Transcript Highlights:

• Supplemental reading intervention programs, $60,000 per year.
• Supplemental reading intervention programs, 60,000 per year.
• and saying this is what we want to base our programming on.
• With her, they had a very avid reading program.
• This is just like we do with other programs.

Bills: LB878, LB958, LB958A, LB762, LB1187, LB966, LB929, LB962, LB1209, LB937A, LB962A, LB1050, LB1050A, LB965, LB1022, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB745, LB749, LB778, LR293, LR296, LR422, LR495, LR496, LR497, LR498, LR499, LR500, LR501, LR502, LR503, LR504

Keywords: paid parental leave, state employees, workplace benefits, family support, economic impact, Medicaid, Medical Assistance Act, home and community-based services waiver, HCBS waiver, waiver participant, assessment tool, clinical interviewing, service tier, retroactive coverage, doula, doula reimbursement, maternal health, prenatal care, pregnancy, birth outcomes

Transcript Highlights:

• power plants with carbon capture, combined-cycle power plants.
• And as someone who represents the city’s largest power plant, a peaker plant, and is home to Astoria,
• It would also defund the EB Make Ready program and the New York State Clean Heat Program, both of which
• These programs support union jobs.
• That program would go away.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications considered a large agenda focused mainly on energy affordability, the CLCPA, utility rates, and renewable energy siting. Senator Mattera and other Republican members argued that the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act has driven up utility bills, harmed reliability, and imposed costs on ratepayers, while Democratic members pushed back that rising costs are also driven by natural gas markets, infrastructure costs, and broader economic factors. Several bills sought to repeal or pause CLCPA-related policies, create a CLCPA task force, impose studies or moratoriums on new energy taxes and fees, and increase transparency around utility surcharges and state energy spending. Supporters framed these measures as ratepayer relief and accountability; opponents said some proposals would undermine clean-energy policy and existing consumer-benefit programs. The committee defeated S.1167, which would have repealed the All Electric Building Act, and S.1173, which would have created a CLCPA task force. It also failed S.5250, a bill to study CLCPA costs and impose a moratorium on new energy taxes, fees, or regulations, and S.7075, which would have prohibited the system benefits charge on utility bills. Several other bills advanced, including S.1236A on virtual access and electronic filing for Public Service Commission proceedings, S.1552 establishing reduced residential rates for low-income electric and natural gas customers, S.2484 directing a study of replacement timeframes for battery storage and renewable facilities, S.2638 on carbon allowance auction proceeds, S.3247 on electric vehicle charging stations, S.3553 requiring utilities to post promotional and educational materials on their websites, S.4571A creating a floating solar incentive education program, S.5518 shifting Public Service Commission funding to legislative appropriation, and S.6412A requiring itemized ratepayer disclosure of surcharges. S.9251, on labor-related legal costs, was referred to the Labor Committee. S.7710, which would have restricted energy storage systems near schools and homes in New York City, failed after concerns and support were debated. The committee adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• of a specialty program here today.
• the plant.
• use when you build a plant.
• And over the years, we have had numerous governments nationally put together programs to clean up and
• Nuclear plant sites where they had decommissioned plants, but they are looking at building new plants

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• What’s quite unique about this program is... this program is that it will be offered across a spectrum
• As I mentioned to you before, the global programs, it's only that program that's really online.
• We're cleaning up PFAS.
• Process, move that water to a particular plant for reuse, filtering, cleaning, and then sending it back
• Plants for creating and developing new plants for actually filtering the water and cleaning up the water

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are our primary plant nutrients.
• or source control programs.
• or source control programs.
• And they wanted the state of Oklahoma to implement the Clean Water Act programs.
• Oklahoma to implement the Clean Water Act programs.

Summary: The meeting focused on the use of biosolids on farm and ranch land, with testimony from Oklahoma State University experts, a conservation official, and an engineering representative about the benefits, risks, and regulatory implications. Dr. Lusk described OSU’s long history of soil fertility research and said biosolids can provide nutrients and organic matter, but also may carry contaminants such as PFAS, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and pathogens. He emphasized that many questions remain unanswered, especially about contaminant uptake into soil, crops, livestock, and humans, and said existing EPA and Oklahoma DEQ regulations address some treatment and application standards but may not fully cover PFAS. Dr. Arnell expanded on nutrient management, explaining that biosolids can function similarly to manure as a fertilizer source, especially for nitrogen and phosphorus, but should be tested, incorporated into soil, and applied under permit conditions to reduce runoff and other losses. He said PFAS testing methods are not yet standardized and that more research is needed to determine sampling protocols, movement in soil, and long-term effects. Committee members asked whether farmers and ranchers should be notified of risks, whether PFAS is currently tested, how many counties use biosolids, and what research would be needed for a dissertation-level study. The witnesses generally agreed that landowners should be informed of known risks and uncertainties, but said the science is still developing. Dr. Arnell said a unified testing method is needed before reliable PFAS monitoring can be done, and suggested that a multi-year study would be required to understand soil movement, crop uptake, and livestock impacts. Greg Scott of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission framed the issue as a waste-management problem, noting that human waste streams contain contaminants and that soil type affects how pollutants move; he said sandy soils pose greater movement risks than clay soils and that current best practice is incorporation, careful timing, and avoiding steep or sensitive sites. He also said PFAS are widespread and not naturally occurring in the way some other compounds are, and that liability and cleanup costs are major concerns. Mary Elizabeth Mock of Garver Engineering focused on the practical and financial consequences of a possible moratorium on land application, saying most of Oklahoma’s biosolids are currently land applied and would otherwise have to go to landfills. She warned that many landfills are nearing capacity, tipping fees could rise sharply, and cities such as Tulsa and Norman could face large increases in disposal costs, which would ultimately be borne by ratepayers and taxpayers. She also said septic system maintenance costs could rise if land application options shrink, potentially leading to deferred maintenance and system failures. Mock urged a tiered, data-driven approach to PFAS regulation and said advanced treatment technologies may help in the future, but they are still emerging and expensive. No votes were taken; the session consisted of presentations and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of these programs, a lot of the 32 programs, are established programs.
• Some programs, such as the Integrated Regional Water Management Program that Mr.
• grant program.
• There's another program in Proposition 4, the Dam Removal Program.
• Drinking Water for Schools Program, the Septic to Sewer Program, and of course the MLRP Program that

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• : the local road and bridge programs and the wetland replacement program.
• program.
• I'm here because of two words: clean water. Clean water.
• And this means clean water to fish in, clean water to swim in, and clean water to drink.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not create a hydrogen deployment program.
• The California Demand-Side Grid Support Program, the nation's largest virtual power plant, has demonstrated
• And we have reached another lull in our programming.
• And we have reached another lull in our programming.
• I mean, I support our journey to a clean energy economy.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• meeting our 100% clean energy goals. meeting our 100% clean energy goals.
• widespread energy efficiency programs widespread energy efficiency programs like<00:20:47.200>
• 29.159> million,<00:21:30.159> but the program costs $32 million, but the program costs
• <00:26:43.919> and<00:26:44.159> that nuclear power plant. and that nuclear power plant
• So that's just the plant the solar.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, this is a cleaning up some Mr.
• <00:06:47.240> may residue applied to potato plants may residue applied to potato plants may
• as opposed to let's train the... workforce and this program together with workforce and this program
• other housing or employee bonus programs other housing or employee bonus programs as<00:23:10.320
• cover crops and to help get their plant cover crops and to help get their fields<00:49:48.760> cleaned

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• state program to fill the gap.
• Geothermal is exactly the kind of clean baseload power California must expand to meet its 100% clean
• I am with Clean Water Action.
• The poppy plant was just a plant until its extracts were isolated and concentrated into morphine, cocaine
• Farming isn't considered a point source under the Clean Water Act, and so they do not receive Clean Water

Summary: The committee heard a series of environmental safety and toxic materials measures, with several bills moving forward on unanimous or near-unanimous votes to Appropriations. Early in the meeting, the consent calendar was approved, including AB 372, AB 455, AB 1096, AB 1102, and AB 754. AB 362 by Assembly Member Ramos, which would recognize tribal beneficial uses of water and strengthen consultation and protection for tribal water uses, drew strong support from tribes and environmental groups. Water agencies and local government representatives opposed unless amended, raising concerns about CEQA requirements, co-management language, and conflicts with existing water law. The bill advanced to Appropriations, with some members voting aye and others not voting or absent. AB 728 by Assembly Member Lee would require age verification for the sale of certain anti-aging skin care products to minors. The author and a youth witness described social media-driven use of adult skin products by children and alleged skin damage, while supporters argued age checks are a reasonable consumer protection. Dermatologists and retailers opposed the bill, saying it could restrict legitimate acne and other medical uses of over-the-counter products, create compliance problems, and lacked a clear scientific basis. The committee discussed possible ambiguity in the bill’s definition of anti-aging products, but the measure still passed to Appropriations. AB 532 on low-income water rate assistance, AB 773 on copper-based anti-fouling paint, AB 998 on household hazardous waste disposal of vape pens, AB 1031 on geothermal hazardous waste fees, and AB 864 on solar panel hazardous waste and recycling all received strong support and advanced to Appropriations. Supporters for AB 532 emphasized water affordability and local program authority; AB 773 supporters said conflicting state water and pesticide rules are creating confusion for harbors and cities; AB 998 was presented as a practical way to let schools and local facilities dispose of confiscated vape devices safely; AB 1031 was framed as reducing DTSC fee burdens on geothermal development in Imperial County; and AB 864 would ease recycling and reuse of end-of-life solar panels. The committee also began hearing AB 1264 on ultra-processed foods in school meals, with the author and supporters arguing it would phase out the most harmful ultra-processed foods from school meals by 2032, but the transcript cuts off before the full discussion and any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:47:56.839> programs<00:47:57.160> that disabled partners program programs that
• clean water state revolving funds to fund municipal wastewater treatment plants, and we have a permitting
• lot program our animal feed lot program lot program our animal feed lot program permitting<01:31
• program the habitat enhancement program the habitat enhancement landscape<02:06:58.840> program
• enhancement program which is a program enhancement program which is a program that<02:09:38.239>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Chair Foung Hawj opened the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee meeting by welcoming members, agency staff, and constituents, and by outlining the committee’s shared-power arrangement for the session. Members introduced themselves and described environmental activities from the interim, including gardening, outdoor recreation, farming visits, Great Lakes work, and a tree-planting trip in Thailand that Hawj said symbolized cultural unity and environmental stewardship. Ben Stanley, the committee’s nonpartisan counsel, then explained the co-chairs’ operating agreement: Hawj would chair the meeting, Senator John Hoffman would chair the next two meetings, then Hawj would chair the following two, with the chair rotating after each pair of meetings. Agendas would be set jointly, additional meetings would require both chairs’ approval, and passing a bill out of committee would require a majority of all committee members, or seven votes. At Senator Tory Westrom’s request, the agreement was to be emailed to members in writing. Stanley also reviewed the committee’s jurisdiction, which includes environmental and natural resources bills, legacy funds, and agencies such as the Environmental Quality Board, Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Control Agency, and Board of Water and Soil Resources, along with several related councils and boards. Fiscal analyst Dan Mueller then gave a budget overview of the committee’s agencies, noting that many current biennium appropriations include one-time general fund money that drops back in the 2026-27 base budget. He highlighted funding levels for the Pollution Control Agency, DNR, Metro Parks, Conservation Corps, BWSR, the Minnesota Zoo, the Science Museum, and the Metropolitan Landfill Contingency Action Trust Account, and said the committee’s base-budget area totals about $2.2 billion. He also reviewed the Legacy funds, estimating available 2026-27 appropriations of about $327 million for Outdoor Heritage, $31.7 million for Clean Water, $133 million for Parks and Trails, and $185 million for Arts and Cultural Heritage. No votes or bill actions were taken at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota Fertilizer Grant Program, Minnesota Made Grant Program established, and the money appropriated
• This House File 1701 would be a grant program for a Minnesota-made fertilizer program, and much like
• Most of these plants would have to be equipped, and I'm talking small plants to be...
• So I understand the need for this grant program.
• This program also provides ESL programs to adults on the backside.

Transcript Highlights:

• To clean energy, this workforce will be critical.
• Any. to clean energy, this workforce will be critical.
• we go with clean energy, is small.
• Even if the chance of a new power plant coming on board, if we go with clean energy, is small, we need
• You are clean up here. Happy to be cleaning up. And I hope that's what we can do as a state.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of late-file energy bills, with much of the discussion focused on battery storage siting, gas system expansion, propane consumer protections, gas workforce safety, and a Taunton home-rule petition on water rates for manufactured housing communities. Representative Sweeney urged support for H. 4689 and H. 4690, which would impose a moratorium and setback requirements for lithium battery storage facilities, citing fire risk, proximity to homes, and environmental concerns. Several local officials and residents from Oakham, Tewksbury, and other communities described proposed battery projects near homes, schools, wetlands, and conservation land, while industry and clean-energy advocates argued the bills would effectively block storage development and conflict with state energy goals and existing fire-safety standards. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2290/H. 3547, a bill to prevent gas expansion near environmental justice communities, from environmental justice advocates, municipal officials, and clean-energy groups. Testimony emphasized rising gas bills, the cost of new pipelines, methane and health impacts, and the need to avoid locking in long-term gas infrastructure costs. Witnesses also discussed related bills on gas workforce safety, gas shut-off valves, and gas meter replacement plans, with labor representatives supporting safety-focused measures and opposing changes they said would weaken inspections, while consumer and environmental advocates argued that some utility replacement practices are unnecessarily expensive and should be reined in to reduce ratepayer costs. Other testimony included support for H. 3518 on propane gas ratepayer protections, with the witness arguing for clearer contract terms and website price disclosure, and support for S. 2652, which would authorize Taunton to create a separate water billing rate for manufactured housing communities because residents there are effectively paying higher water costs through rent due to a single master meter. No committee votes or final actions were taken during the hearing, and members mostly asked brief clarifying questions or made no comment after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• current level of funding the program current level of funding the program itself<00:06:26.240>
• The program started in 2011.
• Representative asks whether the program is on track to serve at least 200 people through the program,
• Great program.
• <01:39:45.159> be the plants plants are the sugar be the plants plants are the sugar be plants

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bottled water plants. bottled water plants.
• These are investments that allow communities all throughout the state to upgrade treatment plants, clean
• ,<01:13:50.239> clean<01:13:50.719> up<01:13:51.040> existing treatment plants
• , clean up existing treatment plants, clean up existing contaminants<01:13:52.239> such<01:13:
• We got four years in the program. know. We got four years in the program.

Bills: HF3793, HF3699, HF793, HF3322, HF3426

Keywords: groundwater, water use permit, data centers, public health, environmental regulations, municipalities, state park license plate, specialty license plate, Minnesota DNR, Department of Natural Resources, license plate design contest, North Shore, Lake Superior Agate, AI-generated art, artificial intelligence, Minnesota resident, state parks, specialty plates, vehicle registration, contest requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:57.399> Energy to support Minnesota's Clean Energy to support Minnesota's Clean Energy
• for a nuclear conventional power plant for a nuclear power<00:26:31.240> plant<00:26:31.520><
• He said they are extremely safe operating plants, and that the safe record of nuclear plants in this
• He said people talk about nuclear being clean energy, but let’s be clear: it is carbon-free, not clean
• <01:05:01.279> built here by the time we get a plant built here by the time we get a plant

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• EPA's programs.
• Chairman, Representative Hernandez, I believe the EPA has a monitoring program. monitoring program, and
• The program you had mentioned...
• Like, they enter the program, we don't really have the ability to say no, you can't enter the program
• to strengthen that program.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How does that program work? million. How does that program work?
• false climate solutions and cutting critical programs that facilitate a just transition to clean energy
• <00:41:14.079> This<00:41:14.240> program<00:41:14.560> is clean renewable energy
• This program is clean renewable energy.
• > LMI<00:51:54.960> program<00:51:55.680> is the new program, the LMI program is

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Cuts to these vital programs had stopped the sanitation services that kept the camp clean.
• Cuts to these vital programs had stopped the sanitation services that kept the camp clean.
• Cuts to these vital programs had stopped the sanitation services that kept the camp clean.
• Cuts to these vital programs had stopped the sanitation services that kept the camp clean.
• Cuts to these vital programs had stopped the sanitation services that kept the camp clean.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 1012, house, all