> been</c><00:11:54.720><c> open

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've got some testimony I'll offer and I'll open it up for questions at that point. Today.
• I've got some testimony I'll offer and I'll open it up for questions at that point.
• legislature, as many of you will find in bills that you're going to support, that this would be the primary

Committee: House Utilities

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2383, Representative Simmons’s bill addressing theft of copper and other infrastructure-related property. After a brief executive session and no further discussion, the committee voted the bill do pass by a roll call of 17 ayes, 1 no, and 1 present. The committee then heard House Bill 2711, sponsored by Representative Deal, which would lower the assessed valuation of broadband communications equipment from 33.5% to 12% for new broadband equipment placed in service after August 28, 2026, with a proposed sunset period discussed as part of a substitute. Representative Deal and several industry witnesses, including AT&T, Verizon, Missouri Cable Association, Missouri Broadband Providers Association, Missouri Chamber, and electric co-ops, argued the measure would improve Missouri’s competitiveness, encourage private investment, and help expand broadband in rural and underserved areas. Opponents, including county assessors, argued the bill would reduce local tax revenue, create unequal treatment, and could become a precedent for other industries. Committee members questioned whether the bill would apply only to new builds or also to upgrades and existing infrastructure, and whether the tax relief would actually drive expansion into rural areas. The committee then began hearing House Bills 2402 and 2816, which deal with solar energy siting and taxation. The sponsors described the bills as setting local assessment rules for solar projects, establishing a per-megawatt valuation, requiring larger setbacks from homes, schools, and churches, and limiting the amount of tillable land that can be used for solar in a county, while also addressing Chapter 100 agreements and decommissioning concerns. Supporters, including Missouri Farm Bureau and county officials, said the bills would provide needed guardrails, local control, and more consistent taxation. Opponents and affected landowners said existing solar projects have caused glare, dust, noise, and property value concerns, while some developers said they wanted clearer statewide rules and consistency for future projects. The committee did not take final action on the solar bills before going into recess.