Video & Transcript : 'electric generating facility' :
Page 499 of 500
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services May 7th, 2026
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Health Finance and Policy Committee 3/3/25
Health Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> not funded by the general not funded by the general fund<00:04:15.280><c> rather</c><00:04:15.760
- We receive no general funding.
- </c><00:26:09.480><c> public</c> customer service to the general public customer service to the general
- You know, this is not general fund.
- </c><00:35:48.400><c> fund</c> licensing fees with no general fund licensing fees with no general fund
Committee:
House Health Finance and Policy
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee 1/21/25
Children and Families Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:15:38.040><c> fund</c> know what the net general fund know what the net general fund expenditure
- </c> here and there's also state general here and there's also state general funds<00:18:56.960><c> generally
- Facilities licensed by DHS are the designated agency.
- </c> agency and um similarly facilities agency and um similarly facilities licensed<00:47:44.960><c>
- </c><00:52:38.160><c> located</c><00:52:38.599><c> in</c> are um generally located in are um generally
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama House Alzheimer's Task Force Innovation & Research Subcommittee Mar 18th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm concerned a little bit about the generational gap because I know that my parents would probably be
- Hey, we are a dementia-certified facility or something like that, so the public knows... the public knows
- have more than twice the population that we do, and it started with $4 million for the first five facilities
- For your clinical hours, you have to be at a long-term care facility, and for physicians, you can do
- They're leveraging it with Med for smaller, more home-based oriented facilities. facilities.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- and I'm a because I'm a former pro Youth and I'm a grief<00:04:24.080><c> andr</c><00:04:24.680><c> facil
- c> and</c><00:04:26.560><c> not</c><00:04:27.320><c> very</c><00:04:27.680><c> many</c> grief andr facil
- and not very many grief andr facil and not very many people<00:04:28.479><c> with</c><00:04:28.880><
- What we're dealing with is the current DHS-licensed child care facilities.
- </c> would support us to have a generally would support us to have a generally funded<00:47:29.119><c
Committee:
Senate Health and Human Services
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 72 on pharmacy drew only support, with testimony from the University of Hawaiʻi system, the Board of Pharmacy, pharmacists, and others; no questions were raised. HB 237 on peer support programs also received broad support from the Department of Health, DHS, early learning officials, families, and advocates, with testimony emphasizing the value of peer-to-peer mentoring and support for parents, youth, and people with disabilities; no opposition or questions were noted.
HB 250, the prior authorization bill, generated the most discussion. SHPDA supported a revised version focused on reporting prior authorization practices and creating a nonbinding working group to develop automation standards, while PCMA, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, and others raised concerns about duplicative pharmacy requirements, unintended consequences, and alignment with federal timelines and reporting. Several medical groups and individual patients supported the measure, describing delays and burdens caused by prior authorization. A committee member asked whether the bill’s working group differed from a similar group in Senate Bill 1449, and the witness said it was intended to be the same.
HB 303 on health care preceptors was supported by the Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi, nursing and health care organizations, and the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, which asked that pharmacists’ residency programs be specifically tied to national accreditation standards. HB 341, relating to issuance of SPURS to assist the Hawaii Island Community Health Association, drew support from the health center and related groups. HB 692 on Preschool Open Doors received extensive support from early learning, education, family, labor, and community organizations; testimony stressed the shortage of child care and preschool slots, especially on Kauai, and the need to expand access for families. Committee members asked about adding family child care providers and about licensing/certification barriers, and DHS said the bill was focused on current licensed child care facilities and that certification issues were a separate, broader problem. HB 700 on cognitive assessments also drew strong support, with the Department of Health, the Executive Office on Aging, disability advocates, the Alzheimer’s Association, caregivers, and others urging use of a validated cognitive assessment tool during annual wellness visits and asking that the age 65 threshold be removed; some witnesses supported keeping the data-collection portion as a pilot and emphasized early detection and reporting.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- The Secretary of State must submit the proposition to voters at the next general election.
- As a former Attorney General, I know that the Attorney General is obligated to defend laws when they're
- People have general ideas of what it means, whether that's locker rooms or bathrooms.
- I mean, I've been generally for term limits.
- We have all kinds of different policing, but this is clear general policing again. N.
Summary:
The Committee on Education approved the minutes from February 18 and March 4, 2026, then took up several bills. HCR 2003, the “Protect Girls in Sports in Arizona Act,” drew extensive testimony. Supporters, including Superintendent Tom Horne, argued it would protect fairness, safety, and privacy in girls’ sports and locker rooms by requiring teams to be designated male, female, or co-ed and by limiting access to sex-designated private spaces. Opponents, including ACLU and transgender advocates, said the measure was discriminatory, would function as a bathroom ban, and could force schools to police students’ bodies and identities. The committee voted 4-3 to give HCR 2003 a due pass recommendation.
The committee then advanced HB 2020, which lowers certain student threats or disruptions at educational institutions from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor, and HB 2032, which changes the statewide testing window so assessments begin later in the spring and scores are returned later, with supporters saying it would better reflect a full year of instruction. HB 2033, allowing school districts or charter schools to choose paper-and-pencil administration of statewide assessments by governing board vote, also received support from educators who said it would reduce technology barriers for younger students. HB 2318, as amended, would impose term limits on school district governing board members after eight consecutive years; school board groups opposed it as harmful to rural districts, but the committee adopted an amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation.
The committee also approved HB 2378, which changes eligibility rules for School Facilities Oversight Board members who are architects or engineers so their businesses may not include school construction. HB 2313, which prohibits teacher strikes or organized work stoppages and ties funding penalties to districts or charters that violate the ban, advanced despite testimony that it duplicates existing law and could chill educators’ speech and worsen staffing shortages. Finally, HB 2249, a major expansion of the Parents’ Bill of Rights, passed after heated testimony. Supporters said it would prevent schools from socially transitioning minors without written parental consent and stop staff from encouraging children to hide information from parents; opponents warned it was vague, punitive, and would expose teachers and schools to massive liability and litigation. The committee adopted amendments on HB 2318 and HB 2249 and reported all of the listed bills out with due pass recommendations, with recorded split votes on several measures.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Judiciary Committee Jun 9th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- 1801, which will strengthen the public engagement process for contracts with private immigration facilities
- Contracts and agreements related to detention facilities are subject to these transparency requirements
- a new detention center had opened only because their clients were suddenly transferred to a new facility
- Most restraining order types, including domestic violence, elder dependent adult abuse, and general civil
- In contrast, states such as Arizona and Texas generally allow divorces to be finalized in about 60 days
Summary:
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard several measures focused on campaign finance, legal ethics, notarization, domestic violence, immigration detention transparency, workplace violence restraining orders, and divorce relief for domestic violence survivors. Senator McNerney presented SJR 18, which condemns Citizens United and urges limits on corporate spending in elections; there was no opposition testimony, and committee members voiced support. Assembly Member Kalra presented AB 2305 to bar private equity, hedge funds, and other corporate lenders from influencing litigation decisions, with support from the Consumer Attorneys of California and other stakeholders; no opposition appeared, and the bill was framed as protecting client-centered legal judgment. Assembly Member Irwin’s AB 1977, sponsored by the Secretary of State, made technical and procedural fixes to the Online Notarization Act to support implementation by 2030, with support from notary groups and no opposition. Assembly Member Rogers’ AB 1657 would allow temporary restraining orders in domestic violence cases without prior notice in certain circumstances, and Assembly Member Lee’s AB 1801 would tighten public notice and hearing requirements for contracts involving private immigration detention facilities; both drew broad support and no opposition. Assembly Member Patel’s AB 2179 would extend electronic filing and remote appearance rules to workplace violence restraining orders, and Assembly Member Hart’s AB 1875 would let courts shorten or waive the six-month divorce waiting period for domestic violence survivors; both were supported and had no opposition testimony.
The committee then took formal votes. The consent calendar passed 12-0. SJR 18 passed 10-2. AB 2305 passed 12-0. AB 1801 passed 10-2. AB 1657 passed 12-0. AB 2179 passed 8-0. AB 1875 passed 10-0. AB 1977 passed 8-2. The chair announced the committee would adjourn until the following Tuesday, June 16, at 1:30 p.m.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Environment and Natural Resources Jan 13th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- I think some of these just general questions that I jotted down, some of which Senator Smith brought
- During last fiscal year, the Florida Park Service generated over $75 million in revenue and had a $3.6
- These projects include new recreational facilities, expanded visitor amenities, and infrastructure enhancements
- condition of existing amenities, including visitor centers, utilities, infrastructure, recreational facilities
- These projects include new recreational facilities, expanded visitor amenities, and infrastructure enhancements
Summary:
The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources heard and approved several bills. SB 636 by Sen. Leek would create additional pathways for counties and municipalities to obtain critically eroded beach or area of critical state concern designations, with the sponsor and supporters describing it as a forward-looking beach management approach that could improve access to state and federal funding. Questions focused on whether the bill imposed an unfunded mandate and how it would affect existing designations; the sponsor said it was voluntary and not retroactive. Pepper Uchino of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association supported the proactive concept but stressed that funding remains the central issue. The bill was reported favorably.
The committee also considered CS/SB 544 by Sen. Truenow, which transfers the Golf Course Best Management Practices Certification Program from DEP to FDACS. The sponsor said the move would improve continuity and encourage more golf courses to enroll in BMPs, while maintaining existing environmental requirements and enforcement through DEP if problems arise. Senator Smith and an opponent from the Florida Springs Council questioned whether golf courses are truly agricultural and raised concerns about water quality protections and possible tax or land-use implications; supporters from the Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association said the bill does not change taxation or existing nutrient reporting requirements. After a technical amendment, the bill was reported favorably, with Senator Smith voting no.
CS/SB 848 by Sen. Truenow, dealing with stormwater treatment and water quality enhancement areas, was also amended and reported favorably. The sponsor said the bill clarifies the difference between permanent, secured water quality credits and stormwater allocations, and the amendment would allow WQEAs to address new stormwater rule requirements until rulemaking is complete and make public-land reviews forward-looking only. A representative of Resource Environmental Solutions supported the measure and said it would help create a reliable market for water quality credits. The committee then approved CS/SB 546 by Vice Chair Mayfield, which strengthens public notice requirements for the sale or exchange of state conservation lands and extends similar notice requirements to water management districts; conservation groups and Sen. Smith supported the bill as a transparency measure. Finally, DEP presented its State Park Amenities Report, estimating nearly $759 million in repair and maintenance needs over 10 years and $1.39 billion in contemplated new construction and development across the state park system. The committee took no further action and adjourned.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs May 7th, 2025
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- to a legal justification for the use of force with less lethal force. ...weapon by a correctional facility
- They are explicitly barred from enforcing unrelated criminal laws or engaging in general policing such
- Services Department at ABIA, so we have a 13-acre facility.
- DPS, Parks and Wildlife, and maintain the facility out there as a textile facility.
- It sort of separated from our facility and doing their own maintenance.
Keywords:
criminal history, background checks, government code, licensing, information access, rural law enforcement, child care grants, community support, law enforcement retention, advisory committee, SB 523, Texas driver’s license, alternative address, residential address, confidential address, address confidentiality, Department of Public Safety, DPS, Transportation Code, Section 521.1211
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force Mar 4th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- So about 350 licensed deer facilities throughout the state.
- We have very generous.
- That's the general idea. That's so.
- Yeah, that would be the generalized directive.
- ...would be the generalized directive.
Summary:
The committee continued discussing recommendations for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and response in Louisiana’s wild and captive deer herds. Members and staff reviewed current surveillance results, noting that LDWF had met goals in 32 of 64 parishes and that voluntary hunter-harvest sampling was falling short in other areas. Several ideas were raised to improve sample collection without making it broadly mandatory, including incentives for hunters, taxidermists, and possibly processors; use of DMAP properties and mobile sampling units; and targeted sampling of older bucks and other higher-risk animals. Members also discussed whether to use parish-level or other geographic control areas, and whether to mirror aspects of Arkansas’s approach, including testing to reduce or remove restrictions when prevalence remains low.
The committee also heard from LDWF and LDAF about captive herd surveillance and reporting. LDAF described its licensed deer facilities, a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish that led to depopulation and quarantines, and follow-up testing that has remained negative at quarantined farms. Witnesses said the agencies currently share information informally and through USDA/NVSL channels, but there is no specific law or regulation requiring 24-hour notification between agencies. The Wildlife Federation and several members recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory reporting of positives, and clearer coordination between LDWF and LDAF. Members also discussed the cost of testing, with LDWF saying USDA grants covered diagnostic testing for the last two deer seasons, while department self-generated funds covered earlier costs.
A major portion of the meeting focused on how to respond when a positive wild deer is found. Some members favored immediate restrictions, while others argued for keeping existing season rules in place through the season and using the positive as a trigger for intensified sampling, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary penalties and encouraging hunters to submit samples. There was also discussion of whether baiting should be prohibited, allowed during hunting season, or phased based on testing results, with Arkansas’s statewide baiting allowance and county-based disease management zones used as a comparison. The chair emphasized that no final recommendation would be adopted at this meeting; instead, staff was directed to compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April meeting, when the committee expects to vote and the commission may need to act quickly through its notice-of-intent or emergency rule process before the next hunting season.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Formal House Session 69 Jul 15th, 2026
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It requires that a facility that does animal testing have a relationship with a nonprofit, with an animal
- learned over the last four years is that it's not uncommon for folks who work in some of these facilities
- the animal moving into a shelter for a period of time and actually be adopted directly out of the facility
- Howard of Seekonk moves to amend the bill by adding the following section: Chapter 272 of the General
- Paragraph 2 of subsection B of Section 137A of Chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024
Summary:
The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, welcomed several guests and birthday celebrants, and adopted a resolution honoring the Jeller family for 100 years of service to Plymouth. Members also suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow consideration of a petition authorizing a lease for Pilgrim Memorial Park in Plymouth. The chamber then took up Senate No. 3028, the omnibus animal welfare bill titled “An act promoting pet equity, treatment, and safety,” which Ways and Means recommended ought to pass with a House amendment and an emergency preamble.
During debate on S. 3028, members described the bill as a package of animal welfare reforms covering veterinary technician regulation, expanded oversight of veterinary medicine, pet insurance disclosures and cancellation rights, changes to the Beagle Bill adoption process, a ban on animal testing for household products when alternatives exist, requirements for reporting found dogs to law enforcement, protections for service dogs in transportation, stronger kennel licensing enforcement, and limits on discrimination against companion animals in public and senior housing. Several members spoke in support, especially of Section 25, which creates a civil process for animal neglect cases so authorities can seek care or removal without relying solely on felony prosecution; supporters said it better balances animal protection with due process and human crises. The House rejected two proposed amendments, adopted two others, and then passed the bill to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 151-1.
The House also passed Senate No. 2577, increasing parking fees in the town of Scituate, and House No. 2250, dissolving the Whately Water District, by roll call vote of 150-0. In addition, the House declined to concur with Senate amendments to House No. 4361, a bill concerning benefits for teachers, and instead ordered a Committee of Conference, appointing Representatives Ryan of Boston, Gonzales of Springfield, and Ferguson of Holden. Finally, the House passed House No. 5492, authorizing Billerica to transfer land for the Yankee Doodle Bike Path, and then adjourned to meet the next day in informal session.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Formal House Session 69 Jul 15th, 2026
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It requires that a facility that does animal testing have a relationship with a nonprofit, with an animal
- learned over the last four years is that it's not uncommon for folks who work in some of these facilities
- the animal moving into a shelter for a period of time and actually be adopted directly out of the facility
- Howard of Seekonk moves to amend the bill by adding the following section: Chapter 272 of the General
- Paragraph 2 of subsection B of Section 137A of Chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- 'Encourage' would be, you know, making those connections to out-of-state facilities that are still doing
- Nothing is preventing them from going to a private care facility if they're over the age of 18.
- Currently, today, I cannot answer definitively to point to a physician or a facility, but we have had
- I would absolutely agree with you And I will not mention the facility.
- They contacted the facility and got them to Change the wording that was on their website.
Committee:
House General Government
Keywords:
2030 census, complete count committee, census outreach, decennial census, enumeration, population count, hard-to-count populations, hard-to-enumerate areas, State Data Center, Oklahoma Census, multilingual campaign, public outreach, school-based outreach, community organizations, minority groups, ethnic minorities, language minorities, self-response rate, census awareness, federal census
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 562 was reported back to be placed on General Orders.
- He argues the state needs to begin now so future generations will be in better shape, just as earlier
- generations acted for them.
- This will be an ongoing savings to the general fund for a combined administrator, offices, and all of
- “We’ll be going to general orders tomorrow and tidy up that calendar a little bit.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Health Service (1-21-26)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> This is state health plan for facilities This is state health plan for facilities and<00:04:08.640
- Senator Berg. to pack, cut, can freeze facilities, to pack, cut, can freeze facilities, something<00:
- ,</c> four trauma facility, four trauma facility, which<00:36:23.520><c> by</c><00:36:23.680><c> the<
- And depending on the facility, 30 to 45 minutes on-site time depending on how remote the facility is.
- </c><01:03:21.280><c> types,</c> specific CMS designated facility types, specific CMS designated facility
Summary:
The committee first handled several referred administrative regulations, including a package from the Board of Respiratory Care described as a substantive housekeeping update to its regulations and incorporated materials. There were no questions from members, and the committee also heard from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, which was present in case questions arose but did not require action.
Members then took up an amendment to the state health plan for facilities and services, specifically 900 KAR 5:02. Wesley Duke explained that a previously proposed criteria related to mega-voltage requirements, originally suggested by the Kentucky Hospital Association, was now being removed because the association no longer considered it necessary. The committee moved to accept the agency amendment, with a motion and second, and approved it without opposition.
The committee next considered Senate Joint Resolution 23, a “food is medicine” resolution sponsored by Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer. Supporters from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Hospital Association described the initiative as a voluntary, statewide effort already adopted by 52 hospitals, aimed at improving patient health while supporting Kentucky farmers and local food systems. Members discussed access to healthy food, grocery-store availability, school nutrition, and the need to reduce barriers to local procurement; the resolution was adopted unanimously after a roll call vote, with one senator briefly explaining a late vote due to weather.
Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 12, which would allow mid-level practitioners to serve as the leader of a Level IV trauma center under physician direction. The sponsor and witnesses from Appalachian Regional Healthcare argued the change would help address rural trauma-care shortages, align with national standards, and improve access without changing scope of practice or other trauma-center requirements. Several members raised questions and comments about rural access, liability, costs, and the broader health impacts, but no vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Legislative Administration (02/19/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- Some of those are easier to generate and quicker to generate than some of the more detailed things.
- It has worked for generations, and that's the process.
- It has worked for generations, and that's the process.
- </c> the committee The Joint facilities the committee The Joint facilities committee<02:23:27.920><c>
- </c> protection for members of the general protection for members of the general court<05:00:59.798><
Summary:
The committee first dealt with scheduling and housekeeping, including a plan to take a hard break at 2:00 p.m. for an early bill, hold a brief executive session, and then continue with the remaining afternoon bills. The chair also noted the next likely meeting date would be March 12, when the committee expected to take up the remaining bills before crossover deadlines.
The main substantive item was House Bill 142, which would recognize the Honor and Remember flag for Gold Star families and related remembrance purposes. Prime sponsor Rep. Michael Moffett described the bill as a bipartisan measure revised to address earlier concerns, arguing that the flag honors fallen service members, can be personalized with names, and complements rather than detracts from the American flag. He said many other states have already adopted it and suggested the committee could amend details such as the number of days and locations for display. He also raised practical issues about flag dimensions and whether the bill should use "shall" or "may" for display requirements.
Testimony was divided. Janine Nutter opposed the bill, saying she supports Gold Star families but objected because the flag resembles the Viet Cong flag and because she believes the American flag should remain the sole symbol representing servicemembers. Kevin Grady, representing the State Veterans Advisory Committee under RSA 115:8, also opposed the bill, saying the committee believes the American flag is the only symbol needed, while still praising the work of Honor and Remember in creating personalized flags for families. Committee members asked questions about where the flag would be flown, whether the State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen is already displaying it, and how the bill’s language would interact with cemetery policies and committee discretion. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Policy and Administration (02/12/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> organization is meant to be a generic organization is meant to be a generic term<03:36:23.399><c
- </c> district shall offer an unused facility district shall offer an unused facility to<05:17:56.840>
- You know, selling a facility, there's no requirement for them to hold on to a facility for a period of
- </c><05:33:49.760><c> there's</c><05:33:49.920><c> no</c> selling a facility there's no selling a facility
- </c> much thank you you've been very generous much thank you you've been very generous with<06:01:00.000
Summary:
The committee first addressed House Bill 415, which would remove the requirement that schools provide menstrual products. Members supporting an ITL said the mandate was unfunded, had been in place since 2019, and was already working without complaints from districts. Other members opposed the bill, arguing menstrual products are essential and that the requirement helps students, especially those with fewer resources. The committee voted ITL on HB 415 by a roll call of 17 yeas, 0 nays.
The committee then took up House Bill 388, concerning public reports on special education. Supporters of ITL said they agreed with the goal of transparency but were concerned about student privacy, especially in small districts, and thought the bill’s information requests went too far. They noted that related issues could potentially be addressed in another bill, HB 557. The committee voted ITL on HB 388, 17-0.
House Bill 730, which would require schools and some colleges to provide information on adoption, was also moved ITL. The sponsor said adoption is personally important to him but that the bill was not the right vehicle and involved entities such as colleges and the Attorney General unnecessarily; he said related ideas might be folded into other bills later. The committee agreed and voted ITL, 17-0.
The committee then discussed House Bill 671, a preschool/early literacy proposal involving a statewide nonprofit digital program, likely Waterford. Members raised questions about who would be covered, data privacy, prior use of federal ESSER funds, whether the program had measurable results, and whether the bill’s nonprofit requirement was too restrictive. Department of Education witness Melissa White said the state had spent $400,000 in FY22 and $600,000 in FY23 on a Waterford contract using ARP ESSER funds, but she did not have participant counts and said the department could not measure literacy gains for that population. She also said the bill’s funding level would likely require an RFP and that, if enacted as written, the program would probably still be Waterford-based. The discussion continued without a final vote in the portion provided.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Agriculture Apr 27th, 2026
Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development
Transcript Highlights:
- It's primarily used as a biofuel to generate steam for sugar cane milling operations.
- My office isn't far from these facilities, so, you know, I've actually picked it up.
- And generally, it's for infrastructure. So it's not ongoing.
- And those high-caloric diets are generally starch, less vegetables.
- But generally speaking, it would come from the government or from a private donor.
Keywords:
crawfish, agricultural labor, H-2A program, seasonal workforce, Louisiana economy, Healthy Food Retail Act, food access, food deserts, economic opportunity, public health, Louisiana agriculture, community development, fresh food, agriculture, national security, food production, supply chain, security task force, farm labor, Chinese investments
Summary:
The committee first heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, which would create an Agricultural-based National Security Priorities Task Force to study issues such as Chinese drones, farmland ownership, and other technology-related concerns that could affect farmers and national security. Senator Kathy Stewart said the goal was to avoid unintended consequences in legislation and to bring agriculture stakeholders together. The resolution was moved favorably with no objections.
The committee then took up Senate Bill 502 on sugarcane bagasse storage. Supporters, including the sponsor, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the American Sugar Cane League, said the bill would clarify that bagasse is an agricultural byproduct and would protect storage practices that comply with department best practices from local ordinances. Several residents from St. Martin Parish testified in opposition, saying a large bagasse pile near their homes was out of compliance, created dust and odors, and caused health and property-value concerns. Despite the opposition, the bill was reported favorably with no objections.
House Bill 512, by Representative Schamerhorn, would prohibit the manufacturing and sale of cell-cultured food products in Louisiana while allowing university research to continue. An amendment was adopted to make the bill effective only if certain federal court rulings allow such a ban. The sponsor and Commissioner Strain argued the issue is still scientifically uncertain and that the state should avoid costly litigation; the bill was reported favorably with amendments after no objections.
House Bill 1194, the Healthy Food Retail Act, was amended to shift food-desert research and mapping duties to the LSU AgCenter, while the financing authority would continue handling grants and related funding mechanisms. Supporters said the bill would improve data on food deserts and help target grocery access in underserved urban and rural areas; some members raised concerns about government subsidies and long-term dependence, but the sponsor and Commissioner Strain said the program is intended as infrastructure support to launch stores, not ongoing operating aid. After debate, the bill was reported favorably with amendments by a 10-3 roll call vote. The committee also reported favorably House Concurrent Resolution 65, which urges federal action to reclassify crawfish-industry job duties as agricultural labor for H-2A purposes; testimony emphasized labor shortages, the impact on crawfish and rice producers, and the need for more legal guest workers. The meeting ended with a brief informational handout on direct marketing and custom slaughter plants and adjournment.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- It simply puts more money into the general fund.
- </c> simply puts more money into the general simply puts more money into the general fund.
- </c> Municipalities are not allowed to impose local sales taxes in general.
- ,</c> trails to regional athletic facilities, trails to regional athletic facilities, and<01:18:18.000
- I'm happy to provide any additional details regarding the contract in general.
Committee:
House Taxes
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- For the record, Lindsay Perry, the Auditor General.
- Are there any additional questions for the Auditor General?
- I'm very grateful to Auditor General Perry and her staff.
- lawsuit that said we have underfunded our school facilities.
- And yet we have billions of dollars in unused school facilities.
Committee:
House House Education Committee of Reference
Summary:
The committee began with member and staff introductions, then acted as the Education Committee of Reference for three required reviews. The first was the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board sunset review. A governor’s office representative explained the board was created in 2016 to help qualifying schools, mostly charter schools, obtain lower-cost financing by guaranteeing debt with a $100 million fund. He said the board has approved 15 projects, has not met recently because it is at its statutory leverage limit, and has no dedicated staff or budget. Members supported continuation, and the committee voted by voice vote to recommend the board be continued for 10 years, until July 1, 2036.
The committee then heard the sunset review of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE leadership described its regional higher education compact and its student exchange and cost-savings programs, including WUE, WRGP, and PSEP. They said the programs save Arizona students money, bring students into Arizona institutions, and help address workforce shortages, especially in health care. A WICHE commissioner and the Arizona Board of Regents executive director also testified in support, emphasizing benefits for Arizona students, universities, and workforce pipelines. The committee voted by voice vote to recommend WICHE be continued for 10 years, until July 1, 2036.
The final item was the Auditor General’s performance audit of the Arizona Department of Education school safety program. The audit found the program had grown to more than $128 million and funded over 1,000 school safety positions, but ADE did not ensure many sampled schools complied with requirements such as operational plans, safety teams, annual training, activity logs, and reimbursement documentation. The Auditor General said the department relied too heavily on written attestations and lacked sufficient monitoring and guidance, and recommended stronger oversight, written procedures, and better review of reimbursements. ADE’s school safety director responded that the department had expanded training and documentation systems, was implementing the audit recommendations, and had begun risk-based monitoring; he also said the department would add staff and invited the Auditor General to meet with ADE and ASU’s evaluator. After the audit discussion, the committee began considering House Bill 2142, which would create a school safety center at ADE and allow up to 10% of school safety program funds for administration, with members raising questions about monitoring emergency operations plans, disability-related evacuation planning, and coordination with other state agencies.
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