Transcript Highlights:

• I used to work in a federal prison.
• It's not feeling like a prison.
• So who is the new building that feels like a prison designed for?
• Now they're going to move to Kearney to a more prison-like setting.
• I've worked as a prison chaplain for adults.

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee held an invited-testimony hearing on LR 425, which examines the Whitehall campus in Lincoln and possible long-term options for youth currently served there. Chair Brian Hardin explained that Whitehall houses two separate programs for adolescent males: a substance use program and a youth-who-sexually-harm program. Testimony from DHHS officials described Whitehall as a Joint Commission-accredited psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) that provides about 40 hours of weekly programming, family involvement, school services, and community reintegration activities. Officials said the department is evaluating whether the programs should remain at Whitehall or move to another state-owned facility, with Hastings described as the department’s preferred alternative because it is more residential in design than a youth rehabilitation treatment center (YRTC).

Transcript Highlights:

• I used to work in a federal prison.
• It's not feeling like a prison.
• So who is the new building that feels like a prison designed for?
• Now they're going to move to Kearney to more of a prison-like setting.
• I've worked as a prison chaplain for adults.

Keywords: 956, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He sent out an email saying that a need for a new prison is most likely not.
• “It's primarily juvenile facilities, not prisons.” “Okay. Correct.
• They will be housed in prisons as opposed to mental hospitals?”
• It's primarily juvenile facilities, not prisons. Okay. Correct.
• They will be housed in prisons as opposed to mental hospitals?

Summary: The House opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for the previous day by roll call vote, 126-0. Members then offered several points of personal privilege, including recognition of National Fentanyl Awareness Day and a moment of silence for journalist Ray Hartman. The chamber also welcomed numerous student groups, interns, and other special guests in the gallery. The main floor action centered on the conference committee report for House Bills 2637 and 3155, a very large public safety/criminal justice package. Supporters said it refined earlier legislation, including narrowing juvenile certification to certain A and B felonies, sex offenses, and repeat offenses, adding mental health and cyberstalking provisions, addressing sex offender registry issues, and including a drone-related section with an emergency clause. Critics argued the bill was overly long, multi-subject, and difficult to vet. The House adopted the conference report 124-13, passed the bill 119-18, and then adopted the emergency clause 125-15. The House also passed Senate Bill 834, a consumer protection measure on mortgage modifications and residential sale-leaseback transactions, by 139-1 after members described it as a companion to a House bill and a way to protect homeowners from predatory practices. Senate Bill 937, a land transfer bill authorizing the governor to dispose of certain state properties, passed 137-2 after amendment. Senate Bill 938, which raises recording fees to support the land survey program and recorder of deeds offices, passed 121-21-2 after supporters said the fee had not been increased since 1969 and was needed to keep the program operating. Finally, House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 973, dealing with wholesaler disclosures and land banks, passed 110-36 after an amendment removed a school property right-of-first-refusal provision and added land bank language. The House then moved several other bills to the informal calendar, made announcements, and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, one significant reason is our judges continue to depart from presumptive prison commitments at
• Our judges can depart away from presumptive prison sentences, as recommended by our sentencing guidelines
• judges continue to depart from is our judges continue to depart from presumptive<00:04:53.479> prison
• commitments at record presumptive prison commitments at record Levels<00:04:57.360> by<00:04:
• can depart away from presumptive prison can depart away from presumptive prison sentences<00:05:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• No, I said mandatory prison time, jail time, imprisonment—not one year. Mandatory prison time.
• They don't want to just send people away to jails and prisons.
• We got 461 total prison transports.
• Before that, Tibito Police Department was transporting those prisoners.
• They had a marshal office, but they weren't transporting prisoners.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• so that they don't go back. ...out of prison for a bunch of reasons so that they don't go back.
• great because I think, you know, if you don't, certainly the ones, individuals coming out of the prison
• system, you know, if you don't do something... ...individuals coming out of the prison system, you know
• These numbers of people will be less and less going into prison, going on to Medicaid, going on to SNAP
• And, you know, we've talked about people coming out of prison, but there are a lot of people, you know

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:07:31.120> what<00:07:31.280> I'll<00:07:31.440> call<00:07:31.680> guard
• <00:07:32.000> rails uh for these what I'll call guard rails uh for these what I'll call guard
• Um, if this resolution is to pass, the next person who could be persecuted and a political prisoner could

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 77, which would allow comprehensive universities to pursue doctoral programs under a new approval process and, in the original bill, would also change who may serve on the EPSB board for small colleges and universities. The sponsor and Council on Postsecondary Education representative explained that the committee substitute removed the current statutory prohibition on comprehensive universities offering certain doctoral degrees, but added eligibility guardrails: a 77% first-to-second-year retention rate, a 56% six-year graduation rate, and three months of unrestricted cash reserves. They said the thresholds were based on national data placing institutions in roughly the top quartile, and that CPE would still review proposals for mission fit, workforce need, fiscal impact, and, where applicable, programmatic accreditation and legislative appropriations. EKU President David McFaden supported creating a pathway for comprehensive universities, said Kentucky is unusual in having an explicit statutory prohibition, and urged the committee to keep the standards attainable and durable. The committee approved the bill and adopted a title amendment, with the motion passing unanimously. The committee then heard Senate Joint Resolution 55, which addresses antisemitism on postsecondary campuses. Senator Tichenor said the resolution responds to a rise in antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023, and would require campuses to notify students each semester of Title VI rights, complaint procedures, existing harassment policies, and available Jewish student resources. It would also direct campuses to disband student organizations found to provide material support to known terrorist organizations, report such matters to law enforcement, and collect and report antisemitism data to CPE for posting on its website. A guest speaker from the Kentucky Jewish Council described a sharp increase in reported incidents, including harassment, threats, vandalism, and hostile campus activity, and argued that schools have often done too little to respond. He said the resolution was amended to protect free speech while ensuring Jewish students receive the same protections as other protected groups. The transcript ends while testimony on the resolution was still underway, before any committee vote on SJR 55.

Transcript Highlights:

• He was prosecuted; he officially... ...effectively got 60 years in prison.
• All I'm trying to do is build a guard.
• There are legitimate reasons to distinguish between the sexes with respect to athletics, prisons, and
• This is also a huge reason the Prison Rape Elimination Act was created because we need to think more

Bills: HJR144, HJR218, HB40, HB 101, HB 112, HB146, HB168, HB214, HB413, HB1523, HB493, HB521, HB594, HB557, HB305, HB549, HB854, HB 1057, HB 1052, HB842, HB3174, HB3311, HB2486, HB3196, HB824, HB 1039, HB2529, HB2713, HB4936, HB4995, HB4830, HB4864, HB5219, HB5263, HB5154, HB2674, HB5525, HB5623, HB2545, HB2587, HB2625, HB5520, HB5436, HB4926, HB1573, HB5165, HB4811, HB5081, HB4755, HB3179, HB4310, HB4611, HB2159, HB4626, HB3637, HB3153, HB3066, HB2786, HB2966, HB638, HB640, HB876, HB497, HB5539, HB4809, HB5308, HB4687, HB4070, HB4421, HB4412, HB3284, HB3369, HB3420, HB3449, HB4098, HB4281, HB4120, HB4504, HB4370, HB 1106, HB2370, HB2404, HB3863, HB2407, HB2253, HB2273, HB2040, HB1586, HB3788, HB3993, HB4690, HB4309, HB4696, HB2308, HB 1142, HB1533, HB1621, HB2242, HB2012, HB2193, HB2442, HB2464, HB2348, HB2313, HB2289, HB1942, HB2011, HB1629, HB2993, HB3592, HB3824, HB4076, HB4535, HB4623, HB4773, HB 1091, HB5115, HB5515, HB3372, HB5659, HCR118, HB 1233, HB2239, HB2379, HB2863, HB3368, HB3787, HB3815, HB3898, HB4023, HB4285, HB4329, HB4331, HB4429, HB4646, HB4904, HB5200, HB5320, HB5651, HB5662, HB5668, HB5670, HB5672, HB5674, HB5676, HB5679, HB5688, HCR108

Keywords: regional mobility, transportation authority, local law, constitutional amendment, public projects, Texas energy fund, energy efficiency, retail electric customers, electric generating facilities, business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, Texas State Guard, task force, professionalization, state missions, critical infrastructure, science park district

Transcript Highlights:

• defendant can be sentenced to up to three years in jail. for the first offense and three years in prison
• When they're brought back to court, they face a six-year prison sentence.
• and are they really serious about the treatment or are they just avoiding state prison?
• Individuals serve prison sentences they should not be.
• not have, or the length of the prison sentence should have been much shorter.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think we need to focus on the three things we have at hand with these three prisons.
• And then Grants can operate the prisons.
• ' local prisoners.
• They only needed about 149 to satisfy what was going to happen to the prison.
• the city up to be reliant on prisons and then jerking the rug out from underneath them.

Bills: SB241, SB145

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• Keep in mind, you know, inflation... ...prisons.
• So, um, we've talked about the prisons. How far are we going along this line and such?
• Because building prisons is not sexy.
• You know, one of the other problems we have with the prisons is hiring people.
• And it's not like this is just a hobby for us, that we just want to build some prison.

Bills: SJR 1, SB 9, SB 40, SJR 36, SJR 1, SJR 5, SB 9, SB 40, SR 61, SR 91, SR 97, SR 103, SR 104, SR 112, SR 115, SR 116, SCR 16, SB 26, SB 26

Keywords: bail denial, illegal aliens, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, law enforcement, bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunctive relief, taxpayer rights, bail, criminal justice reform, Texas Music Advocacy Day, music industry

Transcript Highlights:

• > um<04:36:43.359> it<04:36:43.600> is<04:36:43.760> actually back in prison
• system um it is actually back in prison system um it is actually very<04:36:44.240> expensive.
• uh we actually just started at our Rainbow Falls area in Hilo and uh it caught a lot of people off guard
• lot<06:02:19.440> of<06:02:19.520> people<06:02:19.680> off<06:02:19.920> guard
• but also like lot of people off guard but also like people<06:02:21.680> just<06:02:21.840>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, which, uh, so will our testifiers from the food group, prison, and community pathways please come
• , testifiers from the food group, prison, testifiers from the food group, prison, and<00:36:20.320
• We were caught off guard September 3rd when we got up, saw the news, and it said SNAP cuts went into
• We were caught<02:53:48.319> off<02:53:48.479> guard<02:53:48.880> September<02:
• when we caught off guard September 3rd when we got<02:53:50.720> up<02:53:51.920> saw<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• No, I said mandatory prison time, jail time, imprisonment — not one year. Mandatory prison time.
• They don't want to just send people away to jails and prisons.
• We got 461 total prison transports.
• Before that, Tibito Police Department was transporting those prisoners.
• They had a marshal office, but they weren't transporting prisoners.

Summary: The committee first approved the April 28 minutes and announced that Senate Bill 499 was voluntarily deferred. It then heard several House bills, beginning with HB 168, a reentry/transitional housing program for female parolees near release; supporters said it would improve public safety and reduce recidivism, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. HB 322, a cleanup bill from the Maggie Grace Act clarifying that victims or families requesting transcripts would not be charged, was also reported favorably without objection. HB 622, which aligns Louisiana criminal history information practices with federal rules, was amended and then reported favorably. HB 821, moving the School for Safe Centers from GOSEP to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, was reported favorably as well. The committee then took up HB 364, which directs State Police to partner on public awareness efforts about the illegality of discharging firearms, especially around holidays. An amendment removed a proposed printing cost and shifted the bill toward PSAs; the bill was reported favorably with amendments. HB 568, which strengthens enforcement of drug-free school zone laws by creating a clearer offense for openly smoking or vaping illegal drugs in school zones and setting a specific penalty for marijuana, drew extensive debate. Supporters, including the author and governor’s office, said it was needed to protect children and families and to give law enforcement a workable deterrent. Opponents argued it would impose harsh, geography-based penalties, sweep in medical cannabis patients and veterans, and worsen racial and fiscal disparities. After roll-call, the committee reported HB 568 favorably by a 3-2 vote. The committee also approved HB 296, a cleanup bill removing long-defunct programs from statute, without objection. HB 823, creating an Orleans Parish DA pilot diversion program for unhoused people accused of nonviolent offenses, was supported by Covenant House and others as a way to avoid criminalizing homelessness and was reported favorably without objection. Finally, HB 1038, a major bill revising the authority and liability structure of city marshals and local governments, prompted extensive testimony. The bill and amendments would limit some marshal powers in smaller jurisdictions, require local approval for certain staffing/insurance matters, and allow local governments to restore powers by ordinance. Supporters said it would reduce liability, clarify authority, and address problems in some marshal offices; opponents, including multiple marshals and law enforcement supporters, said it would undermine elected marshals, hurt small offices, and was too broad and under-studied. The transcript ends amid that hearing, with no final committee action shown on HB 1038.

Transcript Highlights:

• H., Executive Director of Prisoners' Legal Services. Dr.
• That's administered upon commitment to the prison setting.
• because it's dependent on who's getting sent to prison.
• because it's dependent on who's getting sent to prison.
• Because it's dependent on who's getting sent to prison.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on January 12 to continue its review of DOC classification practices, with Senator Brownsberger and Representative Hunt co-chairing. After brief discussion of the prior hearing, members said there would likely be another opportunity for additional testimony, including possible video testimony from people inside facilities. The main presentation for the day was DOC’s classification system and a UMass Chan study of whether the system predicts institutional misconduct and whether overrides affect its accuracy or create racial/ethnic bias. DOC officials described the objective point-based classification system, its history, and the role of discretionary and non-discretionary overrides. They said the system is designed to balance public safety and reintegration, with initial classification emphasizing offense history and reclassification emphasizing institutional adjustment. DOC reported that, in the current population, about 16% are classified to maximum security, 74% to medium, and 10% to lower security. They also reviewed the non-discretionary restrictions that keep people out of minimum or medium security, and said discretionary overrides are used less often than the National Institute of Corrections’ suggested ceiling and are reviewed within six months. UMass Chan researchers said their analysis used historical DOC data from 2019 to 2022, focused mainly on about 7,600 male reclassification cases, and found that the scored custody level accurately predicted institutional misconduct. They said the tool performed well on standard statistical measures, but predictive accuracy declined after overrides were applied, with overlap appearing between minimum and medium groups. In a supplementary analysis, they said the loss of accuracy was driven primarily by non-discretionary restrictions rather than discretionary overrides. They also said the study did not find evidence of racial or ethnic bias in the tool itself, and that DOC’s current system is comparatively more lenient than many other states. Members and guests raised concerns about overclassification to medium security, the low share of people in minimum, the role of civil commitment restrictions, and whether the data captured historical bias or individual cases where overrides felt subjective. DOC and UMass Chan responded that the study was group-based, not case-specific, and that minimum-security rates are hard to compare across states because Massachusetts’ prison and county systems differ structurally. The commission did not take a vote or formal action, but asked members to send follow-up data questions by the end of the week for referral to DOC and the researchers.

Transcript Highlights:

• system, and we are actually asked to start training at the prison system for the adult prison system
• system and uh we are juvenile prison system and uh we are actually<00:26:07.920> asked<00:26:
• system for for um the uh our prison system for for adult<00:26:13.520> prison<00:26:13.880>
• adult prison system. adult prison system.
• , rooms, hospitals, jails, and prisons, rooms, hospitals, jails, and prisons, and<00:38:48.720>

Bills: HCR18, HCR32, HCR35, HCR105, HCR173

Keywords: hospice, health care, aging population, regulations, Medicare, working group, fraud prevention, quality of care, mental health, recidivism, civil commitment, Hawaii State Hospital, justice system, shelter, treatment pathways, biomarker testing, health insurance, precision medicine, healthcare access, medical necessity

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SCR 21 SD1, which asks Hawaii Health Systems Corporation’s East Hawaii Regional Health Care System to study the feasibility of a rural health clinic or similar access point for the Volcano community. Testimony in strong support came from HHSC representatives, Volcano residents, the Volcano Health Collaborative, the Rotary Club of Volcano, and others, who said the area has a clear need and that local primary and urgent care would align with regional plans. HHSC said it had already looked at the area, found no suitable temporary buildings, and would need a longer-term, capital-intensive solution, but that the study could help accelerate next steps. The committee then took up SCR 50 SD1, proposing a Hawaii Health Plan Working Group to design a basic affordable health plan for residents. Dr. Jack Lewin of SHIPTA said the state faces a growing uninsured population and argued for a short-term, lower-cost plan focused on preventive and primary care, drawing on the old State Health Insurance Plan as a possible model. Members asked about whether that prior program still exists and whether the working group should include the Hawaii Medical Association and Hawaii Primary Care Association; Dr. Lewin said the statute still exists but is unfunded, and that the group should be inclusive. The Department of Labor and other organizations also provided comments. For SCR 75 SD1, which urges a coordinated interdepartmental effort to reduce fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Dr. Lewin and others said prevention, prenatal screening, and early intervention are needed because FASD is often hidden until later problems appear. Amanda from Hawaii FASD Action Group said current implementation under Act 192 is still largely a landscape analysis and that Hawaii lacks the infrastructure and specialists for a full system. Darlene Chance Govor urged adding the judiciary as a partner so juvenile justice and probation staff can be trained and referral pathways improved, while the Department of Health said it supports prevention but prefers a broader, systems-based approach focused on child needs and upstream care. The Disability Rights Center supported the resolution and asked for an earlier reporting date. The committee also heard SCR 149 SD1, which seeks an informal working group to address complex patients with multiple diagnoses involving substance use, mental health, or chronic physical illness. The Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition and Ke Nui Malo strongly supported the measure, saying current siloed systems leave people bouncing between medical, mental health, and substance use providers without coordinated care, often ending up in crisis, emergency rooms, or the justice system. They said integrated residential care and a coordinated working group could improve outcomes and align with federal funding opportunities. The transcript ended before any final vote or action on the measures was announced, and SCR 109 was noted as withdrawn from the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first touch point is prisons, the second is jails, and the third is treatment courts.
• These individuals from entering state prisons.
• — Prisons is whether or not we are allowed to use medical marijuana.
• So, it's in the state prisons that that's happening.
• But in terms of whether Not physicians or nurse practitioners are in jails and prisons.

Transcript Highlights:

• previously convicted of a crime has carried serious penalties in New Mexico, at least three years in prison
• reoffend, or what we hear on numerous occasions in law enforcement, that they will not go back to prison
• And again, I'm not in charge of the prison system.
• And again, I'm not in charge of the prison system, whatever lawmakers and the prison system wants to
• They were doing it again after they served their prison time.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a medical evaluation done of the prisoners when they come in, Mr. Chair.
• :02:50.319> in<00:02:51.319> Mr<00:02:51.640> chair<00:02:52.480> uh prisoners
• when they come in Mr chair uh prisoners when they come in Mr chair uh this<00:02:52.959> is<00
• She said to imagine that if somebody is in fact imagining that they would be safe in a men’s prison,
• She said having them in a men’s prison would mean they would be less safe, and she hoped that would not

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:

• The program was launched on July 1st of this year, and so far it encompasses three corrections prisons
• they can receive MAT if they are involved in the criminal justice system: The first will be state prisons
• Right now, only inmates who come into prison on MAT are receiving MAT services.
• And in 2024, 1,736 inmates will be in prison. 167 individuals in county jails received some form of MAT
• to the... so we hear 24 percent is the general population, and then we bounce up to 36 percent in prison