Transcript Highlights:

• And then just last month, December 30, 2024, we've got the NRC license, which gives us another 20 years
• resources, and all of these different technologies are going through that licensing process with the NRC
• resources, and all of these different technologies are going through that licensing process with the NRC
• resources, and all of these different technologies are going through that licensing process with the NRC
• We have two private initiatives that have already received licenses from the NRC to have and host interim

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have put in the white text box the years of exposure equivalent, according to what the NRC designates
• the Nuclear Regulatory Essentially a mining method, although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the NRC
• The NRC regulates milling, beneficiation of uranium, not the mining of uranium, but the milling and the
• Waste created to create the nation's nuclear security and then left us high and dry because we had no NRC
• And then left us high and dry because we had no NRC bonding requirements in place back in the 50s and

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Environment Department on PFAS contamination in private wells in La Cienega, Santa Fe County. Staff said the plume likely came from historic use of firefighting foam associated with airport and National Guard fire-training activities, with possible additional contribution from septic systems and consumer products. They described the contamination as affecting about 200 private wells, the short-term response of providing residential filters through a $2 million legislative appropriation, and ongoing work to define the plume’s full extent, identify responsible parties, and consider longer-term regional water solutions. Members asked about filter costs, replacement schedules, disposal of used cartridges, follow-up testing, health studies, and whether cleanup or containment had begun; the department said cleanup would follow once the plume is fully mapped and that DOH is soliciting interest in a blood study. The committee also discussed the need to track disposal of PFAS filters and the possibility of broader statewide capacity for similar work. The committee then took up abandoned uranium mine cleanup. NMED and EMNRD staff reviewed the new uranium mine reclamation program created by HB 164, the state dashboard tracking sites, and the FY26 appropriation of $20 million for neglected contaminated sites, of which $12 million is being used for neglected uranium mines and the remainder for other contaminated sites. They said six contractors were hired, three priority sites in Grant County are moving forward quickly, and additional sites are being prepared for possible FY27 work. Members pressed for details on how funds are spent, why the revolving fund remains unfunded, how federal, state, tribal, and landowner requirements are coordinated, where contaminated material will be moved, and whether cleanup could also address homes built with contaminated materials. Staff said the work is governed by multiple regulatory layers, that the state is seeking an additional $25 million for FY27-FY28 plus a time extension, and that partnerships with tribes would require longer-term agreements. The committee also discussed federal cleanup efforts and the new Good Samaritan law, with members urging stronger advocacy for New Mexico sites, including tribal lands, and asking whether the Attorney General should pursue legal action against federal parties responsible for legacy contamination. Staff explained that some sites are already covered by settlement funds tied to responsible parties, while neglected sites are those with no responsible party and no other cleanup program. The committee then heard from EMNRD on Class VI carbon sequestration primacy. Staff said New Mexico currently has no operating Class VI wells, about 27 Class II acid-gas injection wells are operating, and only a small number might be candidates for conversion. They explained that the state’s primacy application would require more public outreach than federal rules alone, and that cost estimates for post-injection site care are based on long planning horizons, with some costs borne by operators and some by the state after closure. No votes were taken on the substantive items discussed; the committee approved the prior meeting minutes and took a brief recess between presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• They require a non-federal funding general match and agencies like NRCS Agricultural Land Easement Program
• New Mexico's Healthy Soil Program is based on the NRCS Soil Health Principles, which you can see on the
• These principles guide numerous NRCS programs and inform the work of agencies and organizations nationwide
• On presenting, our Taos County Extension Agent Will Jeremko Wright and our NRCS District Conservationist
• to all of you for joining us today to learn more about the work that has been done in applying to NRCS

Transcript Highlights:

• They also are required by law every year to have NRCS, USDA, NRCS, and the Dam Safety Bureau, which is

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But in this conversation what we heard was we don't trust the NRC.
• But in this conversation what we heard was we don't trust the NRC.
• But in this conversation what we heard was we don't trust the NRC.
• But in this conversation what we heard was we don't trust the NRC.
• We had the NRC, we had the information.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , are looking at input costs continuing to rise, and are feeling the staffing shortages at FSA and NRCS
• Um, Adam now has to travel two counties over to talk with his FSA and NRCS staff about his contracts.
• , the NRCS has lost 2400 employees<00:42:40.480> since<00:42:40.880> 20<00:42:41.760>
• <00:42:48.000> staff<00:42:48.319> about talk with his FSA and NRCS staff about talk
• with his FSA and NRCS staff about his<00:42:48.880> contracts.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• NRCS for the emergency watershed program will require 25%.
• And you can see how many applications for FEMA and NRCS have been submitted and what these places look

Transcript Highlights:

• That would remain regulated by the NRC. It's not unregulated.
• The NRC will definitely be there.
• it's not unregulated they would NRC it's not unregulated they would still<00:59:25.640> have<
• <00:59:50.480> be<00:59:50.599> deregulated<00:59:51.599> the<00:59:51.680> NRC
• <00:59:52.200> will going to be deregulated the NRC will going to be deregulated the NRC will

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Bills: HB48, HB66, HB68, HB71, HB75, HB164, HB171, HB254, SB3, SB18, HB123, HB149, HB117

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Summary: The committee met in special session to hear a series of flood, preparedness, and youth-camp safety bills, with members repeatedly noting that many of the measures were intended as planning, warning, or authority-clarifying bills rather than direct spending bills. House Bill 254 would expand eligibility for the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program to include Kerr County and 18 other flood-affected counties by raising the GDP cap and lowering the poverty threshold; it drew no opposition and was left pending. House Bill 68 would direct a study of flood mitigation in flatland areas, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, to develop cost-effective drainage and infrastructure recommendations; local officials and advocates supported it, and it was also left pending. The committee then heard several youth camp bills tied to the recent Hill Country flooding. House Bill 75 would impose flood-aware building and site standards for youth camps near floodplains, and House Bill 71 would require camps and youth activity entities to submit emergency preparedness plans to TDEM, coordinate with local responders, and maintain readiness protocols; both bills were supported by safety advocates and camp representatives, and both were left pending. House Bill 171 would require campgrounds near flood-prone waters to give written flood-risk notice to campers and obtain signed acknowledgment; it was presented as informed consent and left pending. Testimony on these bills emphasized Camp Mystic and other recent flood tragedies, with some witnesses urging broader building-code and floodplain reforms. The committee also heard House Bill 117, which would let counties regulate impervious cover for flood mitigation in unincorporated areas. Supporters, including county officials, environmental groups, and residents, argued that rapid development in the Hill Country and other growing areas is worsening runoff and downstream flooding; opponents from the builders’ association said counties already have substantial authority and warned about overreach into rural property use. After extensive testimony, the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 18 would streamline permitting for certain flood control districts to repair dams and reservoirs and build small holding areas, and it was left pending after supportive testimony from Plum Creek Conservation District. Senate Bill 3 would create a state-backed outdoor flood warning siren program for identified flood-prone areas, funded through a grant program; witnesses generally supported it, though some cautioned that sirens are not sufficient by themselves and may not be heard indoors or in overnight storms. It too was left pending. The committee also began hearing House Bill 149 on public-safety radio interoperability, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s full testimony or action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the major projects, the primary projects that we're working with right now, is within NRCS.
• Right now, the NRCS grant is about $11.3 million; 25% of that is $2.7 million. That's my budget.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2825, which would replace criminal court enforcement for unpaid court debts and incarceration costs with a civil collection framework, eliminating arrest warrants and contempt for nonpayment while preserving the underlying financial obligations. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would reduce cycles of poverty and keep people working. The committee adopted the Blackman amendment, which bars a defendant from setting aside a second default judgment entered within one year of a prior default judgment, and then gave HB 2825 a 7-0 do pass recommendation. The committee then took up HB 2070, an emergency appropriation of $25 million from the state general fund to the Arizona Department of Administration for Gila County flood relief. County supervisors, mayors, a town council member, emergency management staff, and other local officials described severe flooding in Globe, Miami, and surrounding areas, including deaths, destroyed homes and businesses, debris, sediment, damaged roads and utilities, and the need for matching funds to access federal and other grants. Members discussed FEMA denials, federal reimbursement delays, and the difficulty of completing required projects within short timelines. HB 2070 was approved 7-0. The committee also approved HB 2129, which moves the deadline for municipal library trustees’ annual reports from the first Monday in July to the second Monday in July, with supporters saying the change helps smaller and rural libraries after the July 4 holiday. HB 2439, exempting public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ water pollution rules, also received a do pass recommendation after testimony that the current rules create confusion and unnecessary costs for businesses. HB 2773, barring Arizona and its entities from assisting the International Criminal Court or using public resources to support ICC enforcement actions, passed 4-3 after debate over sovereignty and constitutional authority. HB 2873, requiring ADOA to share procurement Q&A with all bidders, and HB 2876, requiring topics from executive session and proposed tax or fee increases to be placed on an action agenda, both received do pass recommendations after transparency-focused testimony and some concerns about implementation and municipal practice. Finally, the committee heard HCR 2005, a proposed constitutional amendment requiring the legislature to adjourn sine die by April 30 each year and submit that question to voters. The sponsor argued Arizona sessions have grown too long and that a firm deadline would force earlier, more efficient work while still allowing a special session if the budget is unfinished. Members debated whether the proposal would improve discipline or instead create problems for the budget process, member pay, and legislative workload, with some suggesting a broader conversation about full-time versus part-time legislatures. The resolution was advanced with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I will close with this: at a time when we are losing a lot of staff in local NRCS offices, At a time
• when we are losing a lot of staff in local NRCS offices, we really need the state of California to be

Summary: The Assembly Agriculture Committee met as a subcommittee at first because a quorum was not yet present, then adopted its committee rules for the 2025-2026 legislative session by a 5-0 vote. The committee heard a series of agriculture-related bills, with most measures receiving broad support and moving forward. AB 1142 by Assemblymember Hoover would raise the fee thresholds for small public horse events that are exempt from equine medication monitoring rules; supporters said the current limits are outdated and hurt small riding clubs, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 411 by Assemblymember Papin would allow ranchers to compost livestock carcasses on-farm; supporters cited cost, environmental, and predator-control benefits, while rendering industry representatives asked for amendments to protect existing services and limit the bill’s scope. The bill passed to Natural Resources. AB 482 by Assemblymember Solache would modernize the California Table Grape Commission law and raise assessment caps without increasing assessments themselves; it passed to Appropriations. AB 312 by Vice Chair Alanis would shorten the holding period for ag theft property from six months to three months; it also passed to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 937 and AB 947 by Assemblymember Connolly. AB 937 would make technical changes to the Organic Transition Pilot Program to improve access to organic transition support, with testimony from a farmer who said the program helped him pursue organic certification; the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 947 would expand and refine technical assistance under the Healthy Soils/Climate Smart Agriculture programs, including training, grant writing, matching funds coordination, equipment sharing, and outcome monitoring; supporters said the changes would help small and organic producers access state climate programs, and it also passed to Appropriations. AB 1486, presented by the chair, would use Proposition 4 funding to start grants for public postsecondary agricultural research farms focused on climate resiliency; members praised the role of CSU and UC research farms, and the bill passed to Natural Resources as amended. The most extensive discussion centered on AB 928 by Assemblymember Rogers, the California Cockfighting Cruelty Act. Supporters argued the bill would help law enforcement target cockfighting and rooster trafficking, reduce avian disease risks, and protect public health and animal welfare; opponents, including poultry hobbyists, breeders, and 4-H-related participants, said it would overreach into lawful poultry keeping and harm heritage-breed and youth programs, urging instead that cockfighting penalties be increased to a felony. Committee members echoed concerns about unintended impacts on legitimate poultry owners and requested continued work on exemptions and language. The bill passed to Judiciary on a 5-2-1 vote, with one no vote and one abstention, and the chair noted that further committee review would continue as the bill advances.

Transcript Highlights:

• you know, we'll see what happens at the federal level and some of these with our partnerships with NRCS
• you know, we'll see what happens at the federal level and some of these with our partnerships with NRCS
• you know, we'll see what happens at the federal level and some of these with our partnerships with NRCS
• 20:31.840> our<00:20:32.080> Partnerships<00:20:32.600> with<00:20:32.799> nrcs
• these with our Partnerships with nrcs these with our Partnerships with nrcs and<00:20:33.640>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To manage the water and the soil erosion, the NRCS, a division of the USDA, recognizes drainage as a
• water and the soil To manage the water and the soil erosion,<00:57:20.880> the<00:57:21.000> NRCS
• a<00:57:21.960> division<00:57:22.400> of<00:57:22.480> the erosion, the NRCS
• , a division of the erosion, the NRCS, a division of the USDA,<00:57:23.640> recognizes<00:57:

Bills: HF4211, HF3426, HF4819, HF3466, HF3793, HF3339

Keywords: air pollution, lead emissions, continuous emissions monitoring system, CEMS, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, MPCA, environmental monitoring, emission compliance, air quality, public health, industrial pollution, permitted facility, residential exposure, toxic metals, emission limits, pollution control, stack monitoring, real-time emissions monitoring, natural resources, environment

Transcript Highlights:

• coupled with the pre-design reviews, would accelerate what we're able to do in getting through the NRC
• coupled with the pre-design reviews, would accelerate what we're able to do in getting through the NRC
• coupled with the pre-design reviews, would accelerate what we're able to do in getting through the NRC

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 03:09 SB 57 Discussion 04:03 SB 57 Roll Call Vote 38:37 SB 172 Discussion 41:27 SB 172 Roll Call Vote 50:23, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including a prayer, the pledge, recognition of an Energy and Environment Cabinet leadership academy group, a roll call establishing quorum, and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes. The main item was Senator Danny Carroll’s presentation of legislation to create a nuclear-ready site readiness pilot program in Kentucky. He said the bill is intended to help build a nuclear ecosystem in the Commonwealth by supporting early site permits, construction permits, or combined licenses, with the state contributing up to $25 million per project and a total of $75 million for up to three projects. He emphasized safeguards such as refundable funding if conditions are not met, legislative rather than authority-only selection of projects, and oversight by the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority (NIDTA). He also described related provisions on cost recovery through the Public Service Commission, tax incentive eligibility for nuclear ecosystem projects, training and consultant support for the authority, and eligibility for fusion projects. Carroll and Rodney Andrews said the proposal is meant to attract utilities, developers, and large industrial users such as data centers, and to spread projects geographically, with particular attention to Eastern Kentucky and other rural areas. They said selection criteria would include site suitability, prior site use, regional economic need and impact, geographic diversity, additional investment, federal funding status, and whether a community has applied to be designated nuclear-ready. They stressed that communities would not be forced to host reactors and could choose which parts of the nuclear ecosystem to participate in. Carroll also said the bill could help Kentucky compete with states like Texas and Tennessee, and Andrews said industry contacts viewed the proposal as a signal that Kentucky is open to investment. Members generally expressed support for the bill and its goals, while asking about taxpayer exposure, site size, permitting, grid needs, national security, and reactor technology. Carroll said the state’s direct commitment would be capped at $75 million, with any additional cost recovery depending on PSC approval and project specifics. He said small modular reactor sites would be much smaller than traditional plants, and described a model in which a utility partners with a developer and a data center, with power contracts helping offset costs over decades. On security and technology, Carroll and Andrews said newer reactors would still be subject to the same standards as larger units, and Andrews explained that next-generation designs may use different fuels and materials such as TRISO and high-assay low-enriched uranium. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided, and the chair noted time limits and that additional members still had questions, including one witness expected to speak against the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Agriculture or one of the commissioner's helper groups, which include, in statute, employees of the NRCS
• statutes in statute U employees<00:40:45.040> of<00:40:45.160> the<00:40:45.240> nrcs
• <00:40:45.960> Minnesota employees of the nrcs Minnesota employees of the nrcs Minnesota certified

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• companies are starting to get out there and begin their permitting processes and starting to talk to the NRC
• A smaller nuclear reactor that they have successfully built and permitted with the NRC.

Transcript Highlights:

• the works of getting water quality certified right now, and part of that project has us working with NRCS
• us now and part of that project has us working<00:19:28.679> with working with working with NRCS
• natural<00:19:31.159> resource<00:19:32.040> resources<00:19:32.640> and NRCS
• , so natural resource resources and NRCS, so natural resource resources and conservation conservation
• That is, you know, we had Tina Smith come, you came, Mary Kunesh came, Tom, we even had the NRCS director

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you go to Farm Service Agency and NRCS, I mean, I think they're given the same opportunity as a small
• 01:25:23.360> Service<01:25:23.760> Agency<01:25:24.239> and<01:25:24.400> NRCS
• ><01:25:25.199> I<01:25:25.440> mean,<01:25:25.920> I Farm Service Agency and NRCS
• , I mean, I Farm Service Agency and NRCS, I mean, I think<01:25:26.239> they're<01:25:26.560><

Bills: SB874, SB2097, SB2098, SB2126, SB2154, SB2153, SB2160, SB2123, SB2110

Keywords: veterinary medicine, prescription, consumer rights, transparency, pet medication, sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, food system resilience, grant program, Hawaii agriculture, agriculture, clean plant program, disease-free plants, plant propagation, small farms, midsize farms, sustainable farming, Hawaii, data analysis, market study

Summary: The committee heard several agriculture-related bills. SB 874 on veterinary medicine would require veterinarians, upon a client’s request, to provide a written prescription for an animal patient in an existing veterinary client-patient relationship, allow Hawaii-licensed pharmacies to dispense those prescriptions, and authorize the Veterinary Medicine Board to set penalties. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with supporters citing lower costs and consumer choice; the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association said veterinarians already should be doing this and supported the bill if amended. One testifier in opposition argued the bill needed a conspicuous notice requirement so pet owners know they can request prescriptions. Committee members and the Department of Agriculture said they were not aware of widespread problems, and discussion focused on whether the measure was already consistent with current practice and whether amendments would address remaining concerns. The committee also heard SB 2097, which would create a climate-resilient food systems grant program in the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and appropriate funds. The department, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farmers Union, Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, and others supported the bill, saying it could help farmers and ranchers invest in resilience, infrastructure, and technology. Several testifiers asked for clearer definitions, especially for terms like “food hubs” and “resilience hubs,” and suggested adding technical assistance and clearer eligibility criteria. The department explained the program was intended for shovel-ready projects in the middle of the supply chain, with a focus on farmers in a certain revenue range, and said it was modeled on a USDA program. SB 2098 would establish a clean plant program to produce and distribute disease-free plant material to growers, nurseries, and other producers. Testimony was supportive, emphasizing biosecurity, nursery industry needs, and preventing invasive species and crop disease. The department described the program as using tested clean stock, tissue culture facilities, and data collection to support future planting decisions, and estimated a two-year ramp-up. Members questioned whether the program duplicated existing work at CTR/other partners and whether data collection should be centralized, but the department said the effort would build on existing varieties and partnerships rather than overlap them. Finally, SB 2126 would create a conventional farming grant program for small and midsize conventional farmers. Supporters from the department, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council said conventional agriculture deserves support and that the bill would help increase food production. Opposition and comments focused on the bill’s exclusion of organic farmers; one farmer said the measure was unfair unless amended to include organic producers, while a Farmers Union witness said the bill was too vague about the grant’s purpose and should be clearer about its goals. In response to questions, the department said the exclusion of organic farming was not intentional and that the bill was meant to support all agriculture, though no vote or final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So with the word climate now taboo at the federal level, many of the climate-smart grants through NRCS
• and... ...now taboo at the federal level, many of the climate-smart grants through NRCS and USDA are

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Agriculture opened its first hearing by outlining procedures, including three-minute testimony limits, written testimony options, and the plan to hear 27 bills in docket order. The committee then took testimony on H.11/S.53, a resolve promoting equity in agriculture, with advocates from the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, Southeastern Mass Agricultural Partnership, and urban farming organizations describing racial and economic disparities in farming, lack of data on BIPOC farmers, barriers to land and capital, and the need for a commission to collect information and recommend policy changes. Committee members asked questions about the importance of data collection and future policy development, and the bill was repeatedly urged to be reported favorably out of committee. Testimony also supported H.118, which would create a special commission to examine the strengths and sustainability of the Commonwealth’s emergency food network. The Amherst Survival Center described serving 1.6 million meals last year and explained that food pantries are now functioning as essential parts of the state’s food system while relying heavily on donations, volunteers, and unstable funding. Members discussed the need for a more holistic look at food security infrastructure. The committee then heard H.119/S.60 on climate change impacts on farms and fisheries, with regional planners and farm advocates describing flood damage, rising costs, canceled federal climate-smart funding, and the need for direct state support for adaptation, resilience, and infrastructure improvements. The committee also heard testimony on H.125/H.142/S.65, a healthy soils bill, from landscape professionals who said construction sites often leave poor or stripped soil and that the bill would require better post-construction soil standards to support healthier landscapes and reduce long-term maintenance and environmental problems. Finally, the committee took extensive testimony on H.127, which would prohibit aquaculture of octopus for human consumption. Supporters, including legislators, scientists, veterinarians, students, and animal welfare advocates, argued octopus are highly intelligent and sentient, cannot be farmed humanely, and that octopus aquaculture would create environmental harms such as waste runoff, pressure on wild fish stocks, and ecosystem disruption. No votes were taken during the hearing; the bills were heard and testimony was received.

Transcript Highlights:

• through the state and the identified source that I've already indicated, we're also dealing with the NRCS
• County or in San Miguel County, we have different resources that we do... ...use, which would be the NRCS

Keywords: 996, all