Transcript Highlights:

• Ask one more time. Any questions? Ask one more time. Any questions? questions? questions?
• Again, I want to just remind you that your time is going to be limited to two minutes because of the
• remind you that your time is going to<00:43:37.520> be<00:43:37.680> limited<00:43:38.079
• Thank you for your time. Um, questions. Thank you for your time.
• We are out of time.

Bills: HF1545, HF2426, HF1615, HF2403

Keywords: medical cannabis, cultivation, cannabinoid products, plant canopy, Minnesota statutes, cannabis, hemp, lower-potency, edibles, regulations, licensing, local control, consumer safety, age restrictions, commerce policy, financial institutions, insurance regulation, limited long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement, health insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• If it's a business or a farm, they would be limited to the 55-gallon limit.
• Counsel Owen will turn the time to you. Counsel Owen will turn the time to you.
• And I understand the limit on acreage.
• And I would echo what Representative Owens said about the time limit.
• The bill limits it to two per county, it looks like, and then the two-year limit.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Should you select to waive your speaking time?
• This is the first time we're legislating.
• So it's not limited to a specific period of time.
• For most of that time my wife was employed.
• We do have to oppose it at this time, but but really hope.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The time limits are provided so that we can keep the meeting on time and hear from as many people as
• > time<00:37:42.240> limits<00:37:42.560> are<00:37:42.720> provided<00:37
• The time limits are provided so off.
• The time limits are provided so that<00:37:43.440> we<00:37:43.599> can<00:37:43.760>
• your your time is your time >> Sir Heler, your your time is your time is<00:44:17.440> up.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee reconvened in open session after a closed discussion of sensitive security details and reviewed the public executive summary of the Minnesota State Capitol Complex Security Assessment by Axtel. Members discussed weapon screening and access control at length, including testimony from Capitol security and judicial center staff about screening procedures, prohibited items, and how screening is managed for visitors and authorized personnel. The chair emphasized that the committee was voting on high-level recommendations to be included in the final ACAST report and that the Department of Public Safety and Department of Administration would be encouraged to pursue the necessary work, including any legislative or budget requests. The committee then took a series of roll-call votes on the Axtel recommendations. Access control screening and visitor management (5.11) passed 4-2, while authorized access control and credential oversight (5.12), internal circulation and zoning controls (5.13), perimeter and exterior grounds (5.14), staffing models/post orders/operational readiness (5.15), technology and system integration (5.16), and protective intelligence (5.18) all passed unanimously 6-0. Each approved item was added as a recommendation in the final report. After the votes, the Department of Administration, Department of Public Safety, and House and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms offices walked through the draft final report. They highlighted staffing improvements, security infrastructure already installed, and remaining needs, including an estimated $41.008 million request for future enhancements such as kiosks, glass-resistant film, door access controls, cameras, lighting, bollards, and an updated distributed antenna system. The report also includes recommendations on trauma-informed safety drills, conduct rules for hearings, and designating the Minnesota State Patrol Capital Security Division as the primary investigative authority for potential criminal activity on Capitol grounds.

Transcript Highlights:

• You got to be making three times the rent.
• You got to be making three times the rent.
• The last time Congress voted to raise the minimum wage, Bobby Gindle, The last time Congress voted to
• And of course, you know, we hear from time to time that even Walmart and Burger King pays more than that
• So that would also limit even people who have obtained a higher education; that would also limit our

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and provides for certain limited and provides for certain limited liability. liability. liability
• So, thank you for your time.
• So, thank you for your time.
• was what we were doing at that time. was what we were doing at that time.
• all in my time here. all in my time here.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committee met to walk through nonpartisan side-by-side comparisons of House File 4188, focusing on differences between House and Senate language across consumer protection, insurance, financial services, health, and technical provisions. Staff highlighted numerous Senate-only items, including rules for financial providers communicating through trusted contacts, virtual currency requirements for banks and credit unions, a prohibition on virtual currency kiosks beginning in 2026, mortgage servicing and student loan servicing changes, the Rental Home Marketplace Guarantees Act, insurance and travel-related provisions, scrap metal licensing changes, protections related to minors accessing chatbots and AI companions, and several technical or conforming repealers. Staff also noted that some provisions were identical or substantially similar between the chambers, including mortgage originator standards, student loan borrower protections, securities-related changes, unclaimed property provisions, and technical updates in the bill’s miscellaneous articles. The Senate-only health-related articles were also summarized, including repeal of the prescription drug affordability advisory council, technical changes to the reinsurance program, and a series of health insurance provisions on enrollment-growth notices, limits on officer and director salary increases under certain capital conditions, guaranteed issue rights for certain Medicare supplement enrollees, data-sharing between Commerce and Health, restrictions on using artificial intelligence alone to deny claims, reimbursement for clinical trainees, home care nursing coverage, and PBM transparency. The Senate’s telecommunications article was described as largely technical and conforming, with repeals of obsolete statutes. Staff also noted that some standalone bills had already passed and would be removed from the comparison report. Public testimony followed. Thomas Elness of AARP Minnesota supported inclusion of the cryptocurrency kiosk bill, expressed support for guaranteed issue protections for a narrow group of consumers affected by discontinued plans, and urged adoption of changes to the consumer protection restitution account, including raising the cap to $10 million per fiscal year. Representative Lee testified that the restitution account proposal should be treated as policy rather than finance because it has a zero fiscal note, and said the House would accept the Senate’s $10 million cap. Robin Rowan, representing the Minnesota Insurance and Financial Services Council and the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, urged adoption of Senate travel insurance language, requested a House-style change to lead-generation recordkeeping language, and supported a Senate provision allowing employers and insurers to coordinate notice to employees when group policies are cancelled. The Department of Commerce then responded to questions, explaining that the prescription drug affordability council would be sunset because the board already has other avenues for public input, that the reinsurance changes were technical and did not alter the prior agreement, and that the abandoned cryptocurrency provisions rely on statutory definitions of inactivity and known examples such as keys stored in safes or deposit boxes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So on page two, as it passed out of the House, you guys put the possession limit at 250 milligrams of
• So on page two, as it passed out of the House, you guys put the possession limit at 250 milligrams of
• And so for 500 to be in the edible form at a time was still very small.
• your possession limit.
• And then this one said both at the same time.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The conference committee on Senate Bill 2294 met to reconcile differences in the bill’s edible cannabis provisions. Members discussed three main changes: increasing the edible possession/purchase limit from 250 milligrams to 500 milligrams, aligning another section to 500, and removing the words “or possess” so a person could still have product at home while traveling to restock. Supporters said the 500-milligram amount was still a small dosage, would allow users to titrate doses more easily, and would be more practical for people living far from dispensaries. Senator Clemens noted he had been a dissenting vote earlier but agreed with the amendment as presented. Representative Holly moved the amendment to make the sections match, and Representative Dobervich seconded it. The committee adopted the amendment on a 5-1 vote, with Senator Clemens voting no. Afterward, the committee reconvened to take final action on the amended bill. Representative Dobervich moved to approve Senate Bill 2294 as amended, Senator Weston seconded, and the committee again passed it 5-1, with Senator Clemens voting no. The final action was a do pass as amended recommendation. Representative Bolinske and Representative Dobervich were designated as House carriers, and Senator Roers and Senator Weston were designated as Senate carriers. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• There will be a time limit of 3 minutes per witness during the public testimony period.
• I thank you for your time. I close.
• Appreciate your time. Thanks.
• The sky is the limit.
• Limited experience, limited exposure, limited access.

Bills: HB 29, HB 685, HB 1633, HB 1689, HB 1690, HB 1918, HB 2010, HB 2500, HB 2608, HB 2626

Keywords: water audit, water loss, water loss mitigation plan, municipally owned utility, municipal utility, water conservation, Texas Water Development Board, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water leakage, leak detection, billing data accuracy, utility validation, water audit validation, water scarcity, water management, infrastructure, public utility, conservation plan, administrative penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• A Sunday, but it's getting close to closing time, so everybody's here.
• So they don't anticipate any delays or issues getting the money spent in time.
• So the timing is an issue.
• We want to make sure it's contingent on the limited fiscal administration. Right.
• fiscal administrator or a limited receivership or receivership.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the April 16 minutes, and then considered several water-system funding and deadline requests. For Magnolia Plantation Water System, members approved a deadline extension for plans and specifications to December 31, 2026, after hearing that the project still needed a test well, water-quality confirmation, and finalization of an LDH loan for matching funds. For St. Mary Parish Water and Sewer Commission No. 5, the committee approved an additional $619,850 to cover construction/engineering shortfalls and contingencies, bringing the grant total to $5,192,850 and requiring later JLCB approval. Members also approved revised phase two guidance, which updated emergency subfund language to align with recently passed legislation and clarified eligibility and process for limited fiscal administrators and fiscal administration. The committee then took up an emergency subfund request for Tallulah’s water system: staff explained that a temporary filtration skid must remain in place while permanent filters are designed and bid, and that the lease is expiring soon. After discussion of the timing, the need for a new engineer, and the possibility of a lease-purchase arrangement, the committee approved $1.4 million in emergency funding contingent on appointment of a limited fiscal administrator. Staff reported that the new payment process for the program is now moving funds more quickly and that updated expenditure projections will be provided at the next meeting. Members discussed the need to keep pushing projects toward closeout and acknowledged that some projects may need to be cut off if they cannot spend funds in time. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment on a motion without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, no statute in Texas law limits parental access to minor children's records, even when the limited
• , those limitations that you mentioned just now.
• At this time calls Judy Powell. Ms. Powell, it says here you're testifying.
• The chair at this time lays out House Bill 2524 and recognizes its author.
• Uh, the family code was last codified in 1995, a long time ago.

Transcript Highlights:

• And here we are at the end of our time in Concord.
• And I think that I’m not going to have time to rewrite this.
• <00:18:08.360> ADUs limit ADUs limit ADUs >> Right.
• They allow nearly limited regulation.
• time. The bill before us eight bills. time. The bill before us eight bills.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a lot of time.
• Thank you for your time.
• Thank you for your time.
• The report goes on to say there does not appear to be a limit on how many times an LGU can extend decision
• appear to be a limit on how many times appear to be a limit on how many times an<01:31:02.000>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And at this point in time, Mr.
• And at this point in time, Mr.
• And at this point in time, Mr.
• And at this point in time, Mr.
• Chairman, I have a motion at the proper<00:28:47.200> time. proper time. proper time.

Keywords: Insurance - Room 216, 3 February, 2026; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several insurance and health-related bills. Earlier discussion focused on metastatic cancer step therapy and biomarker testing, with the sponsor explaining that the bills would prevent insurers from requiring patients to try less effective treatments first and would require coverage for biomarker testing to better target treatment. The biomarker bill was described as a product of a summer study committee and was reported favorably. The committee also advanced a bill setting standards tied to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and a private residence elevator bill requiring licensing, inspection, and permitting for elevator installers, with an amendment exempting those elevators from annual inspections after the initial inspection. Members then considered a mitigation program for retrofitting homes, with the sponsor saying the Department of Insurance and industry were close to a workable statewide program. The bill would be funded by increasing a fee paid by insurance companies, not policyholders, and would allow use of a third-party administrator capped at 5% of program funds. The committee also reported bills extending the state health plan repealer, extending the LOSAP volunteer firefighter program repealer, and creating a fraud detection trust fund at the Insurance Department to address AI- and cyber-related fraud. The fraud fund bill drew questions about whether it would raise premiums and how it would help investigators; supporters said the fund would support staffing and equipment and that the existing fund had been dormant. Additional bills included a transparency measure for dental insurance spending, which would require reporting on the share of premiums spent on dental services beginning in 2027, and a bill expanding access to self-funded group health plans for members of legitimate professional and trade associations. The committee also heard a Mississippi Patient Protection Act aimed at strengthening willing-provider protections and limiting insurer discrimination against qualified providers; an amendment was proposed to clarify that vision benefit managers would not be treated as pharmacy benefit managers. Most measures were moved by title sufficient due pass and reported without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• uh they're having a very difficult time uh they're having a very difficult time uh<00:08:42.200>
• the timing criteria, and filing limits the timing criteria, and filing limits for<00:19:51.480><
• Times. Um, questions.
• Well, Madam Chair, it's not a limit. Well, Madam Chair, it's not a limit.
• It's not a limit.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your time this morning. Thank you for your time this morning.
• um takes time and takes staff. um takes time and takes staff.
• the required time frames. the required time frames.
• our ability to unintentionally limit our ability to provide<01:57:00.080> timely<01:57:00.480
• Would this be the time?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen elements of this mother's case play out time and time again while working with survivors of
• We just took time out of Kevin's time to... okay, that's probably a good idea.
• Three times. Okay. Thank you. Very close last time. Well, thanks for your work.
• Three, three times. Three times. Okay. Thank you. Very close last time. Well, thanks for your work.
• I think these more limiting ratios made sense maybe some time ago, but I will say the Division of Apprentice

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on a large group of bills carried over from the previous session, with Chair Jake Oliveira and House Co-Chair Paul McMurtry outlining the process and limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee heard testimony on several labor and workplace proposals, including bills to harmonize employee definitions to address misclassification (SB 1338/HB 2141), expand bereavement leave (including H. 2189/S. 1354 and related bills), protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative employees (HB 268/SB 1306), expand commuter transit benefits (HB 2153/SB 1345), regulate employer use of credit reports (S. 1286), and require apprenticeship participation or OSHA-related workplace safety measures on public projects. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read into the record additional bills that did not receive testimony that day. Supporters of the misclassification bill, including Greater Boston Legal Services and the AFL-CIO, said aligning the employee-status tests across wage, unemployment, and PFML laws would reduce confusion, improve enforcement, and help workers wrongly treated as independent contractors or managers recover benefits and bargaining rights. NAGE and its representative argued that public-sector employees have been improperly reclassified into management titles to weaken unions, and that the bill would force the Division of Labor Relations to review those titles. On bereavement leave, advocates including the Louis E. Brown Peace Institute, a state representative, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and individual survivors described the impact of sudden loss and homicide on families, saying guaranteed leave would help workers grieve, make arrangements, and avoid losing jobs or custody-related stability. The committee also heard support for commuter benefits as a low-cost way to reduce emissions and increase transit use, and for restricting employer credit checks because of inaccuracies and discriminatory effects. There was opposition to some construction-related bills. The Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association supported apprenticeship training in principle but said current apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios are outdated or misunderstood, and that the bills should be amended or clarified before advancing. The Massachusetts landscape and snow-removal industry strongly supported a snow-liability limitation bill, arguing that hold-harmless clauses and broad indemnification requirements force contractors to assume liability for conditions they cannot control, drive up insurance costs, and threaten business viability. The committee did not take any votes during the hearing, and the session ended with the chairs thanking members, staff, and the public before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• , the pay-as-you-go limit has capacity of $11.6 billion.
• The tax spending limit has capacity of $4.8 billion and the consolidated general revenue limit has. is
• At the moment, the controlling limit is the tax spending limit. with 4.8 billion dollars although these
• Removal of one-time funding items. One-time funding items. Okay.
• Again, it is about limiting the growth of tax. rates.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no limitations on the size. There's no limitations on the length.
• There's no limitations on the size. There's no limitations on the length.
• So there are no limits on the length here.
• The public participation is very limited.
• Yes, yes, it's going to happen this time.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced a series of natural resources and climate-related bills. AB 70 would codify a definition of pyrolysis and allow procurement credit for projects using organic waste to generate pipeline biomethane; supporters said it would help divert organic waste from landfills, reduce methane, and support energy reliability. AB 30 would authorize E15 fuel sales in California, with supporters arguing it could lower consumer fuel costs and emissions, while opponents from boating and marine groups raised concerns about engine damage and the need for clear labeling and continued E10 availability. AB 66 would create a CEQA exemption for emergency evacuation routes in high fire-risk areas; supporters emphasized wildfire evacuation safety, while some members worried the bill lacked sufficient guardrails and environmental review. AB 399 would let the Coastal Commission consider blue carbon sequestration in coastal permitting and authorize blue carbon demonstration projects; environmental groups supported it, while business groups objected to new costs and regulatory uncertainty. AB 491 would codify California’s nature-based solutions climate targets for lands and wetlands, with supporters citing climate and adaptation benefits and the Farm Bureau opposing statutory targets. AB 580 would extend Metropolitan Water District authority related to the Colorado River Aqueduct, and AB 43 would make permanent state authority to protect federally designated wild and scenic rivers if federal protections are weakened. The committee also considered AB 436 to streamline siting and permitting of composting facilities and AB 539 to streamline certain Coastal Act procedures and reporting. Most measures received due-pass recommendations and were reported out on roll calls, with several bills also moving on consent; AB 404 was pulled at the author’s request.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do not have a time frame.
• It limits the statute of limitations for human trafficking prosecutions and extends the statute of limitations
• The statute of limitations limiting it to 10 years would be in direct conflict with the Child Victims
• This is why I know that time is of the essence.
• At this time, we are only aware of the three.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of times we see bonding, debt limit changes, and public finance bills, and we do get revenue estimates
• A lot of times we see bonding, debt limit changes, and public finance bills, and we do get revenue estimates
• Chair, for saving us this time.
• that limit, Mr.
• that limit, Mr.

Bills: HF1833, HF148, HF1127, HF1227, HF1681, HF1974, HF1106, HF1016, HF2197

Keywords: sales tax, education funding, construction, Aitkin Public Schools, tax exemption, refundable credit, HF148, use of force training, deadly force, peace officer training, police training, law enforcement, POST Board, Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, scenario-based training, de-escalation, defensive tactics, force-on-force training, stress management, officer wellness