Transcript Highlights:

• Number two is with ASU Mountain Home. This is for upgrades to HVAC controls and boiler replacement.
• Number five, U of A Pulaski Technical College with Arkansas Student Loan Authority.
• Number five, U of A Pulaski Technical College with Arkansas Student Loan Authority.
• So it's an intensive in-home program for those children.
• I just got a 3 o'clock in loan note, so.

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're a home, it's your home and then your land value.
• How do we get the senior citizens or the folks that are in senior homes, rest homes, nursing homes?
• How do we get the senior citizens or the folks that are in senior homes, rest homes, nursing homes?
• We have homes everywhere.
• the city homes.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• These islands and waterways are home to 4 million Delta County residents.
• amounts to a broader base of borrowers for energy upgrade loans.
• We know what works to protect our homes from wildfire.
• near the coast and in my home community.
• near the coast and in my home community.

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water

Transcript Highlights:

• Historically, the role of community colleges was for a kid graduating from high school to stay at home
• We did accept the one-time state loan, but this pause in new ongoing funding, at a time when we were
• At the University of California, we took out the loan and we advised campuses to spend it on student
• rather than carry the loan forward.
• Thank you. ...support of the proposed budget and would ask the use of one-time funds to pay off loans

Transcript Highlights:

• Servicing Department for any mortgage loans they have.
• The witness said that out of the entire Loan Servicing portfolio of over 28,000 loans, less than 1% is
• </c> housing Corporation has mortgage loans housing Corporation has mortgage loans all<00:09:14.839><
• homes homes so<00:37:56.880><c> let</c><00:37:56.960><c> me</c><00:37:57.160><c> par</c><00:37:57.560
• </c> national turnover for nursing home national turnover for nursing home facilities<00:48:45.920><c

Summary: Chairman Hart called the meeting to order, confirmed a quorum, welcomed Representative Rachel Roarx, and the committee approved the February 11 minutes. The committee then moved through its agenda of PSC and related contract items, including a motion to consider the reviewed contracts without objection. One Department of Highways item was deferred when the virtual representatives were not yet available. The committee first took up Kentucky Housing Corporation contracts. Members questioned outside legal services for foreclosures and bankruptcies, why the work was not handled entirely in-house, and how much of the workload and cost it represented. Witnesses said the agency’s need was largely geographic rather than a lack of expertise, that less than 1% of the loan portfolio is referred out for foreclosures, and that many fees are reimbursable through FHA. Both Kentucky Housing Corporation items were approved. The committee then considered a Department for Community Based Services contract tied to a protest and a temporary renewal with PCG. Witnesses said the contract increase was needed to bridge the gap while the protest and RFP process were unresolved, and that the initial vendor received no funds. The committee approved the item, with Senator Douglas explaining his vote as a preference for straightforward answers. The committee also heard a Northern Kentucky University contract for a Workday ERP replacement, including implementation consulting and separate license fees. University officials explained the move from SAP to Workday, the complexity of the systems, and the need for a consulting partner; they said the total effort would span 10 years and that the contract was priced below comparable institutions. After extensive questioning about cost, budget, and value, the vote ended 4-4 and the chair noted the contract would move forward through the Finance Committee if no disapproval motion was made. Finally, the Office of Inspector General presented a contract for culture change training in nursing facilities funded by civil monetary penalties; witnesses said the goal was to improve staff satisfaction, communication, and resident outcomes, and that the CMP fund balance was about $38 million. Discussion also covered survey backlogs and CMS restrictions on the funds, with the item still under review as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want a little more clarification on the My Safe Florida Home program.
• Exchange, exempts state-operated nursing homes from Florida nursing home uniform reporting systems requirements
• and the for-profit nursing homes alike?
• The Home Away From Home Tax Credit Program addresses A critical issue faced by families with six children
• It applies to contributions made to existing programs like Home Away From Home, Scholarship Funding Initiative

Transcript Highlights:

• of payday loans.
• What this bill will do is define earned wage access in Arizona to not be considered a loan.
• Arizona has actually banned this practice before, known as payday loans.
• of payday loans.
• What this bill will do is define earned wage access in Arizona to not be considered a loan.

Summary: The committee worked through a long Minority Caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items on consent and several pulled for discussion. Early items included resolutions on Judea and Samaria, bullion depository bills, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget proposal, and a veterans services appropriation. Members also heard transportation-related bills on driver permits, citations, boat insurance, English proficiency for commercial drivers and motor carriers, photo enforcement, and a measure restricting incarceration for unpaid fines and fees. Several members raised concerns about constitutional issues, public safety, or whether bills were duplicative or targeted at specific groups. A large portion of the meeting focused on education and school governance bills. These included proposals on school district bond advisors, restrictions on school property leases and purchases, public meeting requirements, term limits and training for school board members, patriotic youth group access to students, computer science proficiency, and a bill requiring fingerprint clearance cards for traffic school instructors. Members repeatedly criticized what they described as inconsistent treatment of public schools versus ESA/private school programs, and several education bills were pulled from consent for further discussion. Other bills addressed child safety and family law, including DCS credit freezes, recorded child interviews, parents’ rights notices, mandatory reporting of threats by minors, sex offender residency and GPS monitoring, and a bill on guardianship rights during DCS investigations. The committee also considered a number of social services, health, and labor/consumer bills. These included SNAP work requirement and verification measures, a SNAP error-rate audit, dementia care telemonitoring funding, a Braille transcription appropriation, court fee limits, a physician assistant compact, pediatric licensure compact, and a kratom regulation bill. Members debated an earned wage access licensing bill at length, with opponents calling it predatory and akin to payday lending, while supporters argued it provided a regulated consumer option. Other measures covered cash acceptance by businesses, 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, AI rules for state agencies, and a bill on public nuisance actions by the Attorney General. Several of these drew warnings about constitutional problems, preemption, or burdens on vulnerable populations. Energy, water, and tax policy also featured prominently. The committee heard bills on fuel formulations, gas tax relief, data centers and small modular nuclear reactors, utility reporting, and a Commerce Authority mandate to reduce fuel prices. Members criticized some proposals as favoring industry, preempting local control, or lacking a clear funding plan. The meeting ended after additional items on veterans, sample ballot mailing dates, and other miscellaneous measures, with multiple bills noted as pulled from consent or subject to later votes; no final roll-call results were detailed in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• to invest $3 million more in this next legislative session, more people will be forced out of their homes
• Hi, my name is Christina Zubisky, and I am a home— I got you. You want to hold it for you?
• for public service loan forgiveness.
• for public service loan forgiveness.
• Are you optimistic about building the initials to master's home in Republicans and Democratic?

Summary: State Rep. Shaun Scott and supporters held a press event promoting the proposed Well Washington Fund, a new dedicated account intended to raise about $3 billion annually through a corporate payroll tax on wages above $125,000. Scott said the fund would help Washington respond to federal austerity policies and protect programs at risk from H.R. 1 and related Trump administration cuts, especially in housing, health care, higher education, cash assistance, and wildfire response. He also referenced related revenue ideas, including restoring wildfire mitigation funding by ending a bank tax break and allowing counties to raise corporate taxes. Several speakers testified in support of the proposal. Michelle Thomas of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance warned that federal housing policy changes could put more than 5,000 people at risk of losing housing and said the state needs progressive revenue to address evictions and homelessness. Christina Savitsky, a disabled veteran, described how Medicaid, food assistance, and housing cuts would affect her family and said recertification and work requirements would be difficult to meet. University of Washington faculty representatives said federal cuts are threatening teaching, research, nursing and public health workforce training, and hospital funding. Fatima Boxwala of Tech for Taxes and Mikey Stramskis of the Washington Federation of State Employees argued that large corporations and wealthy residents should pay more to support public services. In a question-and-answer session, Scott said the bill’s urgency could justify an emergency clause and argued that voters had already endorsed taxing the wealthy in the 2024 capital gains referendum. He rejected concerns that the tax would drive jobs away, saying corporations already shed jobs and invest in automation, while public services and affordability are what attract residents and businesses. He said he had held encouraging conversations with some lawmakers and a credit union lobbyist, but not with major corporate interests, and urged passage of the bill in the 2026 session.

Transcript Highlights:

• September day and they put them on I couldn't believe it I thought they'd carry those home But those
• We didn't want our son. world, especially when he came home and was comparing his shoes and fashion at
• We got connected with the climate, California Climate Tech, and we got you know, a loan approved, you
• loan, enough equity, enough revenue, and of course it being an R&D facility, you know, we didn't have
• We work with the infrastructure bank, iBank, to manage the the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program.

Committee: House Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact

Transcript Highlights:

• member_7054], expands the eligibility period for Indigenous legal service attorneys to receive certain loan
• forgiveness and increases loan reimbursement for certain attorneys who work in legal services with Indigenous
• continues: expands the eligibility period for Indigenous legal service attorneys to receive certain loan
• forgiveness and increases loan reimbursement for certain attorneys who work in legal services with Indigenous
• is very important because of the active fraud taking place around mortgage and deeds and people's homes

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on March 5 and moved a series of bills, with brief discussion on most measures and several members noting support for the proposals. Bills advanced included loan forgiveness and reimbursement for attorneys serving Indigenous clients (S161A), a study of lithium-ion battery fires and prevention (S257), annual housing and zoning reporting to the Department of State (F919A), a temporary state pesticide commission (S1368), an emergency repair pilot program for hazardous building code violations (S1838), a searchable veterans resources database (S2070), Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution (S2587), expanded fraud and tax-fraud provisions (S32), a NYSERDA rebate program for lithium-ion batteries for mobility devices (S3560), directing certain fines and penalties to a conservation enforcement account (S4033B), Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day (S4152A), expansion of Fresh Connect to supermarkets and grocery stores (S4162), restrictions on executive-branch contracting during a hiring freeze (S473), real-property transfer documentation and forgery-related protections (S5177), changes to retirement beneficiary options after a beneficiary’s family offense conviction (S6750), and a deposit placement program for public monies (S8357). Several bills were described as addressing fraud, housing, veterans’ services, public safety, and commemorations, and members generally spoke in favor of the measures. A few bills drew more specific comments: supporters emphasized the importance of honoring Fred Korematsu and recognizing the injustice of Japanese American detention, and the fraud-related bill was framed as a response to white-collar tax fraud and government losses. The real-property bill was highlighted as a response to mortgage and deed fraud affecting homeowners. On the housing reporting bill, there were three negative votes, and on the pesticide commission bill there were two members without recommendation. The lithium-ion battery rebate bill also drew several negative votes, while most other measures passed with little or no opposition. By the end of the meeting, the committee had completed its agenda and announced it would resume more regular meetings, while noting that the state budget process would continue to affect scheduling.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I go home and I'm a king.
• I go to Home Depot. There's an alternative.
• I see a parent receiving palliative care close to home.
• That's home to many of the Garden State's financial elite.
• If you want to start with charity, let's start at home.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and a sustainable place to call home. and a sustainable place to call home.
• buyers whose parents have never owned a home or lost their home due to foreclosure.
• buyers whose parents have never owned a home or lost their home due to foreclosure.
• buyers whose parents have never owned a home or lost their home due to foreclosure.
• </c> as we know, there's no place like home. as we know, there's no place like home.

Transcript Highlights:

• the sections right here, is that it is being... ...there is a six-month exemption provided for motor homes
• 1503, the sections right here, is that it is being, there is a six-month exemption provided for motor homes
• This is a supply chain competitiveness grant and loan program.
• However, any bond issuance over 40 years could only be for the purposes of a federal transportation loan
• They'd be getting a federal loan. They would be eligible for the federal loan program. Correct.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• 1501 and 1503, the sections right here, is that there is a six-month exemption provided for motor homes
• 1503, the sections right here, is that it is being, there is a six-month exemption provided for motor homes
• This is a supply chain competitiveness grant and loan program.
• However, any bond issuance over 40 years could only be for the purposes of a federal transportation loan
• They'd be getting a federal loan. They would be eligible for the federal loan program. Correct.

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session on Gross Substitute House Bill 2711, a transportation resources measure, after a staff walkthrough of the Senate striking amendment S-5820.4. Staff explained that the striker largely replaced the bill with provisions from Senate Bill 6352 and related transportation revenue and policy changes, including updates to mobile driver’s licenses, account interest provisions, recreational vessel and luxury vehicle tax clarifications, peer-to-peer tax administration changes, fuel tax timing changes, aircraft fuel tax and account changes, bicycle education grants, ferry payment-card fee authority, traffic safety camera revenue and rebuttable presumption rules, online driver education regulation, transit annexation tax/liability clarification, Sound Transit 75-year bond authority limits, stolen copper protections for light rail and DOT communications infrastructure, and a highway contracting threshold change. Staff also reviewed fiscal impacts, including revenue gains from trade-in value clarifications and aircraft fuel changes, and losses from the diesel tax delay, motorhome exemption, and repeal of the luxury aircraft tax. Members asked several clarifying questions, including the luxury RV tax threshold, how trade-in value is treated under the luxury vehicle tax, whether ferry debit-card fees are authorized, and the legality of passing card-processing fees to customers. Staff and counsel said the luxury vehicle tax applies to value over $100,000, trade-in value is added back for the luxury tax calculation, and the ferry provision is intended to clarify that both credit and debit card surcharges may be passed through. On the traffic safety camera section, staff described a revised approach that would require stronger proof from registered owners to rebut presumed responsibility, and on Sound Transit bonds, staff clarified that bonds over 40 years would be limited to federal transportation loan purposes and would affect eligibility for certain state grants. After caucus, the committee returned to executive session, waived the amendment posting deadline under Senate Rule 45, adopted the striking amendment, and then voted to advance ESHB 2711 as amended with a do pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. The motion carried, and the chair thanked staff before adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We partner with them to provide that loan. We also will back and guarantee the loan.
• A couple to highlight: the Emergency Bridge Loan Program provides 0 percent interest loans to small businesses
• We were able to support them with a small business loan.
• Primarily, we administer loans.
• So I'm going to go home and tell them that I did it.

Summary: The committee heard two informational presentations: one from the Department of Commerce and one from the Florida Department of Transportation. Jason Mahon of Commerce outlined the state’s economic development strategy and tools, emphasizing Florida’s GDP growth, business formation, and strengths in manufacturing, high-tech, defense, life sciences, and international trade. He described programs such as the State Small Business Credit Initiative, the Rural Community Investment Program, the Florida Opportunity Fund, the Rural Infrastructure Fund, the Job Growth Grant Fund, performance-based tax credits, and disaster recovery loans, and cited examples including ServiceNow, Williams International, NeoCity, and Point Blank Enterprises. Members asked about small-business grants, foreign investment interest, workforce needs, and whether additional tools are needed; Mahon said most Commerce programs are loan-focused and noted ongoing workforce and site-readiness challenges. Jennifer Marshall of FDOT then reviewed major transportation projects and the Moving Florida Forward initiative, highlighting congestion relief, express lanes, bridge and interchange work, and accelerated delivery methods. She cited projects such as Golden Glades, I-95 improvements, the NASA Causeway Bridge, the DuPont Bridge, I-4 corridor work, the First Coast Expressway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, A1A seawall work, and Turnpike projects, along with examples of cost savings and schedule acceleration. Senators asked about how express lane locations are chosen, toll revenue use in South Florida, the status and cost of the I-395 downtown Miami project, and whether EV and rideshare access to express lanes should be preserved. FDOT said it would follow up on several of those questions, and the committee adjourned without taking any legislative action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Depot that kind of move of large retailers like Amazon and Walmart and Home Depot that kind of move
• And it's kind of interesting because when a Home Depot or an...
• They participate so they can have car loans, so they can keep the customers, so they're full service.
• Now, when I was in law school, funded that 100% through student loans, I can tell you the student loan
• Am I going to deny the future me that bridge loan that they needed to get through school?

Summary: The Special Commission on the future of credit card payments and their impacts on small businesses heard testimony from credit union, retail, banking, and payments industry representatives. Much of the discussion focused on proposals to exclude sales tax and tips from interchange fees, the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act and related litigation, and whether similar state action in Massachusetts would help small businesses or instead create a patchwork that burdens state-chartered institutions. Witnesses from defense and community credit unions argued interchange helps fund fraud prevention, cybersecurity, member services, and low-fee products, while retail and NRF representatives said merchants are paying significant swipe fees and that state laws like Illinois’s are aimed at reducing costs that are not being passed on to consumers. Several witnesses emphasized that the current payment system provides security, fraud protection, rewards, and access to credit, and that many of the costs merchants complain about are actually bundled processor or acquirer fees rather than interchange itself. Others countered that small businesses are struggling with rising overall costs and that Massachusetts should consider reforms such as allowing surcharging, improving transparency in merchant contracts, and studying collection costs. There was also discussion of the recent Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement, with industry witnesses describing it as meaningful relief for merchants and opponents saying it is temporary and incomplete. No formal votes were taken on legislation. The commission accepted oral testimony, noted that written testimony would be accepted through July 31, and concluded the meeting by unanimously voting to adjourn. The chair and members said they would continue gathering testimony and work toward recommendations, with the chair stressing the need to find a fair middle ground that supports both small businesses and the broader payments ecosystem.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it only took us 10 hours to drive home last night. So we got home about 3 o'clock this morning.
• He was also cold, but he spent the night and is headed home today. Mr.
• He was also cold, but he spent the night and is headed home today. Mr.
• So thank you. ...improve some of my loans, so I have to brag back on her a little.
• Gregory Lanydecker to the New Mexico Hospital Equipment Loan Council.

Transcript Highlights:

• No, we are now 12 weeks into a two-week completion of a home renovation project at home, but we just
• The Health Care Innovation Revolving Loan Program was established to provide low-interest loans to eligible
• The council establishes the strategic framework and priority areas for the revolving loan program.
• The program website and loan application portal have officially been launched.
• The first disbursement of funds for approved loans is expected in January 2026.

Summary: The committee met to receive implementation updates on recently enacted health care laws from AHCA and the Department of Health. AHCA reported on rural emergency hospitals, explaining the new Class 4 hospital designation, rule changes completed June 1, 2025, and that no Florida hospitals have yet converted, though one North Walton/DeFuniak Springs-area hospital has expressed interest. AHCA also reviewed the non-emergent care access plan requirement for hospitals with emergency departments, saying 83 plans had been received since July 1 and 63 approved, with plans emphasizing patient education, referrals to primary care or urgent care, and coordination for Medicaid managed care enrollees through the Florida HIE/ENS system. Members asked about HIE capacity, data collection, and whether the plans would identify shortages or trigger accountability measures; AHCA said it had moved to a new HIE vendor and would continue gathering data. AHCA also updated the committee on the TEACH workforce program, reporting $6.8 million in FY 2024-25 spending across 59 parent organizations and 229 facilities, with more than 1,800 students and nearly 380,000 clinical hours reimbursed, and said a federal 1115 workforce waiver was unlikely to move forward under CMS. On KidCare, AHCA said House Bill 121’s expansion to 300% of the federal poverty level remains blocked by federal litigation and CMS action tied to premium nonpayment rules, and members and public witnesses urged prompt implementation and asked for enrollment/disenrollment data and the rural health transformation funding outlook. Public testimony largely supported the NCAP and TEACH programs and pressed for action on KidCare. Representatives from health centers said NCAP has strengthened hospital-health center relationships and improved care coordination, including reduced recidivism in some hospitals. A Bond Community Health Center physician said TEACH is helping offset the burden of training students and could help address workforce shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas. Advocacy groups urged the committee to push for implementation of the KidCare expansion, citing children in the coverage gap and rising uninsured rates. The Department of Health then presented on several programs from the 2024-25 session. It reported on the Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education (FRAME) program, including 78 dentists and 15 dental hygienists funded under the dental track and nearly 1,300 medical professionals funded overall, with 123 dental applications and 71 funded dentists in the most recent cycle. DOH also updated the Screening and Services Grant Program, the Health Care Innovation Revolving Loan Program, the statewide telehealth maternity care program, and the swimming lesson voucher program, noting strong participation and outcomes such as reduced ER visits and improved postpartum follow-up in the maternity program. Finally, DOH said implementation of the HIV prevention drug/pharmacist dispensing law is underway, with three certification courses approved and five certifications issued. Members asked about barriers to wider use of HIV prevention drugs, more detailed maternal outcome data, and the dental workforce program report; DOH said more detailed reports would follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we didn't go just there, we went to first responders, nursing homes, whoever needed us.
• loans. to farmers to get started or refinance if they're having trouble.
• Loan those young farmers.
• from my time and how we rounded them up every day and tried to get a milk twice and get them back home
• ambitions in large and food animal medicine, even if they could more easily pay off their debt. loans

Committee: House Agriculture & Livestock

Transcript Highlights:

• loans?
• </c><00:30:55.679><c> and</c> live and die with with uh loans and live and die with with uh loans and
• and we had a loan program for lowincome<00:41:50.560><c> individuals.
• Uh rural Minnesota is a home to work.
• &gt;&gt; But the employees at home and field chairman<01:37:04.560><c> home</c><01:37:04.719><c> and

Bills: HF3889 , HF2567 , HF3878

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy