Video & Transcript : 'technology transformation' :
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MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Mar 20th, 2026
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- Through our communication access training and technology services, CATS Division, MCDHH, and technology
- On technology, the OVA works jointly with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, EOTS
- On technology, the OVA works jointly with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, EOTS
- DDS also operates assistive technology centers that create, DDS also operates assistive technology centers
- You've got new technology.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Higher Education Institutions Committee Apr 9th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm the North Dakota University System CIO and Core Technology CIO.
- transformation.
- transformation.
- transformation.
- Accessibility is not a technology problem. So.
Summary:
The Higher Education Institutions Committee met on the Minot State University campus for presentations on campus operations, enrollment, and new academic initiatives. President Shirley reviewed recent audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings, and highlighted MSU’s broad academic offerings, specialized accreditations, athletics, and partnerships with Minot Air Force Base and the MSU Development Foundation. Members asked about declining interest in teacher education, tuition waivers for athletes, dual credit incentives, and how MSU decides when to launch new programs and avoid duplication within the university system.
Shirley also discussed several workforce-focused initiatives supported by the Legislature’s Workforce Education Innovation Funds, including the purchase of the Trinity Health Center West building for a downtown health sciences hub, a new daycare/preschool partnership near campus, the Aspire program to recruit rural students into teaching, and a paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Enrollment data showed overall headcount was flat at just under 2,750, but full-time equivalent enrollment rose slightly and new student numbers increased, including the largest freshman class in 15 years. The committee also discussed Minot State’s in-state tuition rate for all students, its dual credit “Emerging Scholars” scholarship, and concerns about the share of high school graduates who do not immediately pursue postsecondary education.
Faculty then presented two new programs funded in part by WEAF: an Innovation Engineering degree and a master’s program in counseling with an integrated addiction studies focus. The engineering program was described as industry-driven, designed with broad early coursework, hands-on learning, and local employer input to prepare students for western North Dakota workforce needs; officials said it had already drawn more applicants than expected and would use renovated library space and donated or grant-funded equipment. The counseling program will be mostly face-to-face with hybrid options, aims to address shortages in mental health and substance use providers, and is structured to help students meet licensure requirements. Committee members asked about startup costs, licensure supervision hours, and whether the programs would be on campus rather than online, and presenters said both programs had recently received required approvals and were moving forward.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- Fund and to establish the Rural Health Transformation Committee, and declaring an emergency.
- Financial technology, to where the actual money itself is programmable.
- So we're trying to get ahead of this technology a little bit because it's very new.
- It's an emerging technology and I think we're early on this.
- to a dedicated fund for court technology.
Summary:
The House convened, approved the journal, and received messages from the Senate, including enrolled Senate bills sent for the Speaker’s signature and Senate Bill 1326 filed for first reading. Committee reports advanced several bills, including House Bill 850 to Health and Welfare and multiple business, health, and state affairs measures to second reading. House Resolution 26, reviewing certain administrative rules, was sent to Judiciary, Rules and Administration for printing.
On the floor, the House passed Senate Bill 1314, a budget rescission measure cutting regional behavioral health director positions and regional behavioral health boards; one member opposed it, warning of a disconnect between local communities and the state council. The House also passed House Bills 716, 648, 846, 825, 815, 717 as amended, 668 as amended, 750 as amended, 847, 848, 849, and 681. These bills addressed highway and local road funding, chemotherapy parity coverage, license plate fee changes tied to the Idaho Heritage Trust, school transportation reimbursement for a charter school, vehicle registration penalties, child custody interference enforcement, programmable money protections, judicial and legislative branch maintenance budgets, career ladder movement for CTE and pupil services staff, and elimination of the statute of limitations for certain child sexual abuse crimes.
The House also adopted House Joint Memorial 17, which urges the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges; the memorial drew sharp debate over marriage, federalism, and LGBTQ rights and passed 44-26. House Concurrent Resolution 33, creating an interim effort involving education, the attorney general, and the 988 line to address sex torsion and youth protection, also passed by recorded vote. Several bills were held on the third reading calendar, and the House recessed and later reconvened to continue floor action and committee scheduling announcements.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Delivery of Government Efficiency Apr 2nd, 2025
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Transcript Highlights:
- Just like cyber security training, technology has become an important factor in our lives and AI will
- I came as the Chief Technology Officer for the state of Arkansas. I served in that government role.
- But the U.S. being a technologically advanced country, it has a higher share. Thank you.
- There's a lot of federal incentive programs as well to transform over to these things.
- A new technology program was created by the legislature that allows us to fund technologies that can
Bills:
HB512, HB2248, HB2679, HB2832, HB3112, HB3368, HB3490, HB3512, HB3623, HB3666, HB3700, HB3711, HB3770, HB3963
Keywords:
grievance procedures, state agency, employee rights, workplace regulations, employment law, employees, employment actions, appeal, state employees, workplace rights, disciplinary actions, employment conditions, employment disputes, job protections, public information, transparency, government accountability, information access, notification requirements, federal funding
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Information Technology Committee Mar 26th, 2026
Information Technology Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- So this distributed ledger technology is, it's a...
- But the technology didn't fit into that. They couldn't talk.
- This is a business transformation. This isn't a technology transformation.
- Is it going to be around this technology?
- Is it going to be around this technology?
Summary:
The committee received a series of informational reports from NDIT and DPI on major IT projects, cybersecurity, and the K-12 student information system transition. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major project portfolio, noting 111 projects totaling about $542.8 million, generally under budget and slightly behind schedule overall. He highlighted three schedule-red projects: Bed Management System and Vital Records, both now complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project, which is delayed due to vendor bug fixes after user testing. He also summarized new project startups, including the Attorney General’s Victim Notification System, HHS Medicaid correctional facilities data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier e-permit system, and additional RIMS work, and answered questions about project timing, funding, and whether work had begun on legislatively funded IT projects.
Chris Gurgan, NDIT’s chief information security officer, reported on mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting under HB 1314. He said 77 incidents have been reported since August 2021, with 47 meeting the statutory definition of a cybersecurity incident; phishing remains the most common type, followed by email quarantine alerts, XDR detections, and malware. He emphasized that most incidents are resolved, but that timely reporting is critical for any chance of recovering funds in business email compromise or ransomware cases. He also described several notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool breach, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise at a K-12 district, and a recent ransomware report involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about smishing, MFA, conditional access, security awareness training, and recovery of lost funds; Gurgan said state systems use phishing-resistant MFA and conditional access, training is provided to state employees and offered to political subdivisions on an opt-in basis, and broader cybersecurity maturity assessments are underway.
Craig Falkley gave brief reports on coordination with political subdivisions and higher education, including shared networking, cybersecurity, radio/911, PeopleSoft, and co-location services. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for decentralized, secure data sharing, but said the state has limited use for it and would likely frame future reporting more broadly around emerging technologies. The committee then heard from Tony Ambrose of DPI on the statewide Infinite Campus implementation. He said district implementations are underway, but the project had to terminate its original data migration vendor for poor performance and replace it with Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with a similar North Carolina migration. He also said DPI is moving special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, is still working through how to preserve e-transcripts and Choice Ready-type functionality after the PowerSchool transition, and is developing identity, authentication, and data-sharing arrangements for the summer cutover. Members raised concerns about procurement timing, summer school disruption, and whether some functions would be ready by July 1.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- These two pieces of legislation are transforming how we approach cancer research and innovation in Florida
- They are using killer cell technology to specialize a delivery mechanism to deliver cancer-killing molecules
- the Cancer Innovation Fund, they are also going to be working with Orlando Health to offer their technology
- The time is right to use technology of an online registry coupled with the power of the medical order
- ...” “...by transforming a wish list into an actionable medical order.
Summary:
The committee first received an update from the Department of Health on the Cancer Connect Collaborative, the Cancer Innovation Fund, and the new Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator, created and expanded by recent legislation. The department reported that the Cancer Innovation Fund has awarded $80 million to 95 researchers to date, with $60 million available in the current cycle and 65 projects funded across 28 institutions in 16 cancer areas last year. The new pediatric cancer incubator received $30 million and awarded four Florida children’s hospitals $7.5 million each. Senators asked about outreach to oncologists statewide, peer review and accountability, funding for National Cancer Institute-affiliated institutions, and whether underserved and rural areas are being prioritized; the department said it uses website notices, listservs, collaborative outreach, and eligibility criteria favoring rural and high-cancer-care providers, and that it monitors projects through reports, expenditures, and contract provisions.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 312 on patient-directed medical orders, which would create a voluntary, portable, physician-authorized electronic registry for patients to document end-of-life and serious-illness treatment preferences. Supporters, including nurses, hospice and emergency care advocates, and medical professionals, said the bill would help ensure patient wishes are accessible in emergencies, reduce unwanted interventions, and improve continuity of care. Opponents, including Florida Right to Life, argued the bill could broaden end-of-life decisions too far, raise privacy and coercion concerns, and allow withdrawal of care inappropriately. The sponsor said the measure is intended to support patient autonomy and is not anti-life, and noted she was open to amendments.
After public testimony, the committee voted on SB 312 and reported it favorably. The roll call showed support from Senators Berman and Harrell, with the bill passing on the committee vote. The meeting then adjourned.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Mar 6th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Again, the communications infrastructure and technology have changed that. The third thing.
- Today, again, the communications infrastructure and technology have changed that.
- All this technology cost millions and billions, and it's required.
- We did it before without technology. We can do it very easily with technology.
- That is transforming everything about squash. Also, it's changing our support through funding.
Summary:
The Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games held its first hearing at the LA84 Foundation to examine the legacy of the 1984 Los Angeles Games and lessons for 2028. Chair Tina McKinnor and Senator Ben Allen opened by emphasizing the region’s opportunity to build on the 1984 Games’ success, while LA84 Foundation leaders described the foundation’s role in preserving that legacy through youth sports, play equity, and community investment. A youth panelist from Heart of Los Angeles testified that LA84-supported programs helped him stay engaged in sports, build confidence and communication skills, and hope for more community participation and opportunity from the 2028 Games.
Former LA Olympic organizing committee officials Richard Perlman and Bob Graziano gave a detailed history of how the 1984 Games were privately financed, used existing venues, relied heavily on volunteers, and generated a large surplus. They said the organizing committee maximized revenue through television rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales, while keeping costs low through disciplined budgeting and community-based procurement. Members asked about equitable economic benefits, volunteer recruitment, ticket access, security, traffic, and funding. Witnesses said the 1984 model involved extensive community outreach, low-cost tickets, and local purchasing, and they urged a structured, deliberate approach to small-business participation and transparency in 2028 planning.
Later witnesses focused on the long-term legacy of the 1984 Games. Zev Yaroslavsky argued that the Games succeeded because voters rejected taxpayer underwriting, forcing a private model that protected the city from financial risk, and he said the Games left major cultural and civic legacies, including the LA Opera and broader arts growth. LA84 and Play Equity Fund leaders said the surplus was intentionally used to create lasting impact, including support for millions of youth, research, and policy work. Renato Paiva described how LA84 support helped expand Access Youth Academy and elevate squash as an Olympic sport, and Derek Fisher spoke about the importance of free youth sports and the need to preserve access and opportunity as Los Angeles prepares for 2028.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 24 February, 2026; 10:00 AM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Miss Johnson's journey is one of extraordinary resilience, transformation, and unwavering dedication
- Johnson's journey is marked by hardship, faith, and ultimate transformation.
- </c> faith, and ultimate transformation. faith, and ultimate transformation.
- and the lunch hour, to go down to the first floor so you can see firsthand the distance learning technology
- </c> transportation in room 216, technology transportation in room 216, technology uh<00:45:08.319><c
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Joint House-Senate Floor Session Jan 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
North Dakota Joint Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- : to address the $199 million in federal funds awarded for the first year of our rural health transformation
- We appreciate the Rural Health Transformation Committee for greenlighting four pieces of legislation
- And finally, we want to connect technology and data to create a health care system that is smarter, faster
- This is about transforming rural health, and that means embracing 21st-century solutions, not repeating
Summary:
The House convened in joint session for the special session of the 69th Legislative Assembly, with introductions of visiting officials and a moment of silence for former Governor Alan Olson. The chamber then escorted Lieutenant Governor Michelle Strind and Governor Kelly Armstrong, along with First Lady Kirstie Armstrong, to the rostrum. The governor’s remarks were ordered printed in the journal.
Governor Armstrong addressed the special session’s single purpose: considering North Dakota’s $199 million first-year federal award under the rural health transformation program. He thanked legislators, HHS, tribal partners, providers, and community leaders for their work on the state’s CMS application, and said four bills helped improve the application score: requiring the presidential fitness test in PE courses, adding nutrition education to physicians’ continuing education, joining the physician assistant licensure compact, and expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice. He said he looked forward to signing those bills and the accompanying appropriation measure.
The governor described the rural health plan as focused on four pillars: promoting wellness and healthy lifestyles, stabilizing the rural health workforce, expanding access through telehealth and mobile services, and using technology and data to improve care. He emphasized that the plan would avoid new buildings and unsustainable programs, and instead use federal funds for lasting, scalable reforms. He said the state could receive at least $500 million over five years, possibly more, and urged quick authorization and appropriation so the funding could be deployed responsibly.
After the governor and lieutenant governor were escorted out, the joint session was dissolved. The House then returned to regular business, announced committee meetings, excused absent members, and adjourned until 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Jobs and Economic Development - 03/03/25
Jobs and Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:04:09.760><c> engineering</c> people in science technology engineering people in science technology
- like technology donations and launch<00:10:37.079><c> programming</c><00:10:37.760><c> in</c><00:10:
- This bill is an essential part of that mix, and it becomes really a transformational boost for us.
- </c> organization that does transformational organization that does transformational work<01:25:03.400
- </c> planet and the economy by transforming planet and the economy by transforming lives<01:28:14.320
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Good afternoon, Committee on Labor and Technology.
- </c> office of Enterprise technology office of Enterprise technology Services<00:16:37.360><c> okay</
- Up next, we have the Office of Enterprise Technology Services.
- Transform Hawaiʻi Government, Kumagai, in support.
- Transform Hawaiʻi Government, Kumagai, in support.
Summary:
The Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures. Senate Bill 327, relating to internships, drew broad support from the Department of Education, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of Hawaiʻi, DBEDT, P20, HFIA, Hawaiʻi Electric, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Chamber of Commerce, with suggested amendments to clarify the internship purpose, limit some responsibilities to the state executive branch, and address staffing and reporting details. The committee later recommended passing SB 327 with amendments, including changes to the internship language, private-sector references, work-hour limits, reporting requirements, and a deferred effective date for further discussion. Senate Bill 716, relating to the Hawaii Employment Security Law, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations as a step toward modernizing unemployment insurance, and the committee recommended passage with housekeeping and technical amendments.
Senate Bill 717, relating to collective bargaining, would allow certain exempt employees to grieve suspensions or discharges. The City and County of Honolulu and the Department of Human Resources Development said the issue should remain a collective bargaining matter, while HGEA and United Public Workers supported the bill. DHRD opposed changing the statute and pointed to existing internal complaint procedures. The committee nevertheless recommended passing SB 717 with amendments and deferred the date for further discussion.
Senate Bill 742, relating to data sharing, would create a data sharing and governance working group within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and include appropriations. OETS, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi, DOE, Hawaiʻi Kids Can, Hawaiʻi P-20, and others supported the measure, with OETS estimating a total cost of about $2.64 million, including software, consulting, and six FTE. The committee recommended passage with amendments and a deferred effective date, and noted the budget request in the committee report. The final measure, Senate Bill 855, relating to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act, would shift the program from opt-in to opt-out and appropriate startup funds; former Senator Brian Taniguchi and AARP supported it, while Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi and the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi opposed it over costs and burdens on small businesses and concerns about adding mandates before the program is implemented. The committee recessed briefly on a proposed AARP amendment, then returned and indicated support for the opt-out language before taking the bill up for decision-making.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- We remain deeply proud of the transformation underway at Chelsea.
- On technology, the OVA works jointly with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, EOTSS
- DDS also operates assistive technology centers that create, DDS also operates assistive technology centers
- It also helped us do a few things in terms of technology.
- You've got new technology.
Summary:
The hearing was a FY27 budget session on Health and Human Services held in Mattapan, hosted by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Opening remarks from Senator Lydia Edwards, Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed, Representative Russell Holmes, and Boston Public Library President David Leonard emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing in Mattapan, the importance of community access, and the role of libraries as human services institutions. Committee members and attendees introduced themselves before agency testimony began.
MassAbility testified first, describing its mission to support people with disabilities through employment, independent living, and disability determination services. The agency highlighted federal funding uncertainty, a modest FY27 budget reduction, and a proposed reworking of its home care program, which it said is outdated and should better target those most in need. Members questioned the home care cut, staffing reductions, and federal coordination. MassAbility also shared a participant story about recovery and community support to illustrate the impact of its services.
The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing then presented its FY27 request, focusing on interpreter and captioning access, workforce development, emergency communication, aging-related hearing loss, and transition services for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. Members asked about interpreter shortages, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL education, and community training; the commission said it is expanding mentorship and referral systems but still faces staffing and vendor challenges. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind followed with a $30.8 million request, describing services for nearly 9,000 consumers, peer support groups, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 services, while noting federal funding uncertainty and a 7% budget cut. Members raised concerns about maintaining services with fewer resources, and the commissioner said the agency had trimmed overhead and could manage the proposal.
The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the segment, outlining expanded legal, housing, workforce, citizenship, and financial literacy supports for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, legal defense initiatives, and the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative. Members discussed the effects of federal policy changes, the loss of refugee resettlement funding, and the need for state support to fill gaps. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the hearing consisted of agency presentations and committee questioning.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the nomination of Daniel Driscoll, of North Carolina, to be Secretary of the Army, Department of Defense. Jan 30th, 2025 at 08:30 am
Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel
Transcript Highlights:
- Simultaneously, the Army is seeking to transform the structure and organization of its brigade combat
- teams, equipping them with cutting-edge technology to be more mobile.
- , and communications technologies, among others.
- Day in and day out, we have to invest in the technology as well as the people to make it safe.
- He will remember that the Army's strength comes not just from its technological prowess, but from the
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration Mar 10th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The Transformation Office supports the overall EDD Next modernization effort.
- We have, you know, seniors who don't like technology.
- And I think from my end, you know, I'm not, you know, against technology.
- You know, I'm not making any statements here about the technology.
- We work very closely with California Department of Technology.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The 14th Amendment is one of the most transformative amendments in American history.
- The word transformative in fact falls short because of the 14th Amendment.
- With the advent of new technologies like artificial intelligence, senior fraud is...
- Seattle is a hub of creation, developing, and advancing cutting-edge technology and research.
- Let's do it on this disaster that is technology in the pockets of our children. We can do that.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education Mar 5th, 2025
S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education
Transcript Highlights:
- This comprehensive measure enhances student career and technology education opportunities.
- As the pace of economic and technological change accelerates, it is essential that our education system
- This bill is right at the intersection of that and it will be transformational I think. for our families
- You know, I think this is one of the most transformative. opportunities in trying to change the way we
- In fact, this can help be Texas. is kind of a leader in the way it's going to approach career technology
Keywords:
applied sciences, career education, high school diploma, certificate program, work-based learning, job placement, high-growth jobs, technical training, career readiness, education reform, workforce training, public schools, financial aid, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Information Technology Committee Mar 26th, 2026 at 10:00 am
Information Technology Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- So this distributed ledger technology is...
- But the technology didn't fit into that; they couldn't talk.
- Aurora Educational Technology. They're a firm out of Illinois.
- Mock's comment: this is a business transformation. This isn't a technology transformation.
- Is it going to be around this technology?
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 888 is specific to procuring information technology services.
- House Bill 888 is specific to procuring information technology services.
- They can do a financial technological analysis within the office.
- In law enforcement, we rely on technology every second of our shift.
- It's actually called the Information Technology Authority.
Summary:
The Senate State Affairs Committee met in a special session and introduced several measures focused largely on immigration enforcement and firearms policy. The committee introduced RS 33695, which would impose an excise tax on international money transfers and provide a tax credit for Idahoans; RS 33831, requiring local and county law enforcement to apply for and participate in ICE 287(g) agreements; RS 33832, the Refugee and Illegal Alien Accountability Act, which adds reporting and status-verification requirements and restrictions on unlawful harboring or transporting; and RS 33835, which would allow certain Idaho Department of Correction inmates with federal immigration detainers and final removal orders to be released to federal authorities before sentence completion, with an estimated state savings of $3.5 million. All of these RSs were moved to print without opposition.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 1430, which strengthens enforcement of Idaho’s firearms preemption law by creating penalties and a private cause of action against local governments that willfully violate state firearms statutes, while preserving existing authority for discharge ordinances and university rules. Support came from the NRA and the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, and the bill’s sponsors emphasized notice and an opportunity to cure before litigation. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a do pass recommendation.
House Bill 894, concerning open meetings, was presented as clarifying that members of the public may record open meetings by audio, video, or photographs, with exceptions for executive sessions and certain correctional and parole settings. It was advanced to the floor unanimously. House Bill 932, an advisory vote measure asking Idahoans to choose a favorite firearm from a list of historically significant guns, drew extended discussion and humor from committee members and was also sent to the floor with a do pass recommendation. H.C.R. 36, a resolution honoring the Idaho National Guard and supporting modernization, including a transition from A-10s to F-16s and Army force-structure changes, was approved despite one member expressing reluctance about losing the A-10s.
Finally, the committee considered House Bill 888, which would shift procurement of information technology services to the Office of Information Technology Services and allow use of third-party brokers or existing procurement channels. Testimony from the bill’s supporters emphasized faster procurement, cost savings, and centralized oversight, while the Office of Information Technology Services testified neutral but raised concerns about workload, transparency, and the need for clearer selection and appeals procedures. After discussion about rulemaking and safeguards, the committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a do pass recommendation.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- We have so many transformers, poles, and wires that are... Grid modernization.
- We have so many transformers, poles, and wires that are 50 years old and needing to be replaced.
- It's been used by Patriot Machine, Boeing, Worldwide Technology.
- It's been used by Patriot Machine, Boeing, Worldwide Technology.
- It's been used a Patriot machine, Boeing, worldwide technology.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Human Services Committee May 27th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- We've gone through great transformation. I can brag at this point...
- I work remotely as a manager of technology projects.
- I work remotely as a manager of technology projects.
- Oh, you're—we've got technology. Yes, I'm looking for the presentation.
- We've got technology issues. Keith, do you get bonus pay when you help with technology?
Summary:
The committee first heard an update on North Dakota’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and Continuum of Care funding. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported that homelessness remains driven by tight housing markets, low incomes, rising rents, and barriers to rental assistance, public benefits, and disability determinations. She said the state’s one-time North Dakota Homeless Grant is serving all regions but reaches far fewer households than the former Rent Help program, and that aging homelessness, shelter staffing shortages, and limited affordable units are growing concerns. Members discussed the need for more housing supply, better coordination with Health and Human Services, landlord engagement, reentry housing, and possible continued one-time funding for the $10 million Homeless Grant and $25 million Housing Incentive Fund. Henderson also warned that federal Continuum of Care funding is uncertain, with HUD expected to issue a new notice June 1 and possible shifts away from permanent supportive housing toward transitional housing and other models.
The committee then took testimony on accessibility of government services for people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing. Paul Olson of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind described the school’s services for infants, children, and adults, including screenings, mobility training, assistive technology, and outreach across the state. He said the agency works closely with Vocational Rehabilitation and is also involved in improving website and document accessibility, especially for PDF materials. Public testimony highlighted barriers such as inaccessible CAPTCHA systems, online forms, driver’s license requirements on job applications, and limited transportation in rural areas. A deaf resident urged broader use of video remote interpreting and video relay services, along with training so people know how to use them effectively.
Finally, Kay Larson presented the final report on the child care provider licensing study. The report recommended streamlining North Dakota’s child care licensing structure into three provider types plus a preschool designation, while preserving health and safety standards and maintaining eligibility for child care assistance. The committee discussed simplifying training and qualification rules, revising ratio and group-size requirements, and adjusting age bands for infants and toddlers. The report also noted that some changes would require statutory amendments and later administrative rule changes, with a transition period likely extending through 2029. No formal votes were taken in the transcript, but the committee accepted the updates and scheduled follow-up presentations for a later meeting.