Transcript Highlights:

• Committee. Senator Hart. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr.
• Okay, committee, we have House Concurrent Resolution 34.
• Chairman, members of the committee.
• Chairman, members of the committee.
• So, committee, this finishes our work.

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• and further referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.
• referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.
• Senate Bill 1308 is referred to the Committee on Appropriations and further referred to the Committee
• Reports of standing committees, listed on the calendar, will not be read.
• Committee announcements. Mr. Majority Leader, thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Public Safety and Law Enforcement is called to order.
• dollars from the Consumer Protection Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund to the Gang and Immigration Intelligence
• Chairman and members of the committee. Thank you for hearing this bill.
• General's Consumer Protection Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund and directs it to the Gang and Immigration Intelligence
• Seeing no further business before us, without objection, the Committee on Public Safety and Law Enforcement

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety and Law Enforcement met and first announced that HB 2691 would be held and not heard further that day. The chair also limited testimony to three speakers for and three against, with two minutes each unless extended by a minority leader. The committee then took up HB 2993, which would allow the Department of Public Safety to spend on legal services independent of the Attorney General and, as amended, redirect $5 million from the Consumer Protection Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund to the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission Fund. Supporters argued the bill would give DPS outside counsel and shift money toward front-line public safety work; opponents said it was political retaliation that would weaken consumer protection enforcement and divert funds from Arizonans who benefit from AG actions. The committee adopted the chairman’s amendment and then approved HB 2993 on an 8-6 vote, with one absent. The committee next heard HB 2231, a clarifying bill updating the list of cancers covered under the occupational disease presumption for firefighters, peace officers, and fire investigators. The sponsor and firefighter testimony said the bill does not expand benefits but fixes a drafting problem, including a disputed comma that had been used by insurers to challenge claims; the Industrial Commission was listed as neutral if needed. Members discussed whether the presumption is rebuttable and how punctuation affected the statute’s meaning. During roll call, several members explained their votes in favor as a matter of grammar and statutory clarity, and the committee passed HB 2231 by a 14-0 vote with one absent. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then these bills in particular have been through a Senate committee, the Senate floor, a House committee
• I co-chair the Interim Committee on Artificial Intelligence, and this is one of the things we're trying
• House Bill 881 refers to the Business Committee.
• Revenue and Taxation Committee.
• Speaker, we are the Committee on State Affairs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's something that this committee and your committee, Assemblywoman, are going to be dealing with
• The Appropriations Committee has not yet begun, and the budget committee is proceeding fine.
• So there's no, this isn't the insurance committee, but it is a committee about, like, how.
• the committee meets tomorrow.
• We'll reconvene the committee.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection heard several bills focused on privacy, AI, surveillance, and consumer protections. AB 302 would bar schools from excluding students from extracurricular activities because they do not use social media and would require schools to use at least one non-addictive means of contacting students and parents; it drew support from Common Sense Media and no opposition. AB 1705, the Reclaim Act, would require websites hosting non-consensual pornography to verify consent before upload; district attorneys and the Commission on the Status of Women supported it, while TechNet and CCIA opposed or raised concerns. AB 2007 would separate parental consent for a child’s image/likeness from general program enrollment forms in youth programs; educators supported it, while local government and parks groups raised implementation and penalty concerns. AB 2212 would update higher education sexual harassment definitions to include tech-facilitated harassment such as cyberbullying, doxing, and nudification-related abuse; students and advocacy groups strongly supported it, with no opposition. AB 1837 would extend transit agencies’ authority to use camera enforcement in bus-only lanes and at transit stops, with privacy retention limits and human review; transit agencies supported it, while some senators expressed concern about automated enforcement and surveillance, and the bill was placed on call after a split vote. AB 2392 would create an intersegmental higher education working group on generative AI training and procurement standards; it passed 5-0 after amendments removed prerequisites tying AI deployment to completion of the report. The consent calendar was also approved on call. Later, AB 1798 would prohibit life and disability insurers from using non-diagnostic genetic information in underwriting; supporters argued it protects privacy and encourages testing, while insurers opposed the bill as undermining risk-based underwriting, and it advanced on a 3-0 vote on call. Finally, AB 1883 would restrict workplace use of emotion-recognition and neural-data surveillance tools; labor and privacy advocates supported it, employers and local agencies raised safety and litigation concerns, and it passed 3-0 to Labor after narrowing amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good afternoon, committee.
• The committee.
• We'll work together to see if I can bring a committee substitute back to the committee. Thank you.
• Chairman and members of the committee.
• Chair, members of the committee.

Bills: SB614 , SB872 , SB1199 , SB1212 , SB1278 , SB1573 , SB1588 , SB1602 , SB1660 , SB1704 , SB1723 , SB1833 , SB1858 , SB1946 , SB2009 , SB2146 , SB2177 , SB2373 , SB2460 , SB2785

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• I think one of the things that I hear in some of the hearings in the committees, in the committee that
• And because this is the committee that hears these types of asks, we also have other committees that
• And because this is the committee that hears these types of ass, we also have other committees that are
• Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee.
• , but also other committees.

Transcript Highlights:

• you drop 50 bills on February 1st, because I guarantee you, at least those that are going to my committee
• Because I guarantee you, at least those that are going to my committee, they're not going to get heard
• ; SB 1024, roadable aircraft registration license plate; SB 1025, science curricula, evolution, intelligent
• ; SB 1024, roadable aircraft registration license plate; SB 1025, science curricula, evolution, intelligent
• Committee announcements for Thursday, January 15th: Rules Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Caucus

Transcript Highlights:

• The budget resolution authorized the expenditures by our committee from March 1st, 2025 until February
• Last Congress the committee worked to expand commercial spectrum access while protecting critical Department
• As long as the process is done responsibly. for national security as well as both DOD and the intelligence
• of top officials, including President Trump and Vice President Vance, and has and prompted this committee
• the witnesses for very helpful. to those questions and with that that concludes today's hearing committee

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Keywords: spectrum policy, FCC auction authority, national security, innovation, technology development, 9-1-1 modernization, adaptive technologies, China competition

Summary: The meeting centered on the critical examination of spectrum policy and its implications for innovation and national security. The committee discussed the lapse of the FCC's spectrum auction authority, which has been in effect since March 2023, emphasizing the urgency of restoring this authority to maintain U.S. technological leadership against competitors like China. Witnesses provided testimony regarding the need for adaptive and reconfigurable spectrum technologies to enhance communication capabilities for both civilian and military applications. Senator Klobuchar highlighted the importance of modernizing 9-1-1 systems and ensuring robust emergency communication frameworks leveraging new spectrum innovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good afternoon, Chair Corricks, Silva, and committee members.
• And because this is the committee that hears these types of asks, we also have other committees that
• Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee.
• , but also other committees.
• Thank you, and thank you for coming to our committee. Yeah.

Summary: The hearing focused on the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz) and several related budget proposals. Director D.D. Myers described the California Jobs First economic blueprint, regional planning efforts across 13 regions, and the state’s strategy to target sectors such as ag tech, space, life sciences, semiconductors, and emerging technologies. She also discussed the California brand campaign, export promotion, film tax credits, and the California Civic Media Fund, emphasizing job creation, regional equity, and business attraction/retention. Members raised questions about support for journalism, arts and creative industries, AI’s impact on jobs, foreign direct investment, manufacturing, tariffs, and how the Jobs First framework is being implemented across regions. Go-Biz then presented trailer bill language to extend the encumbrance deadline for remaining Jobs First administrative funds and to codify the Office of Regional Economic Development Initiatives. The department said $95 million of the $100 million Jobs First appropriation had already been deployed to grants for counties and tribes, and members asked for more information on regional outcomes, including Orange County and the North State. Public comment supported Jobs First and the Small Business Development Centers’ role in helping businesses access capital and create jobs. The committee also heard a request for ongoing CalExport funding to replace uncertain federal STEP support; the LAO noted the Legislature may want to weigh whether to backfill federal reductions, while Go-Biz argued the state program is needed because federal support appears unlikely to continue and demand exceeds available funding. The committee next heard the film and television tax credit staffing request. Go-Biz asked for funding for three permanent positions to manage the expanded program, and the LAO recommended approval given the increased workload. The Film Commission reported a sharp rise in applications after AB 1138 and the program expansion, with productions taking place both inside and outside the Los Angeles 30-mile zone and activity spread across the state. Finally, Go-Biz presented a request for one permanent position and one graduate student assistant to support innovation and emerging technologies, including quantum and fusion. Members asked about the use of the state’s quantum funding, and staff explained it would support microgrants, state capacity-building, and workforce education. No formal votes were taken in the portions provided, and the chair indicated some items would be moved and heard later in the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> that he was a man of high intelligence, that he was a man of high intelligence, he<01:02:45.520
• </c><02:18:51.920><c> on</c> minority member of the committee on minority member of the committee on
• </c> accountable for firing intelligence accountable for firing intelligence officials<02:33:59.040><
• </c> what came out of the rules committee. what came out of the rules committee.
• </c><04:39:31.119><c> The</c> as it came out of committee. The as it came out of committee.

Bills: HB3838 , HR682

Keywords: nuclear deterrence, space force, military personnel, healthcare, supply chain, energy security, environmental regulations, defense budget, military funding, defense activities, appropriations, immigration penalties, Department of Defense, Department of Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard confirmations for two Hawaii Technology Development Corporation board nominees, Jaclyn Ka and Gregory Oara. Testimony for both was overwhelmingly in support. Supporters for Ka emphasized her Kauaʻi roots, work in workforce development and digital equity, and ability to connect schools, industry, and community needs. In her own remarks, Ka said she wants to bring resources to Kauaʻi and the neighbor islands, strengthen local workforce pathways, and use the HTDC board to help local residents access technology jobs and training. Members questioned Ka about how to reduce reliance on mainland hires for jobs at PMRF and other technology employers, how to better align training with local needs, and how to connect Kauaʻi schools, community college programs, and creative media/digital technology efforts. Ka described KDB’s role in building islandwide digital media and drone clubs, professional development for teachers, and partnerships intended to create a pipeline from school to workforce. She also said the legislature can help mainly by listening and staying informed about local needs. For Oara, supporters highlighted his engineering and semiconductor background, his experience in academia, industry, and startups, and his potential to help HTDC with technology commercialization, IP, and exportable services. Oara said he wants HTDC to better support early-stage companies, improve coordination among universities, government, and the private sector, and create a directory of technical skill sets to connect startups with needed expertise. He also discussed AI, saying Hawaii can contribute by developing smaller, locally relevant models rather than only relying on large-scale data-center infrastructure. The hearing focused on these nominations and testimony; no vote or final committee action was stated in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee, the House Committee side of this thing, must report on all House bills considered during
• Any questions from the committee? Thank you for your testimony. Any questions from the committee?
• Thank you, committee, Chairman, and members of the committee. My name is Gary R.
• Thank you, esteemed chairs of the committee, members of the committee, and staff of the committee.
• Thank you to the committee for... Yes, thank you. Thank you to the committee for...

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Summary: The committee opened with procedural guidance for a very large hearing, explaining testimony limits, written testimony procedures, and rules for maintaining order. Members then heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including proposals to define antisemitism using the IHRA definition, regulate facial recognition technology, restrict weaponized robotics and drone use, expand protections for journalists’ confidential sources, address access to decedents’ email accounts, and create or adjust rules around municipal enforcement and animal cruelty fines. Several sponsors and advocates asked for favorable reports, and committee members asked clarifying questions on implementation, costs, and how the bills would interact with existing law. On facial recognition, sponsors and advocates described the technology as a threat to privacy, due process, and civil liberties, and urged adoption of the Special Commission’s recommendations, including warrant requirements, notice to defendants, and limits on untargeted surveillance. Support came from legislators, the ACLU, CDT, EFF, and a UMass professor, while committee members asked about current state law and municipal bans. On robotics, Senator Moore and industry witnesses from MassRobotics, Boston Dynamics, and AUVSI supported a bill prohibiting weaponized robots and requiring warrants for certain law enforcement uses, describing it as a public-safety and trust-building measure. On the shield law bill, newspaper publishers, journalists, NEFAC, and the Reporters Committee argued Massachusetts needs statutory protection for confidential sources, citing costly subpoenas and chilling effects on reporting. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to expand the right of publicity to cover image and voice, with SAG-AFTRA members supporting protections against AI-driven exploitation and some discussion about viral content and consent. Another bill would allow limited access to a decedent’s email accounts, with one witness describing a family’s inability to use a deceased relative’s email to notify friends. The committee then took testimony on psilocybin-related bills: supporters described medical and personal benefits and argued for narrow decriminalization or study, while an opponent warned of public-health risks, impaired driving, and youth exposure; the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society supported limited, safety-based decriminalization. Finally, the committee heard strong support for a “safe reporting” bill for sex workers and trafficking survivors, with advocates saying immunity would encourage victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear of arrest, and members raised questions about how the immunity would work in practice.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good morning, Chairman Bosch and members of the committee.
• Good morning, Chair Bosch and members of the committee.
• I think that's a decision that this committee and more specifically the legislators on this committee
• Yeah, Chairman Bosch, members of the committee, yes.
• Anything else for the committee to discuss today?

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee is called to order.
• We'd like to welcome back to our committee and thank you both, Dr. Aaron Rosenthal and Dr.
• chair for software engineering and data science, and I also lead the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence
• Members, with that, I would like to open it up to comments and questions from our committee members.
• </c> Senate Labor Committee is adjourned. Senate Labor Committee is adjourned. &gt;&gt; Thanks.

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• Vice Chair, committee, Mr.
• And committee members, I want to start off by accepting the committee amendments and thank committee
• Chair, committee staff, committee members. My name is Claudia Gonzalez.
• the two committees.
• Chair and committee members. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members.

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• any senator not on finance must find a sponsor on this committee.
• Vice Chair and committee.
• I really emphasize that in our Health and Human Services Committee.
• Good afternoon Chairman Huffman and members of the committee.
• Members of the Texas Senate Finance Committee, my name is Dr.

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, members of the committee, Chairman, members of the committee, YouthWorks is a nonprofit agency
• Yes, Chairman, members of the committee.
• Chairman, member of the committee,...
• Chairman, members of the committee, are there any questions? Any questions from the committee?
• The committee has a sense of an age range.

Committee: Joint Protection and Victim Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2342 is withdrawn from the Committee on Government and additionally referred to the Committee
• Reports of standing committees.
• Reports of standing committees: Without objection, reports of standing committees listed on the calendar
• And your committee amendment. Mr.
• HB 490, artificial intelligence business. HB 490, artificial intelligence business.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest introductions, and a proclamation recognizing February 2026 as American Heart Month, with Representative Willoughby emphasizing CPR and AED readiness. Members also welcomed students and guests from Wilcox Christian School, the Arizona State Fair Association, and other visitors. The chamber then handled routine business including attendance, journal approval, committee assignments, and first and second readings of numerous bills. The Committee of the Whole considered several measures, including HB 2016, HB 2133, HB 2223, HB 2459, HB 2501, and HB 2785. Most received do-pass recommendations after brief explanations and amendments. HB 2785, a major tax conformity bill, drew the most debate: supporters said it would align Arizona law with federal tax changes, prevent taxpayers from having to amend returns, and provide certainty during filing season, while opponents argued it would create a large revenue loss and benefit corporations and the wealthy without a clear funding plan. The committee adopted the Ways and Means amendment to HB 2785 by a 31-22 division vote, and the bill ultimately received a do-pass recommendation. Back on the floor, the House adopted the Committee of the Whole report and sent HB 2016, HB 2133, HB 2123, HB 2459, HB 2501, and HB 2785 to engrossing. In third reading, HB 2029, HB 2120, HB 2126, and HB 2131 passed, while HB 2045 failed on a 19-36 vote and then failed again on a reconsideration motion by 25-27. Members then made several personal privilege remarks about legislative process, representation, and Black History Month, and the House adjourned until the following Wednesday afternoon.

Transcript Highlights:

• I assigned him to lead a committee on artificial intelligence, which is a really big endeavor, and he
• to lead a committee on artificial intelligence,<00:09:42.800><c> which</c><00:09:42.960><c> is</c><00
• You're<00:43:56.680><c> intelligent.</c> You're intelligent. You're intelligent.
• and other committees on that committee and other committees that<01:16:26.960><c> I've</c><01:16:27.080
• I feel for the committee this committee.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee first took up decision-making on two judicial nominations heard the previous day. Governor’s Message 796, naming Annalisa En Bernard Lee as Circuit Court Judge for the Second Circuit (Maui County), and Governor’s Message 797, naming Michael K. Soong as Circuit Court Judge for the Fifth Circuit (Kauai), were both recommended for consent and adopted by unanimous roll-call votes. The committee then heard testimony on Governor’s Message 801, the nomination of Vladimir P. Devens as Chief Justice of the Hawaii State Supreme Court. Support came from the Governor’s office, Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm, Honolulu Managing Director Michael Formby, the Hawaii Association for Justice, United Public Workers, HGEA/AFL-CIO, the Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association, labor and trade unions, retired Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, retired judges, bar and court officials, and many other individuals and organizations. Supporters emphasized Devens’ legal experience, work ethic, labor-law background, community ties, mentorship, and ability to manage the judiciary and address the appellate backlog. A few speakers opposed the nomination, including Chuck Freedman, who raised concerns about union influence and potential conflicts, and others who submitted opposition testimony. Devens also testified, describing his Honolulu upbringing, education at UC Berkeley, six years with the police department, and more than 30 years in private practice before joining the Supreme Court. He said the chief justice role is primarily an administrative one, highlighted his experience with bar and judicial administration committees, and identified reducing the appellate backlog as a major priority. No vote was taken on GM 801 during this portion of the hearing.