Transcript Highlights:

• O'Neill Park, House No. 4614, changed.
• An act changing the Board of Selectmen in the town of Boylston to Select Board, House No. 4621.
• Committee on Bills in the Third Reading, to whom was referred the engrossed bill increasing the membership
• Third reading of the bill: An act changing certain instances of the name of the Inland Fisheries and
• Darley Inland Fisheries and Game Fund, House No. 1064, its title having been changed by the Committee

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House began with the Pledge of Allegiance and then took up a series of Rules Committee reports, mostly extending committee reporting deadlines on various House orders and bills. These extensions covered committees including Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities; Economic Development and Emerging Technologies; Education; State Administration and Regulatory Oversight; Revenue; and Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. In each case, the House suspended the rules and adopted the orders without recorded opposition. The Steering, Policy and Scheduling Committee then reported several bills for House consideration, including measures on critical incident leave, hostile architecture targeting unhoused individuals, the Salem licensing board, James J. O'Neill Park, the Boylston select board, and Milford’s authority to appoint a highway surveyor. The House suspended Rule 7A, ordered these bills to a third reading, and proceeded through the calendar. On third reading and final action, the House accepted a governor’s recommended amendment to House No. 3912, which would increase the Marblehead Board of Health from three to five members, and then passed the bill as amended. The House also passed to be engrossed House No. 924 on the Great Barrington Fire District, House No. 4657 authorizing additional on-premises liquor licenses in Scituate, and House No. 1064 renaming the Inland Fisheries and Game Fund, after adopting an amendment offered by Representative Walsh. Finally, the House enacted House No. 4287 authorizing West Springfield to grant four additional off-premises liquor licenses, adopted an order to meet again Monday at 11 a.m., and adjourned to that time in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• The districts also membership of 31,404.
• And you said that there were no policy changes made.
• So you're telling me that no policy changes were made with state-only?
• Chairman, Representative Livingston, I believe with some of the changes we...
• You know, there were changes being made.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Pursuant to the list emailed to the membership of the House from the majority floor leader's office,
• Pursuant to the list emailed to the membership of the House from the majority floor leader's office,
• Thank you for being so responsive to last-minute changes, setting meetings and adding bills outside deadlines
• There's been a lot of things change in my life in the last 10 years while I've been in this chamber.
• And number two, whatever you think your passion is, if you do the job right, that will change, because

Bills: HCR1026, SB1130, SB1134, SB1131, SB1132, SB1133, SB1142, HR1049

Keywords: light pollution, bird mortality, migration, energy conservation, wildlife protection, University Hospitals Authority, funding, behavioral health, appropriation, adolescent health, emergency legislation, Oklahoma State University, Medical Authority, human performance, pharmaceutical expansion, emergency funding, juvenile justice, youth services, pandemic relief, healthcare

Summary: The House convened, called the roll, and opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of recognitions and presentations. Members honored Vice Admiral Jeff Trusler as Veteran of the Week, recognized the Prague Kolache Festival royalty and candidates, unveiled an artwork for the Capitol’s Hall of Heroes, and introduced the Doctor, Psychologist, and Nurse of the Day, along with the OSBI cold case team. The House also adopted HCR 1026, a resolution tied to Earth Day and “Lights Out Day” in Oklahoma, aimed at reducing light pollution and protecting migrating birds. A major portion of the meeting consisted of farewell remarks from Representatives Mike Osborne and Kevin West. Both reflected on their years of service, thanked family, staff, colleagues, and constituents, and emphasized themes of public service, hard work, conviction, and working across differences. Osborne’s remarks focused on freedom, immigration, service, and doing good in public life, while West stressed standing on principle, listening to others, and choosing courage over convenience. After the presentations and personal privilege speeches, the House moved into consideration of legislation. Chairman Caldwell presented the joint committee report on Senate Bill 1130, relating to the University Hospitals Authority, saying it would help ensure Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma have one of the world’s leading pediatric cardiology units. The transcript ends as members begin considering the bill, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• America Cub Scout Pack 787, Troop 787, and Troop 244 out of Phoenix and Levine, Arizona. 787 growing membership
• Out of Phoenix and Levine, Arizona. 787 growing membership serves kids in grades kindergarten through
• She has firsthand knowledge of ways that our system needs to change to better care for our patients and
• Explanation: It makes conforming changes.
• Therefore, unemployment insurance is an important tool in our economy and should not ever be changed

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not because we had any changes in law.
• And this core saw no changes from FY26. And this core saw no changes from FY26.
• There's been no change from the FY26 core.
• There was no change in this core from 2026.
• There was no change to this core from FY26.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• proclamation or of a communication from the Governor, or as introduced by consent of two-thirds of the membership
• proclamation or of a communication from the Governor, or as introduced by consent of two-thirds of the membership

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with a prayer recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The Secretary then read Governor DeSantis’s proclamation calling the Legislature into special session from January 27 to January 31, 2025, limited to five subjects: combating illegal immigration, condominium regulation, agricultural relief after natural disasters, replenishing the My Safe Florida Home Program, and changes to the citizen initiative petition process. The chamber read the filed bills within the call, including several Senate bills on illegal immigration and petition process issues, all referred to Fiscal Policy. A motion was adopted to send any bills filed outside the call to the Rules Committee to determine whether introduction was warranted. The Senate President then discussed President Trump’s immigration executive orders and said Florida would align with federal efforts while preserving the Legislature’s constitutional role. He announced that Senator Gruters would sponsor legislation to implement Trump’s border and immigration plan, including funding to reimburse law enforcement costs and incentives to recruit more officers. He said the bill would be posted, referred to Appropriations later that day, and heard on the floor the next day. The session then adjourned sine die by motion without objection, with senators told the chamber would reconvene momentarily for the special session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Technical changes, and then we changed this to available to public inspection.
• Those portions, that change?
• That is an existing law, so we're not changing it. You'd have to change that somewhere else.
• You spoke about your membership. Yes. Is it 100% of every... membership? Yes.
• No deadlines or legal standards are changed. It does not change the policy.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several bills, mostly dealing with open meetings, public records, election administration, and local government notice requirements. Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jenkins would authorize electronic voting under the Open Meetings Law and apply retroactively to validate prior electronic votes; after brief discussion and support from the Louisiana Municipal Association, it was reported favorably. House Bill 1052 by Rep. Spell would exempt certain child advocacy center and multidisciplinary team work product, forensic interviews, and related sensitive records from public records disclosure to protect child abuse investigations; testimony from child advocacy organizations emphasized the need to prevent misuse of records and preserve court-controlled access, and the bill was reported favorably. Senate Bill 289 by Sen. Abraham, concerning confidentiality of certain university records and negotiations, was amended to clarify protections for proprietary research, donor confidentiality, and limited confidentiality for industry negotiations, then reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 218 by Sen. Talbot, allowing alternative certification programs for election officials if approved by the State Board of Election Supervisors, and Senate Bill 220, a technical correction regarding the official journal of the state, were both reported favorably. Senate Bill 161 by Sen. Seaball, repealing a requirement that certain high-salary unclassified state employees register vehicles in Louisiana, was also reported favorably after questions about its scope and purpose. The committee then took up House Bill 1193 by Rep. Sawyer, which authorizes the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to use indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity construction contracts for maintenance and emergency work. CPRA officials said the model would speed small repairs and pre-construction tasks, improve efficiency, and mirror a similar DOTD approach; an amendment narrowed the public-records language and excluded design-build contracting. Members raised concerns about public records transparency and inclusion of minority and small contractors, but the bill was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 249 by Rep. Green, a constitutional amendment creating an independent compensation commission for elected officials and tying adjustments to CPI, drew extensive debate over removing the legislature from setting salaries, the appointment structure, and whether the state could afford automatic increases. After opposition from several members and a roll-call vote, the bill failed to be reported, 6 yeas to 9 nays. Because HB 249 failed, the companion enabling bill, House Bill 248, was deferred. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 997 by Rep. Edmondson, which would let parishes, municipalities, and school boards use their own websites as an alternative to newspaper publication for public notices. Supporters from the Police Jury Association argued the bill would reduce duplicative costs, preserve all existing notice requirements, and simply add a third option alongside newspaper publication and newspaper-hosted digital publication. An amendment narrowed the bill to parishes, municipalities, and school boards, removing other political subdivisions. Members questioned transparency, enforcement, record retention, and whether the change would undermine newspapers; supporters said courts would still enforce notice requirements and that local governments already maintain the records. The bill remained under discussion at the end of the transcript, with no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: It is more marketing for a great program and hopefully a lot more membership.
• nbsp; 50 >> Chair: THEY MORE MARKETING FOR A GREAT  PROGRAM AND HOPEFULLY A LOT MORE MEMBERSHIP
• Bankson:   60 It is a changing world in 2026.
• IT IS A CHANGING WORLD IN 2026.
• THE CHANGES ARE IMPORTANT FOR US BUT IT'S   667 BECAUSE YOU INSPIRE REPRESENTATIVE LONG AND

Summary: The Student Academic Success Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered two PCS bills. PCS for HB 1059, by Rep. Booth, would designate the first week of November as Florida Speech and Debate Week to recognize speech and debate programs and the educators, coaches, judges, and school districts that support them. Supporters, including students and advocates, testified that speech and debate builds critical thinking, civics knowledge, confidence, and respectful civil discourse, and several members praised the students’ testimony and the program’s value. The bill was reported favorably by a 14-0 vote. The committee then heard PCS for HB 851, by Rep. Long, which requires each school district’s professional learning system to include at least one annual autism-specific training opportunity for teachers and school-based administrators, developed with the Center for Autism and grounded in evidence-based practices. The sponsor said the bill is intended to give educators practical tools to support students with autism, while members asked questions about scope, virtual training, charter schools, and the relationship to existing law. Public testimony and member debate largely supported the bill, with speakers emphasizing the need for better educator preparation and inclusion for students with autism. The bill also passed unanimously, 14-0, and was reported favorably. At the end of the meeting, members and the chair offered brief closing remarks thanking colleagues and staff and reflecting on the committee’s work, with the chair noting it may have been the committee’s last meeting of the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the private schools that hold membership with the FHSAA do not currently have any statutory rights
• I know they're looking at some changes for this year, but I cannot speak to what those changes are.
• This will be great prep for us to decide if current state ought to be changed.
• And then we have a bill which will... ...us to decide if current state ought to be changed.
• But let's, we'll have a change in the guard.

Summary: The Student Academic Success Subcommittee met to discuss Florida’s current “sports choice” rules and high school NIL policy, then heard and passed HB 151. FHSAA officials and Sarasota County Schools staff explained eligibility rules for student-athletes, including GPA, age, semester limits, physicals, insurance, and the different participation options for traditional public, charter, home education, Florida Virtual, and private school students. Members focused on how controlled open enrollment works, whether private school students can play at public schools and vice versa, transfer timing and capacity limits, recruiting restrictions, and the role of local district policies. Sarasota officials said about 400 students in their county participate through non-traditional athletic arrangements, and FHSAA said statewide there are 5,460 non-traditional student-athlete forms on file out of roughly 280,000 student-athletes. The committee then reviewed Florida’s high school NIL framework. FHSAA said students in grades 9-12 may enter NIL deals, with no income cap, but they are barred from agreements involving adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco/vaping, cannabis, controlled substances, gambling, weapons, political or social activism, and NIL collectives. Students must have a written contract and cannot use school logos or uniforms without permission. FHSAA said about 25 students statewide had NIL deals so far, and Sarasota was first to file. Members raised concerns about recruiting, taxes, financial literacy, mental health, and whether students should be treated as employees, while district staff said they provide education and financial literacy resources but do not review contracts. After the discussion, the committee took up HB 151 by Rep. Abbott. The bill allows students at FHSAA-member private schools to participate in sports at another member school when their own school does not offer that sport, and it removes the current 200-student enrollment limit. An amendment clarifying the private-school language was adopted without objection. A public witness from a small private school supported the bill, saying it would let the school join FHSAA without losing local athletic access for its students. Despite some members raising fairness and funding concerns, the bill passed on a 15-0 vote and was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• relative on the same board, and that is the change.
• I changed my name when I got married.
• Because when we are talking about name changes and address changes and party changes, this bill doesn
• changes on election day, you are dealing with counties that receive hundreds of address changes on election
• That's a big policy decision and a policy change.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of recognitions for interns, staff, and guests. Members also honored retiring Senate staffer Susan Miller and recognized a veteran injured in combat. After routine announcements, the chamber moved to returning messages from the House and began taking up bills and amendments. The Senate concurred in House amendments and passed SB 118 on RV park assessments and SB 572 on ethics for public officers and employees, both by 38-0 votes. It then took up the elections bill, CS/CS/HB 991, which drew extensive debate. Supporters said it would strengthen election integrity by tightening citizenship verification and ID rules; opponents argued it would burden eligible voters, especially students, seniors, disabled voters, and others without the newly required documents. The bill passed 27-12. The chamber also passed the education package SB 182 after adopting a Senate amendment to the House amendment, and approved SB 474 on military affairs, SB 425 on historic cemeteries, HB 929 on local regulation of chickees, and HB 35/SB 1370 on habitual traffic offender designation, all with unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The Senate then considered SB 902/ HB 733, the Department of Health package. Members adopted an amendment and amendment-to-amendment that preserved most Senate provisions while modifying or removing several House additions, including some early steps and medical marijuana-related changes, and the bill passed 37-0. The chamber also began work on HB 905, the foreign influence bill, with a strike-all amendment offered to expand restrictions on foreign influence, sister-city agreements, linkage institutes, and related activities, but the debate on that measure was still underway when the transcript ended. Several other returning messages and bills were temporarily postponed, and the Senate recessed briefly before resuming business.

Transcript Highlights:

• First is which recent legislative changes have worked and which haven't.
• Obviously, those priorities will change over time, too.
• Like, obviously those priorities will change over time, too, right?
• We have over 950 professional economic developers in our membership.
• They get into a job, and it's life-changing. I'll just share a brief anecdote.

Summary: The committee held an information hearing on California’s economy and household affordability, with the first panel focusing on inflation, housing, energy, wages, and the likely effects of new federal tariff policy. PPIC’s Sarah Bone said Californians remain deeply pessimistic about the economy, with inflation the main driver of concern; she noted prices are still about 23% higher than in January 2020, with especially large increases in food, energy, and housing costs. LAO’s Brian Euler emphasized that housing is the largest household expense and pointed to insurance, electricity, gasoline, and health care as other major cost pressures, urging the Legislature to review whether existing policies are actually reducing costs and to consider studies of why recent housing laws have not produced more units. UC Davis economist Catherine Russ warned that tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico, and potentially broader imports could raise consumer prices, disrupt supply chains, and hurt California exporters, farmers, and small businesses; she suggested monitoring prices, strengthening food assistance, and preparing transition support for affected workers and producers. Members pressed the panelists for concrete, near-term policy ideas, especially on housing and tariffs. Questions centered on whether accessory dwelling units are making a meaningful dent in affordability, how to improve implementation of pro-housing laws at the local level, and how to measure the impact of tariffs on consumers, health care, and agriculture. Panelists said ADUs help but are limited, that state laws can be undermined by local implementation and litigation, and that tariff effects may show up quickly in prices and later in hiring and investment. Several members stressed that the tariff issue is not a minor disruption for constituents and asked for more data on consumer impacts, food aid needs, and crop-specific farm losses. The second panel shifted to regional economic development and small business support. Go-Biz’s Derek Kirk described California Jobs First and the state economic blueprint as a first-in-decades, regionally informed strategy to create good-paying jobs, support key sectors, and align workforce and business development across 13 regions. The California Association for Local Economic Development’s Gerbach Sahota argued that local governments need practical tools, stable policy, and stronger partnerships with the state, while warning that prosperity is not always perceived as shared and that rural communities can be left behind. He urged the Legislature to use hearings, local input, and existing funding streams more effectively, including for recovery and infrastructure. David Fitzgerald of the Small Business Development Centers said California’s SBDC network serves hundreds of thousands of clients, many of them women and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs, and has generated billions in economic impact, capital access, revenue, and jobs. He said the biggest gaps are outreach to the state’s many self-employed businesses with no employees, better labor data on those workers, and more flexible support for direct services. Committee members then asked what small businesses need most in the face of inflation and tariff shocks, including lower licensing costs and other relief, and the discussion continued on how to better target state support to businesses and households under pressure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Commission membership is comprised of various law enforcement agencies, including the judiciary, and
• Commission membership is comprised of various law enforcement agencies, including the judiciary, and
• So that way the membership, which encompasses the judiciary, the public defenders, and law enforcement
• <00:48:54.000> the amendments and we're going to change the amendments and we're going to
• change the defective<00:48:54.640> date<00:48:54.880> to<00:48:55.040> July<00:48

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs met on March 19, 2025, and heard testimony on several firearms-related bills. HB 125 would require firearm sellers or transferors to provide buyers notice about secure storage laws, expand secure-storage requirements, and clarify criminally negligent storage. The Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Education supported the bill. The Office of the Public Defender raised constitutional concerns under District of Columbia v. Heller and suggested narrowing the bill so a firearm need not be made inoperable when the lawful owner is home. Supporters, including Brady, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, veterans, and other advocates, said secure storage would reduce accidental shootings, youth access, theft, suicides, and school shootings. Opponents argued the bill was redundant, could criminalize victims of theft, and imposed strict liability. The committee noted 24 individuals in support and 103 in opposition. The committee also heard HB 137, which would impose a mandatory prison term for violent felons who violate firearm or ammunition possession prohibitions. DLE, the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office, and the Hawaii County Prosecutor supported the measure, arguing it targets repeat offenders and strengthens public safety. The Office of the Public Defender opposed mandatory sentencing, saying judges already have discretion to impose lengthy sentences and that mandatory terms can be inappropriate in some cases. The committee then heard HB 392, which would prohibit ghost guns and establish mandatory minimum sentencing for use of a ghost gun in a felony. DLE and the Honolulu Prosecutor supported it, while the Public Defender and several opponents said parts of the bill were redundant or could create definitional problems; the committee recorded five supporters and 70 opponents. HB 995 would amend deadlines for annual firearms carry reporting by the Attorney General and county police chiefs. The Attorney General’s office and HPD supported the bill, with the Attorney General asking for more time for police departments to submit complete data and for the April 1 deadline to be removed. The committee also heard HB 664, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a grant program, a resource bank, and a special fund. The Department of the Attorney General supported the concept but recommended consolidating the new office’s duties with the existing Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission to avoid duplication and possibly repealing the existing commission statute. DLE supported HB 664, while the Tax Foundation objected to the special fund. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The entire membership extends Australia.
• Now, of course, what comes down the pike may change, right? That may be changed in the future.
• Now, of course, what comes down the pike may change, right? That may be changed in the future.
• And so, they changed in the future.
• sponsors and make technical changes. sponsors and make technical changes.

Keywords: House streaming session for Thursday, March 19, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 122 members present, opened with prayer, and approved the previous day’s journal. The chamber then took up two congratulatory resolutions: one honoring Layla Wishard of Hagerstown for winning gold with Team USA at the Junior Roller Derby Association World Cup in Australia, and another recognizing Delores Millhouse as the 2026 Maryland Mother of the Year. Both resolutions were read and adopted with applause. The House then considered a series of committee reports, primarily from the Committee on Economic Matters, and advanced multiple bills to third reading after adopting committee amendments and favorable reports. Measures included consumer contract protections in House Bill 103, workers’ compensation presumptions for hypertension in House Bill 347, broadband access and affordability in House Bill 382, housing and land-use changes in House Bills 548 and 894, data privacy in House Bill 711, franchise law changes in House Bill 730, a blockchain-based real property title pilot program in House Bill 810, bankruptcy exemptions in House Bill 1098, and telecommunications infrastructure protections in House Bill 1100. Several bills drew questions and were special ordered for further review. House Bill 711, the Data Privacy Act, prompted extended discussion about whether its geolocation provisions could affect stadium and venue security tracking; the sponsor said the bill was intended to close loopholes around cell phone and vehicle location data and would not change existing permission-based rules, but the bill was still special ordered until the next day. House Bill 894, the transit-oriented development bill, also drew questions about local government concerns and was special ordered, with the floor leader saying county and municipal groups were generally satisfied with the amendments. House Bill 1100 was also taken up after the amendments were adopted, and the title amendment process began as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are the proposed changes to the rules. Mr.
• Those are the proposed changes to the rules. as well as relevant changes to rules 2 3 as well as relevant
• Those are the proposed changes to the rules. Mr.
• <00:12:18.560> Speaker, changes to the rules. Mr. Mr. Speaker, changes to the rules. Mr.
• >> Yes, ma'am. >> Lately, in the last several years, we've changed the rules, and the changes in the

Keywords: Convene 00:00 Motions, Petitions, and Communications 04:28 Election and Swearing In of Constitutional Officers 04:35 Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 06:51 HR 1 08:08 HR 2 08:40 HR 3 17:11 Impeachment Petitions reported 18:33 Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 20:27 Stand at Ease 20:54 Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 28:30 Adjournment 33:05, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky House convened for the opening of the 2026 regular session, with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and a declared quorum of 100 members present. The House then excused absent members and suspended the rules to allow co-sponsorships and vote modifications to be filed. It also elected House staff constitutional officers by acclamation, including the chief clerk, deputy clerk, sergeant at arms, chief doorkeeper, enrolling clerk, cloakroom keeper, and janitor, followed by the oath of office. Members introduced and adopted House Resolutions 1, 2, and 3. House Resolution 1 established the 2026 House membership. House Resolution 2 adopted the House rules for the session, with changes reflecting the new temporary building, removal of COVID-related provisions, elimination of remote and alternative voting, shortening motions/petitions/communications time from 30 to 15 minutes, deleting guest introductions and gallery references, requiring only one signed jacketed bill copy, clarifying billbook co-sponsorship procedures, deleting consent orders and pairing rules, and updating chamber-access and lobbying restrictions. Some members objected that the changes reduced transparency and public access, and one member asked that the 15-minute limit be kept at 30 minutes, but the resolution was adopted. House Resolution 3 invited pastors of Frankfurt churches to open sessions with prayer; one member asked that it be broadened to include people of all faiths and beyond Franklin County, but it was also adopted. The House then reported interim communications, including citizen impeachment petitions filed against Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine and Ballard County Jailer Eric Cppus. Members were reminded of a mandatory ethics meeting the next day. The clerk reported the first batch of filed bills and resolutions, including House Bill 11 on independent school districts and House Bills 12 through 34 on topics such as legislative privacy, income tax, rural hospital funding, Medicaid and Medicaid expansion, school employee payments, firearms, reproductive health and privacy, employment schedules, cancer treatment coverage, workers’ compensation for first responders, savings accounts, education opportunity accounts, leave from employment, criminal procedure, home purchases, FNF devices, data privacy, and death benefits, along with House Resolutions 4 through 6. The House then adjourned until 2 p.m. on January 7, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• That was one change.
• I this small change, but important bill.
• And then just remove any was one change.
• The statute does not change to Medicaid.
• questions from the membership? questions from the membership? All<00:12:59.200> right.

Keywords: 00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 01:27 - Discussion of 26RS HB 470 29:05 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 470 32:06 - Discussion of 26RS HJR 25 34:49 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HJR 25 37:08 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and took up House Bill 470, which was presented as a cleanup and delay measure related to peer support specialists and Medicaid reimbursement. The bill would extend the deadline for registered alcohol and drug peer support specialists to be Medicaid reimbursable, address issues created by delayed regulations under House Bill 505, remove a limit on direct client care hours, and create a work group to examine oversight and possible future board structure for peer professionals. The committee adopted a committee substitute before hearing testimony. Bill sponsor Rep. Kim Moser and supporting witnesses said the change was needed because implementation problems and regulatory backlogs had created a peer support workforce shortage and confusion across multiple peer categories, including substance use, mental health, re-entry, and gambling peers. Elena Swezy argued the bill would stabilize the workforce, improve oversight, and allow time to develop a more effective credentialing framework. Frank Miller Jr. testified in opposition, arguing the bill lacked a proper enabling statute for Medicaid-related changes and would not be enforceable as written. Sarah Vaughn also raised concerns about the bill’s impact on mental health peer specialists, multispecialty behavioral health groups, and whether separate regulations would be needed for mental health and substance use services. Committee members questioned the bill’s structure, fiscal impact, training costs, and whether the work group would be appointed or informal. Sponsors responded that the bill does not require providers to hire anyone, only sets registration requirements if they do hire substance-use peer specialists, and said the work group was intended to help develop a more unified oversight model. Several members expressed concern about the complexity of the issue and the short testimony time, while others supported the bill as a way to improve oversight and reduce fraud risk. The committee approved House Bill 470 as amended by the committee substitute, and then adopted a title amendment; the bill passed with favorable expression.

Transcript Highlights:

• But member-driven organizations such as ours cannot do this work solely by relying on membership fees
• But member-driven organizations such as ours cannot do this work solely by relying on membership fees
• And our state funding grants have not kept pace with the radical changes in the cost of land.
• The other thing that's changed—we talk a lot about being in a generational wealth transfer; we're in
• We talked earlier about climate change.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition No. 25-15, H.5505, “An Act to Protect Water and Nature.” Committee co-chairs outlined the Article 48 initiative process and explained that the hearing was divided into expert, proponent, opponent, and public-comment sections. The first witness, Undersecretary Stephanie Cooper of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, described current state and federal funding sources for land conservation and outdoor recreation, said existing programs are oversubscribed, and noted that the proposal aligns with the Commonwealth’s 30% land conservation goal by 2030 and 40% by 2050. She also flagged possible governance clarifications in the petition, including board structure and administrative authority, while saying the administration has the expertise to manage such a fund. Proponents from Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, Mount Grace Land Trust, the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, the Authentic Caribbean Foundation, and Bemis Associates argued that Massachusetts needs a dedicated, sustained revenue stream for conservation, clean water, climate resilience, and public access to nature. They said current funding is inconsistent and insufficient, cited estimates that the state may need roughly $300 million or more annually to meet conservation targets, and emphasized benefits to public health, mental health, biodiversity, flood protection, and the outdoor recreation economy. Several speakers said the measure would dedicate a portion of existing sales tax revenue tied to sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf courses, and that it would support both urban and rural communities, including underserved communities. Committee members pressed witnesses on the bill’s fiscal and constitutional implications, including how much sales tax revenue would be redirected, whether the measure is constitutional, how funds would be allocated among communities, and why the proposal includes certain revenue sources but not others such as ticket sales. Proponents said the measure would likely direct up to about $100 million annually when fully phased in, that it was designed as a “subject to appropriation” mechanism, and that legal review had found it constitutional. They also acknowledged that the proposal would reduce general fund flexibility but argued it would create a long-term investment in natural resources. The hearing concluded after public testimony, and the committee announced it would accept written testimony until March 27 at 5 p.m.; no vote was taken on the petition at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 317 by Senator Reese provides relative to the membership of the Louisiana Military Advisory
• Recently, the chairs of the House and the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs committees kind of changed
• So it's a major change, in our opinion, to the bill. After that company.
• So it's a major change, in our opinion, to the bill. Okay, thank you. I just didn't understand.
• So we'd have to change that, the language in that.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard a series of bills, mostly from the Senate, covering military affairs, courts, veterans’ services, tobacco/vape regulation, and emergency alerts for missing persons with disabilities. Several measures were described as cleanup or modernization bills, including SB 317 adding the House and Senate military committee chairs to the Louisiana Military Advisory Council, SB 357 updating court administration and appellate e-case management provisions, SB 421 modernizing electronic records language, and SB 232 and HB 597 addressing judicial compensation and related funding/commission issues. The committee also heard SB 164, which would add public works employees to the definition of first responders, and SB 510, which would regulate certain licensed establishments that allow on-premises consumption of hemp/THC products and related age restrictions. These bills were generally presented as technical updates or alignment with existing practices, and the committee reported them favorably after brief questions and, in some cases, amendments. A major portion of the meeting focused on SB 208, which revises Louisiana’s law on services provided to veterans after a prior version was struck down. Senator Kathy and LDVA representatives said the bill is intended to protect veterans from unaccredited “claim sharks” by limiting fees and creating state-level safeguards, while an opponent argued the issue is preempted by federal law and should be left to Congress and the pending appeal. The committee also heard extensive testimony on SB 34, which would create “Bryan’s Call” emergency alerts for missing children and adults with cognitive or developmental disabilities, including wireless alerts and responder training. Family members and disability advocates described fatal risks from elopement and drowning, and supporters said the bill would fill a gap between Amber and Silver Alerts; the committee moved the bill favorably. Another bill, HB 302, sought to restrict vape sales near schools; the sponsor and Alcohol and Tobacco Control discussed possible language changes, and public health testimony supported broader protections for youth. Several bills were voluntarily deferred, including HB 1190, HB 1097, and HB 374-1, and the committee adjourned after reporting the remaining measures favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:24:13.600> from we should be aware of in changing from we should be aware of in changing
• changing this language. Uh is those RSAs changing this language.
• with you to advocate for changes with you to advocate for changes including<02:52:20.560> the
• And you're very willing to change the commission membership to include psychiatrists, representatives
• community um as well as the membership community um as well as the membership changes.<05:29:00.000

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• forecast or the change from the February forecast or the change from the base<00:16:14.720> budget
• has just covered the changes there. has just covered the changes there.
• > workforce technical change about workforce technical change about workforce outcomes.<00:19:
• wouldn't change the bottom line at all. wouldn't change the bottom line at all.
• , have the freedom to change.

Bills: HF3228, HF2441

Keywords: workers' compensation, insurance programs, employee protection, Minnesota statutes, safety regulations, prevailing wage, certified payroll, payroll reporting, construction contracts, public works, project registration, labor standards, contractor compliance, subcontractor reporting, state government, Department of Administration, Commissioner of Labor and Industry, Metropolitan Council, highway construction, public construction

Transcript Highlights:

• county offices and for any other change.
• if local government were to lead that change.
• We oftentimes complain in this building about why things don't change, but yet we never change anything
• Changing the JNC has been something that happens every year as far as those that want to change it.
• That is one of the changes.

Bills: HJR1024, SB1316, SB1491, SB1552, SB1679, SB1877, SB2040, SB2133, SB2153, SB2174, SB2180, SB227, SJR39, SJR47, SJR48

Keywords: Judicial Nominating Commission, congressional districts, terms of office, Oklahoma Constitution, legal qualifications, political party restrictions, family ties, administrative rules, sunset provision, state agencies, regulatory review, legislative oversight, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, county home rule charter, home rule, county government