Transcript Highlights:

• The bill addresses new evaluations that are requested from the district.
• The bill provides $1,000 for each evaluation.
• I was at a high-performing, impressive charter in the Central West District.
• Residency programs in Texas perform comparably to teachers.
• On a quote-unquote top-performing or top-paying district.

Bills: HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are actual performance-based items that local companies secure through federal awards.
• And they added performance incentives on top of what the state was able to provide.
• It was the highest-performing nonstop flight to South Korea.
• Just a couple performance measures: unemployment insurance has an error rate.
• Accuracy means that it is a national standard to evaluate the integrity of the SNAP program.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Back in 2017, the General Assembly passed legislation implementing a performance-based funding model
• prescriptive, we can certainly include sections that address standards, quality teaching, student performance
• prescriptive, we can certainly include sections that address standards, quality teaching, student performance
• Um, the transfer center assists students with transfer admission, credit evaluation, and advising.
• This addition will allow us to more quickly improve transfer evaluation times, helping students make

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:33:25.120><c> of</c><00:33:25.279><c> a</c> participate in performances of a participate in performances
• ,</c><00:35:34.960><c> assist</c><00:35:35.359><c> with,</c> means to provide, perform, assist with,
• </c><00:45:50.880><c> and</c><00:45:51.200><c> management</c><00:45:51.920><c> code</c> uh evaluation
• </c><00:46:17.520><c> and</c> um uh that I was willing to perform and um uh that I was willing to perform
• Senate Bill 201, an act relating to Medicaid coverage for evaluation and management services.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The administration has carefully evaluated existing behavioral health programs supported by General Fund
• The administration has carefully evaluated existing behavioral health programs supported by General Fund
• Our role is to bring transparency, evaluation, data-informed policy recommendations, grant making, and
• And direct services alone do not feel... ensure that participation is real and not performative so that
• Currently, DHCS cannot impose financial penalties on counties that are not meeting performance metrics

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a May Revision hearing covering several health-related budget proposals and broader concerns about the state’s budget structure. The Chair opened by praising some May Revision changes, such as added health IT funding, county administration support tied to Medi-Cal changes, a delay in Medi-Cal cuts for some lawfully present immigrants, and additional support for Covered California subsidies, while criticizing proposed increases in Medi-Cal premiums, changes to senior eligibility, the lack of a Medi-Cal dental solution, and other reductions affecting counties, mobile crisis units, workforce incentives, and physician shortages. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state’s budget condition remains weak despite progress on the structural deficit, and the Department of Finance said the May Revision uses a mix of reductions, reforms, revenue proposals, and fund shifts to cut out-year deficits. The committee first heard Department of State Hospitals proposals, including adjustments to county bed billing authority, contract exemption language for online clinical/pharmacy subscriptions, reversion of unspent funds, a revised Metro Central Utility Plant replacement project, electronic health record implementation, and workforce development funded partly through Behavioral Health Services Act resources. DSH also described savings and realignments in incompetent-to-stand-trial and conditional release programs, including extending the independent placement panel program and shifting funds to support additional bed capacity and a mental health rehab center. Members asked about the use of BHSA funds for workforce programs, and the department said the proposal would replace General Fund support with BHSA reimbursements. The Emergency Medical Services Authority proposed funding for statewide behavioral health crisis response guidance and for enterprise system development, and the Department of Managed Health Care proposed modernization of its complaint system and claims-settlement data system to improve oversight and comply with AB 3275. The largest discussion centered on the administration’s BHSA spending plan under Proposition 1, including state-directed prevention, workforce, and other uses, plus General Fund offsets for existing programs. The LAO questioned whether some proposed offsets fit Proposition 1’s non-supplant and eligible-use requirements, while the administration argued the uses were consistent with the measure and that the state-directed share can be adjusted annually. The Commission for Behavioral Health’s proposals drew the most public and member concern. The administration proposed cutting the commission’s Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and reducing the Community Advocacy Program by $6.7 million, while redirecting BHSA dollars to other state purposes and direct services. Commissioners, advocates, and several members argued the cuts would weaken community voice, reduce support for underserved populations, and disrupt grants already in process; they also objected to using BHSA funds to backfill General Fund commitments. Public commenters, including youth, disability, behavioral health, LGBTQ, tribal, veteran, immigrant, and community-based organization representatives, overwhelmingly opposed the cuts and urged preservation of prevention, advocacy, mobile crisis, and innovation funding. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• juvenile justice, Kentucky State Police, postsecondary education institutions, the postsecondary performance
• </c><00:24:23.040><c> of</c><00:24:23.120><c> the</c> if the examination and evaluation of the if the
• examination and evaluation of the distribution<00:24:23.760><c> of</c><00:24:23.880><c> KEYS</c><00:
• We also increase general fund by $5 million in fiscal 27 and $15 million in fiscal 28 for the performance
• </c> fiscal 28 for the performance fund. fiscal 28 for the performance fund.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:23 HB 503 Discussion 00:01:00 HB 503 Vote 00:02:17 HB 504 Discussion 00:02:53 HB 504 Vote 00:04:48 HB 500 Discussion 00:05:19 HB 500 Vote 00:29:18 HB 900 Discussion 00:32:02 HB 900 Vote 00:33:00, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 503, the legislative branch budget, adopting a committee substitute and reporting it favorably. The chair said the Senate version fully funds defined calculations, provides 2% raises in each fiscal year for legislative employees, removes a paragraph on operating expense reductions, and includes $1 million in the first year for a judicial branch salary study. House Bill 504, the judicial branch budget, was then amended and reported favorably; changes included 2% annual raises for judicial employees, revised operating expense language, $1 million each year for county current services, retention of Boyle County fit-up language, reporting requirements for smaller capital projects, full funding for nine judges added in 2022, and removal of furlough prohibitions and certain budget implementation language. Both bills passed the committee unanimously with favorable expressions to the floor. The committee then considered House Bill 500, the executive branch budget, adopting a committee substitute before hearing a lengthy summary of major spending and policy changes. The chair described statewide 2% annual employee raises, agency base reductions with many exemptions, increased school safety and 911 funding, veterans and military funding, local government and severance-related changes, attorney general and auditor funding, pension and retirement system support, education funding changes including SEEK, postsecondary and scholarship provisions, public safety and corrections funding, and multiple capital projects. The chair also highlighted Medicaid-related provisions, including added waiver slots, increased state-directed payments, a 2.5% reduction in managed care vendor payments for plan years 2027 and 2028 with savings redirected to fee-for-service rates, and additional funding for behavioral health and public health programs. The bill was reported favorably after members explained their votes, with several noting they had only recently received the full 228-page bill and wanted more time for detailed review. Finally, the committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 900, an appropriation measure for government agencies, and reported it favorably. The chair said the bill remains a work in progress and that one-time funding requests from across the Commonwealth and across party lines would continue to be addressed as the process moves forward. All measures considered during the meeting passed the committee with unanimous or near-unanimous favorable votes, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• With us today, we are actually going to hear from iLab, which has conducted a study on the performance
• Which has conducted a study on the performance, and they have brought forward some recommendations and
• Performance issues have been noted frequently by providers that we've spoken with.
• Investment in performance monitoring to understand and improve performance issues would be a worthwhile
• Cybersecurity spending must be evaluated through a lens of measurable impact, not just cost.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a lengthy presentation on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ I-Connect system, based on an ILAB assessment of the platform’s performance and requirements. ILAB said the system provides useful centralized records, reporting, compliance support, and audit trails, but users described it as cumbersome, outdated, and inefficient, with excessive manual entry, weak navigation, limited notifications, no mobile app, poor printing/export options, and performance issues. ILAB also said the original 2013-era requirements were too high-level and that only a portion of the requirements could be verified, with some features de-scoped or never implemented. Their recommendations included better integration with electronic health record systems, improved performance monitoring, electronic signatures, OCR, and more modern export and verification tools. Public testimony from providers and advocates echoed those concerns. A support coordination provider said the system is nicknamed “I Disconnect,” described problems with EVV/GPS sign-ins, lengthy support plans, lack of a phone app, and possible HIPAA concerns. Another advocate said the system should have preserved family access to records and criticized the need for providers to use workarounds and additional software. APD staff said the agency has spent about $19.7 million through FY 2023-24, has regular build updates under the current contract with WellSky, and uses an internal help desk and vendor ticketing process to triage bugs versus enhancement requests. They said some issues are handled case-by-case, critical tickets have SLAs, and the agency is working on interoperability and other requested improvements. Members questioned whether the system should be fixed or replaced, whether the original contract and SaaS arrangement were sufficient, and whether the state received value for the money spent. APD said the system went live in phases and that all functionality was in place by June 2024, while ILAB and members noted significant technical debt and unresolved gaps. The committee also discussed record retention, provider access to records after a consumer changes providers, and whether federal funding or compliance could be affected. The meeting ended with broader budget remarks emphasizing completion over expansion, stronger upfront planning for technology projects, and more accountability before funding new systems or major enhancements.

Transcript Highlights:

• We call it a risk-informed, performance-based framework for advanced reactors.
• These orders and standards have not been evaluated for many, many years.
• Again, these orders and standards have not been evaluated for many, many years.
• It's also critical and strategic materials are keys to performance.
• Enabling activities include validation of technical performance, techno-economic analysis to evaluate

Summary: The meeting opened with remarks about the value of public engagement and the availability of presentation materials, then moved into a series of technical briefings from Idaho National Laboratory staff. Joe Renovitz described recent federal and DOE efforts to streamline nuclear regulation for advanced reactors, including NRC Part 53 and upcoming Part 57 rulemaking, DOE authorization updates, crosswalks between DOE and NRC requirements, and use of AI to speed licensing communications and document review. He emphasized that the goal is to align safety standards for advanced technologies, reduce rework for developers, and support deployment for commercial, defense, and research uses. In response to questions, he said there is no current plan to merge agencies, but there is more information-sharing and embedded NRC staff at DOE facilities; he also noted public outreach is supported through groups like GAIN and NEI. David Tolman then discussed the nuclear fuel cycle, covering uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, transportation, disposal, and recycling. He explained high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), DOE’s HALEU Availability Program, and the need to expand domestic enrichment, deconversion, and transportation capacity to support advanced reactors and the 2050 nuclear growth goal. He also reviewed used fuel management, including on-site storage at operating and shutdown reactors, the Center for Used Fuel Research at INL, a high-burnup research cask project, and the long-term repository question, which he said is ultimately political as well as technical. He outlined reprocessing approaches—aqueous/Purex, pyrochemical, and fluoride volatility—describing INL’s work on electrochemical processing of EBR-II fuel and noting industry interest from several companies in recycling technologies. Ashley Shields presented on AI for nuclear applications, describing INL’s use of generative AI, high-performance computing, and digital-twin tools to accelerate reactor design, licensing, operations, and materials development. She highlighted the Prometheus effort to pursue highly automated reactor design and operation, the large documentation burden for reactor licensing, and ongoing work on autonomous control, remote operation, and AI-assisted materials qualification through the Vulcan challenge and related data platforms. In questions, she said AI tools are used under data-governance and security controls, with different models chosen for different tasks, and argued that software engineers and human oversight remain necessary. The session ended with a brief recess announcement and a transition to a later presentation on critical minerals and materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• is Senate Bill 5899, creating a license endorsement to allow qualified licensed chiropractors to perform
• Prior to performing an operation under deep sedation, the dentist must ensure a patient is evaluated
• The team member designated for patient monitoring may not also perform dental assistant tasks.
• The team member designated for patient monitoring may not also perform dental assistant tasks.
• Must perform a minimum of 12 emergency drill scenarios at least two times per year.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5899, which would create a chiropractic license endorsement allowing qualified chiropractors to perform chiropractic diagnosis and adjustments on non-human animals. The sponsor described it as a complementary tool to veterinary care, especially in rural areas with limited access to veterinarians. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would expand access to animal chiropractic with training, certification, and veterinary referral to non-chiropractic issues, while opponents from the veterinary community warned about animal and public safety, disease detection, and the lack of a required veterinary referral. The hearing on SB 5899 was suspended and later reopened; testimony concluded with strong support from animal chiropractic practitioners and opposition from veterinarians, and the committee noted 57 signed in pro, 4 con, and 1 other. The committee then held a work session on dental workforce shortages. Presenters from the CORA Foundation, the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, tribal dental programs, and the Washington State Dental Association described major access gaps, especially for Apple Health enrollees, rural communities, and communities of color. They highlighted low preventive-care utilization, high rates of untreated decay, workforce vacancies for hygienists and assistants, and the value of career ladders such as community health aides and proposed oral preventive assistants. Several speakers emphasized that training pathways, retention, and sustained Medicaid reimbursement are key to improving access and keeping providers in the system. Senate Bill 6138, requiring a multi-provider system for dental procedures performed under deep sedation, drew testimony centered on patient safety after recent deaths in dental settings. The sponsor said the bill responds to a pattern of tragic incidents and would ensure one person is dedicated to monitoring sedation. Supporters from anesthesiology and some oral surgery groups backed stronger monitoring requirements, while oral surgeons and dental representatives argued the current rules already require multiple trained personnel and that the bill could reduce access and increase costs, especially in rural and Medicaid-serving practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6072, which would update veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules to allow telemedicine-based relationships and limited telehealth services; animal welfare and veterinary telehealth advocates supported it as an access-to-care measure, while the veterinary association sought clearer guardrails and federal-law language. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6094 on pediatric transitional care services, which would create a Medicaid payment pathway and related program changes for residential care for substance-exposed infants; supporters said the model helps infants and parents, improves outcomes, and is financially unsustainable under current funding, and the hearing began with testimony in favor before time expired.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, evaluate the merits of providing additional no-cost allowances to EITEs based on the amount
• So, for example, evaluate the merits of providing additional no-cost allowances to EITEs based on the
• And further evaluation of EITE allowance allocation policies on leakage risk and competitiveness, in
• That was a level that was established under the Biden administration through some rigorous evaluation
• First, carbon capture for electricity generation is currently addressed in the emissions performance

Summary: The committee began with member and staff introductions, then held a work session on emissions-intensive trade-exposed facilities (EITEs) under Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. Ecology staff reviewed how cap-and-invest works, explained EITE no-cost allowance allocations, and summarized a new report to the Legislature on policy options for 2035-2050. Ecology recommended continuing no-cost allocations but adjusting them to fit the cap, considering a consignment approach that would require EITEs to invest part of the value of free allowances in decarbonization, and studying additional benchmarking and leakage-mitigation refinements. Quebec officials described their cap-and-trade system, including a consignment model that withholds part of free allocations, holds the value in trust for facilities, and requires technical studies and investment in mitigation projects; they said it has encouraged industrial investment and no business closures. Members asked about facility closures, compliance costs, eligible uses of consigned funds, and adaptation spending. The work session then closed. The committee then heard House Bill 2296, which would expand distributed energy resources by allowing portable plug-in solar devices and meter-mounted devices. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to lower barriers and startup costs for renters and homeowners who want to electrify or add solar. Supporters, including a nonprofit promoting plug-in solar and a physician group, said the devices could broaden access to clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas and health harms. Utilities, labor, and industry groups opposed the bill as written, citing safety concerns, lack of national electrical code standards, possible backfeeding and fire risks, utility-worker hazards, unclear interconnection rules, and concerns about multifamily housing and small-utility review burdens. Some witnesses said they were open to continued work on the proposal. Next, the committee heard House Bill 2285, which would allow natural gas generation paired with carbon capture, utilization, storage, or mineralization to count toward Clean Energy Transformation Act compliance. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill would provide a “bridge” for firm power, help address reliability and transmission constraints, and support jobs while reducing emissions compared with conventional gas. Opponents said the bill would weaken CETA’s 100% clean electricity target by allowing resources that still emit carbon to qualify, and they questioned whether 75% capture is sufficient. Other testimony raised cost concerns and warned that carbon capture could increase ratepayer costs. The hearing on HB 2285 was later suspended and reopened briefly for additional testimony from Ecology, which said the bill would permanently weaken CETA standards and likely reduce emissions reductions. The committee also briefly received a staff briefing on House Bill 2272, a ski-area terminology bill, and then suspended that hearing to take it up later.

Transcript Highlights:

• And our last subcommittee heard from Cub out planned performance and the measures upon which they're
• evaluated today.
• I think it's a total of 55 metrics that you all are evaluated on. I was just curious.
• Once you had that exam, it was a lifetime evaluation after repeats. Are we repeating that exam?
• But that investment comes with the obligation that we recognize the Valley outcomes improve performance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:32.000><c> the</c><00:08:32.320><c> the</c><00:08:32.479><c> space</c> second is to evaluate
• the the space second is to evaluate the the space utility<00:08:33.519><c> of</c><00:08:33.760><c> kctcs
• and I think he was the first faculty member to serve on that back after the shotgun wedding was performed
• and I think he was the first faculty member to serve on that back after the shotgun wedding was performed
• yes thank you guys I I will performed yes thank you guys I I will now<00:19:11.720><c> hear</c><00:19

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met for its first meeting and heard an update from KCTCS President Dr. Ryan Corral. He opened with a brief report on flood impacts across the state, noting damage at Big Sandy and Hazard, support for displaced faculty and staff, emergency student aid, and the use of campuses as shelters and Red Cross sites. He then outlined KCTCS’s role as the state’s largest postsecondary system, serving about 107,000 students across 16 colleges and 70 campuses, with strong enrollment growth, major dual credit and GED operations, and a large workforce-training mission. Corral emphasized student support needs such as food, housing, and mental health services, and said KCTCS wants to expand work with incarcerated populations and recovery communities. Corral also described system changes focused on compliance, stability, leadership development, property disposal, and curriculum review. He said KCTCS has addressed prior audit findings, is conducting additional audits, has sold or is selling several buildings, and has removed 400 underutilized credentials to better align programs with employer needs. He highlighted transfer agreements with the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University, and said KCTCS is working to align training with employers and local governments. He also discussed the system’s response to House Bill 6 and the $90 million appropriated for an efficient operations and innovation plan, including three proposed capital projects: a Somerset Community College facility for diesel, automotive, welding, HVAC, CAD, and 3D printing; replacement of an outdated Louisville building; and a South Central/Glasgow allied health facility to expand nursing and related programs. In response to questions, Corral said the Blue Oval SK training building in Glendale is open and operational, though workforce demand there has been slower than initially expected, and that KCTCS is working with the company and state officials to cover operating costs. Members praised KCTCS’s workforce role and flexibility in meeting employer needs statewide. Representative Moll also commented on the system’s progress and importance to Kentucky’s workforce development. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Jackson, performance.
• So, we really try to hone in on those performance skills as well. doing math performance assessments
• </c><01:31:26.480><c> And</c> performance excellence training. And performance excellence training.
• /c> districts puts into place to evaluate districts puts into place to evaluate our<01:34:52.239><c>
• ,</c> considering the leader performance, considering the leader performance, where<01:53:14.159><c>

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:12 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:33 Kentucky’s New Assessment and Accountability Model Update: 00:03:50 Federal Education Policy and Its Impact on States: 01:00:55 Educational Leadership Training Opportunities in Kentucky: 01:26:44 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations: 02:10:38 Adjournment: 02:13:57, 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on Education met for its first interim meeting and established a quorum before taking up its first topic, Kentucky’s new assessment and accountability model. Commissioner Robbie Fletcher, joined by KDE staff and superintendents, described a multi-year effort involving the Kentucky “Now We Learn” Council, more than 50 educators and stakeholders, at least 18 pilot districts, surveys, focus groups, town halls, and four prototype frameworks. He emphasized three priorities for the new model: vibrant learning experiences, innovation in assessment, and collaboration with communities. Fletcher said the state accountability portion would continue to meet federal requirements and identify CSI/TSI/ATSI schools, while shifting toward more emphasis on individual student growth, grade-level equivalency in reading and math, career and technical education, graduation rate, and English language proficiency. He also said science would remain a required assessment but be reported separately rather than counted in the CSI/TSI calculation. He stressed that the model should focus on growth, local flexibility, and meaningful measures that reflect community expectations, while still preserving a statewide framework. The committee also heard from Bullitt County superintendent Jesse Bacon, who described his district’s local accountability work. He said Bullitt County formed a community coalition with broad representation from across the district, business leaders, and community members, met six times during the school year, and worked toward a public-facing dashboard that would show community expectations, evidence of accountability, and areas for improvement. Bacon said the district identified six community-defined pillars, beginning with student learning and foundational academic knowledge, as part of a system intended to communicate strengths and improvement areas to the public.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's really why it's not necessarily real-time data as a reflection of performance. Mr.
• This evaluation will do just that, and I ask for your support for this amendment.
• I think I'm reading that correctly, but who's going to do the evaluation?
• LFC will do the evaluation under coordination with the agency. So, it's going to be the agency.
• I mean, I support the LFC program evaluation process.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:14:33.240><c> and</c> come cuz we have other performances and come cuz we have other performances
• It says assessment, evaluation, and diagnosis.
• Evaluation, and diagnosis.
• These are best evaluated by a physician.
• </c> These are best evaluated by a physician. These are best evaluated by a physician.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Another concept that I'll touch on a little bit here is performance verification and validation.
• Here is performance verification and validation.
• Another concept that I'll touch on a little bit here is performance verification and validation.
• We're really monitoring the performance of those guardrails that we put in place.
• Twist already performs it, and we're very supportive of the goals of that bill.

Summary: The hearing focused on how artificial intelligence is being used across California’s life sciences sector, from digital health and medical devices to cancer research, drug discovery, and biosecurity. The chairs emphasized California’s economic leadership in biotechnology and the need to balance innovation with privacy, consumer protection, and equitable access. Members also raised concerns about whether the state can preserve its research and manufacturing ecosystem, and about the role of public infrastructure such as CalCompute, open-source tools, and state procurement in supporting innovation. The first panel featured representatives from UCSF, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. They described AI applications in remote blood pressure monitoring, wearable and sensor-based health data, cancer drug discovery, learning from every patient, clinical trial matching, and public health surveillance. Witnesses stressed that AI can speed discovery and improve care, but only if data can move across systems, models are validated, and privacy safeguards are strong. They also warned that innovation could be hollowed out if compute, data access, and translational funding are not supported in California. Committee members asked about HIPAA and CMIA protections, interoperability with Epic, validation of AI tools, FDA regulation, and whether proprietary models limit independent evaluation. Witnesses said consumer sensor data often falls outside HIPAA, that FHIR and other interoperability standards already exist, and that open-source layers could sit on top of existing EHR systems. They also discussed the need for ongoing post-market monitoring, human oversight, and faster regulatory pathways, especially for AI-enabled diagnostics and personalized therapies. The second panel highlighted company use cases. Pangea Data described AI systems that identify care gaps in chronic, rare, and oncology conditions and argued for better reimbursement frameworks so rural and smaller providers can adopt them. Dexcom explained how it uses AI in its continuous glucose monitoring products, with strong FDA-backed verification, validation, cybersecurity controls, and guardrails to prevent unsafe advice. Lilly Ventures discussed AI in drug discovery and the need to modernize development pipelines, while Twist Bioscience was introduced as another company working on AI-driven life science innovation.

Transcript Highlights:

• ANI is trained to perform specific tasks and has been in use since the 2010s.
• An AGI model could perform any intellectual task a human can.
• So these are systems that can be trained to perform a single or narrow task, but they cannot perform
• So there's, I think, the Elvis Act in Tennessee related to performance.
• Tool evaluation becomes even more critical.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, established a quorum, and heard introductory remarks from Majority Leader Hogue and the chair about the committee’s charge. Members said the goal was to build a factual foundation on AI, hear from experts and stakeholders, and develop practical North Dakota-focused recommendations rather than simply produce a large volume of bills. Legislative Council also reviewed interim committee rules and procedures before the informational presentations began. Staff and NCSL presenters then gave overviews of AI concepts and the state and federal policy landscape. The background memo and presentations covered AI categories and terms, state laws in areas such as consumer protection, algorithmic discrimination, deepfakes, chatbots, children’s safety, health, education, and government use, as well as data center siting and economic impacts. NCSL described a growing number of AI bills introduced and enacted across the states, with comprehensive laws in places like Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois, and noted recurring issues around transparency, privacy, liability, and protections for minors. A major focus of the discussion was federal preemption and the tension between state regulation and national AI policy. NCSL said a recent White House executive order and related federal framework seek a light-touch, innovation-friendly national standard, with possible challenges to state laws and possible funding conditions tied to compliance, though no broad federal preemption has yet been enacted. Members asked about Commerce Clause concerns, industry pushback, oversight models, and whether AI policy is bipartisan; presenters said the issue cuts across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfake restrictions but more disagreement on broader regulatory approaches. No votes or formal actions were taken at the meeting, and the committee recessed briefly for technical issues during the second presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• They treat and transport sick and injured patients in and out of the hospital arena and perform technical
• ...perform technical rescues, and contain hazardous material incidents.
• The legislative advocacy performed by that team—Tony Murray, Hank Harris, and Corey Lever—I really appreciate
• That means that this information is going to be evaluated based on whether or not it meets a federal
• Management Performance Hub.

Keywords: 964, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that system has performed well and is designed to carry the load and all the load necessary.
• We also have a vendor partner that we've engaged to provide oversight and evaluation of those features
• And my question was, who would that technically third-party evaluator be? Who would that be?
• The state auditor... ...party evaluator be? Who would that be? You have a number of options.
• This involves evaluating our firearm- and ammunition-related regulatory and enforcement workloads and

Summary: The committee heard an overview from Cal OES on disaster response, LA wildfire recovery, federal FEMA reimbursements, security monitoring, and the state’s 911 transition. Cal OES said its budget supports disaster preparedness and recovery, including ongoing work in Los Angeles, where it reported about 700 FEMA public assistance applications totaling roughly $1.2 billion and about $545 million in state wildfire response and recovery funding already allocated under AB 100. Members pressed for more detail on FEMA delays, hazard mitigation grants, federal event planning, and the status of Operation Stonegarden, while also raising concerns about small-disaster recovery, federal shutdown impacts, and the need for more timely reporting. A major portion of the hearing focused on Next Generation 911. Cal OES described problems with the current regional deployment, especially call-routing and transfer failures, and said it now plans to shift to a statewide provider as an interim step, then run an open procurement for a long-term vendor. The agency said it expects to execute a bridging contract in the coming weeks, release an RFP in the second quarter of 2026, award a long-term contract in the fall, begin transitioning Los Angeles-area PSAPs ahead of the 2028 Olympics, and complete statewide migration by summer 2030. The LAO urged the Legislature to pause further implementation until it has more information on the problems, alternatives, costs, privacy/security issues, and oversight needs, and recommended quarterly and monthly reporting if the project proceeds. Several senators echoed concerns about cost, redundancy, cybersecurity, and whether the statewide model could create new risks, and the chair said she would pursue a joint oversight hearing with the Emergency Management Committee and seek input from the State Auditor. The Department of Justice then presented its overall workload and budget pressures. DOJ highlighted its work on fentanyl enforcement, human trafficking, firearms recovery, housing enforcement, consumer protection, environmental and civil rights litigation, and a large federal litigation workload, saying it has filed 59 lawsuits against the Trump administration and won most of them. DOJ said the added federal cases and other mandates have strained existing staff, though 44 additional hires have been made. Members praised DOJ’s work on immigration, housing, and federal accountability, and asked for more information on detention facilities and staffing. The committee also reviewed DOJ’s firearms-related budget proposals. DOJ requested funding for continued firearms IT modernization, implementation of SB 704 on firearm barrels, and a temporary shift of Bureau of Firearms costs to the General Fund. The LAO supported the IT modernization request but recommended funding SB 704 from the Dealer’s Record of Sale Special Account, with startup costs covered by a loan from the Firearm Safety and Enforcement Special Fund, and suggested limiting the General Fund shift to one year and treating it as a loan. The LAO also asked DOJ to develop a framework by January 10, 2027, for deciding which firearm and ammunition workload should be supported by fee revenue rather than the General Fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• The witness said they would do evaluations to look at that.
• She added that they evaluate every year whether projections and performance indicate the amount should
• The witness said they evaluate whether the projections and performance indicate the amount should be
• He said that if projects cannot perform, others could likely use the funds.
• The Strategy and Performance Division helps inform DED strategic planning, program development, and performance

Keywords: 959, house, all