Transcript Highlights:

• critical facility needs.
• They had identified facility maintenance needs.
• The east side of the facility.
• And that will be, I believe, hosted at the current state facility or state hospital facility.
• This facility will be constructed as a pre- This facility will be constructed as a pre-engineered metal

Summary: The Budget Section Leadership Division met with a quorum and approved the March 18 minutes before hearing a series of informational updates. The Petroleum Council reported that North Dakota oil production is expected to remain relatively flat at just under 1.2 million barrels per day, with activity shifting northward in the Bakken as technology improves and three- and four-mile laterals boost well performance. The presentation also discussed oil and gas prices, gas taxation, flaring concerns, the importance of pipelines and other linear infrastructure, and enhanced oil recovery pilot projects supported by state and federal funding. Members asked questions about gas production taxes, natural gas liquids, and the outlook for drilling rigs and future production. The Office of State Tax Commissioner then reviewed the federal “big beautiful bill” and its estimated effect on North Dakota individual and business income tax collections. Staff explained that most of the individual income tax impact comes from the permanent increase in the standard deduction, while temporary provisions such as senior deductions, tip and overtime exclusions, and auto loan interest deductions have smaller or limited-term effects. They also noted that business tax changes, especially depreciation and expensing provisions, create a larger near-term cash impact, and that some FY25 collections likely reflected one-time oil field transactions that may have inflated the baseline used in earlier estimates. OMB provided updates on major capital projects and facility funding. For Capitol grounds improvements, officials described plans for 18th-floor renovations, wayfinding upgrades, public seating, lighting, tree management, and possible restroom and lobby reconfiguration, while also noting the governor’s residence security project and the discovery of human remains on the Capitol grounds. OMB and its consultants also reported on the state facility maintenance fund, including window replacement, boiler work, roof and foundation repairs, and a new facility conditions assessment covering more state buildings. Updates were also given on the new state hospital in Jamestown, the Minot state office building, and the use of federal state fiscal recovery funds, including possible future reallocations to the Department of Corrections. Finally, Legislative Council staff summarized the interim compliance report on legislative intent and trust fund activity, highlighting the status of lines of credit, Bank of North Dakota profit transfers, the statewide litigation pool, the new Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, corrections planning, HHS program updates, and a likely future general fund request for the unemployment insurance modernization project. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes; the meeting was primarily informational, with members asking clarifying questions throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• um charged for facility fees and where. um charged for facility fees and where.
• substantial costs for these facil substantial costs for these facil facility<01:27:43.920> fees
• they in cover all of the facility fees. they in cover all of the facility fees.
• I I don't like facility fees.
• facility fees. facility fees.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• facility.
• facility.
• <00:15:19.920> thank Correctional fac facilities thank Correctional fac facilities thank you
• 00:24:48.440> to from a male Correctional Facility to from a male Correctional Facility to Shaka
• <00:25:24.399> at male facility to the females facility at male facility to the females facility

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't... a disposal a disposal facility<00:31:13.040> like<00:31:13.280> in facility
• major solid waste facility. major solid waste facility.
• existing capacity need for the facility. existing capacity need for the facility.
• says<01:16:39.440> we've facility an existing facility says we've facility an existing facility
• . facility. facility.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An assisted living facility is a facility that provides sleeping accommodations and assisted living services
• A licensed assisted living facility is a health care facility regardless of the size of the facility
• that smaller assisted living facilities that smaller assisted living facilities are<00:08:10.800
• I mentioned the facility, right?
• Are they safe in the facilities?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• a current facility.
• <00:15:16.399> thank Correctional fac facilities thank Correctional fac facilities thank you
• 00:24:44.919> to from a male Correctional Facility to from a male Correctional Facility to Shaka
• <00:25:20.880> at male facility to the female facility at male facility to the female facility
• to the facility at Shakopee?”

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 435, a bill framed by supporters as protecting biological women and keeping Minnesota Correctional Facility Shakopee as a women-only facility. Much of the discussion centered on how the Department of Corrections determines placement, whether and how it verifies sex or gender identity, and what the bill would require in practice. Commissioner Snell said Shakopee is the state’s women’s correctional facility, that DOC uses medical and records-based review rather than genital inspections, and that any transfer decisions involve a broader, nine-factor process that includes individual safety and gender-responsive care. He also said there are three transgender women placed at Shakopee. Opponents argued the bill targets a very small and vulnerable population and would increase risk to transgender people, who they said are already disproportionately subject to assault and harassment in custody. Representative Feist said the issue was not a major concern raised by women at Shakopee and that other facility problems were more pressing. Representative Pinto and Representative Curran challenged the bill’s premise and the author’s framing, while Representative Hudson pressed the commissioner on whether safety concerns alone could justify a transfer to Shakopee from a male facility; Snell said other management tools would be used instead. Testimony from Alicia Beckman, a former DOC employee, supported the bill and said women at Shakopee had not been adequately informed or consulted and that their safety had not been taken into account. The exchange became highly contentious, with repeated disputes over whether the bill was about safety or anti-trans ideology. Supporters said the measure was common sense and necessary to protect women and staff at Shakopee, while opponents said it was unconstitutional and harmful. No final vote or other committee action was shown in the excerpt, though members discussed whether the bill had the votes to pass and the chair indicated support for moving it forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• swine, sheep, and goats at facilities swine, sheep, and goats at facilities not<00:04:22.320>
• So we do not inspect the facilities. The only entity that is inspecting those facilities is USDA.
• So we do not inspect the facilities. The only entity that is inspecting those facilities is USDA.
• Facilities. So we do not inspect the facilities.
• facility. Uh, so at a custom facility. facility. Uh, so at a custom facility.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Environment and Agriculture Committee held a work session and then an executive session on HB 396, which would allow processing of beef cows, swine, sheep, and goats at facilities not certified by USDA. Representative Comtois presented a revised amendment after earlier drafting issues were corrected. She explained that the amendment now limits the amenable species language to cuts of meat rather than meat food products, fixes labeling language, removes an exemption from federal law, strikes a seasonal date range, and restores a section that had been removed. She also said the amendment distinguishes between amenable and non-amenable species and keeps a registration statement acknowledging the federal-law conflict. Committee members and witnesses debated the policy. Representative Howard questioned whether the bill should educate farmers rather than legislate them and raised concerns about requiring a farmer to register as violating federal law. Representative Comtois argued the bill supports small farmers, year-round meat processing, and intrastate activity, and described problems she said had occurred at USDA facilities. Representative Miner and others expressed support for moving the amendment forward. DHHS food safety officials testified that the department has no oversight of custom exempt facilities, that USDA is the only inspector in that system, and that if the bill passed there would be very limited regulatory oversight unless there were complaints or a foodborne outbreak. They also noted the original September 1 to April 30 date range had been tied to bison because of size and temperature concerns, and said the current language appeared to address bison, elk, and red deer documentation rather than the livestock species named in the bill. The New Hampshire Farm Bureau’s policy director, Rob Johnson, said the organization had recently voted down a policy opposing state regulations that would allow uninspected meat sales at retail until federal law changes, and that he needed to consult further with leadership before taking a position on HB 396. He suggested the bill should use the term “beef cattle” for consistency with livestock statutes. In executive session, Representative Comtois moved to approve amendment 2025-3090H, Representative King seconded, and members reiterated both support and reservations. The transcript ends during executive-session discussion, with no final recorded vote on the bill shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• maintenance the buildings and Facilities maintenance the buildings and Facilities across<00:01:36.360
• main source of funding for facilities main source of funding for facilities for<00:03:49.319>
• <00:10:23.079> that the workforce they want facilities that the workforce they want facilities
• doesn't have the most updated facilities doesn't have the most updated facilities and<00:24:39.520
• It's just a beautiful facility.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in so using the facilities programs in so using the facilities after<00:08:53.320> hours<00:08
• opportunity to utilize the facility opportunity to utilize the facility right<00:09:38.000> so
• <01:20:56.199> and surf writer um that that facility and surf writer um that that facility
• College you know in in the facility that College you know in in the facility that we<01:25:12.199>
• uh folks to come and run our facilities uh folks to come and run our facilities uh<01:48:43.679>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:05:26.520> opening facil new facility we anticipate opening facil new facility we anticipate
• at that facility.
• They're either DAGS facilities or DAGS-managed facilities.
• They're either DAGS facilities or DAGS-managed facilities.
• DAGS facilities or DAGS-managed facilities are the facilities that, you know, we need to get some additional

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance received an informational briefing from the Department of Law Enforcement on its priorities following the January 1 transfer of law enforcement assets into the department, including the sheriff’s division, narcotics enforcement, criminal investigations, homeland security, and the inspector general’s office. DLE said its goals are to improve public safety, accountability, communications, training, and standards. The department outlined planned initiatives such as stronger federal partnerships, narcotics and gun-violence enforcement, an agricultural crime unit, traffic and commercial vehicle enforcement, an explosive/fireworks enforcement section, gun buybacks, new police facilities in the airport area, Aahu, and the leeward side, a state training center, upgraded law-enforcement IT, and efforts to narrow salary gaps with county departments to improve recruitment. A major portion of the discussion focused on illegal fireworks enforcement after the recent explosion tragedy. DLE said its current task force is small and relies on ad hoc support from HPD, the Attorney General’s office, criminal investigations, and sheriffs, which is not sustainable. The department requested eight FTEs for the effort—one administrator, two clerical staff, and six investigators—plus funding for a laboratory, equipment, storage, disposal, vehicles, safety gear, and a criminalist. DLE said the explosive enforcement section would use an existing facility and that the initial lab startup cost is about $2 million. Members asked for follow-up materials, and DLE said it would send the explosive enforcement forms and additional details to the Finance and Judiciary chairs. Members also questioned staffing vacancies, interagency coordination, and whether new specialized units could be filled. DLE said it has about 119 vacancies and that recruitment is hindered by a roughly $28,000 starting pay gap with county police departments; academy classes are down to about 12 to 14 recruits. The department said it is streamlining hiring, using QR-code recruitment, and hopes specialized units will attract applicants. On coordination, DLE said it works closely with HPD and other agencies on operations such as fireworks enforcement and public events, and that DOCARE remains a case-by-case partner but is not currently moving into DLE. The committee also received updates on the Silver Alert program, which is nearing rollout with county MOUs and a coordinator expected later in the month, the special duty officer program, which is being moved to a web-based vendor-managed system at no cost to the department, and the SaferWatch school safety system, which is being deployed statewide with annual software costs of $3,500 per school in the first year and $2,500 thereafter. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• When my mom was detained at the California City Detention Facility, a CoreCivic-run facility, she was
• State prison facilities and county jail facilities, both adult settings.
• These facilities are...
• or you're just targeting this kind of facility or that kind of facility.
• Okay, so her mother was not in a county facility, a non-governmental facility?

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 16, which would require county behavioral health directors to create clear pathways for clinicians to be authorized to initiate 5150 involuntary holds. The author and supporters argued the bill would reduce reliance on law enforcement and create more consistent crisis response standards statewide, while county behavioral health directors opposed it as an unfunded mandate that could increase law enforcement involvement and create implementation burdens. Members raised questions about county costs and funding, but the author emphasized the bill’s role in building a more clinical response system. SB 561 would require public guardians to acknowledge conservatorship referrals, make determinations within a reasonable time, and provide status updates on request. Supporters said the bill would reduce delays that leave vulnerable adults in limbo, while the opposition from public guardian representatives was removed after amendments. SB 381 drew extensive public testimony in support; it would allow California-born adoptees, and descendants of deceased adoptees, access to original birth certificates, with a nonbinding contact preference form for birth parents. Supporters framed the bill as a matter of dignity, identity, and health, and there was no formal opposition on the record. The committee also discussed SB 880, which would give tenants and prospective owner-occupants notice and a first opportunity to make an offer when institutional investors sell certain homes. Supporters said it would expand homeownership opportunities and preserve neighborhood stability, while opponents warned about conflicts with federal law, bundled-sale restrictions, and impacts on build-to-rent and affordable housing projects. Members and the author discussed possible amendments to address those concerns. SB 1238 would impose a duty of care and additional transparency requirements on HOA managers and boards; supporters said it would protect homeowners from mismanagement, while the main opposition argued the duty should remain contractual and could increase litigation. Finally, SB 423 would require disclosure of emergency-service records related to private detention facilities, and SB 28 would make changes to the CARE Court process, including a statewide ombudsperson and expanded oversight; both drew support and opposition, with concerns focused on transparency, privacy, implementation, and the balance between treatment and coercion. SB 574, discussed at the end, would require disclosure and human oversight for AI use in courts and legal practice and create a complaint process for ADR providers, with the State Bar noting requested amendments related to complaint handling and confidentiality.

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, it's real. potato facility. [clears throat] The potato facility.
• facility in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. facility in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
• . facility. facility.
• the state's correctional facility needs. the state's correctional facility needs.
• library facilities. library facilities.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a little time to figure out the recycling facility.
• Yes, and all battery facilities have far more than smoke detectors.
• So does every battery facility. Okay.
• That's because a private property owner wants the facility.
• But the other part of it is these upgraded facilities.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications met under Chair Senator Kevin Parker and considered several bills related to clean energy, transmission, storage, schools, and microgrids. Bill 1456, which would require certain watercraft, aircraft, and trains to be zero-emissions and direct NYSERDA studies and incentives, was discussed as technology-neutral and advanced with one no vote to the Finance Committee. Bill 286, increasing statewide energy storage capacity, drew concerns about battery safety, fire risk, and volunteer fire department training, but was advanced to the floor with two no votes. Bill 2482, the Go Green Schools Act, would let schools convert to renewable energy and keep savings for school operations; it advanced to the floor despite concerns about siting solar on school grounds. Bill 2485 on expanding electric transmission lines and Bill 5510 directing NYSERDA to develop microgrid recommendations were both advanced to the Finance Committee, each with one no vote. The committee then heard testimony from Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. She argued that wind, solar, storage, and transmission have made New York a leader in clean energy and said renewable energy is increasingly cost-competitive, with much of recent bill increases driven by grid upgrades and gas prices rather than renewables. She also said clean energy helps hedge against volatile fossil fuel prices, pointed to community solar and offshore wind as savings and reliability tools, and said the state’s permitting and interconnection processes have improved. Members questioned Wells about farmland use, decommissioning, recycling of solar and wind equipment, battery storage safety, local control, and misinformation. Wells said utility-scale projects require decommissioning plans and financial assurances, farmland must be restored under agricultural guidelines, and recycling capacity is developing. On battery storage, she said New York has rigorous codes and monitoring requirements, that not all storage is lithium-ion, and that state-level permitting is appropriate for large facilities. Several senators raised concerns about fires, contamination, winter performance, and siting projects in densely populated areas or on farmland, while others emphasized farmland protections and the value of renewable projects to host communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• At best, charter school facility costs are reimbursed at 75% of facility costs, which many cap below
• for state offices, health facilities, daycare centers, as well as educational facilities.
• In the case that the charter had taken over a facility that was once a public school facility, does the
• public school system Facility that was once a public school facility, does the public school system
• You know, I think that facilities are scarce. District facilities are scarce.

Summary: The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion. The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are SMR facilities and CCGTs.
• But what is actually different between this kind of facility and another facility in terms of security
• We had the National Guard guarding our facility. I've been in the facility several times.
• We had the National Guard guarding our facility. I've been in the facility of several times.
• fuel fabrication facilities.

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:

• We're on track to complete the dispersal facility part of that facility by the end of January 2026.
• And that is similar to the Metapa facility.
• The preventative measures at the Rio Grande Valley facility and the Tampico facility are very essential
• The preventative measures at the Rio Grande Valley facility and the Tampico facility are very essential
• fly facility.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on preparedness for the New World screwworm threat and brought together the House Committees on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and Agriculture and Livestock. USDA officials, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Texas Animal Health Commission leadership described the pest as a serious risk to livestock, wildlife, rural economies, and beef prices, and emphasized coordination among federal, state, industry, and Mexican partners. Witnesses repeatedly stressed that Texas is currently seeing no confirmed U.S. detections, but that recent confirmed cases in northern Mexico, including Nuevo León, remain a concern because of their proximity to the border. USDA testimony outlined current surveillance and response efforts, including more than 120 screw worm-specific traps along the Texas border and neighboring states, thousands of additional dual-purpose traps, wildlife inspections, weekly coordination with Mexico’s Senasica, and a new USDA New World Screwworm Directorate. Officials said the existing Panama sterile fly facility is maxed out at about 100 million flies per week, while a dispersal facility in Tampico is helping move flies farther north in Mexico. They also described plans for a retrofitted sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to come online in 2026, and a new domestic production facility at Moore Air Base, with phase one targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and phase two adding substantially more capacity later. Members pressed USDA on timelines, production capacity, the reliability of Mexican reporting, the risk from wildlife, and whether modular or mobile facilities could be deployed faster. USDA said it is also exploring innovative technologies, including a genetically engineered sterile male fly, but that such tools still require EPA review and field validation. Commissioner Miller highlighted Texas biosecurity efforts, five permanent inspection stations, cooperation with FDA and EPA on treatments such as Exzolt, and other pest issues affecting Texas agriculture. He also noted research into fly bait and private-sector efforts to speed sterile fly production. Texas Animal Health Commission officials described extensive state preparedness work, including weekly coordination calls, field response trainings, outreach to producers and veterinarians, and a Texas Screwworm Response Team. They said Texas has trained more than 100 inspectors and other personnel, with additional trainings planned, and that the state is expanding its cattle fever tick rider program. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing; the main action was the exchange of testimony and questions about readiness, surveillance, and facility timelines.

Transcript Highlights:

• up with with uh the school facilities up with with uh the school facilities authority<00:20:49.600
• the facil school facilities authority. the facil school facilities authority.
• So, you talked a lot about school facilities, but some of this is not just school facilities, it's workforce
• , but some of this is not just facilities, but some of this is not just school<00:32:23.279> facilities
• just facilities. We're just facilities. just facilities. We're just facilities.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education heard several advice-and-consent nominations to the School Facilities Authority. For GM779, Shelley Pa was introduced as a nominee for a term ending June 30, 2029. The Department of Education supported her nomination, citing her large-scale operations and stakeholder-engagement experience. In her testimony, Pa said she retired from community policing, wanted to give back to teachers and students, and believed her strengths were collaboration, listening to community input, and helping balance differing priorities. Committee members questioned her about the construction and infrastructure focus of the board, her lack of direct construction experience, and how she would handle disagreements and budget limits; she responded that she would rely on collaboration, ask questions, and keep decisions centered on students, teachers, and the community while staying within budget. The committee then heard GM777 and GM778 for Robert Davis, with terms ending June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2029. Davis described more than 30 years with the Department of Education, including roles as teacher, coach, counselor, vice principal, principal, and complex area superintendent, and said he had worked on major facilities projects and managed pandemic-era funding. He emphasized communication, transparency, and trust, and explained that his experience on the Early Learning Board helped him understand how to set policy, identify schools for pre-K, and use data and community factors in decision-making. Members asked how he would handle SFA’s growing pains, the need to balance DOE wishes with practical and budgetary limits, and the board’s role when the legislature controls funding; Davis said the board must keep communication open, include the right people, and make sensible decisions that move projects forward without stalling. For GM780, nominee Michael Unbasami was introduced for a term ending June 30, 2029. The Department of Education supported him, highlighting over five decades of public service and experience in facilities management, finance, and legislative affairs. Unbasami said he had recently retired after 31 years as associate vice president for administrative affairs for the community colleges and had extensive experience with facilities planning, construction, renovation, repairs, and working within budgets. He stated that the DOE should be treated as the SFA’s client because it knows student, teacher, and facility needs best, while SFA’s role is to implement construction work and collaborate on priorities. Committee members pressed him on how to balance DOE requests with practical project delivery, especially for teacher housing and other non-classroom needs, and he said the legislature funds the work, SFA must keep projects moving, and the workflow should involve collaboration but also realistic decisions that fit the budget and avoid delays.

Transcript Highlights:

• And from $3 to $2 for those who don't have a composting facility.
• the proper facilities in which they'll be held.
• the proper facilities in which, Our animals, whenever they are picked up, we'll have the proper facilities
• it, they have funded 95% of the existing facility.
• nuclear facilities to the list of eligible renewable energy resources.

Bills: SB47, SB195, SB196, SB197, SB198, SB78

Keywords: food recovery, composting, waste management, solid waste surcharge, organic waste reduction, environment, grants, advisory group, soil conservation, water resources, training services, outreach programs, environmental protection, animal care, veterinary services, spay and neuter, Las Vegas, community funding, animal welfare, animal shelter

Transcript Highlights:

• program um at the correctional facility program um at the correctional facility in<00:19:47.320>
• <01:01:12.920> would rendering of what that facility would rendering of what that facility
• services within Correctional facilities services within Correctional facilities up<01:09:55.920>
• officers across all facilities officers across all facilities members<01:14:27.239> uh<01
• <01:21:11.280> and members have seen those facilities and members have seen those facilities

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the March 22, 2024 minutes and then took up House File 3761, the Safety Through Support Act, with a motion to lay the bill over. Representative Lee Finke said the bill is intended to improve re-entry outcomes and public safety by expanding prison visitation, including mentoring and access for mental health and medical professionals, and by creating a task force to support rehabilitation and re-entry. Testifiers in support included Holly Bot, who described how family visits helped her through incarceration and later into successful re-entry and business ownership, and Zeke Caliguri, who argued that consistent visitation and community connection are essential to humanity, rehabilitation, and reducing recidivism. Elliot Bhai of NAMI Minnesota also supported the bill, framing visitation as a form of needed mental health support in prisons. Members raised several concerns and suggestions. Representative Hudson questioned the bill’s strip-search limitation language, asking what would count as a credible, documented security concern, and also worried the task force could create discriminatory access or favor certain viewpoints. Representative Finke said she did not view a conviction as making someone permanently a security risk and said the task force was meant to ensure meaningful visitation for everyone, not to enable discrimination. Representative Hollins and Representative N. supported the bill’s overall goals while suggesting language could be tightened and noting that maintaining outside ties helps people return as productive members of society. Representative Witte asked about the Department of Corrections commissioner’s presence, and the chair said questions for him could wait for a later bill. Representative Mu asked about the fiscal note and the research behind the bill. Staff said a fiscal note had been requested but not yet signed off by the LBO, which was one reason the bill was being laid over. Finke said she could share the visitation study and noted that the bill responds to research linking visitation to lower recidivism; she also said remote visitation data shows value but can be costly. After closing remarks emphasizing that visitation is “medicine” and that most incarcerated people will return to the community, the chair renewed the motion and laid over House File 3761. The committee then moved on to House File 4959, with a motion to re-refer it to the Committee on State and Local Government Finance and Policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• :03:12.800> were see, these uh facilities were see, these uh facilities were established<00:03
• these facilities? these facilities?
• or certified staff in these facilities. or certified staff in these facilities.
• , turnaround rehab facility, turnaround rehab facility, >> let's<00:39:29.920> go<00
• or intermediate care nursing facilities or intermediate care facilities<01:15:55.040> for<01:

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Health and Family Services committee heard an informational presentation on Kentucky personal care homes from representatives of the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities, Management Systems of Kentucky, and Elder Care Partners. Witnesses described personal care homes as a lower-cost, 24/7 residential option for adults, often with serious mental illness, who do not meet nursing home criteria but need structured supervision, medication assistance, meals, and daily support. They said the homes are regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, are not Medicaid-funded, and are supported largely through state supplementation payments and residents’ SSI income. The presenters argued that the current reimbursement rate of about $50.70 per day is no longer sufficient to cover staffing, food, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and other costs, and said the sector has shrunk significantly over time. They cited figures showing a decline from 64 to 34 homes serving the seriously mentally ill since 2002, with 30 closures over 23 years, and said the loss of beds contributes to homelessness, hospital overcrowding, and longer psychiatric stays. They also gave examples of residents who had spent many months in hospitals before being successfully placed in personal care homes, which they said can prevent more costly institutional care. Committee members asked about staffing credentials, fraud controls, referral processes, and how reimbursement works in other states. The presenters said Kentucky does not require licensed or certified staff in these facilities, though some homes use certified medication technicians or an LPN, and they described a county case-manager-based assessment process used to set individualized rates in other states such as Minnesota. Members expressed support for the work but emphasized the need for documentation of savings and budget offsets. The presenters said they are seeking an incremental reimbursement increase over two years, roughly 25% to 50% in the first year and another 50% after that, and urged the committee to support the homes to prevent further closures.