Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> without</c><00:15:56.720><c> systemic</c> absorb systemic shocks without systemic absorb systemic
• The financial impact in our district, and all districts, is immediate and also long-term.
• As a result, we will see sustained learning loss, long-term mental health consequences, deepened achievement
• result, we will see sustained learning result, we will see sustained learning loss,<00:42:52.319><c> long-term
• </c><00:42:52.880><c> mental</c><00:42:53.200><c> health</c> loss, long-term mental health loss, long-term

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• One has been long-term state policies that have shut down or dramatically limited reliable, affordable
• </c> or long-term price stability. or long-term price stability.
• President, is in having short-term goals and long-term goals for our district, we cannot get one multiplier
• President, is in having a short-term goals<01:04:40.920><c> and</c><01:04:41.080><c> long-term</c><01
• President, I tell you about my short-term and my long-term goals. The thing that sits with me, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid funds with the expectation of repayment, there are no assurances of that repayment of funds by a long-term
• Medicaid funds with the expectation of repayment, there are no assurances of that repayment of funds by a long-term
• Medicaid funds with the expectation of repayment, there are no assurances of that repayment of funds by a long-term
• </c> introduce traceability to the system. introduce traceability to the system.
• </c> that takes care of Representative Weber. that takes care of Representative Weber.

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is a short-term deal.
• , I hadn't caused the retirement system anything.
• And he argued, and at the end, he said... ...system, I hadn't caused the retirement system anything.
• Of the system, and there will be two members that are active members of the system, but not associated
• , term limits.

Committee: House Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:55:11.200><c> like</c><00:55:11.280><c> it</c><00:55:11.440><c> the</c> Down on line 16, under long-term
• On line 31, system of care.
• On line 31, system of care.
• On line 31, system of care.
• </c> retirement system back in 2011? retirement system back in 2011?

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through a side-by-side of the budget. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre testified that lottery revenues are outperforming prior estimates, projecting a $27 million return to the state this year, up $7 million, and $200 million per year in the next biennium, up $6.5 million per year. He attributed the increase to stronger scratch ticket sales, no negative impact from Massachusetts sports betting, and overall better performance. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher numbers, including the proposed $50 scratch tickets, the effect of inflation, and whether the projections were conservative enough. McIntyre said the $50 ticket could produce modest growth and that the estimates were intentionally cautious. The discussion also covered gaming revenue assumptions for historical horse racing and video lottery terminals, with McIntyre saying the state market is not yet saturated and that future conversions from HHR to VLTs should be net positive for the state. Members also discussed differences between House and Senate revenue numbers for gaming, including machine counts, daily revenue assumptions, and the tax split. The Senate version used higher machine counts and a 31.25% tax rate, with a quarter-point reserved for responsible gaming and the remainder split between charities and the state. The House had used a 30% rate with a different distribution. McIntyre and committee members also reviewed House Bill 2 items affecting Kino hours and local option games of chance, with McIntyre explaining that the bill would expand playing hours and shift towns to an opt-out model. No votes were taken during the lottery discussion, but the committee indicated it would continue refining the revenue model and circulate the spreadsheet used for the estimates. The committee then moved through the HB 1 detail change sheet, accepting several Senate positions and holding others for later. It agreed to a zero-cost realignment in the Department of Safety moving the international fuel tax agreement function from administration to motor vehicles, and it restored eight passenger motor vehicle inspection positions for later discussion in HB 2. The Department of Corrections reorganization was set aside for a later, more detailed discussion. The committee also accepted no-change positions for the Department of Employment Security and agreed to a technical footnote fix in the Judicial Council section. It discussed a new HB 2 item moving contract counsel for involuntary mental health admissions from the judicial branch to the Judicial Council, funded at $100,000 per year, and noted that the public defender funding issue would be revisited when the overall budget picture is clearer. The meeting ended with the committee continuing its review of the remaining pages of the detail change sheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had three very long-term employees that retired in the last year as well. >> Okay.
• We had three<00:22:15.520><c> very</c><00:22:15.919><c> long-term</c><00:22:16.480><c> employees</c><
• 00:22:16.960><c> that</c> three very long-term employees that three very long-term employees that retired
• </c> to push forward as long as I'm I'm here. to push forward as long as I'm I'm here.
• </c> do they pay that back into the system? do they pay that back into the system? Okay. Okay.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• The backlog to move through that LARC in-processing system.
• on the system.
• We need to provide a certain level of care.
• And so has there been any thought given to where we know we've got long-term, very wealthy folks that
• You're trying to circumvent the system in some other way.

Bills: SB1636 , SB1584 , SB1730 , SB1255 , SB1627 , SB137 , SB2062 , SB1470 , SB1284

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Summary: The Public Safety Committee took up a series of bills dealing with cold cases, sexual assault investigations, parole, criminal code cleanup, jail backlog relief, private prison oversight, and human trafficking. SB 1636, by Sen. Hicks, would let an immediate family member or similar person request an OSBI investigation in a cold case; it passed 8-0. SB 1584, by Sen. Burns, shortened the deadline for submitting sexual assault evidence kits for forensic testing and required kits received after the effective date to be processed within 30 days; it passed 8-0. SB 1730, by Sen. Thompson, required law enforcement to forward sexual assault reports to OSBI to help identify repeat offenders, with testimony that the reports would remain confidential and could still be expunged where applicable; it passed 8-0. The committee also approved SB 1255, by Sen. Yack, which shifts the authority to request medical parole from the DOC director to the DOC medical director while leaving parole board and gubernatorial discretion intact; it passed 8-1. SB 1627, by Pro Tem Paxton, was a request bill to consolidate redundant and obsolete criminal statutes into a cleaner code, and it passed 9-0 after questions about underlined language in the committee substitute. SB 137, by Vice Chair Hamilton, would remove DUI causing great bodily injury from eligibility for DOC’s electronic monitoring program after a case highlighted what sponsors described as a loophole; it passed 9-0. SB 2062, by Sen. Pugh, sought to reduce county jail and LARC backlog by allowing certain low-level, nonviolent offenders to bypass county jail waiting periods and report directly to their assigned facility after screening; members raised concerns about flight risk, logistics, transportation, and county impacts. Pugh agreed to continue working on the measure and requested a struck title, and the bill passed 7-1. SB 1470, by Sen. Brooks, as amended, would allow elected officials and religious leaders to conduct informal inspections of private prisons operated for out-of-state interests, with a three-day notice requirement and definitions added to narrow the scope; it passed 8-0. Finally, SB 1284, by Vice Chair Hamilton, aimed at combating human trafficking in exotic entertainment venues by creating licensing and inspection requirements and penalties for unlicensed operation or knowingly hiring unlicensed performers. The bill drew extensive debate over whether it was too punitive or could sweep in lawful businesses, but supporters said it would help identify trafficking victims and improve oversight; it passed 7-1. The committee adjourned after the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't prevent us from all getting together and doing what, in the long term, everyone wants to do
• wants</c><01:13:16.800><c> to</c><01:13:16.960><c> do</c><01:13:17.199><c> is</c> long term every everyone
• wants to do is long term every everyone wants to do is find<01:13:17.760><c> a</c><01:13:18.000><c>
• </c> justice system. justice system.
• care so much?

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 141, which would create a narrow exception to New Hampshire’s three-year deadline for motions for a new trial when a petitioner has newly discovered evidence, new forensic testing, or new scientific understanding. The prime sponsor’s representative and advocates from the Innocence Project and New England Innocence Project argued the bill is needed to help wrongfully convicted people access the courts, noting that exonerations often take many years and that outdated forensic science has contributed to wrongful convictions. The chair also said he had drafted a proposed amendment for committee review, but it had not yet been formally submitted. Witnesses supporting the bill emphasized that the measure would not guarantee relief, only allow a petition to be filed and reviewed under existing standards. They discussed examples such as arson science, explaining that some convictions were based on forensic methods later shown to be unreliable. Committee members asked about the scope of habeas corpus, whether the bill would create a new cause of action, and whether additional screening or pleading requirements should be added. The supporters said they would be open to requiring a petitioner to plead innocence, but opposed adding more burdensome preliminary procedures or counsel requirements at the filing stage. Thomas Farardi, from the Attorney General’s Office, testified in opposition or with caution, saying the bill was a “solution looking for a problem” because existing habeas corpus and coram nobis procedures already provide avenues for relief, and prosecutors can act when credible new evidence arises. He argued the current draft could invite additional litigation and create a new cause of action, and said he favored more screening before cases proceed. The discussion also touched on whether the statute applies in criminal cases, the current three-year limitation in RSA 526:4, and questions about posthumous petitions and petitions by deported individuals. No vote or executive action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:49.760><c> has</c> Once the data from those systems has Once the data from those systems has
• I believe was recommended by the Campaign Finance Board. terms of non- campaign contributions to terms
• Um, I I do have used the term zero.
• And if anyone cares, um, Mr. &gt;&gt; Thank you. And if anyone cares, um, Mr.
• </c><01:15:25.920><c> Um</c> very long definition. Um very long definition.

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no single fingerprint system or comparable system that can reliably work across every content
• We do want to make sure that the systems can work and that they're feasible.
• All right, with that, committee system, please call the roll on AB 412.
• care have steadily intensified, threatening access to health care services for millions of Californians
• All right, reconvening the committee for our long-awaited AB 2561.

Committee: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• These projects mean jobs, long-term industrial growth, and the ability to maintain Louisiana leadership
• the specific public purpose that justifies taking private land for a private CO2 pipeline or a CO2 long-term
• You know, it shuts down construction of pipelines, and it shuts down the CCS projects for long-term storage
• in, takes control of private property through force, unionization, and eminent domain, and shifts long-term
• And be sustainable long term, and be transparent and accountable.

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• of housing. terms of being competitive with New York.
• fund that goes to all health care facilities.
• So, we need to be very careful, right, in terms of the California Equal Protection Clause.
• without work there is no health care.
• I've been in this business for a long time.

Transcript Highlights:

• Primary care is free. If I want specialist care, the co-pay is $40.
• </c> but uh typically the uh uh um your care but uh typically the uh uh um your care is<00:03:12.080>
• ><c> co-pay</c><00:03:57.040><c> is</c> I want Specialist Care uh the co-pay is I want Specialist Care
• </c><00:04:00.519><c> last</c> $40 so if I I look at my own care last $40 so if I I look at my own care
• I don't care who puts it in place.

Bills: HF2335 , HF2400 , HF2401 , HF2522

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• But ultimately help local governments create better practices that will create cost savings long term
• </c> uh what it would en Encompass in terms uh what it would en Encompass in terms of<01:02:33.039><c
• In terms of scope, the speaker said it was explicitly limited to hospitals and not every health care
• It is a big ask, but they want them to look for it. term so so I think by the beginning of term so so
• </c> not a policy of of requirement for care not a policy of of requirement for care for<01:32:29.560

Summary: The Finance Committee held a hearing on House Bill 619, which would appropriate $1 million to the Solid Waste Management Fund for matching grants to municipalities and businesses for waste diversion projects, with 50% of the money prioritized for food waste diversion. Representative Karen Ebel, the sponsor, said the fund would help New Hampshire meet its solid waste diversion goals, preserve landfill capacity, and support composting, recycling, and related local business activity. She cited New London’s composting program as an example, saying 172 families participated and 32 tons of food waste were diverted in 2024, reducing tipping and trucking costs. Committee members asked about possible alternative funding sources, including a surcharge on landfill tipping fees. Ebel said many other states use such surcharges to fund recycling and solid waste programs, while New Hampshire relies on general funds. She also said the current fund balance was about $900,000 because some money had been used for staffing, and that the grant program was still in rulemaking. Questions also focused on how household composting works and whether municipalities could generate revenue from compost; Ebel said participation is optional, most programs use buckets and transfer stations, and the main benefit is cost savings from reduced disposal rather than compost sales. Testimony in support came from the New Hampshire Municipal Association and the Northeast Resource Recovery Association. Both said municipalities are interested in food waste diversion and composting, that these programs can reduce long-term disposal costs and property tax pressure, and that there is growing demand for technical assistance and grant support. The Northeast Resource Recovery Association said food waste makes up about 24% of municipal and business waste, that fewer than two dozen communities and fewer than two dozen businesses currently offer such services, and that a City of Lebanon pilot program saw about 30% savings by composting on site. The Department of Environmental Services said it was not taking a position but is working on rulemaking for the grant program and expects strong interest from municipalities, private composters, farmers, and anaerobic digester operators. No vote or final action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can see how long was going down.
• So it is a different system, whereas in the U.S. government tests at the port, ...a different system,
• Generally speaking, most of the companies are here in the long term, but we have the advent of these
• So that's a whole system.
• What this means in practical terms is that in terms of raw research activity, LSU agriculture is currently

Committee: House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture & Rural Development

Summary: The House Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum, adopted the prior meeting minutes, and heard a series of agriculture-related bills, most of them sponsored by Representative Domain or Chairwoman Butler. The first major bill, HB 121, would expand the Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s authority over imported seafood by allowing its inspectors, in addition to the Department of Health, to seize and destroy adulterated seafood already under stop order. Representative Domain and Commissioner Strain framed the bill as a seafood-safety and anti-fraud measure aimed at protecting Louisiana shrimpers from tainted imports and bad actors. Members asked about cost, testing rates, countries of origin, and whether the bill would affect imported shrimp prices; the commissioner said it would not raise consumer prices and that Louisiana’s testing is focused at retail rather than ports. HB 121 was reported favorably with no objections. The committee then considered HB 725, which requires restaurants/retailers to retain invoices from imported seafood vendors for six months. After a technical amendment changing the bill’s one-liner from “restaurants” to “retailers,” the bill was explained as a recordkeeping tool to help auditors verify country-of-origin and labeling compliance without costly product testing. It was reported favorably with amendments. The committee also heard a bill reducing the required number of annual meetings for the Agriculture Finance Authority from four to two; Commissioner Strain said the change would streamline operations when there is no business to conduct, and it was reported favorably. Next, the committee took up HB 344 and HB 370 dealing with the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund. HB 344 raises the fund’s balance thresholds for suspending and restarting assessments, while HB 370 increases the assessment rate on agricultural commodities to replenish the fund more quickly. Commissioner Strain described recent large losses from grain broker bankruptcies, including Hansen-Mueller, and explained that the fund has been paying farmers but needs a larger balance to handle future defaults. Members discussed the risks posed by brokers, the adequacy of bonding, and the need to protect farmers and rural communities; both bills were reported favorably. The committee also advanced HB 367, aligning Structural Pest Control Commission hearing notices with the Administrative Procedure Act, and HB 847, which modernizes Soil and Water Conservation district supervisor elections by shifting administration to the Secretary of State and updating petition and ballot procedures after a crowded, ballot-short election. Finally, HB 505 streamlined certification and renewal rules for commercial applicators, pesticide salespersons, and agricultural consultants, including a technical amendment to keep unexpended pesticide-fund money in the fund; it too was reported favorably with amendments. After the bills, Commissioner Strain gave a lengthy update on the state of agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture. He highlighted continued pressure on shrimp from low-cost imports, currency shifts, and inadequate domestic marketing and cold storage, as well as ongoing seafood labeling enforcement and testing. He also discussed feral swine damage, drought and wildfire concerns, fertilizer and diesel cost increases, crop acreage trends, and export efforts for rice and timber, including Louisiana wood pellets used in the United Kingdom. LSU Ag Center Dean Matt Lee followed with a presentation on the center’s research and extension work, emphasizing its statewide network, high research ranking, and the economic return from agricultural science, especially in sugarcane variety development. He said LSU Ag Center research has helped Louisiana maintain strong sugar production and supports producers across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• our health care system.
• And I know our laws have placed you in... ...of health care in our health care system.
• Prior to my election, I had a long career in health care as a registered nurse, caring for patients side
• Prior to my election, I had a long career in health care as a registered nurse, caring for patients side
• You are on the front lines of our health care system, yet our laws have placed you in an increasingly

Bills: HM3 , HM11 , HM14 , HM15 , HM18 , HM21 , HB10 , HB11 , HB12 , HB13 , HB14 , HB31 , HB50

Transcript Highlights:

• their experiences, and advocate for policies that expand peer recovery support in communities and long-term
• ><01:10:53.600><c> and</c> recovery support in communities and recovery support in communities and long-term
• stability for the Colorado long-term stability for the Colorado Recovery<01:10:57.679><c> Community.
• c><04:01:54.560><c> you</c><04:01:54.800><c> know</c><04:01:54.960><c> it</c> in terms of uh how long
• you know it in terms of uh how long you know it takes<04:01:55.520><c> for</c><04:01:55.840><c> these

Transcript Highlights:

• Maybe that's why I was asked to come and speak, but that was a long, long, long, long time ago.
• And then if I'm 65 and over, does the long-term senior resident—how does it work? I have no idea.
• Trim key terms and some millage limitations that are both in the Trim key terms and some millage limitations
• Now, this particular term, This particular term gets batted around a lot, and it means a lot of different
• Now, how do we avoid chaos in that system?

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for an educational session focused on how Florida funds public schools and how property taxes are assessed and levied. Dr. Jim Zengali of the Department of Revenue explained the FEFP school funding formula, noting that it is built on weighted student counts, a base student allocation, and programmatic add-ons such as transportation, exceptional student education, school safety, and mental health. He said school funding is roughly split between state general revenue and local property taxes through required local effort, with additional discretionary and capital outlay millages contributing to total school funding. He also described the Department of Revenue’s role in certifying property rolls at fair market value and reviewing them for substantial compliance, including the so-called “nuclear option” if a roll is not approved. Members asked about trends in millage rates, county-by-county funding differences, the effect of growth and enrollment changes, and how property appraisals are reviewed. Zengali said aggregate millage for school funding has declined over the last decade while revenues have still increased, and he agreed to provide additional data on county trends, parcel strata, student growth, and enrollment impacts. He also clarified that school funding is equalized so students receive similar resources regardless of county wealth, and that federal funding plays only a small role in the FEFP. Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research then discussed existing homestead benefits. She said about half of Florida’s parcels are homestead properties, most fall in the $250,000 to $500,000 value range, and many seniors without mortgages pay property taxes in lump sums rather than through escrow. Baker explained that Florida’s homestead tax burden is middle-of-the-pack nationally and that the main benefits are Save Our Homes and portability on the differential side, plus the $25,000 homestead exemption and related exemptions on the exemption side. She said these benefits reduce taxable value substantially, with homestead properties receiving a large share of the reductions, and noted that the committee requested follow-up data on exemption usage, portability timing, senior exemptions, and county-level patterns. The final presentation, by Lizette Kelly of the Department of Revenue, covered millage rates and the TRIM process. She reviewed the history of truth-in-millage notices, required taxpayer mailings, public hearing notices, and later changes that tied local millage resets to rollback and majority-vote rates. Kelly explained the difference between proposed and adopted millage, the rollback rate, and the majority-vote rate, and described how taxing authorities include counties, cities, special districts, and MSTUs. She also outlined how county taxable value is calculated from just value through assessment differentials and exemptions, and how certain exemptions, such as the additional senior exemption, apply only to the taxing authority that adopted them. No votes were taken during the meeting, but members requested several follow-up data reports for later discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's already a system that is in place at LDOE.
• That's how we reduce the long-term reliance on intensive support.
• That's how we reduce the long-term reliance on intensive supports, not by limiting access to them prematurely
• Without appropriate supports, children are not failing the system. The system is failing them.
• I think we've come a long way.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee met on March 25, 2026, with a quorum present and heard a series of education-related bills and one resolution. The committee first took up HB 636 on hazing at public post-secondary institutions. Representative LaFleur presented the bill as a response to Caleb Wilson’s death, and family members, former Rep. Jason Hughes, and other supporters urged stronger prevention, reporting, and penalties. The committee adopted amendments adding implementation details and a lifetime ban on re-chartering an organization if hazing results in death, then reported the bill as amended as the “Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act.” The committee then heard HB 218 on food insecurity screenings in public schools. LaFleur said the bill would formalize a process to identify hungry students and connect families to resources, with amendments tying the screening to existing McKinney-Vento forms and adding food-insecurity questions. Support came from charter school representatives, the Department of Education, and others, while Dr. Will Hall suggested involving caregivers and faith-based groups. The bill was reported with amendments. The committee also approved HB 626, which would require colleges and universities to provide suicide-prevention information, hotline access, and aggregated non-identifiable reporting on suicide risk. Rep. Jordan described it as a response to an uptick in suicides among college-age students, and the Board of Regents said most institutions already use telehealth or 988 resources. The bill was reported favorably. Next, the committee heard HB 749 on the administration of START, START K-12, and ABLE savings accounts. Rep. Carver said the bill would modernize and secure the program by allowing a third-party manager and online platform, while Treasury and Board of Regents staff explained that oversight would remain in place and that ABLE accounts would not be charged fees. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered HB 352 on behavioral health services for public school students. Rep. Mack and advocates from the Arc and ABA providers said the bill would ensure medically necessary services can be delivered in classrooms or other school settings, while the Louisiana Federation of Teachers asked for clearer pre-conference expectations to avoid classroom disruption. After testimony from parents, providers, and school stakeholders, the bill was reported with amendments. Finally, the committee approved HB 201 creating a state seal of fine arts for high school graduates, and HB 738 revising student disciplinary proceedings at colleges and universities to ensure evidence and fairness in disciplinary actions. Both bills were reported favorably. The committee also began hearing HCR 14, which expresses support for federal efforts to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, but the transcript cuts off before any final action on the resolution is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• by uh providing um hospital health care by uh providing um hospital systems<00:04:30.960><c> uh</c><
• system, and we know that this is a way that we can bring greater stability to our health care programs
• system, and we know that this is a way that we can bring greater stability to our health care programs
• <00:07:41.520><c> know</c><00:07:41.680><c> that</c><00:07:42.000><c> that</c> care system and um we
• know that that care system and um we know that that this<00:07:42.560><c> is</c><00:07:42.720><c> a</

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services