Transcript Highlights:

• </c> aware of Financial and operational aware of Financial and operational issues<00:09:09.839><c> potentially
• </c> Wentworth and the pmy baker Regional Wentworth and the pmy baker Regional Cooperative<02:23:16.399
• The political subdivisions own them; they operate them.
• The political subdivisions own them; they operate them.
• The political subdivisions own them; they operate them.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill No. 517 by the State Affairs Committee, an act relating to the Pacific Northwest Economic Region
• , repealing Chapter 78, Title 67, Idaho Code, relating to the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, and
• Good ladies and gentlemen, I'd ask you to join me in welcoming the Pacific Northwest Economic Region
• They are in the building over the next couple of days to share with you the regional coordination that's
• They are in the building over the next couple of days to share with you the regional coordination that's

Summary: The House convened with roll call, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, and members noted the recent death of Representative Lyndon Bateman, offering condolences for his family. The journal for the prior legislative day was approved without objection. The chamber then moved to House Concurrent Resolution 22, which honors the nation’s 250th anniversary by declaring 2026 the Year of Volunteerism and the America 250 in Idaho Service Challenge, recognizing the song “Forever Idaho,” and encouraging Idahoans to sign the state’s replica Declaration of Independence. Before considering HCR 22, the House suspended the rules by a two-thirds vote, 68 ayes and two abstentions. Representative Mitchell explained the resolution as part of a broader effort to promote service, community engagement, and celebration of American founding principles, including a goal of 250,000 acts of service tracked through IdahoKindness.com. The House then adopted HCR 22 by voice vote and transmitted it to the Senate. A performance of the “Forever Idaho” song followed, along with remarks thanking organizers, ambassadors, service groups, and the Sons of the American Revolution for the Declaration signing display. The House also received committee reports and introduced several bills and one joint resolution for first reading, including measures on private forest land, surveyor licensing, cosmetology licensure and exams, bullying prevention training, parental rights in education, repeal of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region statute, and a constitutional amendment on sectarian appropriations. During announcements, members highlighted a housing and affordability lunch-and-learn, an informational meeting on rats in the Treasure Valley, visits from a Pacific Northwest Economic Region delegation, and Sugar Day at the Capitol. The House then adopted a motion to adjourn until 8 a.m. Friday, January 23, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we need housing security. And so I encourage members to...” whole.
• And we need housing security.
• The Annenberg Public Policy Center says many Americans can't even name the third...
• Public Policy Center says many Americans can't even name the three branches of government.
• Performing arts center that holds more than a thousand people, I am pretty sure.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• THERE IS A RULE GUARDING BIRTH CENTER STANDARDS AND LICENSURES.
• NURSING HOME SERVICES, PAYMENT METHODOLOGY OR SERVICES THAT ARE NOT PUBLICLY OWNED AND NOT PUBLICLY OPERATED
• AS FOR EXCEEDING A GRANT OF RULEMAKING AUTHORITY THE SUNSET PROVISION DOESN'T OPERATE THAT WAY.
• WITHIN THOSE FIVE YEARS OF A SUNSET PROVISION THEN THE SUNSET PROVISION DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY OPERATIVE
• IT WOULD FOLLOW THE OPERATING UNIFORMLY SUNSET THOSE RULES IT WOULD BE LEFT TO THE LEGISLATURE AS WELL

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2008 prohibits a library operated by a public school from using public monies to pay any professional
• Madam Chair and members, HB 2142 establishes the School Safety Center within the Department of Education
• of the money annually appropriated for the school safety program to be used by the School Safety Center
• Can I... linked organizations operating in Arizona. I'm happy to answer questions.
• Madam Chair, Rhonda, I'm just skeptical that this changes their decision-making about which security

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus began with introductions from pages and interns, followed by a procedural reminder on consent calendars and how bills can be pulled for floor debate or amendment. Members were told that third-read consent bills bypass caucus debate, while caucus consent bills may have committee amendments adopted together unless pulled. The meeting then moved into Minority Caucus Calendar No. 2. A large number of bills were briefly presented, with several members pulling measures from consent or voicing opposition. Topics included appropriations and federal monies accounting (HB 2148), a Buffalo Soldiers memorial (HB 2062), school library funding restrictions (HB 2008), prayer at school governing body meetings (HB 2110), school safety center administration (HB 2142), parental rights and social transitioning disclosures (HB 2249), insurer assessments (HB 2091), agricultural property classification and inspection rules (HB 2104 and HB 2105), firefighter workers’ compensation definitions (HB 2138), truth-in-taxation bond notices (HB 2289), late tax filing penalties (HB 2016), engineering and professional licensing reciprocity (HB 2122), felony murder involving an unborn child (HB 2043), body concealment and mutilation penalties (HB 2044), domestic violence order-of-protection service rules (HB 2048), mandatory reporting of partial-birth abortions (HB 2074), unlawful flight sentencing enhancements (HB 2108), weapons trafficking and fentanyl sentencing changes (HB 2131 and HB 2132), drive-by shooting forfeiture rules (HB 2045), probation review notice changes (HB 2046), venue changes for cases involving court employees (HB 2126), and child support for pre-born children (HB 2144). Members repeatedly criticized several abortion-related bills, the library bill, and the tax and agriculture measures as harmful, unnecessary, or unfunded mandates. The latter part of the meeting focused on water and election legislation. Water bills included snowpack augmentation funding (HB 2024), water conservation grant disclosures (HB 2029), removal of education/research as an eligible water grant use (HB 2030), stormwater recharge mapping with an appropriation (HB 253), cesspool remediation assistance (HB 2096), groundwater pumping limits in INAs (HB 2097), Colorado River litigation funding (HB 2116), and natural resource conservation board changes (HB 2117). Election-related items included moving the primary date earlier and changing signature cure timelines and observer rules (HB 2022), a memorial urging designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization (HCM 2001), a memorial urging review of CAIR for terrorist designation (HCM 2002), and a constitutional amendment on citizenship, voter ID, foreign contributions, and early voting limits (HCR 2001). Members raised concerns about voter access, anti-Muslim rhetoric, and the practical effects of the election changes. The caucus concluded with birthday acknowledgments and an announcement for Muslim Day at the Capitol before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am familiar with the operation of state government.
• We were able to secure a national provider to assist us at a statewide level for technical assistance
• So, the Treatment Advocacy Center is our national partner in this.
• That also paid for our help through the Treatment Advocacy Center as well as through the National Center
• The burden of securing a petitioner's attorney does fall on the families.

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• centers.
• We have kind of a direct view and involvement in child care centers' day-to-day operations and the change
• We have kind of a direct view and involvement in child care centers' day-to-day operations and the change
• </c><01:52:26.400><c> day-to-day</c><01:52:27.040><c> operations</c> care centers day-to-day operations
• care centers day-to-day operations and<01:52:30.000><c> the</c><01:52:31.040><c> change.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:39.920><c> Allison</c> Children's Center. And then Dr. Allison Children's Center.
• and work with the casino operators, and they will maintain and operate that.
• And social security number.
• And uh satellite centers and establishment and administration of operation of the department drug identification
• And uh satellite centers and establishment and administration of operation of the department drug identification

Keywords: MS House Floor - 10 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> practitioner to be operating in here. practitioner to be operating in here.
• But because ODMAP is not, quote unquote, operated by a state agency or a state operator, you know, we
• by a state agency um or a state operated by a state agency um or a state operator,<01:44:21.280><c>
• Currently they're considered dispatch centers, not PAPs.
• Um so this dispatch centers, not PAPs.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I represent Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park.
• >> Representative Bjorn Olson, District 22A, which is just about everything south of Mano in that center
• </c><00:02:29.520><c> Minnesota</c> south of Mano in that center Minnesota south of Mano in that center
• parks or statewide parks of regional significance.
• parks or statewide parks of regional significance.

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They invest in very liquid funds, very secure liquid funds.
• But if they have over $300,000, secure liquid funds.
• No, this BAR wants to allow them to spend it on their agency operations. Okay.
• If you have more revenue, we think you can draw down another $350,000 for operations.
• But that's not allowed for them to have enough operating knowledge from my understanding.

Bills: SB241 , SB145 , HB2

Committee: Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 241 and reviewed a Senate Finance Committee substitute that incorporated several amendments. Staff explained changes related to the child care fund, residency determinations for federally eligible applicants, expanded child care assistance eligibility for grandparents raising grandchildren and foster parents, updated payment-rate rulemaking, tribal child care sovereignty and culturally appropriate services, limits on land grant permanent fund use for nonsectarian/non-denominational services, provider licensure pathways, and reporting clarifications. Members also discussed whether the bill would maximize federal and state child care tax benefits and how the nonsectarian language would apply to faith-based child care providers. The committee adopted the substitute and then passed it on a 7-3 vote. The committee then moved into House Bill 2 budget language review, focusing on budget adjustment authority and other fiscal provisions. Members discussed proposed BAR language for the State Investment Council, State Treasurer, PERA, and the Economic Development Department, with concerns about caps, whether the language was too broad, and whether some items should revert to existing law or be removed. The committee approved some of the BAR language items, but flagged the Treasurer and Economic Development provisions for later review. Members also discussed extending certain appropriations and project timelines, including a Rio Grande Trail Commission item and several IT and public safety projects, generally favoring extensions where work was still underway. The committee then debated proposed public school support language that would bar PED from approving budgets for schools with fewer than 180 instructional days and from approving new moves to four-day school weeks. Several members argued the 180-day language conflicted with existing statute, which is based on instructional hours, and that the four-day-week restriction could have unintended consequences. The committee ultimately voted down both public school support provisions. The meeting ended with a brief discussion of reviewing the rest of House Bill 2 and related supplemental and language items in the next session, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• and frankly our personal security and frankly our personal security<02:02:11.960><c> it's</c><02:02:
• They want to gut Social Security.
• </c> new reporting that the Social Security new reporting that the Social Security Administration<02:
• </c> they're going to cut Social Security they're going to cut Social Security they're<03:12:50.040><
• </c> ranking member of a federal operations ranking member of a federal operations subcommittee<04:05

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, February 27, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're operating as a subcommittee.
• Security systems.
• Internet-connected devices require security updates from manufacturers in order to remain secure and
• We have both legal and operational concerns. Thank you.
• We are still operating as a subcommittee.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to see jobs and data centers.
• We are the tech center of the world, or at least of the United States.
• Wenatchee, where the data centers are going at the moment.
• So there's so much positive that happens with data centers.
• These escorts provide an added way of security. Our communities.

Bills: HB2296 , HB2301 , HB2212 , HB2515 , HB2436 , HB2496 , HB2605

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: distributed energy, renewable energy, energy resources, sustainability, energy policy, extended producer responsibility, paint waste management, environmental regulations, recycling, microplastics, pollution, environmental protection, washing machines, water quality, energy facilities, large energy use, regulation, state oversight, infrastructure, oil tanker

Transcript Highlights:

• Charla is the director of the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center.
• </c> Minnesota a safety and health center Minnesota a safety and health center that<00:46:55.359><c>
• The BCO operators, the plow operators, nobody else has to. Just those.
• operators the plow operators<01:09:09.040><c> nobody</c><01:09:09.279><c> else</c><01:09:09.520><c>
• </c><01:29:00.639><c> in</c> um as I mentioned SCH Bergs operates in um as I mentioned SCH Bergs operates

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These bills have been at the center of conflicting claims about kratom and 7-OH. Just.
• We operate a county helpline.
• We must put the impacted communities front and center.
• We must put the impacted communities front and center.
• I've also lived with complex regional pain syndrome.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), focusing on public health risks, overdose deaths, and regulatory gaps in California. The chair opened by noting that FDA and CDPH consider kratom and 7-OH products unlawful, yet they remain widely sold in smoke shops, vape stores, gas stations, and convenience stores. Members referenced AB 1088, which would be considered later, and said the hearing was intended to clarify the science, medical perspective, and whether stronger safeguards are needed. The first panel featured a toxicology expert, state and local public health officials, an emergency/addiction physician, a medical examiner, and county health representatives. Witnesses from CDPH and Los Angeles County described rising deaths and enforcement actions, including statewide advisories, retailer letters, and product removals from manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Medical testimony emphasized that 7-OH acts much more like an opioid than traditional kratom leaf, can cause dependence, withdrawal, and respiratory depression, and may require naloxone, buprenorphine, or methadone in overdose or withdrawal cases. Local officials said enforcement is difficult because packaging is inconsistent, testing capacity is limited, and counties lack resources and statewide infrastructure; they generally favored a centralized state framework if regulation is pursued. Committee members asked about testing, age restrictions, scheduling, and whether a distinction between kratom and 7-OH could be enforced. Witnesses said forensic labs can potentially test for 7-OH but validated assays are not routine, emergency departments cannot readily distinguish exposures, and local health departments do not have the lab capacity to verify product labels. Several officials warned that a ban or abrupt scheduling could push products into the black market and discourage research, while others argued that current prohibition and enforcement are the most protective approach because legalization or age-limited regulation could create confusion about legality and safety. The second panel included kratom and 7-OH advocates and industry representatives, who argued that natural kratom leaf and concentrated or synthetic 7-OH are different products and should be regulated differently. They supported age-gating, labeling, testing, and packaging rules for kratom leaf while opposing a ban on the botanical. They said 7-OH is used by many adults for pain relief or harm reduction, and that prohibition would drive consumers to illicit markets and worsen harm. Committee members pressed them on whether 7-OH is more potent than kratom, the availability of testing, and whether any safe dose is known. The hearing ended without a vote or formal action, with the chair noting the issue will continue to be considered in future legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We operate a county helpline.
• We must put the impacted communities front and center.
• We must put the impacted communities front and center.
• My wife shops frequently on Amazon, so my garage has become a cardboard recycling center.
• I've also lived with complex regional pain syndrome.

Committee: Senate Health

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because maybe there's just a regional interest.
• Has requested a line-item transfer from operating to capital.
• Lake Region? Lake Region, no.
• Lake Region? No, two. And it's substantial, both those institutions.
• I mean, take your basketball center.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Higher Education Funding Review Committee met to receive updates on several higher education issues, beginning with a presentation from the University System on low-completion programs. Deputy Commissioner Lisa Johnson explained the State Board of Higher Education’s proposed policy for reviewing associate through doctoral programs with fewer than 10 undergraduate or fewer than 5 graduate completers over a rolling five-year window. She said roughly 75 to 90 programs could be reviewed, with campuses able to justify continuation, modify, inactivate, or terminate programs, while teaching out current students as needed. Members asked about faculty layoffs, online programs, the basis for the threshold, and whether the process was producing savings; Johnson said faculty were more often reassigned than laid off, and that the effort was aimed at stewardship, workforce alignment, and avoiding future costs as much as immediate cuts. The committee also heard an update from the Department of Commerce on a $750,000 workforce development grant to Turtle Mountain Community College under Senate Bill 2018. Kerry Kraft reported that Turtle Mountain was the only applicant, that the grant is focused on dual credit and workforce pathways in areas such as cybersecurity, medical assisting, welding, public safety, and drone technician training, and that the project was still in early development with about $11,000 spent to date. Members questioned why other tribal colleges did not apply, how many students were participating, and whether the program belonged in the Commerce or higher education budget; Kraft said the college had a goal of 210 students and that prior biennia had met completion targets of 75% or higher. Senator Sickler then presented the Institutions Committee’s work on dual credit, describing it in terms of quality, access, and cost. He said nearly all high school faculty teaching dual credit now meet credentialing requirements, that online delivery has expanded access in rural areas, and that the committee is examining whether current funding creates triple payment through tuition, K-12 funding, and higher education funding. The committee reviewed cost data showing variation among campuses and discussed a possible single subsidized dual credit rate, using $79.57 as a working example, while noting that dual credit hours are currently included in the general funding formula and would need to be treated separately if a distinct rate is adopted. The committee then turned to the draft higher education funding formula bill and related capital fund provisions. Staff walked through technical corrections, a proposed shift to a four-year average for research funding, changes to doctorate incentives, and a discussion of whether UND and NDSU should be aligned with the other institutions’ undergraduate rates. Members also debated the overall fiscal effect of the proposal, with staff estimating that the new formula would increase funding by roughly $45 million compared with current appropriations, or about $24 million above what the current formula would otherwise produce in the next biennium, before any appropriation decisions. The committee did not take final action and recessed to continue its discussion later, including possible revisions related to dual credit and certificate completions.

Transcript Highlights:

• currency from being recognized as legal tender or used as a medium of payment for any contract, security
• Madam Webb, members, Senate Bill 1052 allows assisted living centers and homes to offer mild hyperbaric
• Senate Bill 1052 allows assisted living centers and homes to offer mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy to
• The Department of Economic Security must reevaluate the application if certain conditions are met and
• It mandates specified registration requirements with the Arizona Department of Homeland Security and

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long agenda of Senate bills across elections, commerce, education, government, health and human services, judiciary, public safety, transportation, rural development, and ways and means. Many measures were described as consent or third-read consent items, including bills on campaign finance termination statements and late-report penalties, AI provenance data for media, adjuster/contractor conduct during emergencies, Industrial Commission changes, association meeting closures, banking and remittance rules, central bank digital currency, public safety parity funding, barbering and cosmetology board continuation, digital asset reserve management, contractor licensing, gaming and racing commission continuation, school AED instruction, classroom removal procedures, school safety reporting, special education complaint transparency, foreign influence and land ownership restrictions, DCS and DES process changes, health care licensing and reimbursement rules, EMS compact adoption, and multiple tax, housing, and transportation measures. Staff repeatedly summarized each bill and answered questions, with several bills noted as mirror or identical to House measures or as strike-everything amendments from committees. A few bills drew discussion. On SB 2874, staff explained that the Senate amendment would limit penalties for untimely campaign finance reports when a committee certifies it received no contributions and made no expenditures, but the sponsor did not concur. SB 1074 prompted questions about whether parental notification changed; staff said it did not and that the bill was aimed at improving communication between teachers and principals about discipline. SB 1175, requiring DCS caseworkers to photograph children at each interaction in abuse or neglect cases, drew concern about the scope of the photos, while supporters said it would improve continuity and documentation. SB 1180 also drew comment because the sponsor and committee chair disagreed over an amendment, though the bill was advanced for further work. The most extended debate came on SB 1751, which would allow death-row inmates to choose firing squad, lethal injection, or lethal gas if voters approve the related constitutional measure. One member strongly opposed the bill on moral and personal grounds, another argued it could be a more humane option if the state is going to carry out executions, and a third raised concern that it could be used against Second Amendment rights. The bill remained on the third-read consent calendar despite the objections. The caucus concluded after moving through the remaining agenda items, with no formal votes recorded in the transcript beyond committee status and consent-calendar placement.

Transcript Highlights:

• The law that this program operates under is very broadly construed. It doesn't just include China.
• Connolly came out of the disability community when she was 37, when she secured a job with SRP.
• Connolly came out of the disability community when she was 37, when she secured a job with SRP.
• It’s called the Centers for Habilitation. It’s an honor to be able to work for them.
• She said it encourages responsible ownership and operation.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2134, which would create the Arizona Critical Infrastructure Protection Act to bar state and critical infrastructure entities from contracting with the People’s Republic of China or Chinese companies for access to Arizona critical infrastructure, and to prohibit Chinese-produced software in critical infrastructure. The sponsor and a witness from State Armor argued the bill was needed to reduce cyber and sabotage risks and to align Arizona policy with national security concerns. Some members questioned costs, overlap with federal law, and the Corporation Commission’s capacity, but the bill was approved on a 6-4 vote for a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 2051, which would require AHCCCS contractors, subject to federal approval, to cover breastfeeding and lactation care services and, under a proposed amendment, create a voluntary state certification for lactation care providers through the Department of Health Services. Testimony from lactation consultants, maternal health advocates, and researchers emphasized improved maternal and infant outcomes, access gaps for Medicaid families, and potential cost savings. AHCCCS and ADHS were neutral but noted implementation costs and the need for CMS approval; the committee adopted the amendment and gave the bill a 9-0 due pass recommendation. House Bill 2700 would establish a 15-member technology-first study committee focused on assistive technology for people with disabilities, with an amendment adding appointments by legislative minority leaders. Supporters said the committee would help Arizona catch up on assistive technology, improve independence, and address staffing shortages and aging-population needs. The committee discussed the amendment and then approved the bill 9-0. House Bill 2800, which would increase penalties for knowingly lending a vehicle to a person with a DUI-related driving restriction if that person later causes serious injury or death, drew extensive debate over whether the felony penalty was too broad; the sponsor and family members of a victim supported it as a targeted deterrent, while some members raised due process and knowledge concerns. It passed 9-1. House Bill 2114, which would use motorcycle safety fund money for scholarships for rural and low-income riders and require at least one registered owner to have a Class M license before a motorcycle registration is issued, received supportive testimony from the sponsor, motorcycle advocates, and safety supporters; members noted a possible wording issue with existing endorsements, but the bill passed 10-0. The committee also took up House Bill 2127, a large special-plates bill that had been expanded into an omnibus measure; after discussion of a Kavanaugh amendment removing a duplicate Grand Canyon plate and withdrawal of an Alston amendment, the committee adopted the Kavanaugh amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation.