Transcript Highlights:

• If anybody wants to co-sponsor one of our veterans drills that I've got here, I've got it here. co-sponsor
• one of our veterans drills co-sponsor one of our veterans drills that<00:20:45.679><c> I've</c><00:20

Bills: HB131 , HB77 , HB131 , HB77

Committee: House Military and Veterans Affairs

Keywords: Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers, diversity, government oversight, Sunset Law, congressional districts, HB77, absentee voting, absentee ballot, disabled voter, disability accommodation, voter assistance, ballot delivery, ballot application, designee, caregiver, election manager, vote by mail, mail ballot, ballot harvesting, voter access

Transcript Highlights:

• best and youths represent scouting's best and youths represent scouting's best and will be well equipped
• to serve and will be well equipped to serve and will be well equipped to serve and provide leadership
• , and mission development, battle drills, and mission development, battle drills, and mission type orders
• where the gentleman worked in the family where the gentleman worked in the shops with buses and equipment
• and all shops with buses and equipment and all shops with buses and equipment and all kinds of things

Bills: HB 10 , HB 12 , HB 147 , HB 1522 , HB 422 , HB 675 , HB 204 , HB 748 , HB 912

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:09:46.560><c> to</c><02:09:46.719><c> handle</c><02:09:46.960><c> these</c> they're not equipped
• to handle these they're not equipped to handle these significant<02:09:47.679><c> increases</c><02:09
• Local authorities are best equipped to provide regulatory oversight of development that increases the
• 17:39.520><c> authorities</c><04:17:40.399><c> are</c><04:17:40.720><c> best</c><04:17:41.120><c> equipped
• </c><04:17:41.600><c> to</c> Lo authorities are best equipped to Lo authorities are best equipped to

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• employers and regulators to address hazardous conditions, such as active methane leaks, before allowing drilling
• so far, despite heroic attempts by people all across the world, AI data centers and oil and gas drilling
• And the other thing is that there's another example, and that is unsafe proximity of drilling.
• So the amendment supports or provides the guidance and guardrails against any type of drilling around
• sensitive areas. ...and guardrails against any type of drilling around sensitive areas of schools, for

Committee: House House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• And sometimes it's because they talked to the water supply, who said, "Yes, we can serve you if you drill
• </c> if you drill a well." if you drill a well."
• </c> that's what they want to do and drill that's what they want to do and drill mount<01:09:17.199><
• Uh, but for a seawater desalination plant, we're drilling like over a thousand feet deep uh into the
• Uh, but for a seawater desalination plant, we're drilling like over a thousand feet deep uh into the

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on February 3, 2026, and heard testimony on several bills, with the chair emphasizing a two-minute limit and noting that bills would die if the hearing ran past noon. For HB 1848, the Commission on Water Resource Management and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development both supported the measure with technical, non-substantive amendments. Testimony focused on requiring early consultation about water availability in district boundary amendment petitions, with water officials explaining that the petitioner should submit a written statement reflecting consultation and that the goal was to identify water constraints earlier in the development process. The Land Use Commission’s representative opposed the bill, arguing that water availability is already addressed through existing environmental review and agency consultation, that the issue had been raised and rejected before, and that the proposal could create unnecessary delay or litigation. The committee then heard HB 1728 on rainwater catchment systems. The Commission on Water Resource Management said it acknowledged the bill’s intent but deferred to counties and other regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health, on regulatory implications. Hawaii Realtors testified in support. No vote was taken during the portion of the hearing shown. For HB 1652 on storm water management systems, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association opposed the bill, arguing it would weaken protections created by Act 281 (“Sharkey’s Law”) and increase drowning risk for children by exempting certain water features from safety requirements. The American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii supported the bill, saying the language clarifies and better balances child safety with practical green stormwater infrastructure, including depth-based limits and exemptions for certain agricultural ponds. The Hawaii Farm Bureau also supported the agricultural pond exemption, saying such ponds are used for irrigation, livestock, and fire control and are generally away from the public. A private testifier, Allison Schaers, opposed the bill and described her daughter’s drowning in a detention basin, arguing that poor maintenance can turn stormwater features into dangerous hazards. The hearing ended without any recorded committee action or vote in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So things like recruiting, strength maintenance, and equipping the force, those all fall into the Army
• So things like recruiting, strength maintenance, and equipping the force, those all fall into the Army
• in the next few years of equipment in the next few years that's<00:52:36.000><c> a</c><00:52:36.160>
• They just returned here about a month ago, and they're doing their first post-deployment drill coming
• coming up the first armored drill coming up the first armored Brigade<00:59:12.400><c> combat</c><00

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development - Subcommittee on Veterans

Transcript Highlights:

• I remember one of his stories when he told me one of his drill sergeants killed a deer when he was in
• He served as an 11B infantry soldier for three years before becoming a drill sergeant for the 95th Division
• You know, we're not talking about people at home drilling wells for domestic use.

Transcript Highlights:

• I remember one of his stories when he told me one of his drill sergeants killed a deer when he was in
• He served as an 11B infantry soldier for three years before becoming a drill sergeant for the 95th Division
• You know, we're not talking about people at home drilling wells for domestic use.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including Veteran of the Week First Sergeant Jeff Osterdock, Nurse of the Day Madison Lehman, Psychologist of the Day Dr. Jennifer Steber, and a large group of student pages and visitors. Members also made personal announcements and welcomed guests from schools and community groups. On the floor, the House considered and adopted Senate amendments to House Bill 1484, a schools measure, and passed it 96-1; the emergency clause also passed 96-1. The House then took up House Bill 1085 on contracts, which would standardize service warranty fees with a delayed phase-in schedule, adopted the Senate amendments, and passed the bill 8-1. The House also considered Senate Bill 133 on groundwater permits. After an amendment and debate, members discussed how the bill would apply to commercial water wells and how it would interact with marijuana-related licensing and notification to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The bill passed 85-12, and the emergency clause also passed by the same vote. The chamber then adjourned until February 24, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• don't think specifically it depends on... ...where those abandoned wells are, what formation they're drilled
• I know you say a short bill, but basically it's for different aquifers require different drillings.
• be able to do an exception to this based on the board rules if it is only place that he's able to drill
• when we see a groundwater possible exposure to contamination or something like that from a well-drilling

Bills: SB3 , SB1346 , SB1509 , SB1928 , SB2028 , SB2071 , SB2110 , SB2117 , SB2127 , SB2134 , SB259 , SB1191 , SB1246 , SB1314 , SB1439 , SB1613 , SB1930 , SB1976 , SB330 , SB2069 , SB2095

Committee: House Energy and Natural Resources Oversight

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of agriculture, water, energy, wildlife, and licensing bills, often adopting policy committee recommendations or full committee substitutes as working drafts before hearing brief explanations and questions. Several measures were described as request bills from agencies or industry groups, including bills on hemp/THC limits, groundwater and aquifer management, brine water use, dairy and milk regulation, livestock transport accidents, unpasteurized milk sales, egg sales, outfitter licensing, LP gas, DEQ permitting, and an elk population study. Members raised recurring concerns about water rights, landowner protections, enforcement authority, and whether certain bills would affect private property or due process. Among the more debated items was SB 3, which narrows Oklahoma’s hemp definition to align with the federal standard and was framed by the author as a way to keep intoxicating hemp products away from children; it passed 14-0. SB 1439, which would limit certain climate-related lawsuits against energy producers, drew constitutional and due process questions and passed 10-4. SB 1930 on brine water and iodine production passed 14-0 after discussion of landowner compensation, and SB 259 on aquifer management and five-year averaging for permitted water users passed 8-6 after extensive questions about metering and water allotments. Other water-related bills included SB 1346 creating a water infrastructure loan program, SB 1509 on well spacing, and SB 1314 increasing an indemnity fund cap for well-drilling contamination incidents. The committee also advanced SB 2117 clarifying authority for stop-sale or destruction orders, SB 2127 creating an advisory council on product classification, SB 1191 dissolving an unused low-energy/low-carbon board, SB 2110 expanding direct sales of ungraded eggs, SB 2134 setting procedures for livestock transport accidents, SB 2028 authorizing unpasteurized milk sales with a higher monthly gallon limit, SB 269 prohibiting baiting for migratory birds, SB 2095 requiring certain out-of-state outfitters to be licensed and insured, SB 1613 as an LP gas industry mirror bill, SB 1246 to speed DEQ permitting, SB 1976 phasing in surety bond requirements, and SB 330 directing a comprehensive elk study. Most bills were reported out do pass, with recorded votes ranging from unanimous to divided, and the meeting adjourned after the final bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• when an agency recommends reverting, reappropriating funds that we gave them last year, trying to drill
• And so figuring that out and drilling down on those topics, there's obviously something we have to do
• when an agency recommends reverting, reappropriating funds that we gave them last year, trying to drill
• And so figuring that out and drilling down on those topics, there's obviously something we have to do

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee met to review agency budgets, vacant positions, and possible efficiencies across several health and human services agencies. Members were asked to identify savings and potential areas for increased funding, and the discussion repeatedly focused on whether long-vacant FTEs, reversion of funds, and staffing shortages reflect true operational needs or broader budgeting and recruitment problems. The chair and members emphasized that the exercise was intended to help the committee make more informed budget decisions and to identify structural issues that may require legislative action. For the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, members highlighted a large waiting list, including individuals in crisis and children, and discussed whether vacant positions and unspent funds could be redirected to services. Several members raised concerns about delays in crisis applications, the use of paper applications, and whether the issue is staffing, process, or both. For the Department of Children and Families, the presenters discussed vacant positions, the use of staff augmentation in state hospitals, support for expanding behavioral qualified residential treatment program beds, and concerns raised by audits of the managing entities, which showed procurement and financial management problems. They recommended continued oversight, reporting requirements on Medicaid enrollees receiving mental health services through managing entities, and support for the governor’s proposed funding items. Other agencies reviewed included Elder Affairs, where members questioned the need for multiple divisions, CARES assessments, and supervisory overhead; the Department of Health, where vacancies, turnover, pay gaps, and units of rate were discussed as barriers to recruitment and retention; and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, where the presenters said vacancies were tied to new nursing homes and recommended shifting a major priority into general revenue rather than trust funds. Throughout the meeting, members generally agreed that the vacancy review was eye-opening and suggested deeper, possibly separate, reviews of agency staffing, pay parity, and fund reversion practices. No formal votes were taken during the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> subcontracts if there's equipment subcontracts if there's equipment involved<00:14:40.440><c> that
• </c> Mano region have provided the equipment Mano region have provided the equipment um<00:37:58.800>
• </c><01:29:26.520><c> over</c> and uh transfers of equipment over and uh transfers of equipment over
• is if they come in for equipment, for equipment as they come in over a certain dollar amount, that then
• And minor equipment and some...

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from the University System of New Hampshire chancellor on the system’s budget, enrollment, finances, workforce role, and response to federal policy changes. The chancellor said the governor’s recommended budget would reduce university system funding by about $16.5 million over the biennium, or roughly 8.3%, and asked that state funding be held at the governor’s level. She described planned cost reductions already underway, including lower headcount, reduced benefits and retirement contributions, property sales, and lease reductions, and said the system expects to remove about $20 million from its cost structure in fiscal year 2026. A large portion of the discussion focused on enrollment and finances. The chancellor said fall 2024 enrollment was about 23,000, with New Hampshire enrollment increasing for the first time since 2013, and noted that the system remains a major workforce pipeline, with about 3,000 graduates entering the state workforce each year. She explained that net tuition has fallen over time because of declining enrollment and increased financial aid, while research grants and contracts have grown significantly. She also walked through endowment funding, explaining that payouts are based on a 12-quarter rolling average and are intentionally smoothed to reduce volatility; members asked for follow-up information on payout comparisons, administrative salaries, headcounts, and compensation per student. Members questioned the university about the relationship between state support, tuition, endowments, and research spending. The chancellor said the system has used state capital support to leverage major investments, including the UNH Life Sciences building, Plymouth’s Hyde Hall, and the Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center, and described partnerships with businesses such as Lonza and regional manufacturers. She also explained a long-running New Hampshire 529-related revenue stream that has built endowment support for scholarships, and said the system’s endowment now totals about $988 million. In response to questions about possible cuts, she said the system is considering academic program sharing, consolidation of specialties, online delivery, AI-assisted administrative efficiencies, and footprint reductions, but declined to name specific programs. The committee also discussed DEI-related issues and federal grants. The chancellor said the system is reviewing executive orders and a U.S. Department of Education Dear Colleague letter, and that general counsel is working through websites, programs, and more than 1,200 federal grants to ensure compliance. She said the system spends about $3 million on what it calls DEI-related offices and services, but emphasized that these services include disability support, veteran support, Title IX, ADA, and employment-law compliance, and that the system does not have race-based programs, separate housing, or separate graduation ceremonies. She reported that the system had received stop-work orders on four federal grants totaling about $700,000 and warned that reductions in federal direct or indirect costs could affect research, jobs, and innovation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Charles because this is the only time that Habitat has allowed me to operate a power drill in helping
• Habitat has allowed me to operate<00:30:46.080><c> a</c><00:30:46.240><c> power</c><00:30:46.480><c> drill
• </c><00:30:47.520><c> uh</c><00:30:47.679><c> in</c><00:30:47.919><c> helping</c> operate a power drill
• uh in helping operate a power drill uh in helping frame<00:30:48.960><c> uh</c><00:30:49.200><c> Yeah
• Paul; what the bathroom and kitchen spaces, the equipment was just beyond its useful life. you want to

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• We shared all of the metadata behind the use of that equipment, so we have copies of their calibration
• Do you have equipment that tests the. Any radiation and mittens coming out of the trucks?
• So we'll be able to pay for staffing, training, equipment, medical monitoring, and safety.
• As I said earlier, we use the same equipment, we share calibration data, so we're comparing oranges to
• We do have initial data for the six new monitoring wells that we We were trying to drill eight; however

Committee: House Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm kind of gathering, because, you know, you're not providing the teachers or the visual audio equipment
• And my question is really to drill down, you know, a major difference.
• The question is really to drill down: a major difference is AP credit, standardized national exam, one
• mandatory reporting training, as well as regular fire sprinkler, asbestos, elevator, and safety equipment
• mandatory reporting training, as well as regular fire sprinkler, asbestos, elevator, and safety equipment

Committee: Joint Education Committee

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on dual credit programming across North Dakota, with presentations from Valley City State University, Lake Region State College, Fargo Public Schools, and teachers from West Fargo and Drake-Anamoose. Speakers described dual credit as a way to give high school students college-level rigor, reduce future tuition costs, and help students explore academic and career pathways. Several presenters emphasized that strong local relationships between colleges and school districts are central to program quality, especially in rural areas where access to advanced coursework can be limited. Valley City State University outlined its quality-control model, including annual teacher trainings, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty evaluations, qualification standards, school visits, and a goal of building 24-credit College Studies Certificates. The university reported about 504 students in the fall and 559 in the spring, with roughly 5,539 projected credit hours and about 130 students expected to earn the 24-credit certificate. Members asked about faculty qualifications, online versus in-person delivery, student retention, revenue, and whether a more centralized statewide model might be more efficient; the presenter said centralization could reduce duplication but might weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College described a broader regional model, with about 913 dual credit students last fall across 44 school districts, roughly half of them taking online college courses and half taking face-to-face courses taught by qualified high school teachers serving as adjuncts. The college said it has paid for graduate credits to help teachers meet credentialing requirements and reimburses districts for teacher support and materials. Fargo Public Schools reported 50 dual credit courses through multiple higher-ed partners, 1,571 enrollments, and a 12.61% increase in participation, while also raising concerns about inconsistent registration systems, credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity across institutions. Teachers from West Fargo and Drake-Anamoose reinforced the value of dual credit, while noting concerns about retention in foundational science courses and the importance of maintaining rigor and support for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:54:02.160><c> consolidating</c> school safety drills, consolidating school safety drills, consolidating
• Our schools should be equipped to support the diverse needs of this at-risk population.
• 01:37:21.280><c> schools</c><01:37:21.840><c> should</c><01:37:22.120><c> be</c><01:37:22.240><c> equipped
• Our schools should be equipped to them.
• Our schools should be equipped to support<01:37:23.000><c> the</c><01:37:23.080><c> diverse</c><01:37

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• , for me, and this is something labor force participation rate, I think, is so important to really drill
• </c><00:41:54.240><c> down</c><00:41:54.680><c> on</c> is so important to really drill down on is so
• important to really drill down on where<00:41:55.920><c> do</c><00:41:56.079><c> we</c><00:41:56.240>
• </c><01:24:44.800><c> So</c><01:24:45.040><c> they're</c><01:24:45.199><c> thinking</c> equipment as
• So they're thinking equipment as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• is committed to leading this vital work through significant investments in conservation efforts, equipment
• and systems upgrades efforts, equipment and systems upgrades and<00:58:32.880><c> renewable</c><00:58
• So our intent is to start drilling these wells this fall.
• </c><01:03:06.160><c> is</c><01:03:06.319><c> to</c><01:03:06.559><c> start</c><01:03:06.720><c> drilling
• </c><01:03:07.119><c> these</c> our intent is to start drilling these our intent is to start drilling

Bills: HF2928 , HF2912 , HF2297

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The remaining area is for a little bit of a buffer zone, as well as the storage of equipment, a place
• ><00:14:19.959><c> the</c><00:14:20.120><c> storage</c><00:14:20.440><c> of</c><00:14:20.680><c> equipment
• </c> zone as well as the storage of equipment zone as well as the storage of equipment uh<00:14:21.880
• Or is the other alternative to give up those wells and actually drill new wells someplace else beyond
• new wells someplace else actually drill new wells someplace else beyond<01:10:30.239><c> the</c><01:

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before the Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Chair Nicole Lowen and other legislators opened the meeting by framing the issue as important statewide and encouraging recycling, composting, and proper use of the curbside bins. The city’s Department of Environmental Services, led by Director Roger Babcock and Deputy Director Mike O’Keefe, then presented the background and siting process. ENV explained the legal and technical constraints that shaped the search, including the 2019 Land Use Commission decision requiring closure of Waimanalo Gulch by March 2, 2028, and the 2020 Act 73 restrictions on landfill siting near residences, schools, hospitals, conservation districts, airports, and tsunami inundation areas. They said a landfill advisory committee reviewed six candidate sites in 2021-2022 and rejected them because they fell within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. After further evaluation and an extension of the naming deadline, the city selected a site in central Oahu near Wahiawa, on agricultural land currently used as a Dole pineapple field. City officials said the selected site was chosen as the best of the evaluated options and, in their view, could be permitted under state and federal law. They described planned environmental protections, including a modern sanitary landfill design with double liners, leachate collection systems, monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring, and said the existing Waimanalo Gulch landfill has operated for 35 years without leachate leaks. They also emphasized that the site would still require a special use permit, Department of Health approvals, an environmental impact statement, and other public permitting processes, and that public engagement would continue over the next several years.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that from the drilling and the production of so-called waste that they put out, sometimes Sometimes
• and more particularly here in California, it's critical to support responsible management of the equipment
• AB 1313 would distribute clean water responsibilities more equitably among local governments. drill facilities

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Transcript Highlights:

• and which is the reason I think my background is appropriate that right now especially with the drilling
• Council for the Worldwide Litigation of Neighbors Industries, an oil and gas drilling contractor headquartered
• most impactful that I think that we have in the state and that includes bringing industry standard equipment

Committee: Senate Nominations

Keywords: Texas Water Fund, water management, infrastructure funding, local governments, workforce development, community colleges, educational programs, sustainability

Summary: The meeting focused on several crucial issues, including the Texas Water Fund and its implications for development in the state. Various members highlighted the critical need for effective management of water resources, discussing the role of the Water Development Board and their strategies for outreach to local governments. The committee engaged in a thorough examination of funding projects and the sustainable financing necessary for communities facing challenges in meeting their infrastructure needs. Additionally, there was notable discussion regarding promoting workforce development and the alignment of educational programs with the demands of the job market as indicated by recent trends in community colleges.