Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, we've continue down this.
• in the first part of the amendment down in the first part of the amendment down through<01:54:26.960
• If you come down to lines 9 wage.
• No, let's Okay, members, settle down.
• potential cost savings down the road. potential cost savings down the road.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Forgive me, President Lynch is currently dealing with some of the offshore wind crises that are happening
• director for the mass afl cio forgive me president lynch is currently dealing with some of the offshore wind
• crises Mass AFL CIO, forgive me, President Lynch is currently dealing with some of the offshore wind

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We hope that new technology will help us find ways to bring costs down.
• Additionally, there are dollars that we'll be drawing down for recycled water.
• I mean, we're seeing rain coming down today, I think even. Well, thank you.
• Regarding offshore wind energy, we may need to import more gasoline into the ports.
• We know there are constituents of concern like PFAS that are coming down the line.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are winding down a session, believe it or not. Who is going to be this quick?

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, chaired by Senator Kevin Parker, met to consider a series of energy, utility, housing, and labor-related bills. The committee discussed Senator Parker’s clean hydrogen bill authorizing NYSERDA to administer programs to fund clean hydrogen projects, with members debating how it would be financed through NYSERDA’s system benefit charge and RGGI funds and whether there should be a fiscal estimate. Despite concerns from some members about cost transparency and the use of ratepayer-supported funds, the bill advanced to the Finance Committee with three without-recommendation votes. The committee also advanced Senator Parker’s bill directing NYSERDA to study hydrogen feasibility, Senator Gonzalez’s Green Affordable Pre-Electrification Program bill, Senator Hinchey’s natural carbon sequestration research program bill, Senator Gineris’s bill increasing penalties for utility annual report failures, Senator Comrie’s EV charging fee transparency bill, and Senator Parker’s battery energy storage workforce and labor standards bill. Senator Comrie’s outage hotline bill moved to third reading, while Senator Parker’s renewable hydrogen center program bill advanced despite a technical objection that a deadline in the bill had already passed, and the battery storage bill was referred to the Labor Committee. Several bills drew specific concerns. On the outage hotline bill, members questioned whether small municipal electric and water systems should be exempted rather than required to petition for an exemption, and one member said they would not support the bill without a carve-out. On the annual report penalty bill, members asked about the lack of documentation for the penalty increase and whether municipal utilities would be affected; the sponsor explained the penalty was updated from a 1900-era statute to reflect inflation and that municipal utilities file with the PSC. On the EV charging transparency bill, a member suggested the bill should also require credit card payment options, not just prohibit mobile-device-only payment. On the battery storage labor bill, members asked whether remote operations would count as on-site work and whether out-of-state remote monitoring would be covered; the sponsor said that was the intent and would follow up with labor counsel on residency questions. The committee concluded by adjourning after moving the listed bills forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you go to slide 15, you can see that the funding is winding down for, or sorry, winding down for the
• So you're looking down.
• the more stable preserving things—it's down to like 5%.
• So, in a truly free market, prices should always come down.
• Prices will always go down because governments cannot inflate it.

Transcript Highlights:

• Economy by being a climate change denier and stopping things like our offshore wind projects, to name
• And so to slow the process down by doing a report, providing recommendations, and then NYSERDA, in a
• And so to slow the process down by doing a report, providing recommendations, and then NYSERDA, in a
• Side to vote against the interests of their constituents, in bringing down energy rates.
• We saw gas prices for four years go up and never come down.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions, including students from Brooklyn and St. John’s University, followed by adoption of the resolution calendar with exceptions for two items. The chamber then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, Workplace Violence Prevention Month, the one-year anniversary of the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, New York Constitution Day, and the Month of the Military Child. Senators speaking on the maternal health resolution emphasized racial disparities in maternal mortality and the need for culturally competent care; the workplace violence resolution highlighted hospital safety programs; the Jet Set resolution was adopted in memory of the victims; and the Constitution Day speech reviewed New York’s delayed but eventual support for independence in 1776. The military child resolution stressed the sacrifices of military families and support for children of service members. All of these resolutions were adopted, and the resolutions were opened to co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the third reading calendar, passing several bills and laying others aside. Measures passed included bills on public health, environmental conservation, executive law, public authorities, and consumer protection. One notable debate involved a bill to require transparency from private arbitration organizations handling consumer cases; supporters argued it would provide basic public data and guard against conflicts of interest, while opponents said it would burden a useful dispute-resolution process and intrude on privacy. The bill passed after debate. Another debated bill would phase out number 4 heating oil statewide; supporters said cleaner alternatives exist and the fuel is harmful to public health, while opponents raised cost and transition concerns, especially for colder regions. That bill also passed. The chamber also considered a bill to create a rebate program for battery-powered landscaping equipment, funded through utility-related mechanisms administered by NYSERDA. Supporters said it would reduce air and noise pollution and help companies transition, while opponents argued ratepayers should not subsidize landscaping equipment. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. Finally, the Senate began discussion of a housing-related bill aimed at preserving manufactured home parks by enabling nonprofits or municipalities to acquire development rights and keep the land dedicated to that use, with the sponsor explaining that the goal is to protect affordable housing and help residents remain in their homes.

Transcript Highlights:

• for clean energy projects, $19.95 for the renewable energy portfolio, and $29.20 for the offshore wind
• Solar and wind were helpful for short periods of time during the storm, but simply could not keep Virginia
• I would suggest that if someone in this chamber has an issue with these cameras, they should slow down
• So I move the Senate substitute, and I say, without nearly the pipes of Boys II Men, I'm down.
• So I move the Senate substitute, and I say, without nearly the pipes of Boys II Men, I'm down on my knees

Keywords: March 12, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's what drives down costs. There's some argument that a net price should be used.
• It eliminates that aspect, which drives down the cost of drugs.
• That's what drives down costs. There's some argument that a net price should be used.
• It eliminates that aspect, which drives down the cost of drugs.
• claim, might move down to $7,000 until that copay assistance is exhausted.

Bills: HB591, HB765, HB826, HB870, HB938, HB1151, HB1162, HB1176, HB1196, HB1236, HB1241

Keywords: family leave, insurance, paid leave, employment benefits, caregiver support, liability insurance, coverage defenses, direct action, judgment enforcement, legal procedures, insurance referrals, compensation, non-licensed agents, consumer protection, insurance products, HB 870, Act 907, Louisiana insurance, health insurance, prescription drugs

Transcript Highlights:

• We're just going to work our way right down.
• Thank you, experts, for running down here real quick.
• So, I appreciate her coming down here.
• That's what it really comes down to.
• And actually, I would like you to come down if you can, Mr. President.

Bills: SB273, SB37, SB100

Keywords: SB273, appropriations, general fund, hold harmless, local government finance, municipal revenue, county revenue, correctional facility, jail contract, private prison, detention facility, immigration detention, revenue bonds, clawback, child welfare, juvenile justice, protective services, school improvement, New MexiCare, aging services

Transcript Highlights:

• But the malpractice lawyer that spoke before said that the people will wind up paying for the plaintiffs
• But I would say that the people will wind up paying for it if the raised cap expenses are going to be

Keywords: House Committee Room C, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I you know once Things start off, and then it starts getting a little more wind to it.
• right now and the us not being able to figure out even a little bit how to How to make that number go down
• Now, you've got me down a rabbit hole, but I guess my next question would be if how do we know on someone
• And so, we are going to allow them to be integrated down into that city county level field.

Bills: HB3287, HB2947, HB3784, HB3901, HB4275

Keywords: public health, domestic violence, human trafficking, healthcare facilities, hospital protocols, behavioral health, Medicaid expansion, clinical interns, mental health services, licensing requirements, micropigmentation, medical procedure, physician oversight, nursing certification, state regulations, psychological autopsy, mental health, suicide prevention, state health department, investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• It was one of my priorities when I came down here to advocate.
• The wind changed. Aurora is in the green, ready to evacuate.
• have talked about this, and people have asked me, are you gonna work in a bipartisan way when you get down

Transcript Highlights:

• It will also reduce the corporate rate down to 4.1, and that will be as of 2020.
• The corporate rate from down to 4.1, and that will be as of 2027.
• If you'll come down, I hope I didn't butcher your name, and if you will come down and please introduce
• If you want to come down and introduce yourself for the record, and you're recognized.
• If you want to wind that thought up and then... Thank you.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1001, sponsored by Representative Les Eaves, which would lower Arkansas’s personal income tax rate to 3.7% retroactive to the current year and reduce the corporate income tax rate to 4.1% beginning in 2027. Eaves argued the bill continued a decade-long strategy of broad-based tax relief, would help working families, and would keep Arkansas competitive with other states. He said the measure would reduce future surpluses rather than cut current services, and noted the average taxpayer could see roughly $800 to $1,000 in annual savings from recent tax changes. Several witnesses testified against the bill. Arkansas Appleseed’s Anna Morchetti, Missy Wyatt Joyce, Pastor Preston Clegg, Michelle Pedro of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families’ Pete Guest all argued the state should prioritize funding for public schools, health care, supported living services, food assistance, rural hospitals, and early childhood education instead of further tax cuts. They said Arkansas faces significant unmet needs, including underfunded schools, food insecurity, and shortages in disability and community-based services, and warned the tax cut would mainly benefit higher earners while reducing resources for essential programs. After testimony, the committee limited debate time for witnesses to five minutes. Representative Eaves closed by saying the state had been responsible in prior tax cuts and that the bill would return money to taxpayers without reducing services. Representative Bray also spoke in support, saying the legislature has continued to fund major priorities while still providing tax relief to working families. The committee then voted to pass the bill, and HB 1001 was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• But things are inside out, upside down, and backwards.
• If the wind blows, these folks are out of power.
• Small winds will knock it out. Traffic accidents, monsoons, as she has mentioned.
• We used to go down there, and it just... And the Salt River, nobody went there.
• Everything's upside down, inside out, and backwards.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's what drives down costs. There's some argument that a net price should be used.
• It eliminates that aspect, which drives down the cost of drugs.
• What happens is you set up the benefit plan to draw down that manufacturer assistance.
• claim, might move down to $7,000 until that co-pay assistance is exhausted.
• Whereas up until about 2018, those copay cards helped bring down the deductibles.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Insurance met on May 6, 2026, and first reported HB 1241 favorably. That bill, by Chairman Furman, requires insurers to check with DCFS before paying certain insurance settlements to determine whether the recipient owes delinquent child support, and to withhold and remit arrears if found. DCFS explained that Louisiana already has intercepts and other collection tools, but no current mechanism for insurance settlements. Senators raised concerns about notice to obligors and about liability if insurers fail to withhold, but the bill was advanced without objection. The committee then heard HB 870, which would require health insurers and PBMs to cover lower-cost generic or biosimilar drugs when available and to use utilization management no more restrictively on those drugs. Supporters said the bill would improve access and lower patient costs by using wholesale acquisition cost as the comparison point. Opponents, including Louisiana Blue and the AFL-CIO, argued that WAC ignores rebates and net cost, could force plans to cover higher-cost biosimilars first, and could increase premiums and disrupt ERISA and fully insured plan design. The committee adopted a technical amendment set and then a second amendment set that added notice and reporting requirements tied to net cost calculations, and HB 870 was reported favorably as amended. Several other bills were moved with little or no opposition. HB 1176, concerning Medicare Advantage coverage for integrative cancer treatments such as cold cap therapy, cryotherapy, and acupuncture, was amended to change the effective date and then reported favorably. HB 1196, dealing with colorectal cancer screening follow-up colonoscopies, was also amended and reported favorably. HB 1162, a consumer protection bill requiring DOI to verify that a contractor named on a first-party property damage check is licensed in Louisiana, was amended and reported favorably. HB 826, which modernizes insurance referral rules to allow referrals by email or website address, was reported favorably. The committee also heard HB 1151 on insurer investment limits and solvency protections, and HB 1236 on pharmacy reimbursement and copay maximizer programs; both drew substantial testimony and concern, especially over retroactivity, PBM cost allocation, and whether copay maximizers shift costs to patients, but the transcript cuts off before final action on HB 1236.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I think what it really comes down to is the end-of-year test.
• So this comes down to the TEKS that are set by the State Board of Education.
• And I think it always comes down to trade-offs on your goals.
• In case I get long-winded, I want to start from a place of gratitude.
• In case I get long winded, I want to start from a place of gratitude.

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Summary: The House Committee on Public Education met to hear House Bill 8, which would replace STAAR with a new assessment and accountability system beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The chair described the bill as reducing testing time, limiting benchmark tests, adding beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments, requiring faster score turnaround, involving Texas teachers in test development, and tightening accountability timelines and transparency rules. Members also discussed provisions on A-F ratings, cut scores, CCMR, local accountability plans, and TEA reporting requirements. Committee members and invited witnesses split sharply on the bill’s approach. Supporters, including the chair, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, and Ed Trust’s Nicholas Munyon Penny, argued the bill would reduce high-stakes pressure, provide quicker and more actionable data, limit over-testing, and better align assessments to Texas standards while preserving criterion-referenced accountability. They said the new system would help teachers and parents intervene sooner and would improve transparency, including parent access to student responses and automatic rescoring in some writing cases. Opponents, including Rep. Hinojosa and student witness Ella Moran, argued the bill still increases testing and replaces one high-stakes test with multiple TEA-created tests. Moran testified that STAAR creates anxiety, disrupts instruction, and does not reflect real learning, while Hinojosa said the House had previously passed a better bill based on a nationally norm-referenced model and criticized the new proposal as a concession to the Senate. Questions also focused on AI scoring of writing, rescoring rates, and whether the bill’s new accountability rules would be reliable and fair. The committee did not take a final vote during the portion provided, but the chair said a vote on HB 8 would be called after public testimony later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• And yet we know that our ADA numbers are down. Why are they down?
• It's going to turn this world upside down.
• If you know, ...side down.
• I think this goes down in history.
• crime is going down.

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and opened with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Members then moved through guest introductions, including students and fellows from California Lutheran University, UC Merced’s CAPE program, the Maddy Institute, and Madera High School’s Madtown Robotics Team 1323, which was recognized for multiple robotics world championships. The chamber also adopted an adjournment in memory and took up the daily file. Several bills and resolutions were considered and passed, including AB 1390 on school board compensation thresholds, AB 1338 on air district cost recovery for fence-line air monitoring, AB 648 on community college housing, AB 1207 on cap-and-trade price ceilings, ACR 66 recognizing Skin Cancer Awareness Month, AB 49 on keeping ICE out of public schools, AB 317 on a CEQA exemption for certain single-family homes, AB 527 on geothermal exploratory wells, AB 665 on the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation ombudsman report, AB 940 creating quantum innovation zones, AB 1021 on workforce housing for education agencies, AB 1112 on property tax apportionment in Rancho Mirage, AB 1318 on nonprofit eligibility for public funding, and AB 1470 on using student housing loan funds for affordable housing in downtowns and commercial districts. Most measures passed with broad support; AB 49 and AB 1318 were urgency bills and passed with the required higher vote threshold. The floor also adopted H.R. 40, declaring May 25 as Rosenda’s Day to honor a teen killed by a drunk driver, and H.R. 42, recognizing May as Behavioral Health Awareness Month. Both drew extensive personal testimony from members about mental health, suicide, substance use, and the need to reduce stigma and expand access to care. Additional health-related bills passed, including AB 408 creating a physician health and wellness program, AB 546 requiring coverage for HEPA purifiers for certain enrollees after wildfire disasters, AB 967 expediting licenses for out-of-state physicians, and AB 968 expanding pharmacist authority to provide non-hormonal contraception. The Assembly also debated AB 1056 on phasing out gill net fishing and AB 1376 on limiting juvenile probation terms, with supporters framing both as conservation or rehabilitation measures and opponents warning about economic harm or public safety concerns. Both bills ultimately passed. Throughout the session, members repeatedly emphasized public safety, education, housing, climate, health care access, and support for immigrant and youth communities, with recorded roll-call votes and voice votes taken on each measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• The top of the ticket takes the bulk of the air out of the room, and then you move your way down.
• So with that, I sit down and be quiet for a while, but I’m obviously a no on the bill.
• <00:44:55.480> up choice and potentially you can wind up choice and potentially you can wind
• <01:09:58.040> the we have to drive straight down the we have to drive straight down the center
• We have to defend our constitutional one voter, one vote principle and vote this bill down.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sure, we'll just go down the line and let everyone introduce themselves.
• such<00:15:00.519> as<00:15:00.959> smoke<00:15:01.959> hail<00:15:02.600> wind
• <00:15:03.720> collapse such as smoke hail wind collapse such as smoke hail wind collapse
• <00:53:15.280> at or 40 go down at or 40 go down at once<00:53:17.960> I<00:53:18.079
• That's what it comes down to, so we need that study. There's very few providers that would have...

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But if you deplete it quicker, and you take the wealth down to zero from parts of that county at the
• But maybe the court's paid attention down the road and looks at it and says the state's serious about
• The key is to ratchet down water use before you get to that point that you've overpumped either your
• Yeah, and it's the guy down there. It's the guy down the block with the green grass.
• Well, it's the water running off the green grass down the, down the bar ditch or wherever it is that

Bills: SB 1169, SB 1285, SB 1583, SB 1611, SB 1898, SB 1976, SB 2160, SB 2161, SB 2658, SB 2661, SB 2662, SB 2692, SB 1055, SB 1359, SB 2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, SB 1285, bats, bat protection, wildlife protection, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.101, hunting bats, bat possession, bat sales, bat trade, pest control, licensed pest control professional, animal control officer