Transcript Highlights:

• We removed the specific student-teacher ratio because the language in line 16 and several other places
• wealthier people who have the ability to transport children and disadvantages those who don't. teacher ratio
• uh because um the uh teacher ratio uh because um the uh language<00:42:00.719><c> in</c><00:42:01.040
• I understand that the student-teacher ratio portion was removed from the bill, but I do have concerns

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 34, concerning parental consent for student participation in the Medicaid-to-schools program. Members said they were not comfortable with a suggested amendment and wanted more information from Health and Human Services about how the program and billing work. On motion by Representative Noble, seconded by Representative Freeman, the committee voted unanimously to retain the bill, 18-0. The committee then considered Senate Bill 102, which would make informational materials about type 1 diabetes available on the Department of Education website. Supporters said the bill could help parents and teachers recognize warning signs early and could be life-saving in some cases. Opponents argued the material belonged on the Health and Human Services website rather than the DOE site, and some suggested a narrower link-only approach. After discussion, the committee voted 13-5 to ought to pass, with a minority report requested. The final major item was Senate Bill 97FN on intradistrict public school transfers. The committee first adopted an amendment that incorporated provisions from House Bill 68, required superintendents to approve best-interest transfer requests unless they failed to meet requirements, and revised language on capacity and accommodation. Supporters said the changes would help students, including those facing bullying, while opponents raised concerns about local control, capacity, and fairness to families who can transport children. The amendment passed 10-8, and the bill as amended also passed 10-8, with a minority report requested. The chair then announced the next meetings would be on the 21st and 27th, and reminded members to watch the Senate calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• We found the daycare and appreciated the security of the building, the small classroom ratios, and that
• security of the building, the small security of the building, the small classroom<00:10:35.600><c> ratios
• c> and</c><00:10:36.240><c> that</c><00:10:36.399><c> they</c><00:10:36.640><c> had</c> classroom ratios
• , and that they had classroom ratios, and that they had cameras<00:10:37.600><c> as</c><00:10:37.920>

Transcript Highlights:

• SIF or other funds.
• Investment and Improvement Fund, and $500,000 from the Lignite Research Fund.
• funds.
• The special funds and the federal funds are at the discretion of the funding agencies.
• And really, a portion of us are general funds, state appropriated general fund.

Summary: The committee first reviewed the 2024-25 tuition waiver report for the North Dakota University System. Staff explained that waivers were reported for degree-seeking students and broken out by residency, institution, and waiver type. Members asked about partial versus full waivers, institutional discretion, athletic waivers, and whether campuses have published guardrails or transparency requirements. Staff said most waivers are set by institutions, with some statutory and board-required categories, and that athletic waivers are a small share of total waiver dollars. The report showed total gross tuition of $354.5 million, tuition waived of $38.9 million, and 11,193 of 42,040 students receiving some waiver. Members also discussed how waivers affect net tuition revenue, housing and food collections, and whether campuses are using waivers strategically compared with scholarships and other funding sources. The committee then heard a presentation on tuition rates by campus and State Board policy. Staff explained the board’s tuition factors for resident, Minnesota reciprocity, contiguous-state/U.S. nonresident, and international students, and noted that campuses often seek exceptions based on program-specific competition and enrollment goals. Members asked whether rates are based on cost or competition, and staff said campuses typically bring forward estimates and market comparisons when requesting special rates. The presentation also reviewed general fund appropriations versus net tuition revenue by campus, and members discussed how local tuition decisions and waivers do not directly affect the state funding formula, though they do affect institutional revenue and reserves. Questions were also raised about the Higher Learning Commission’s financial composite indicator and how it differs from the more intuitive reserve and revenue figures. The committee next received a broad overview of non-higher-education entities affiliated with the State Board of Higher Education, beginning with NDSU agriculture-related units. Dr. Greg Lardy described the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, the NDSU Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the branch research centers, emphasizing their statewide role in crop and livestock research, extension education, and county-based outreach. He outlined funding mixes for extension, the experiment station, and branch stations, noting that grants and contracts support both research and education, while the agronomy seed farm is self-funded through seed sales. Members asked about the new and vacant FTE pool, R1 research status, matching requirements for grants, and whether state appropriations count toward research expenditures. Dr. Lardy also highlighted major research impacts, including crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, and NDAWN weather data. The Northern Crops Institute and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute also presented. NCI described its role in market development, technical services, and education for regional agriculture, its governance through the Northern Crops Council, and its funding from state appropriations, other states, and earned revenue. Members asked about the source of out-of-state funding, intellectual property, and the institute’s international reach. UGPTI then outlined its transportation research, federal and state funding structure, and work on road and bridge condition assessments, travel demand modeling, and workforce training. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• brick-and-mortars that will be forced out of business because they will be following all the rules and all the ratios
• brick-and-mortars that will be forced out of business because they will be following all the rules and all the ratios
• think that, you know, more statewide oversight or collaboration or something with animal control and funding

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Last week, I took care of a five-year-old boy who was fortunate enough to benefit from funding by a charitable
• really addresses is basically retaliatory tactics by insurers whenever there's any kind of bad loss ratio
• deposition, that independent agent said, "Well, they're pressuring us every single day to keep our loss ratios

Bills: HB813 , HB1680 , HB3569 , HB4074 , HB4635 , HB5178 , SB527 , SB1307 , SB1822

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: autism, health insurance, coverage, medical treatment, health benefit plan, HIV prevention, prescription drug, prior authorization, health benefits, insurance coverage, insurance, contract termination, property and casualty, insurance agents, discrimination, appraiser, umpire, licensing requirements, continuing education, admin penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• What is in the defense fund, and why do we need to increase it?
• So I'm going to give a little history about the legal defense fund.
• </c> legal defense fund. legal defense fund.
• Do you happen to know how much is in the legal defense fund at hand right now?
• </c> publish annual medical loss ratio publish annual medical loss ratio information. information. information

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in the end, it will end up costing them more money if they lower the ratio of RNs providing care.
• So, in the end, it will end up costing them more money if they lower the ratio of RNs providing care.
• if<00:21:39.600><c> they</c><00:21:40.360><c> lower</c><00:21:40.800><c> the</c><00:21:40.960><c> ratio
• Right now, counties are legally obligated to fund a portion of long care under RSA 167:18A.
• a portion of legally obligated to fund a portion of long<00:47:36.480><c> care</c><00:47:37.320><c>

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• justice community because we're not only a vulnerable community regarding resiliency, we have a high ratio
• “GWP is, simply, the ratio of the ability of a greenhouse gas to contribute to atmospheric warming as
• The GWP ratio, however, changes depending on the time window.
• But how will we get there without forcing fewer and fewer, and less and less affluent, ratepayers to fund
• deeper hole by building unhealthly and ultimately costly buildings while at the same time trying to fund

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Summary: The hearing focused on several climate and utility-related bills, especially H. 3449/S. 2292 to expand the municipal fossil fuel-free building demonstration program from 10 to 20 communities and related home rule petitions for Somerville and other municipalities. Witnesses from Somerville, Salem, Worcester, Cambridge, Newton, Arlington, Wellesley, Watertown, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association argued that local governments should be allowed to opt into fossil fuel-free or net-zero building standards, citing climate goals, environmental justice concerns, housing production, and data showing all-electric construction can cost about the same as or less than mixed-fuel construction. Committee members repeatedly pressed witnesses for cost data and asked for written follow-up, while also discussing whether strong environmental standards affect housing supply; witnesses responded that the main housing constraints are financing and that they would provide more data from local projects and state studies. A second major topic was H. 3564, which would require gas companies to provide municipalities with detailed multi-year pipe replacement plans, allow local review and objections, and limit reimbursement for projects not previously disclosed except in emergencies. Municipal leaders and advocates said the bill would improve coordination of street work, reduce disruption and costs, and help cities plan for electrification, network geothermal, and non-pipeline alternatives. Testimony from Wellesley, Cambridge, Arlington, Newton, and others emphasized repeated problems with last-minute gas main work, the need for advance notice, and the value of municipal participation in planning gas system retirement and alternatives. The committee also heard testimony on the “tactical transition” bills, S. 2249/H. 3539, aimed at managing the gas-to-clean-energy transition. Supporters from Gas Transition Allies, Rewiring America, and 350 Mass said the bills would require joint gas-electric planning, create an advisory council, eliminate subsidies for new gas hookups, shift investment toward repairs and clean alternatives, protect workers through retraining, and make utility plans more transparent. They argued these changes would reduce ratepayer costs, avoid stranded gas assets, and support orderly decarbonization. In addition, HEET testified on H. 3541, which would update greenhouse gas accounting to better reflect methane’s short-term climate impact, and H. 3543, which would establish a framework for managing shared thermal resources and thermal energy networks; committee members asked several questions about the meaning, ownership, and consumer-cost implications of the proposed “thermal commons.” No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our funding comes from grants and cost of care agreements.
• increase our staffing levels to operate the facility at maximum capacity and maintain the required ratios
• Through the use of the continuum grant funds, we've also Been able to recently launch a violence prevention
• With the state's capital outlay investment in our facility, we have received 2.6 million dollars in funding
• If provided additional funding, we could complete the current renovation and expand the medical unit.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to be today focusing on some updates for which the committee previously provided funding
• We created kind of not a record number of new judgeships we funded but pretty close to a record of new
• Some deeply appreciative of the funding authorization for those in the governor's support for them in
• And when the legislature does authorize new judgeships, it does so in 2 ways it provides funding through
• So the ratio for instructors, a 16 to one B of 119 instructors and para professionals is 32 to one or

Transcript Highlights:

• Over half of the learning issue is funded and is not funded outside teacher contract hours.
• Who has been charged with writing new taxpayer-funded K-12 ethnic studies lesson plans?
• Who has been charged with writing new taxpayer-funded K-12 ethnic studies lesson plans?
• Who has been charged with writing new taxpayer-funded K-12 ethnic studies lesson plans?
• We funded it out of our general fund. I don't have an accounting on hand for that.

Bills: HF3489 , HF3550

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• Why would this not be a reclamation activity that would be funded by industry versus by funds provided
• from the fund, would have to be repaid to the fund?
• And that money would stay in that fund, that revolving fund.
• I think this is a one-time fund in a revolving fund where the legislature is not committed to continuing
• to fund it each year.

Bills: SB1319 , SB1369 , SB1378 , SB1379 , SB1309 , SB1330 , SB1481 , SB1546 , SB1122 , SB1403

Committee: House Appropriations and Budget

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 1319, which would create a Corporation Commission process to help residential homeowners whose homes are contaminated by brine, oil, or other substances tied to the Commission’s jurisdiction. Members discussed a subcommittee amendment that removed an appropriation because the bill had already been funded elsewhere, and several questions focused on whether the measure was a state-funded bridge for rare cases where no liable party is immediately identifiable. The bill was advanced on a 23-3 vote. The committee then approved several other measures with little or no debate: SB 1369 to create a protected revolving fund for the 988 mental health lifeline; SB 1378 to create an Olympic Fund for Oklahoma City’s 2028 Olympic preparations; SB 1379 to establish a two-year grant pilot for victims of labor and sex trafficking; SB 1309 to increase the Rhodes Fund reserve for debt service; SB 1330 to change compensation for the pardon and parole board director and members to an attendance-based structure; SB 1546 to allow private donations for the Inspired to Teach program and rename it Next Ed; and SB 1403 to update the Quality Jobs Program, including adding certain transportation-related industries and tightening eligibility if a credit is unused for three years. These bills all received due-pass recommendations, with votes ranging from unanimous to 23-2. The committee also considered SB 1481, which adds 20 minutes of daily recess, and members noted that similar bills were moving through the process and that the bill did not clearly address whether the added recess counts as instructional time. It passed 25-0. Finally, SB 1122, a broadband tax-policy cleanup bill, drew questions about its fiscal impact on local governments and counties; the presenter said municipalities would not be affected because they do not levy ad valorem taxes, though the measure could reduce revenue for other taxing entities by about $20 million statewide. That bill passed 23-1. The meeting ended with announcements about upcoming appropriations meetings and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then page three are the non-general fund changes.
• And so the funds in that account will transfer into the general fund starting in fiscal 25.
• received their grant and to continue using those recaptured funds.
• We're also grateful for the funding to support policies that stabilize affordable housing.
• If you have the opportunity to do so, please Include additional funding priorities.

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• On funding, this is basically the breakdown of our funding.
• funding funding without our funding infrastructure<01:19:41.840><c> funding</c><01:19:42.360><c> such
• Looking at the funding, 78% of our funding has traditionally been federal funding.
• Looking at the funding, 78% of our funding has traditionally been federal funding.
• Looking at the funding, 78% of our funding has traditionally been federal funding.

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill has to do with foster care licensing, crisis residential center staffing ratios, and child
• CRC ratios, so are currently four staff to eight children with no less than three staff to eight children

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee met on February 25 and received staff briefings on three bills. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2253, the DCYF licensing bill, was described as affecting foster care licensing, crisis residential center staffing ratios, and child care licensing. Staff reviewed multiple proposed amendments, including changes related to immediate threats to children’s safety, substance use, subsidy fraud, reporting channels, and DUI-related ineligibility, as well as a Wilson striking amendment that would remove many of those floor changes. After caucus, the chair announced she would pull ESHB 2253 from executive action for further work over the interim, and no vote was taken on the bill. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2319, which renames certain residential habilitation centers, had one amendment to rename Yakima Valley School as the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center. The committee adopted the amendment despite opposition from Senators Warnick and Christian, who said constituents in Yakima did not support the change. The bill then received a do-pass recommendation and was sent to Rules, with Senators Warnick and Christian voting no. House Bill 2464, concerning incident reporting by private detention facilities to the Department of Health and local law enforcement, was also considered. Senator Christian offered six amendments, including a JLARC study, public posting and legislative sharing of reports, expanded reporting requirements, food-safety consistency, and reimbursement for compliance costs; all six amendments failed. The committee then approved the bill on a do-pass recommendation and sent it to Rules, with Senator Christian opposing and Senator Orwall supporting the measure as a human-rights and safety bill. The chair closed the meeting after noting the committee had reached the policy cutoff and thanking staff for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just simply about counselors, and there's some dedicated counselor funding.
• This is just simply about counselors, and there's some dedicated counselor funding.
• I favored counselor ratios since I was a pup here, and we've been unsuccessful in that.
• It would have been laid off out of that fund instead of laying them off and going somebody new.
• I favored counselor ratios since I was a pup here, and we've been unsuccessful in that.

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Why would this not be a reclamation activity that would be funded by industry versus by funds provided
• would have to be repaid to the fund?
• And that money would stay in that fund, that revolving fund. Provenzano with the question.
• I think this is a one-time fund in a revolving fund where the legislature is not committed to continuing
• to fund it each year.

Bills: SB1319 , SB1369 , SB1378 , SB1379 , SB1309 , SB1330 , SB1481 , SB1546 , SB1122 , SB1403

Committee: House Appropriations and Budget

Keywords: SB1319, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma, remediation, environmental emergency, brine contamination, oil contamination, oilfield pollution, residential property, home buyout, property acquisition, fair market value, revolving fund, remediation fund, state plugging funds, well plugging, abandoned well, natural breakout, Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• Issue number 12 related to ratios. We're monitoring this issue to thoroughly understand the impact.
• However, we totally understand the board's need for funding to be able to do its job.
• Another area has to do with kind of fund condition and also the decreasing licensing population.
• But when we look at our overall funding model and we look at the cost that we...
• They have student tuition recovery fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're in the funding talk enough about. We're in the funding committee<00:45:41.000><c> here.
• And education funding.
• We'll be able to find the funding<00:45:55.760><c> to</c> funding to funding to the<00:45:56.840><c>
• So, it's not it's not cutting<00:57:46.520><c> funding.</c> cutting funding. cutting funding.
• Funding flow, uh funding sources, well.

Bills: HF3493 , HF4114

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:34:32.280><c> for</c> the opioid abatement trust fund for the opioid abatement trust fund for
• So if you look at the total source of funds about midway down on page 102, you'll see the other funds
• into the general funds.
• We did submit a prioritized need to fund at $750,000 general funds each year.
• </c><02:00:37.199><c> the</c><02:00:37.360><c> Child</c> funding General funds for the the Child funding

Summary: The committee first recessed briefly, then took up HB 570, the prescription drug affordability board (PDAB). The chair and several members discussed the House amendment to repeal the board, which removed the fiscal note. The main concern raised was that the PDAB had not yet produced a clear business case showing value for the taxpayer investment, despite several years of work and four annual reports. Supporters of the repeal said the board’s recent report was largely redundant and that the board should either demonstrate a strong return on investment or be shut down; others cautioned against discarding the program too quickly and urged more time to refine the mission and legislative language. No vote was taken, and the committee appeared to agree to retain the bill for further work, with the possibility of revisiting it in a formal executive session on Tuesday. Members also shifted into discussion of HB 2, beginning with Section 85 on opioid abatement trust fund dollars for shelter programs. Department of Health and Human Services officials explained that the provision would provide $10 million from the opioid abatement trust fund, replacing general funds in the governor’s budget, while also noting an additional $2.5 million prioritized needs request for shelter care that was already fully funded. Committee members asked about shelter bed capacity, job placement efforts, and the remaining balance in the opioid fund; DHHS said there are 934 contracted beds and that case management includes help with housing and employment. Officials also said the current proposed budget includes another $1 million later in HB 2 from the opioid fund. The committee then began discussion of Sections 86 through 87, which would preserve the department’s ability to transfer funds between personnel lines. DHHS said the provision is operationally critical and that losing it would make it extremely difficult to manage the department, though it would not have a direct fiscal impact. The next item introduced was Section 88, extending a suspension related to eligibility for services until July 1, 2027; DHHS indicated that if the suspension were not continued, it would likely increase expenditures for Community Mental Health Centers and potentially others. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting.