Transcript Highlights:

• It is that verification on that external aspects of external and internal quality of the eggs to make

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this is an external group in some ways, or that's a...
• And so this is a, and that's an external group in some ways, or that's a collaborative group.

Bills: HB1220

Keywords: accelerated degree, high-demand occupations, education reform, North Dakota, licensing, 908, all

Summary: The Workforce Development Committee reconvened to discuss House Bill 1119, which would create a child care advisory committee and authorize a Legislative Council program evaluation of child care services. Senator Hogan explained that the bill is intended to review child care licensing rules, child care assistance, and related laws and policies, while also giving child care providers a stronger voice in the rulemaking process. He described the proposal as a new model for legislative program evaluation and noted that leadership had been briefed and was supportive. Committee members raised concerns about the bill’s wording, scope, and structure. Senator Larson questioned the title and several sections, and multiple members suggested making the response language less directive and more collaborative, including changing “shall” to “may” in the section requiring a written response from the Department of Health and Human Services. Members also discussed limiting the advisory committee to the interim, clarifying that the evaluation would focus on child care services rather than broader early childhood programs, and adjusting language about enacted legislation to sound more neutral. The committee also discussed fiscal impact, with Hogan saying the evaluation would be done by Legislative Council staff and that any costs would likely be limited to meetings and existing DHS rulemaking activities. Members compared the proposal to other oversight models, including audit-style reviews and a possible DOGE process, and Hogan emphasized that the bill is meant to evaluate why child care issues keep recurring and why some laws are not fully implemented. No vote was taken; the committee agreed to continue refining the bill and planned to meet again the following Thursday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Extensive research shows that when people develop protective factors, also known as external supports
• <00:30:21.720> supports factors also known as external supports factors also known as external
• Senate File 1898 is to perform a transparent, independent external analysis of the complex streams of
• Critical to this bill is having an external and independent analysis into how Minnesota is investing
• an external and independent analysis<01:51:56.320> into<01:51:56.599> how<01:51:56.800

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Associate Executive Director of External Affairs at Disability Rights California, and we are
• actually got one of these arbitration agreements embedded in something, if it's there, it's just automatically
• If it's there, it's just automatically null and void.
• The court would make that determination. in something, if it's there, it's just automatically null and
• And what this bill does is make that easier, in a way, a decision on how to act, on how to not automatically

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee without quorum at first, then later established quorum and continued hearing several bills. SB 27, the annual CARE Court cleanup bill, would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, allow limited data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and expand eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said it would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people receive treatment; opponents argued it would expand CARE Court too broadly, strain county resources, and divert attention from housing and voluntary services. The bill passed to the Health Committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 82, dealing with so-called “infinite arbitration clauses,” would limit consumer contract arbitration provisions to disputes arising from the product or service actually purchased. The author and supporters said the bill would stop companies from forcing arbitration in unrelated claims and would not ban arbitration itself. Opponents from business and banking groups argued the language was too restrictive, could create litigation over related transactions, and should be clarified as prospective only. The committee approved the bill and placed it on call after a roll call vote. The committee then heard two reparations-related bills. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop a genealogical methodology and framework for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with oversight, reporting, and guardrails tied to recently allocated state funding. Supporters said the bill would create a fair, evidence-based process; opponents, including professional genealogists and reparations advocates, argued the work is already well understood, the bill is unnecessary, and it could delay action. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs. Supporters framed it as needed infrastructure to implement reparations recommendations; opponents objected to locating it in the Department of Justice, warned about data privacy and law enforcement control, and criticized the inclusion of broader communities. Both bills were moved to Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would prohibit the use of algorithms to collude on and artificially inflate rental prices; the author and supporters described it as a response to AI-assisted rent fixing in California’s housing market.

Transcript Highlights:

• manufacturers cannot be held liable simply because a firearm does or does not include an optional external
• manufacturers cannot be held liable simply because a firearm does or does not include an optional external
• accomplish is to say that if you're a consumer and you want to purchase a gun with or without an external
• lawsuits, is to make the argument that just because a gun has something or doesn't have something external
• SIG Sauer P-320 are defective simply because it does not include an optional feature such as an external

Summary: The committee first considered CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all amendment narrowed eligibility to certain contaminated or brownfield properties in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, added adjacency and density/intensity limits, and excluded agricultural land, park land, land outside the urban growth boundary, and land near military installations. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill was reported favorably on an 8-0 vote, with limited support and opposition noted in waived appearance forms. Members then took up CS/CS/SB 212 on sexual offenders and sexual predators. The strike-all added public swimming pools and related child-centered locations to residency and presence restrictions. Testimony was sharply divided: proponents argued the bill would help protect children and law enforcement, while opponents, including treatment experts and homelessness advocates, said there was no empirical evidence the restrictions reduce abuse and warned of retroactive punishment and increased homelessness. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 8-1. The committee also approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after an amendment allowing certain enclaves adjacent to interstates to be developed for commercial, industrial, or single-family residential uses and clarifying exclusions for protected areas. Opponents argued it would weaken zoning and comprehensive plans, while supporters framed it as a property-rights measure; the bill was reported favorably 10-0. SB 554 on nonprofit corporations, a technical update to nonprofit law modeled on prior for-profit corporate revisions, also passed unanimously after supportive waived testimony. Later, the committee approved SB 1338 on charitable giving, which creates a donor remedy for endowment restrictions and limits state reporting burdens on certain regulated or exempt organizations; members discussed cy pres and the sponsor said further changes would be worked out later. CS/SB 532 on court fees was amended to let clerks retain all collections above revenue projections rather than half, with supporters saying clerks have been underfunded for years; it passed 10-0. The committee also favorably reported SB 218 on land use regulations, which restores normal land-use authority to counties not affected by recent hurricanes, and CS/SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability, which creates a presumption against liability for entities that comply with cybersecurity frameworks and reporting requirements; the cybersecurity bill drew concerns about retroactivity and the adequacy of compliance incentives but passed 9-2.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, external or internal audits, would that include the state auditor's audits?
• So, external >> I have one question, Roy.
• So, external or<01:24:49.280> internal<01:24:50.120> audits,<01:24:50.520> would
• So, um whenever there's an external audit, audit generally is generated from the legislature; that's
• Blank out the appropriation on page three, and I'm going to insert language about external audits to

Bills: SB3263, SB3261

Keywords: student-athletes, name image likeness, NIL, compensation, transparency, University of Hawaii, Title IX, funding, protections, athlete agents, student athletes, endorsement contracts, professional representation, registration requirements, sports law, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on Senate Bill 3263, which would create a state-supported endowment for University of Hawaii athletics NIL (name, image, and likeness) funding. University of Hawaii Athletics Director Matt Eliott supported the bill, saying NIL requires both immediate funding and a longer-term sustainable solution. He asked for several changes: lowering the initial endowment target from $10 million to $2 million so the fund could start sooner, allowing NIL reporting by team rather than by individual student-athlete, and clarifying that athletes may choose whether to use an agent, while still allowing certified agents or a parent/guardian if desired. Committee members raised concerns about using taxpayer dollars for athlete compensation, the burden on a small-state budget, and whether the university could realistically raise the required matching funds. Several senators questioned whether the university had a concrete fundraising plan and whether the endowment would meaningfully help UH compete with larger programs. Eliott said UH is already fundraising privately for current NIL obligations, had raised more than $1.6 million toward a $3 million annual goal, and would continue fundraising for both short-term needs and the endowment match. He also said the university is not trying to compete with Power Five schools on the same scale, but to be successful at its own conference level. Members also discussed transparency and privacy, with some senators arguing that if state money is used, the public should know how it is spent, while Eliott said individual student-athlete NIL information should remain private and team-level reporting would be preferable. He confirmed international student-athletes are eligible for NIL and said about 60 to 70 UH athletes are currently participating, with more than 100 expected next year. The discussion also touched on UH’s Mountain West media rights and local TV rights, with Eliott explaining that the conference distribution is expected to remain around $3.5 million and that local TV rights would be negotiated separately. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it exempts the entire class, it would still allow for PFAS and those other external areas.
• So that's where our concern lies, is that there are still those potential issues here where those external
• pieces which folks have have external pieces which folks have have said<00:29:23.399> are<00:
• <01:12:55.239> which<01:12:55.400> is<01:12:55.520> a often call externalities
• which is a often call externalities which is a euphemism<01:12:56.880> because<01:12:57.239><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Childhood vaccine requirements exist in part because vaccines have what economists call externalities
• important role to play in preventing disease spread, just as it does in preventing other harmful externalities
• Having an exemption gives people an automatic opt-out from vaccinating that's not based on science or
• So that would automatically elevate it to strict scrutiny even under the federal Constitution.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a hearing on several vaccination-related bills, including proposals to eliminate non-medical or religious exemptions for school immunizations (notably H. 2554 and S. 1557), a bill to require or improve reporting and administration of immunization data and exemptions (described as the Community Immunity Act, S. 1618), and H. 2431, which would prohibit COVID-19, mRNA, or gene-altering vaccine requirements. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2463, which would classify funeral directors as public health workers for vaccine-priority purposes during emergencies. The chair reviewed testimony rules and repeatedly asked speakers to keep comments orderly and brief so the committee could hear as many people as possible. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony on H. 2554 and S. 1557 was sharply divided. Pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, public health advocates, and groups such as the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Massachusetts Medical Society, March of Dimes, Massachusetts Families for Vaccines, and several parents supported eliminating religious exemptions, arguing that vaccination protects medically vulnerable children and adults, improves herd immunity, and helps prevent outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and other diseases. They cited local school data showing pockets of lower coverage and incomplete reporting, and several speakers referenced outbreaks in other states and the need for stronger, more consistent reporting and exemption management. Opponents argued the bills would infringe on religious freedom and parental rights, force families to choose between faith and education, and unfairly target a small number of families; some also said Massachusetts already has high vaccination rates and that the real issue is incomplete data or the gap population rather than religious exemptions. H. 2431 drew testimony from supporters who said COVID-era mandates caused job losses, privacy concerns, and harm, and that the bill would prevent future requirements for COVID, mRNA, or gene-altering vaccines in schools, workplaces, and public settings. Supporters described personal experiences with alleged vaccine injury or mandate-related hardship. H. 2463 was supported by the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association, which argued funeral directors work in infection-facing settings and should be eligible for vaccine priority during public health emergencies. The hearing featured extensive public testimony but no committee action beyond hearing the bills and taking questions from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• government a handgun, a semi-automatic government a handgun, a semi-automatic assault<02:41:56.720
• Are not members of SWAT teams issued semi-automatic weapons and other kinds of guns?
• Are not members of SWAT teams issued semi-automatic weapons and other kinds of guns?
• Are not members of SWAT teams issued semi-automatic weapons and other kinds of guns?
• Are not members of SWAT teams issued semi-automatic weapons and other kinds of guns?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 15, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, members of the committee, my name is Al Tariq Witcher, and I serve as Managing Director of External
• As we read it on our side of the table, this is an automatic function.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, 18% of the claims are done automatically.
• reduces costs, and that doesn't include our internal staffing evaluation costs in partnership with external

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of budget and trailer bill presentations focused on labor and public employment programs. The first item covered EDD Next modernization, where EDD described progress on customer service improvements, fraud prevention, language access, and the Integrated Claims Management System. The LAO urged stronger legislative oversight as the project enters its most difficult phase, and members questioned the revised schedule, total cost, change orders, stress testing, SB 1090 implementation, and how race and ethnicity data will be protected. EDD said the overall project cost remains about $1.2 billion, that the work is being phased with disability insurance and paid family leave first, and that fraud has been greatly reduced since pandemic-era programs ended. Members also asked for follow-up information on SB 590 outreach and equity impacts. The committee then reviewed the California Workforce Development Board’s request to reduce staffing as one-time grant workloads wind down, along with trailer bill language to streamline reporting requirements. The board and Department of Finance said the staffing reductions reflect the end of surge funding and that the proposal would consolidate roughly 10 to 12 reports into one annual report, with additional reporting only if new funds are appropriated for certain programs. Senator Durazo questioned the policy direction of reducing workforce staffing, while the administration said the positions were tied to temporary grant programs and that current staffing is sufficient for ongoing duties. Members also asked about the board’s role in AI-related workforce planning and the rationale for using state funds for the High Road Construction Careers Program. A major portion of the hearing focused on the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund reforms and related staffing request at DIR. The administration and LAO described rapid growth in applications, backlog, and liabilities, saying the program’s eligibility has expanded beyond its original intent and that liabilities could reach about $30 billion by 2030 without reform. The trailer bill would tighten eligibility, apply the changes to open cases, and use the QME process and contemporaneous evidence to document preexisting disabilities. Members raised concerns about fairness to pending claimants, evaluator capacity, and the relationship to other SIBTF legislation, while the LAO said the proposal largely aligns with its prior recommendations. DIR also presented a request to eliminate vacant positions under a statewide vacancy sweep, which drew criticism from members who argued the cuts could weaken enforcement and backlog reduction efforts; the committee asked DIR to return with more detail on impacts and on its use of temporary-help authority. The final items addressed a request for additional Cal/OSHA investigative staff and a trailer bill to make permanent the revised Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board petition timeline. DIR said the BOI staffing would help investigate fatalities and serious injuries more quickly, while members emphasized the importance of family contact and timely investigations. For the WCAB item, the chair explained that the 2024 change to Labor Code section 5909, which starts the 60-day decision clock when a case is transmitted rather than when a petition is filed, has reduced pending cases and should be made permanent; the remaining backlog was reported at 460 cases, down from 637 before the change.

Transcript Highlights:

• Another question that a lot of states have been grappling with is: Are we automatically expanding access
• provided for people while incarcerated, and at the same time, they are helping connect individuals with external

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sort of application process that once you're filled, like if you're number 11 on the list, it automatically
• really big focus of discussion and something that we've been starting to have conversations with external

Summary: The committee met at Dakota College at Bottineau, approved the January 15, 2026 minutes, and heard an extensive campus update from Dean Corey Gorder and other DCB leaders. Gorder described the college’s affiliation with Minot State and its growing use of shared services, including business office functions, HR, institutional research, Title IX, printing, financial aid support through UND, and payroll support through NDSU. He said the arrangement lets DCB focus on its core mission while relying on system partners for specialized administrative work, and noted that accreditation concerns were not believed to limit those shared-service arrangements. He also highlighted DCB’s mission, enrollment growth, dual-credit reach across rural schools, and the college’s emphasis on nursing, dental, paramedic, farm management, and other workforce-oriented programs. Committee members asked detailed questions about dual credit, program delivery, and whether DCB’s partnerships were exclusive. Gorder said the relationships are generally collaborative rather than exclusive, that schools can choose other providers, and that many partnerships began through personal outreach and ongoing relationships with rural schools. Lisa Johnson of the university system added that transfer complaints are rare and that dual credit generally transfers well within North Dakota, though highly selective out-of-state institutions may treat credits differently. Members also asked about stipends for high school instructors, the share of K-12 versus DCB instructors, and the capacity limits in dental hygiene and other programs. Gorder said dental hygiene is capped by space and staffing, that there were more applicants than seats, and that expansion is being considered; he also said he would provide follow-up information on the paramedic program and instructor breakdowns. Gorder closed by identifying long-term challenges, including aging residence halls, recruiting faculty and staff, and the need to review low-enrollment programs. He said DCB should consider expanding into more high-demand trades such as welding, HVAC, and electrical work, and should streamline dual credit and strengthen its Minot programming. The committee then heard from the North Dakota Student Association, whose leaders outlined student priorities from the last session and the interim. Their main concerns included campus housing quality and affordability, food insecurity and food pantries, mental and physical health resources, student-led research funding, academic and career readiness, internships, and campus collaboration. They also discussed dual credit, saying it is valuable but uneven across the state, and raised questions about how to better retain students in North Dakota through the system. Members asked follow-up questions about housing, transferability of dual credit, and whether incentives could be used to encourage students to stay in-state for higher education.

Transcript Highlights:

• people of faith are particularly well equipped to address this crisis because While it manifests externally
• Then we had Senator Hamlin on housing, and we'll still hear the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms

Transcript Highlights:

• will keep reiterating, we should always be in a heightened state of preparedness, regardless of the external
• will keep reiterating, we should always be in a heightened state of preparedness, regardless of the external

Keywords: House Committee Room A, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just as external cameras are budgeted for and maintained, classroom cameras should be in place and maintained
• JUST AS EXTERNAL CAMERAS ARE BUDGETED  FOR AND MAINTAINED SOCIAL CAMERA SHOULD   290 BE

Summary: The Pre-K-12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered three bills. HB 157, School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program, would create a Department of Education program allowing school districts and charter schools to place current or retired high-performing teachers in D- or F-rated schools as mentors, with a proposed $3,000 stipend per mentor per mentee. Members questioned the funding source and contract-time implications; the sponsor said the program would use previously decategorized education funds and that mentoring could be done within existing planning, before-school, after-school, or weekend time. An amendment clarifying that the bill would use a contract template rather than a DOE contract was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS/HB 859, Exceptional Students and Video Cameras in Public Schools, which would require school boards to adopt policies for video cameras in self-contained ESE classrooms upon a parent request, with redaction of other students from footage. Public testimony strongly supported the bill, including emotional accounts from a parent of a nonverbal adult with autism who described past abuse in a classroom and from the Autism Society of Florida, which argued cameras are a necessary safety measure for vulnerable students and noted other states already allow or require them. Members emphasized student safety and the need to fund the policy, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered HB 561, Educator Certification, which aims to reduce barriers for experienced educators returning to the classroom by expanding temporary certificate eligibility to those with expired Florida certificates, allowing prior subject-area exam results to count for reinstatement, and updating references related to educator professional learning support. The sponsor said the bill preserves standards while making reinstatement more efficient and less costly. There was broad support from members, who noted the value of retaining experienced teachers, and HB 561 was also reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the director of Southeast External Affairs. the director of Southeast External Affairs for Philip

Bills: SB282, SB300, HB72, HB396, SB282, SB300, HB72, HB396

Keywords: virtual currency, cryptocurrency, tax exemption, state tax law, digital assets, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, business incentives, economic impact, firefighter, license plate, fees, funds distribution, support programs, memorial, disabled veterans, property tax exemption, debt-to-income ratio, homestead, veterans affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• device doesn't have to be upgraded, unlike hearing aids because an ear canal and the size of the external
• External hardware is where the hardware is really getting beat up.
• <00:39:06.120> External replace it with a new implant.
• External replace it with a new implant.
• External hardware<00:39:07.160> is<00:39:07.359> where<00:39:07.640> the<00:39:07.760

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:10 SB 6 Discussion 00:40 SB 6 Vote 00:13:30 Cochlear Implants 00:16:25, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee heard Senate Bill 6, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, which would create an endowed research fund to support collaborative university research in Kentucky. Stivers described the bill as an extension of earlier higher-education research efforts, arguing that Kentucky should build research “hubs” by requiring or encouraging partnerships among universities and outside entities, with potential focus areas including health care, engineering, aerospace, agriculture, and other emerging fields. He said the proposal would establish five research tranches over five years and sought a $30 million endowment for each, generating annual interest to fund consortium-based research and leverage additional private and federal dollars. Senators Frommeyer, Neal, Givens, Boswell, and Richardson spoke in support, emphasizing economic development, job creation, and examples from other research clusters such as Boston and North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The committee voted 12-0 to report the bill favorably to the Senate floor. The committee then received a presentation from Dr. Matthew Bush of the University of Kentucky on pediatric hearing loss and cochlear implants. Bush explained that early hearing detection and intervention is critical because hearing loss in newborns is a neurocognitive emergency that affects language, literacy, and long-term outcomes. He outlined national screening benchmarks, Kentucky’s incidence of childhood hearing loss, and the high educational and societal costs of untreated hearing loss. Bush also highlighted disparities in rural and western Kentucky, where children face delayed diagnosis, longer waits for hearing aids or cochlear implants, and more difficulty accessing follow-up care. He described cochlear implants, the multidisciplinary care they require, and research showing improved language development, quality of life, and cost savings when children are treated early.

Transcript Highlights:

• With HB 133, we aim to fortify Texas against external... influences that seek to undermine our legal
• heard through the testimony, this is a serious issue that we're dealing with and we must stop the external
• information and communication technologies can provide opportunities for for data collection and external
• So, under U.S. federal immigration law, a U.S. work permit holder is not automatically considered a U.S
• U.S. work permit holder or employment authorization documents holder is not authorized. automatically

Bills: HB17, HB34, HB41, HB 118, HB 119, HB 127, HB 128, HB 129, HB 130, HB132, HB133, HB17, HB41, HB118, HB119, HB127, HB128, HB129, HB130, HB132, HB133

Keywords: foreign ownership, real estate, national security, designated countries, Texas property law, lobbying, foreign adversaries, compensation prohibition, transparency, civil penalties, higher education, foreign adversary, research security, trade secrets, academic partnerships, HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Ahmed Bavan, will walk through OSH's current status, the patients that the hospital serves, the external
• a specialty hospital—you have your internal audience and constituencies, but you also have your external
• And that is a very, very complex balancing act, making sure we find ways to connect with our external

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The joint Senate and House Behavioral Health committees held an informational meeting focused first on the Oregon State Hospital (OSH). OHA Director Sajal Hathi introduced the hospital’s incoming permanent superintendent, Sean Murphy, and praised interim superintendent Jim Deagle for stabilizing operations, restoring CMS compliance, and helping drive a culture change centered on safety, accountability, and transparency. Deagle and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Amit Bavon described OSH’s role as the state’s highest-level forensic psychiatric hospital, the patient populations it serves, its partnerships with courts, counties, jails, hospitals, and advocates, and recent leadership changes across the hospital. They also reported improved accreditation and regulatory status, including Joint Commission accreditation and CMS compliance, and said the hospital is now using daily safety huddles, incident review meetings, stronger escalation procedures, and revised seclusion/restraint practices to reduce risk and improve oversight. Members pressed hospital leaders on past seclusion practices, asking how prolonged seclusions could have occurred under federal standards. Leaders said they could not explain past decisions but emphasized that current leadership has changed processes, training, reporting, and oversight so that seclusion and restraint are reviewed in real time and cannot be normalized. Questions also covered staffing, falls, and future planning. OSH said it is generally staffed to budget, though it still has RN and mental health technician vacancies and is working on recruitment, training, and better staffing distribution. Hathi said the hospital is building a public dashboard with key performance and safety metrics, including workforce data, and described the long-term goal as a consistently safe, disciplined, high-functioning institution that responds quickly to mistakes and remains accountable to the public. The committee then shifted to an informational overview of civil commitment. Oregon Judicial Department representative Chanah Newell explained the civil commitment process, including who can initiate it, the role of community mental health providers and courts, the five-day timeline to hearing, and the standards for danger to self, danger to others, and inability to meet basic needs. She summarized changes made in House Bill 2005, including revised statutory language and new provisions allowing a second diversion period, but cautioned that the data are too early to show clear trends. Testimony from NAMI Oregon’s Chris Bonif and psychiatrist Dr. Stephanie Lopez argued that Oregon still relies too heavily on jails and state hospital commitments because the broader community system lacks enough treatment, housing, and less restrictive alternatives. They urged the legislature to focus on upstream services, supported housing, and possible outpatient commitment tools so people can receive treatment before reaching crisis. The meeting ended with acknowledgment that additional reports and follow-up discussions are expected, including on residential treatment capacity and related behavioral health system reforms.