Transcript Highlights:

• In 2023, that legislative session brought major changes to Minnesota's farm cervid industry, including
• farm cervid industry,<00:01:41.800><c> including</c><00:01:42.320><c> a</c><00:01:42.400><c> ban</c>
• Federal CWD herd certification programs continue to fail to prevent the spread of CWD.
• </c> Federal CWD herd certification programs Federal CWD herd certification programs continue<00:05:13.800
• There was a farm<00:05:22.400><c> there</c> farm there farm there that<00:05:23.560><c> imported</c><

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 953 addresses funding issues for DNR's air pollution control program.
• are funded by program fees, are swept into the state's general revenue fund.
• This is just Jason Bean here, but growing up on the farm, we never put sulfur on our farms.
• Growing up on the farm, we never put sulfur on our farms. Never put sulfur.
• detail in your witness farm.

Committee: House Conservation and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:16.640><c> which</c> alteration of terrain program which alteration of terrain program which
• It's not the sod farm, but it's near the sod farm.
• c> farm.
• Uh, and when it's on the farm, it is likely to cycle through on the farm.
• the farm soil at a state-owned white farm as part of that national research.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• farm in Florida next year.
• Parks our Family Farms 70th year in business.
• Our farm spans over 600 acres currently caring for 361.
• The farm is what I do. I train the race horses and watch over the farm.
• them at their store to those who had a dairy farm growing up and spend time on a dairy farm.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our program is entirely funded by dairy producers across our region.
• So we have scholarship programs that we do that support dairy farm family young family members to go
• Just are we having an impact on the consumer's perception of dairy and dairy farming?
• So you can see a quarter of the budget goes to that national programming.
• Just a little— ...programming spend this last year in 2025.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• So they would run the program internally.
• I'm the registered lobbyist for the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau.
• It's in relation with the Farm Act.
• I, as a farmer, when I started farming, I had a job to make my farm work, and it's hard and it's a tough
• I was born on a farm, delivered by a midwife, have lived on farms and ranches my whole life.

Committee: House House Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a T-Cup program. Just work with the T-Cup program.
• that program.
• , Most of these programs, like the T-CUP program, if I am enrolled in that program, according to the
• use program.
• , T-Cup, and now operate my own farm under the hemp program.

Bills: HB28 , SB3 , SB 3

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses, flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill, think limit laws for cars, but for farm equipment.
• This bill, think limit laws for cars, but for farm equipment.
• It is not creating a new program or mandate.
• This comes under the statute of gift cards, but the difference is a loyalty program.
• only use it within the store that gave you the program, right?

Bills: S0386 , S0528 , S0806 , S0696 , S0930 , S0874 , S0898 , S0826 , S0838

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee met with a quorum and considered several bills, most of them receiving favorable reports. SB 386, relating to farm equipment repair rights, was briefly explained by the sponsor as a lemon-law style measure for farm equipment; it passed without questions or debate. SB 528, aimed at strengthening Florida’s manufacturing sector by expanding Department of Commerce responsibilities, codifying the chief manufacturing officer role, creating a workforce development grant program, and requiring reporting, drew support from several appearance forms and was reported favorably. SB 806, a broader right-to-repair bill covering portable wireless devices and agricultural equipment, drew the most discussion: dealership and industry representatives opposed it, arguing existing manufacturer agreements already provide access to repair information and that the bill could force manufacturers into competition with dealers, while supporters framed it as pro-consumer and pro-repair access; it was still reported favorably. SB 696 on trademark registration modernization and SB 930 creating a Florida Retirement Savings Task Force were both explained as administrative/policy measures and passed without opposition. SB 874, which creates a professional licensure reciprocity path for out-of-state surveyors and mappers to address workforce shortages, also passed favorably. The committee then took up SB 826 on gift certificates, which the sponsor said is intended to target bank-branded “reward cards” that function like gift cards but expire, while not affecting loyalty programs. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association expressed concern about unintended consequences and asked to work on tighter definitions, but the bill was reported favorably after the sponsor said clarifying language would be added later. The committee also heard SB 838, as amended, on electronic payments for retail installment contracts; the sponsor said it would clarify that reasonable convenience fees for optional electronic payments are permissible, require disclosure, and preserve a fee-free option. Members raised concerns about what counts as a “reasonable” fee and whether the bill could authorize junk fees, but the committee substitute was reported favorably. Several votes were taken by roll call, with the bills above reported favorably and SB 898 temporarily postponed at the sponsor’s request. Members later asked to be recorded as voting affirmatively on bills they had missed. The meeting concluded after the final vote on SB 838 and a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:11:51.200><c> operation</c><00:11:52.079><c> and</c> farming oper on a farming operation and farming
• Next up we have Foye Farm Bureau in support.
• Next up we have Foye Farm &gt;&gt; Thank you.
• We all know farming, you got razor thin margins.
• So farming you got razor thin margins.

Bills: SB2359 , SB2169 , SB2170 , SB2263 , SB2360 , SB3084

Committee: House Tourism

Summary: The joint House Committee on Tourism and House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems heard House Bill 2585 on agricultural tourism. The bill would create statewide uniform standards for agritourism in counties that adopt such ordinances, require registration with county planning departments, and require agritourism to remain secondary and accessory to farming. The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity supported the measure but recommended amendments to make the language more consistent and to ensure agritourism remains tied to agricultural activity; the Hawaii Farm Bureau also supported the bill with the same general guardrails, while the White Tourism Authority offered comments. A member raised concerns about a trailer/roadside-stand provision, and the department ultimately said it did not support that specific language. The chairs then recommended passage with amendments, including a definition of principal farm operations, clarification that agritourism must not interfere with on-farm operations, revised termination rules after 60 consecutive days without active production with notice and cure procedures, restoration of the department’s proposed change to the trailer language, and technical corrections. HB 2585 passed both committees unanimously with excused members noted. The committees then heard House Bill 2602 on sustainable tourism infrastructure, which would establish a matching grant program in the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism for capital projects that improve sustainability and climate resilience in the visitor industry. The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii testified in support. The chair recommended passage with a committee report note estimating a roughly $5 million cost and a date correction, and both committees adopted the recommendation unanimously. House Bill 1948 on single-use plastics was also heard. It would prohibit lodging establishments from providing certain personal care products in small plastic containers and impose civil penalties. The Department of Land and Natural Resources stood on its testimony, and the Department of Health supported the waste-reduction goal but suggested the language belonged in a different chapter. The chair recommended an HD1 that would omit lotions from the definition of personal care products, adopt the Department of Health’s proposed clarification about reusable containers, and correct the date; the measure passed both committees unanimously. Finally, House Bill 1960 on human trafficking was heard. The bill would require the Attorney General to develop human trafficking awareness training for transit accommodation workers, require employers to provide training, keep records, post signage, adopt prevention policies, and report suspected trafficking, with penalties and rulemaking by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The Department of Labor Relations supported the intent but said the Department of Law Enforcement should be the lead agency, and the Hawaii Hotel Alliance strongly supported the bill while asking for amendments to recognize existing industry programs and apply the requirements equitably. The chair recommended an HD1 incorporating a July 1, 2027 deadline for training materials and employer training, adopting the hotel industry and DLE-related amendments, and making technical corrections; HB 1960 passed both committees unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Row and Ross from Boise, farm manager for Grand Footy Farms.
• I'm Rowan Roth from Boise, farm manager for Grand Footy Farms. My name is Keating Fitzgerald.
• I'm a calf manager for my family's dairy farm. Good morning. J.C.
• And anyway, so I think bringing kids out on the farm and actually...
• And that's why the 4-H programs and the FFA programs—I wish we could focus on our younger kids, too,

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky agriculture forward all across the Commonwealth, just as the farm tag does.
• Coming up in March, while I got a plug, that's when the farm tags come due for the farmers.
• "It'll be the same as the farm tag that already exists.
• That's what the current farm tag does. I doubt it brings in an additional million dollars.
• </c><00:26:34.399><c> as</c> pursuant to us do dbe acdbe program as pursuant to us do dbe acdbe program

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from its previous meeting. It then considered several transportation-related bills, beginning with House Bill 157 on special license plates. The bill, as amended by a committee substitute, would create a commercial Friends of Agriculture plate to support agriculture-related programs, with proceeds going to the same fund used by the existing farm tag. Members also discussed the committee substitute’s fee exemptions for military-related plates, and the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. The committee next took up House Bill 682 on utility relocation. Testimony from Charter Communications explained that the bill would update outdated law so cable and broadband providers are treated like public utilities for reimbursement when forced to relocate facilities for highway projects, while preserving the Transportation Cabinet’s discretion over reimbursements. Members asked about the current reimbursement process and fiscal impact; witnesses said the bill does not change cabinet discretion and therefore has no fiscal note. The bill was reported favorably. House Bill 443, which would shift the east end signage of the H. Rogers Parkway farther east to US 23 in Prestonsburg to reflect the already four-laned section and support future federal funding efforts, also received favorable expression. House Bill 444, a commercial driver’s licensing measure brought by the Transportation Cabinet and amended by committee substitute, would align Kentucky reporting requirements with federal law and allow drivers age 18 and older to qualify for a hazardous materials endorsement, with limits excluding school buses and interstate transport. Members discussed the safety rationale and the need for drivers in agriculture and propane delivery; the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 493 on towing and storage of motor vehicles. Representative Pollock and a Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance witness described it as a cleanup bill aimed at transparency and enforcement against predatory towing and inflated charges, and members noted constituent concerns about towing practices. The bill was reported favorably with a committee substitute attached. The committee also reviewed Administrative Regulation 600 KAR 1:041, which updates disadvantaged business enterprise certification rules to conform to federal nomenclature and related federal changes; the regulation was reviewed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our farm workers do some of the toughest work there is in Napa County.
• That's where Napa County's farm worker housing centers come in.
• In 2017, I established the Farm Workers Center account, In 2017, I established the Farm Workers Center
• We are so grateful for the state's participation in this program.
• It is an impactful and It directly supports farm workers in Napa.

Committee: Senate Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• We transitioned over to the We Feed WA program, which was a state program that is now a sunsetted pilot
• With the funding that was provided to them through the We Feed WA program and other various programs,
• We have participated in the We Feed WA program, not as a contract holder, but as a local farm that food
• Farmers have lost a ton of funding recently from state programs, from federal programs, and from just
• We are losing, gosh, I think I heard Representative Reeves say three farms a day because farming is really

Bills: HB1904 , HB2106 , HB2211 , HB2247 , HB2329 , HB2339

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: animal welfare, cats, declawing, animal rights, pet care, healthcare, contract modifications, provider notifications, insurance carriers, health facilities, HB 2211, medically tailored meals, medical nutrition therapy, medical assistance, Medicaid, Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, nutrition support, chronic disease, dietary accommodations

Transcript Highlights:

• Everybody loves the MVP program. Very popular. It is the MVP of programs.
• So this is for the Chapter 61 program, the current use program, for someone who has...
• Sure, so this is for the Chapter 61 program, the current use program.
• I was raised on a farm in the Connecticut River Valley, and today I serve as the conservation program
• Stonehill Farm in Woburn.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The hearing focused on the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Mass Ready Act, a $3 billion environmental bond bill. Administration officials said the bill would fund climate resilience, clean water, land conservation, parks, PFAS remediation, food security infrastructure, and coastal and inland flood protection, while also streamlining permitting for housing, restoration, and other resilience projects. They emphasized that the bond authorizes spending but does not itself obligate it, and said the proposal includes deauthorizations as housekeeping. Committee members asked about the new Resilience Revolving Fund, flood and drought management, MVP funding, land acquisition, Chapter 61 right-of-first-refusal changes, salt marsh carbon sequestration, and how the bill would help smaller municipalities and offset expected federal funding losses. Officials said the revolving fund would be managed through EEA and the Clean Water Trust, with criteria aimed at directing aid to communities most in need, and noted that drought issues would continue to be handled through existing DEP and drought commission tools. Several committee members and witnesses discussed specific policy provisions, including flood disclosure requirements for homebuyers and renters, expanded authority for regional planning and small-town access to grants, and permitting reforms that would exempt or expedite certain environmental restoration and priority housing projects from more time-consuming review processes. Administration witnesses defended the reforms as a way to achieve the same environmental outcomes faster and with more certainty, while some advocates argued the bill should go further, especially on Chapter 91 and restoration permitting. The administration also described investments in DCR facilities, water and wastewater systems, open space, agricultural easements, and a new focus on blue carbon and salt marsh restoration. Public testimony largely supported the bill. Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy, MAPC, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, municipal officials, and others praised the bill’s resilience, conservation, and water infrastructure investments. Some witnesses urged additional funding for land protection, coastal resilience, buyouts, and restoration, and several called for stronger or simpler permitting reforms. Municipal witnesses from Boston, Beckett, Beverly, Conway, and regional planning organizations stressed the need for flexible financing, especially for small and rural communities facing costly infrastructure and climate adaptation projects. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee heard testimony and asked questions before moving on to additional panels.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> We came back and had a pilot program We came back and had a pilot program drafted.<00:05:03.199>
• </c> program has a sunset provision on there. program has a sunset provision on there.
• </c> So June 1st, 2028 uh is when the program So June 1st, 2028 uh is when the program will<00:05:31.759
• And again, it's just a pilot program.
• And again, it's just a pilot program.

Bills: SB341 , SB340 , SB341 , SB354 , SB340

Committee: Senate Transportation and Energy

Keywords: SB341, Alabama, veteran license plate, veteran tag, distinctive license tag, specialty plate, radiation exposure, atomic bomb testing, ionizing radiation, World War II veterans, Vietnam veterans, Korean War veterans, Cold War veterans, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, Department of Veterans Affairs, probate judge

Transcript Highlights:

• One of those, the USDA walked back its financial support of our farm-to-school program.
• That's a great program. It's a phenomenal program. No one could get mad at farm to school.
• But farm to school is an incredible program. We've been investing in it for a while.
• Now you mentioned the farm to veterans program that you had wished had made it this session.
• you mentioned the farm to veterans um<00:13:35.279><c> program</c><00:13:35.600><c> that</c><00:13:35.839

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the paint stewardship program and other EPR programs that you all have helped champion over the
• I started the program here. We're about to celebrate our fifth anniversary of the program in April.
• So a program like this, although that state funding is very important for our budget, gives programs
• Also, because these new products will be assessed an external fee to pay for the program, ...program
• So a program like this, although that state funding is very important for our budget, gives programs

Bills: HB2515 , HB2343 , HB2301 , HB2272 , HB2367

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: energy facilities, large energy use, regulation, state oversight, infrastructure, water quality, game farms, public health, environmental protection, regulatory oversight, extended producer responsibility, paint waste management, environmental regulations, sustainability, recycling, ski areas, winter sports, terminology update, recreation, regulatory changes

Transcript Highlights:

• our conservation programs to keep farming.
• year, is the Local Food Purchase Assistance, or Farms Together, program that operates in... ...is the
• Local Food Purchase Assistance, or Farms Together, program that operates in both your districts.
• the farm-to-school program to farmers to provide assistance to K-12 schools in terms of purchasing remains
• this program.

Transcript Highlights:

• it is a public organization or program it is a public private<00:15:40.759><c> partnership</c><00:15
• </c><00:37:53.960><c> and</c><00:37:54.160><c> Farm</c><00:37:54.480><c> Service</c> certification program
• and Farm Service certification program and Farm Service Agency<00:37:55.400><c> data</c><00:37:56.079
• Second, it's another crop that we can market to help our farm cash flow and support our family.
• Second, it's another crop that we can market to help our farm cash flow and support our family.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and Minnesota’s efforts to build a SAF industry. Andrea Veble of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said the Walz administration strongly supports SAF because it could benefit agriculture, forestry, clean energy, and rural economies. She highlighted the 2023 state SAF tax credit and sales tax exemption for facility construction, describing the credit as a nation-leading incentive designed to stack with federal IRA credits and attract producers and blenders to Minnesota. Jeff Davidman of Delta Airlines said aviation is difficult to decarbonize and that SAF is the airline industry’s best available tool to reach net-zero goals by 2050. He explained that SAF is a certified drop-in fuel that can be blended with conventional jet fuel and used in existing aircraft and infrastructure, and he cited growing global demand and limited supply. He said Minnesota has many potential feedstocks, including used cooking oil, corn, soybeans, and camelina, and praised the state’s SAF tax credit and the Minnesota SAF Hub as important steps toward making Minnesota a leader in the sector. Peter Fros of Greater MSP described the Minnesota SAF Hub as a public-private partnership aimed at building an industrial-scale SAF value chain in Minnesota. He said the state has key advantages, including airport demand, corporate partners, research institutions, and agricultural inputs, and estimated that three SAF biorefineries could create tens of thousands of jobs and significant emissions reductions. He also said the Hub is working on blending infrastructure, private demand commitments, a winter camelina expansion study, and efforts to secure additional refineries before 2030. Members raised questions about how sustainability is measured, and Fros said the Hub relies on the federal GREET model but wants a clearer, transparent, and standardized national method that also accounts for issues like water quality and biodiversity. Amanda Bellik of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association said corn-based ethanol is a strong fit for SAF production through the alcohol-to-jet pathway because it is abundant, affordable, and supported by existing infrastructure. She said SAF development could create a new value-added market for corn without requiring new acres, but emphasized the need for significant capital investment, stable tax policy, and efficient permitting. She also said the group has worked with a consultant on third-party sustainability assessments of corn production practices to help fill data gaps and support the carbon-intensity requirements tied to SAF incentives.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Mahalo what you Farm Mahalo what you Farm Bureau<00:23:24.320><c> thank</c><00:23:24.440><c> you
• </c> we have Farm we have Farm [Music] Morning, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• </c> get some State funding for that program get some State funding for that program because<00:30:06.919
• First testifier on this measure is Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.
• program to protect our important coconut trees.

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems