Transcript Highlights:

• the requirement that a home equity loan may be closed. was only at the office of the lender, an attorney

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It brings in the right for the district attorney to appeal a ruling about a bond that they feel is inappropriate

Bills: SJR2 , SB4 , SJR36 , SJR2 , SB4 , SR42 , SR74 , SR76 , HCR5 , SB710 , SB710

Keywords: SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, constitutional amendment, homestead exemption, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval, November 2025 ballot, local government, Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• a machine gun. of a machine gun, prohibiting machine guns and rapid-fire devices, requiring the Attorney

Transcript Highlights:

• 05.760><c> from</c> We had heard just an hour or so ago the press conference from Governor Walz and Attorney

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It also removes the requirement that a children's court attorney consult probation services before filing

Transcript Highlights:

• But some fathers there are pushed away because they can't afford an attorney, and, you know, custodial
• court, but they also get in trouble with other problems, uh, because they don't have access to an attorney
• 00:27:43.280><c> an</c> because they don't have access to an because they don't have access to an attorney
• 45.080><c> you</c><00:27:45.200><c> said,</c><00:27:45.440><c> that</c><00:27:45.600><c> can</c> attorney
• And so, as you said, that can attorney.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting was a discussion of fatherhood and a possible response to Senator Robby Mills’ Resolution 112, which had proposed a task force on fatherhood initiatives. After approving the June meeting minutes and confirming a quorum, the committee heard a presentation from Mark Ludwig, executive director of the National Council for Equal Shared Parenting, who argued that fatherhood is often left out of public policy and that stronger father involvement is linked to better outcomes in crime, education, substance abuse, and family stability. He cited Kentucky’s 50/50 shared parenting law as a model and urged fatherhood classes, employment support, mentoring, co-parenting education, and partnerships with community organizations, schools, and social workers rather than relying solely on state spending. He also said fatherhood engagement could save the state money by reducing incarceration and related costs. Members then raised concerns that the presentation did not sufficiently address structural causes of fatherlessness, especially incarceration, racial disparities, gun violence, poverty, housing, transportation, and sentencing policy. Senator Berg and Representative Kulkarni emphasized that Black and brown families are disproportionately affected by incarceration and violence, and questioned whether fatherhood programs alone can solve the problem without broader reforms. Ludwig responded that some fathers are pushed out by the court system or lack legal resources, and said reintegration programs and legal, financial, and community supports are part of the solution, though he had focused mainly on the need for fatherhood programming in this presentation. No bill was voted on and no formal action was taken beyond approving the minutes. The discussion appeared to be an initial policy conversation to gather ideas and perspectives for possible future work on fatherhood-related initiatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it took a Democratic governor and a Democratic attorney general to bring that issue out and start
• We, on further consideration with the rules attorney, pulled out a provision that we thought might have
• And I know that you are going to be an equitable, fair, wise attorney general, and I just appreciate
• Attorney General, and I just appreciate your leadership and the way you empowered us, Chairman, to run
• were married then—and he had a law firm, and one of his partners was considering being the defense attorney

Summary: The Senate met, opened with prayer and the pledge, and then handled a series of messages and floor actions. The chamber transmitted a large group of Senate bills to the governor and Senate Concurrent Memorial 1004 to the Secretary of State. It also received House requests to return Senate Bills 1175 and 1198 for reconsideration, which were granted without objection. The Senate then moved into Committee of the Whole to consider several House concurrent resolutions. On H.C.R. 2001, a constitutional referral on election requirements, senators debated a Judiciary Committee amendment and a Hoffman floor amendment that would require voter ID, allow election-day tabulation of early ballots at polling places, and require legislative funding for implementation. Supporters said the measure would improve election security, voter confidence, and speed up results; opponents argued it was vague, could undermine mail voting, and lacked clear implementation details. The amendment was adopted, and after further debate the Committee of the Whole gave H.C.R. 2001 a do-pass recommendation by a 15-12 vote. Later, on third reading, the full Senate passed H.C.R. 2001 by a 16-12 vote and transmitted it to the House. The chamber also considered H.C.R. 2003, a referral on student athletics and biological sex. Senator Ortiz offered a floor amendment to replace the blanket ban approach with rules based on athletic ability and inclusion; supporters said it would preserve fairness while avoiding discrimination, while opponents said it would gut the measure and weaken protections for girls’ sports. The Ortiz amendment failed 11-16, and H.C.R. 2003 then received a do-pass recommendation in Committee of the Whole and later passed third reading. H.C.R. 2044, a referral on prohibiting preferential treatment and discrimination, also received a do-pass recommendation without recorded controversy. The Senate then adjourned after completing the remaining procedural motions and votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• contract of the executive director of the regional center, it shouldn't probably be done by the attorney
• their full focus, but regional centers will need funds to support that as well as the proposed board attorney
• So families should not become investigators, attorneys, or policy experts just to receive fair treatment
• Families should not become investigators, attorneys, or policy experts just to receive fair treatment
• They're not attorneys.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the governor’s IHSS budget proposals and extensive testimony from the Department of Social Services, Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, county representatives, labor, consumer advocates, and advocates for older adults and people with disabilities. The administration described IHSS as a large and growing program serving more than 900,000 recipients, and outlined three proposals: shifting the cost of growth in authorized hours per case to counties, eliminating the backup provider system, and aligning IHSS terminations with Medi-Cal terminations. The LAO said the overall budget estimates appeared reasonable but raised concerns about the hours-per-case proposal, including the lack of a comprehensive root-cause analysis, the limited control counties have over statewide cost growth, and uncertainty about how the baseline and savings would work. CWDA, SEIU, and consumer advocates strongly opposed the hours cost shift, arguing that counties use state-designed tools, that demographic changes and rising need explain much of the growth, and that the proposal would pressure counties to cut services and destabilize care. The chair and members repeatedly questioned the administration about the proposed baseline, the claimed savings, and whether the measure effectively circumvents the county maintenance-of-effort agreement. On the backup provider system, the administration said the statewide program is underutilized and administratively expensive, and proposed eliminating it to save about $3.5 million. The LAO suggested the Legislature consider whether administrative costs could be reduced while preserving some version of the program. County and consumer advocates opposed the cut, saying the system is a critical safety net when regular providers are unavailable, especially in rural areas and for people with complex needs. They argued that low utilization reflects the difficulty of finding emergency backup care, not lack of need, and that many counties already rely on local backup systems or other models. Committee members also pressed for better data on requests, fulfillment, and administrative costs, and discussed whether the state could support local alternatives instead of eliminating the program. The final topic was the proposal to align IHSS terminations with Medi-Cal terminations by automating the process when recipients fail to complete Medi-Cal redeterminations. The administration said this would reduce General Fund costs by about $86 million by preventing payment of IHSS in the residual program when recipients are no longer eligible for Medi-Cal, while also automating reinstatement when Medi-Cal is restored. The LAO noted the proposal has been rejected in prior years and suggested improved notice and communication to recipients as an alternative. CWDA and advocates warned that the change could create gaps in care, especially for people who lose Medi-Cal for procedural reasons, and urged additional safeguards such as better notices, faster reprocessing, and automatic reinstatement. Members questioned how many people would be affected, how the residual program currently works, and whether providers could go unpaid during the gap; the department said the automation is already built and would be activated if the proposal is approved. No votes were taken during the discussion, and the committee moved through public comment and questioning without final action on the proposals in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hampshire Legal Assistance, was to put both local welfare officials, current and retired, and an attorney
• Hampshire Legal Assistance, was to put both local welfare officials, current and retired, and an attorney
• 00:34:13.599><c> an</c> officials current and retired and an officials current and retired and an attorney
• :14.720><c> the</c><00:34:14.960><c> chapter</c><00:34:15.839><c> um</c><00:34:16.000><c> so</c> attorney
• familiar with the chapter um so attorney familiar with the chapter um so that<00:34:16.399><c> you</

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, no, I'm not an immigration attorney.
• Flores: Chair and representative, when needed we do consult with immigration attorneys, but typically
• 04.240><c> consult</c><01:09:04.799><c> with</c><01:09:05.440><c> immigration</c><01:09:05.960><c> attorneys
• ,</c> do consult with immigration attorneys, do consult with immigration attorneys, but<01:09:07.000>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• you through an additional cost, then, and you prevail, this bill would require them to pay your attorney
• you through an additional cost, then, and you prevail, this bill would require them to pay your attorney
• them<00:38:47.200><c> to</c><00:38:47.359><c> pay</c><00:38:47.520><c> your</c><00:38:47.760><c> attorney
• </c><00:38:48.079><c> fees</c><00:38:49.359><c> in</c><00:38:49.680><c> in</c> them to pay your attorney
• fees in in them to pay your attorney fees in in [clears throat]<00:38:49.920><c> hopes</c><00:38:50.240

Committee: Joint Public Health and Welfare

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 3 February, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because I'm getting constant complaints from my family court judges, county attorneys in my district.
• Surely to goodness, attorney, there is an option out of the budget. I'm sure there's...
• Surely<01:05:32.200><c> to</c><01:05:32.360><c> goodness</c> Surely to goodness Surely to goodness attorney
• attorney attorney there<01:05:36.480><c> is</c><01:05:36.760><c> an</c><01:05:36.920><c> option</c>

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:01 SERVS Informational Update- 00:01:22 Child Removal and Reunification Update: Department for Community Based Services Financials- 00:03:00 Small Business Sales Tax Websites: Department of Revenue-00:28:05 Senior Citizen Meal Programs: Department for Aging and Independent Living-00:35:50 Adjournment-01:41:57, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the September 11 meeting by motion and voice vote. It then received a brief update on the statewide emergency responder voice system, but no presenter was present. The chair said he expected a more substantive update in November and warned that if there is not real progress on acquiring needed private properties, the committee may consider further action, including possibly freezing funding. The main discussion centered on the Department for Community Based Services’ child removal and reunification work and its structured decision-making tools. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and General Counsel Wesley Duke explained that the intake, safety, and risk assessment tools are being used at very high rates and that the department is still implementing and evaluating the system. Dennis said the tools are meant to inform, not replace, professional judgment; when staff disagree with a recommendation, the worker and first-line supervisor consult and decide together. Members questioned whether the system favors keeping children in the home, whether the department has studied safety outcomes for in-home cases versus removals, and whether foster home shortages affect removal decisions. Dennis said child safety remains the top priority, that the practice has not changed, and that the department would provide additional data on outcomes later. Members also asked about permanency timelines and delays in termination of parental rights cases; Dennis said federal timelines are difficult to meet because of family progress, substance use recovery, and court delays, and she confirmed foster parent shortages were not the reason for those delays. The committee then heard a presentation from the Department of Revenue on the new My Taxes portal. Staff said the portal, launched in March, replaced DOR’s portion of the old Kentucky One Stop Business Portal and now allows businesses to file and pay multiple taxes, update account information, and receive official notices. They reported the system is available 24/7 except for scheduled maintenance every other Thursday evening, has maintained over 99% availability since launch, and now has a dedicated contact center with 50 agents plus a public help line and email. In response to questions, the department said early downtime was caused by unexpectedly high traffic, but server capacity was increased and in the last three months there had been only one day of unexpected downtime.

Transcript Highlights:

• speaker then said they have a question they have personally kind of struggled with, and they are no attorney
• struggled with and personally kind of struggled with and I'm<01:21:43.920><c> no</c><01:21:44.080><c> attorney
• </c> I'm no attorney, don't claim to be.
• I'm no attorney, don't claim to be. don't<01:21:45.520><c> ever</c><01:21:45.679><c> want</c><01:21:45.760
• 46.480><c> Um,</c><01:21:47.199><c> but</c><01:21:48.159><c> if</c><01:21:48.480><c> I</c> I'm no attorney

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then heard testimony on the use of artificial intelligence in therapy and mental health settings. Representative Lisa Willner and Brenda Rosen of NASW Kentucky argued for “guard rails” on AI chatbots so they cannot present themselves as licensed therapists or replace school counselors, psychologists, or social workers. They said AI can support licensed professionals, but warned that chatbots cannot reliably recognize nonverbal cues, escalate crises, or provide accountable care, and they cited examples of harmful chatbot interactions, including a suicide case and a chatbot telling a user to “Please die.” The witnesses also raised concerns about data privacy, commercialization of sensitive mental health conversations, and the use of personal clinical content to train AI models. They said minors should require parental consent and suggested transparency about how a chatbot is trained and who created it. They distinguished between unvetted consumer chatbots and AI tools that have been scientifically validated or approved as digital therapeutics, noting that some evidence-based tools may be useful for specific conditions such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Committee members asked whether regulation should be handled by the legislature or by professional boards, and whether a multi-state model would be preferable to 50 different state approaches. The witnesses generally favored expert-led standards and said a board or panel of experts could review and approve mental health chatbots, but members cautioned that boards can become too restrictive and that legislation should preserve flexibility and avoid discouraging children from seeking help. The discussion ended with a request for the witnesses to restate their proposed policy ideas, including privacy protections, bans on commercialization, limits on training AI with clinical content, transparency requirements, and informed consent.

Transcript Highlights:

• They've set us up in court case after court case where the only winners are going to be the attorneys
• going</c><01:15:56.040><c> to</c><01:15:56.120><c> be</c><01:15:56.320><c> the</c><01:15:56.520><c> attorneys
• </c> winners are going to be the attorneys. winners are going to be the attorneys.
• understand that none of us want to be in lawsuits, and you're right, the winners usually are the attorneys

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Commonwealth Office of Technology 00:01:00 Department of Education 00:21:00 Transportation Cabinet 00:35:30 Secretary of State 00:45:15 Cabinet for Health and Family Services 00:56:11 Discussion of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Related legislation 01:09:11, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then focused first on the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s legacy systems and two specific projects. COT officials said many agencies have made progress moving off legacy applications, with remaining mainframe systems slated to be retired through RFPs or other work orders. They also described a legacy funding pool of $10 million per biennium used to help agencies transition. The two projects discussed were the Kentucky aerial photography and elevation data program, which provides statewide aerial imagery and lidar data for GIS, E911, environmental, transportation, and other uses, and a citizen identity and access management system intended to give residents a single login for state services. Officials said the GIS program costs about $1.2 million annually to host and maintain, with data acquisition costing several million more per year, and that the citizen identity system would cost about $2.5 million per year after an initial three-year COT investment. Members asked about duplication of funding, licensing, local government use, and whether multi-factor authentication would be required; COT said the GIS data is being acquired as statewide unlicensed data and that MFA would be available but not yet mandated statewide. Committee members pressed COT on costs, overlap with cabinet-level IT spending, and the practical benefits of the GIS and identity projects. COT explained that GIS hosting is generally covered through enterprise assessments billed quarterly to agencies, while the new aerial data is intended to benefit the whole state and local partners. On the identity project, officials said it would centralize authentication for citizens who use state systems, improve compliance with zero-trust and NIST-related security expectations, and reduce help desk and maintenance burdens through self-service account tools. Members also discussed whether the system would extend to local governments; COT said it would be a Kentucky.gov-style state login for users inside the state identity infrastructure, not a local-government system. The Department of Education then testified that it does not operate mainframes or major legacy systems, having moved long ago to cloud-based, off-the-shelf products and vendor-supported services. KDE officials described a strong emphasis on staff cybersecurity awareness, standardized statewide systems, vendor risk-sharing, and reducing sensitive data exposure, including efforts to move away from student Social Security numbers. They also highlighted a transition from Microsoft Active Directory to Identity Automation, which they said will improve identity management and make multi-factor authentication universal across K-12. In response to questions about Kentucky Wired and internet service, KDE said all 171 school districts and KDE agencies have been moved to a new next-generation internet service through ENA by Zayo, with strong satisfaction, e-rate savings, and better reliability. Officials warned that any internet disruption would immediately affect attendance, grades, student records, payroll, security systems, and communications across the K-12 system.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the one document, one housekeeping issue I came across just and I did speak about this with an attorney
• c><01:43:15.360><c> um</c> speak about this with um speak about this with um an<01:43:17.119><c> attorney
• 17.600><c> in</c><01:43:17.760><c> the</c><01:43:17.920><c> audience</c><01:43:18.800><c> and</c> an attorney
• that's in the audience and an attorney that's in the audience and when<01:43:19.840><c> it</c><01:43
• paragraph 3 that has been stricken and replaced because, in my view, it was ambiguous and I think attorneys

Keywords: 12:30pm HB 421 2:00pm HB 701 3:00pm HB 377 4:00pm HB 712, 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference first took up House Bill 421FN, concerning notice of tax-exempt status filing procedures by town officials. Members reviewed the Senate changes and focused on whether the amended language would require multiple mailings to charitable organizations. House conferees said the Senate wording appeared to create more than one mailing and asked for clarification; Senate members explained the intent was to reduce clerk workload by posting forms and sending a follow-up notice only to organizations that failed to file after the deadline. After a brief caucus, the House concluded there were too many unresolved changes to work out in conference and moved to non-concur with the Senate amendment. The House motion to non-concur passed unanimously, 4-0, and the committee agreed to place the conference report on the House consent calendar. The chair then closed the committee of conference on House Bill 421FN. The transcript then shifted to a separate committee of conference on another bill, where members discussed revisions involving direct supervision at an eligible facility, federalwide assurance requirements, and immunity language. Testimony focused on whether the bill should require supervision at a specific facility or allow broader supervision arrangements, whether rulemaking should define direct supervision, and whether the immunity provision should cover reckless as well as willful misconduct. No final vote or action on that second bill was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Prior to teaching, I spent 14 years as a private practice attorney before entering the classroom.
• teaching I spent 14 years as a private teaching I spent 14 years as a private practice<00:10:53.040><c> attorney
• </c><00:10:53.600><c> before</c><00:10:53.800><c> entering</c><00:10:54.160><c> the</c> practice attorney
• before entering the practice attorney before entering the classroom<00:10:55.120><c> I'm</c><00:10:55.279
• Prior to teaching, I spent 14 years as a private practice attorney before entering the classroom.

Committee: House Rules and Legislative Administration

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I'm just wondering, I'm obviously not an attorney.
• Um, I'm just wondering, I'm obviously not an attorney.
• I'm an attorney with Education Minnesota, where we represent 85,000 school professionals who dedicate
• academia, I served as a federal judge in the United States courts and as a senior United States Attorney
• academia, I served as a federal judge in the United States courts and as a senior United States Attorney

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Ellen Smart and I'm a staff attorney with Legal Aid in the Minnesota Disability Law Center
• My name is Ellen Smart and I'm a staff attorney with Legal Aid in the Minnesota Disability Law Center
• My name is Ellen Smart and I'm a staff attorney with Legal Aid in the Minnesota Disability Law Center
• and<01:25:48.360><c> I'm</c><01:25:48.480><c> a</c><01:25:48.520><c> staff</c><01:25:48.800><c> attorney
• with Legal Aid and I'm a staff attorney with Legal Aid in<01:25:49.840><c> the</c><01:25:49.920><c>

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What's controversial is the position held by Governor Walz, by Attorney General Ellison, by Minnesota
• And Minnesota Democrat activists, backed by the Walz administration and backed by the Attorney General
• Minnesota<02:15:46.520><c> Democrats,</c> Minnesota Democrats, Minnesota Democrats, Attorney<02:15:48.360
• ><c> General</c><02:15:48.720><c> Ellison's</c><02:15:49.200><c> decisions,</c> Attorney General Ellison's
• decisions, Attorney General Ellison's decisions, Governor<02:15:51.000><c> Walz's</c><02:15:51.400><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• local welfare agencies to utilize community-based providers, Family Resource Centers, or county attorney
• 00:02:51.319><c> Centers</c><00:02:51.879><c> or</c><00:02:52.080><c> County</c><00:02:52.440><c> attorney
• </c> Resource Centers or County attorney Resource Centers or County attorney offices<00:02:53.879><c>
• I'm a staff attorney with Legal Aid, and I just really briefly also want to speak in support.
• The bill as it came before the committee had a requirement to file with the Attorney General's office

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all