Transcript Highlights:

• . demand. 13 is the average age girls are demand. 13 is the average age girls are sex<03:35:58.880>
• Uh and as to this bill, so age of 18.
• Uh the average age of entry It's fine.
• And I I believe and I hopefully the AG And I I believe and I hopefully the AG will<04:29:18.960>
• Representative Muse. someone under the age of 18 or it's someone under the age of 18 or it's unclear<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not only about race or gender or class; it is about disability access, language equity, age, LGBTQ
• So we might be diverse in other dimensions like education, age, or political beliefs.
• Third, health care, health care and wellness, especially for our aged community.
• So can you connect it to the DEI goals that we've been talking about, sort of aging and belonging?
• So can you connect it to the DEI goals that we've been talking about, sort of aging and belonging?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held an informational hearing on diversity, equity, and inclusion in Massachusetts; no bills were heard or voted on. Chairs Bud Williams and Liz Miranda opened by framing the hearing as a response to recent federal actions they said threatened DEI efforts, funding, and civil rights protections in education and other sectors. They said the committee would hear from experts, agencies, advocates, and businesses about the legality and benefits of DEI and the impact of federal actions on the Commonwealth. Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler testified virtually that Massachusetts is pushing back against federal efforts to restrict DEI, including guidance and certification demands directed at schools. He highlighted state investments in early education, child care, early college, career and technical education, and educator diversity, arguing these efforts help close opportunity gaps for Black and brown students, students with disabilities, English learners, and other underserved groups. In response to member questions, he said federal education dollars are core to services for students and that the state is prepared to fight funding cuts while monitoring impacts across K-12, early education, and higher education. Elizabeth Matos of the Attorney General’s Office said DEIA programs remain legal under state and federal law and described AG guidance issued to help institutions navigate federal confusion. She reviewed litigation the office has joined or won, including efforts involving withheld school funds, museums and libraries, the Minority Business Development Agency, Head Start, AmeriCorps, and other federal actions. Members asked about immigration-related fear and profiling, and Matos pointed to existing Know Your Rights guidance, said complaints to the Civil Rights Division have increased, and noted the office is seeing issues involving housing discrimination, employment, public accommodations, and threats to call ICE. She also said the office is open to further legislative ideas but did not discuss specifics. Evelyn Carter, a social psychologist, testified that diversity, equity, and inclusion are often misunderstood and defined the terms plainly, emphasizing that diversity is a group characteristic, equity addresses unequal starting points, and inclusion is about belonging and access. She argued that DEI matters because it creates guardrails against bias, helps make environments accessible, and addresses ongoing inequities. In response to questions, she suggested practical strategies such as using clear criteria and written records in decision-making, broadening who is considered part of one’s in-group, and pairing bias awareness with concrete behavior-change tools. The hearing also included testimony from Meredith Tewitt of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, who spoke about the importance of DEI for women, veterans, and people who rely on federal institutions, and urged lawmakers to continue supporting inclusion and access.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the proud mom of two school-aged kids. My son is the oldest. He's 16.
• This is important because sorting students only by age and seat time just does not serve them well.
• and far above that age-average level.
• and far above that age-average level.
• So MCAS basically provides a pass above that age average level.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees. Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists. Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.

Transcript Highlights:

• want someone who is either unemployed or underemployed, has a diagnosed disability, is between the ages
• And I think for these participants as well, Hela remind me, we had a couple who fell outside the age
• Pela, remind me, we had a couple who fell outside the age range. Yes.
• of that age range, on the older side.
• And that age... ...and that also carries, has a disability.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Disability Employment Subcommittee of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met and began with roll call, but did not have a quorum, so approval of prior minutes and an inspirational quote were tabled. A planned presentation from a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employee was canceled shortly before the meeting, and the agenda shifted to an informal discussion with two Treasury employees, Steve Kroder and Bill Collievis, about veterans with disabilities in the workplace. Kroder and Collievis described barriers veterans face, including stigma, employer misunderstanding, the need for frequent medical appointments, invisible disabilities such as PTSD and other service-connected conditions, and challenges for Guard and Reserve members balancing service with civilian work. They also discussed supportive practices in public employment, the need for better outreach to employers, the role of local veterans service officers, Military OneSource, TAP, and the importance of helping veterans navigate benefits and transition services. Commission members responded by emphasizing education, employer outreach, and possible resource-sharing through the commission’s website and toolkit. The committee then heard a presentation from Commonwealth Corporation on its Young Adults with Disabilities employment grant program. Staff explained the program’s funding, eligibility, training and placement model, and data from the prior cycle, including participant demographics, completion rates, credential attainment, employment outcomes, and wages. Members discussed benefits counseling, underemployment definitions, stigma around addiction as a disability category, and the need to connect grantees and participants with work incentives and benefits information. Commonwealth Corporation said grantees now receive training on benefits impacts and that the agency is open to further partnership. The meeting ended with a brief update on a planned commission event focused on youth and young adults with disabilities, inclusive workplaces, PCAs, and job coaches. Organizers said they were still securing a venue and were considering a hybrid or virtual format, with participation from youth organizations, the PCA Council, and the Arc of Massachusetts. The subcommittee then voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• international and national transport management, establishing a road transport business at a young age
• ProSource settled for $460,000 and agreed to strict age verification, and every day Arizona's believed
• In fact, 90% of our children's brain grows by age five, before they start kindergarten.
• And remind everybody, a quick reminder that tonight at the Arizona Farm Bureau Legislative Ag Fest is
• And remind everybody, a quick reminder that tonight at the Arizona Farm Bureau Legislative Ag Fest is

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior journal, and recognized the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Jasleen Chatwal. Members then made numerous introductions of guests and visiting groups, including Irish dignitaries and a proclamation recognizing St. Patrick’s Day, AFSCME and CWA members, the Arizona Farm Bureau, the Arizona chapter of the American College of Surgeons for Stop the Bleed training, and advocates for rare skeletal conditions. The chamber also announced committee substitutions and received Senate messages and committee reports. On business from the desk, the House voted to request the Senate return HB 4027 and HB 2444 for reconsideration. The House then moved through first and second readings of a large number of Senate bills and resolutions, placing them on the calendar. In Committee of the Whole, HB 2750 and HB 2999 were each amended and recommended do pass; both were reported back and ordered engrossed for further action. On third reading, the House rejected reconsideration of HB 2197, which dealt with water access and camping near water sources, after debate over criminal penalties and conservation concerns. The House then passed HB 2429 on vacation rentals and short-term rentals, HB 2950 creating special districts and tourism improvement areas, and HB 4001 concerning nicotine products and youth access, each after floor debate and recorded votes. The chamber also adopted a proclamation honoring AFSCME Arizona, made committee and caucus announcements, and adjourned until Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of my passions is kids in the foster care system and kids who are aging out of the system.
• We have had the opportunity to have a house for girls aging out of foster care and seeing how they came
• Next up, we will take Representative Rizzo's CS for HB 1121, aging and disability services.
• I entered foster care at 10 months old and was adopted at the age of 3 years old.
• Representative Rizzo, if you could please introduce CS for HB 1121, Aging and Disability Services.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we know and the numbers that I I often say are that 80% of brain development happens by age
• three, 90% happens by age five.
• 03:59.200> development<00:03:59.599> happens<00:03:59.920> by<00:04:00.159> age
• 80% of brain development happens by age 80% of brain development happens by age three,<00:04:00.720
• <00:04:03.200> The three, 90% happens by age five. The three, 90% happens by age five.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The discussion focused on several policy areas the legislator expects to work on in 2026, especially higher education, child care, and government trust issues. On higher education, she said the committee will likely remain budget-heavy but she hopes to expand the North Star Promise program to more middle-income Minnesotans, noting the current $80,000 income cutoff is below the state median and that the program has been a “game changer” for enrollment and access. She also revisited House File 2617, a child care licensing bill that did not advance in full but had some pieces included in the children and families budget. She described it as an effort to modernize licensing so providers are treated more like educators, with less focus on rigid rules and more on helping them focus on children’s care and development while still maintaining safety. She said child care remains her top issue for 2026, along with broader affordability concerns such as food, rent, mortgage payments, health insurance, and prescription drugs. The conversation also touched on a bill she has to impose a one-year waiting period before former legislators can register as lobbyists, which she framed as a perception and trust issue rather than a legal conflict of interest. She said the goal is to reassure the public that lawmakers are serving constituents rather than preparing for lobbying jobs after leaving office. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in this interview-style discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> WHAT IS THE AGE OF THE FLEET? DOES IT VARY?
• >> Chair: YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >> WE KNOW THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE AND WE KNOW SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS AND
• THE STATE AT OF THE 18,000 ASSETS THEIR AGING OUT AT DIFFERENT TIMES THE STATE IS CURRENTLY REPLACING
• THE DATA ON THEIR VEHICLES BUT SOME VEHICLES ARE MORE LIGHTLY USED SOME VEHICLES MIGHT GO PAST THE AGE
• I THINK IN TODAY'S AGE WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO IMPROVE OUR TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE.

Transcript Highlights:

• So approximately 70% of our taxable parcels are ag.
• So approximately 70% of our taxable parcels are ag.
• So approximately 70% of our taxable parcels are ag.
• Over $9 million, about $9.5 million, is in ag.
• But we've got the ag commissioner and nine other ag commissioners that have sent a letter.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It will affect all women of reproductive age and beyond.
• It will affect all women of reproductive age and beyond.
• need to seek abortion care at later gestational ages, again, that is from ACOG.
• <02:45:36.920> determines nation's past now age determines nation's past now age determines
• you require that they record their age you require that they record their age and<04:12:04.439><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened with procedural remarks, including notice of an overflow room and a brief apology from Representative Andress about returning to his seat after introducing HB 114. The committee then took up HB 476, a proposed 15-week abortion ban. Chairman Lynn explained that a request to withdraw the bill had been filed, but because the bill was already scheduled for hearing, the committee would proceed with testimony and the withdrawal would require later House action. The chair also reminded witnesses to keep remarks to three minutes and asked the audience to remain respectful. Most testimony focused on abortion access, maternal health, and the likely effects of a 15-week limit. Opponents, including Nancy Pariser, Dr. Cynthia Rasmussen, Dr. Young, Bonnie Bruno, and others, argued that abortion restrictions increase maternal mortality, worsen miscarriage care, create “OB deserts,” and can delay emergency treatment in cases such as sepsis or ectopic pregnancy. Several speakers cited experiences from Texas and Georgia and warned that HB 476 contained no exceptions for rape, incest, or maternal health. Supporters of the bill, including Paul Galasso and Lynn Hill, framed abortion as the loss of unborn life and argued that 15 weeks still allows most abortions while saving lives; they also said New Hampshire’s current law is already adequate and that the bill should be strengthened rather than abandoned. Other witnesses emphasized practical and economic concerns, saying unwanted pregnancies can worsen poverty, childcare burdens, housing insecurity, and women’s lifetime earnings. Some speakers urged lawmakers to focus instead on affordable housing, childcare, and family support. No committee vote or final action on HB 476 occurred during the hearing; the meeting consisted of opening remarks and public testimony only.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to start by recognizing our former colleague, former Ag Committee Chair Paul Schmidt, who was
• On the second question about waste management holding ag land, the bill does not contemplate that.
• But I will say this is about ag land.
• These activities can strengthen farmer-customer bonds and further fortify ag in Massachusetts.
• We hire young people ages 15 to 20 years old to work on our farm. With youth.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries held a public hearing on 19 legislative proposals, with testimony limited to three minutes per speaker and seven minutes per panel. The hearing opened with testimony on bills promoting urban agriculture and vacant-lot conversion, including H.121/S.61, which Green Roots staff and community members supported as a way to turn vacant lots in environmental justice communities into urban farms and gardens that improve food access, health, community cohesion, and climate resilience. Rep. James Arena-DeRosa also spoke in support of H.109/S.56, the PFAS bill, describing it as a measure to protect soil and farms from contamination and to create relief for affected farmers. A major portion of the hearing focused on H.109/S.56, which would ban land application of sewage sludge/biosolids, provide liability protection and relief funds for farmers, and address PFAS contamination in soil, water, crops, and animals. Testimony came from environmental groups, farm organizations, and individual farmers, including the Mass Food System Collaborative, Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action, CEMAP, NOFA, Sierra Club, and several farmers who described contamination in Maine and Massachusetts and urged the committee to act. Witnesses emphasized that PFAS poses serious health risks, that farmers should not bear responsibility for legacy contamination, and that the bill should be paired with funding for testing, remediation, and assistance. Committee members asked questions about farm liability, the scope of the bill, contamination in different ownership situations, and the costs and timelines of remediation, with Senator Comerford and others clarifying that the bill is intended to protect farms and farmers rather than non-agricultural landholders. The committee also heard strong support for H.416, a farm-to-institution pilot program, from Rep. Lee Davis, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, and Berkshire Bounty. They said the pilot would connect Massachusetts farms to schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, and other institutions, creating new markets, strengthening local supply chains, and supporting food-is-medicine efforts. Members discussed whether the model could be statewide and referenced existing programs such as Island Grown Initiative and local hospital and insurance partnerships. Another agricultural bill, H.1058, was supported by Rep. Mark Sylvia and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association as a way to allow unused cranberry water rights to be transferred within the same watershed for municipal mitigation while helping growers retire or consolidate bogs. The hearing also included testimony on the broader farm omnibus bill H.112/S.55 and related measures, with the Massachusetts Farm Bureau and others praising the committee’s work on agricultural resilience, food security, agritourism, workforce development, and farmland access, while suggesting additional transportation-related fixes for farmers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um so we have the the privilege aging.
• Um so in the aging background? Sure.
• That was in 2024. point up to age point up to age 22.<01:33:45.840> Um<01:33:46.320> on
• We have a take children aged 14 to 18.
• Um so specifically for that age group.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is consistent with the age at which a child can consent to their own adoption.
• He came to this country at 18 months old, his father and at age 5, he was calm behind a dumpster and
• And he was on our age.
• of 13 at the ages of 13 14.
• She was raped by her father at age 12. She was impregnated.

Keywords: 999, senate, all