Transcript Highlights:

• and notified and keep those folks that are working along the roadside safe.
• and notified and keep those folks that are working along the roadside safe.
• <00:38:54.720> Uh, safe project as far as that goes.
• Uh, safe project as far as that goes.
• Um, we could dig into that, but that's already the law. felony violation of Wyoming law.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that requirement is instead of digging that requirement is instead of digging back<01:25:33.159>
• serve the residents and then sometimes keep their staff and their other residents safe from violence
• We spent the last few years really digging into this after the 2014 work group, and we really feel to
• This is an important amendment that relates to earned sick and safe time, and I think, you know, this
• time and I think you know this safe time and I think you know this committee<03:35:41.439> has

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'll start with what's new for 2026 and then dig into those exact things I was talking about: purpose
• At each step along the way, you have the chance of deciding, do we want to keep digging into this or
• But if the committee decides you want to dig into it in more depth, we would go to the next level, which
• We'll dig into some potential policy implications, maybe report back some findings, and start putting

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Select Committee on Pension Policy approved the November minutes by roll call vote, then held its annual officer elections. Senator Conway was elected chair, Representative Couture vice chair, Mike Yastramski to the executive committee as the active member representative, Bev Hermanson as the retiree representative, and Anthony Marietta as the employer representative. Each election passed by roll call vote, with 14 yes votes and 5 excused members. Staff then presented a high-level overview of the 2026 legislative session, focusing on pension-related bills and studies. Topics included the termination and restatement of LEOFF 1 in Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2034, DRS administration changes in House Bill 2124, administrative expense authority in Substitute Senate Bill 5834, exclusion of certain port workers from PERS in Engrossed House Bill 2179, and a one-time 3% COLA for PERS and TERS Plan 1 retirees in Substitute Senate Bill 5862. The presentation also covered new studies directed to the committee, including LEOFF 1 pension board and medical liability issues and oversight of the restated LEOFF 1 plan, plus related studies assigned to the LEOFF 2 Board and the Office of the State Actuary. Committee members asked about DRS’s role in implementing the LEOFF 1 termination/restatement bill, and DRS said it would help seek IRS approval and notify members about the bill and any challenge deadlines. A separate orientation presentation reviewed committee procedures, public comment, staff roles, voting rules, and the interim work plan. Public commenters from retiree and school administrator groups urged the committee to pursue another one-time COLA and to consider an ongoing COLA for Plan 1 retirees, pointing to inflation and the LEOFF 1 surplus account created by HB 2034. No further committee action was taken beyond adjournment, and the meeting ended after scheduling the executive committee to meet later that morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we're going to do that, we have to have other structures where we're really digging into what they
• > really have other structures where we're really have other structures where we're really digging
• <00:08:16.720> So,<00:08:17.640> that digging into what they do.
• So, that digging into what they do.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: State Auditor Julie Blaha discussed fraud in Minnesota, emphasizing that recent attention on fraud during COVID-19 should be separated from broader, ongoing fraud risks. She explained that the Office of the State Auditor oversees about $60 billion in local government activity, including school districts, cities, townships, counties, special districts, and port authorities, and works both to prevent fraud through audits and to investigate cases when they arise. Blaha said the biggest current challenge is workforce shortages in accounting and accountability fields, which makes it harder to provide oversight even as public demand for accountability increases. She urged legislators to involve her office early when drafting bills so the right oversight tool can be matched to the risk, rather than simply adding an audit requirement by default. She also said a proposed Office of the Inspector General would be a useful accountability discussion, but stressed that internal audit structures are often more effective than relying only on external audits. Blaha said the public plays a major role in detecting fraud because tips are the most common way fraud, waste, and abuse are uncovered. She encouraged public employees and local officials to report concerns, especially around unusual spending or misuse of purchasing cards, and noted that reporting can be confidential and is often required for certain public employees. In her closing remarks, she warned that COVID-era fraud often involved private-sector actors and said outsourcing government work requires careful risk analysis and added oversight. The segment ended with a reminder that allegations of state government fraud can be submitted to the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor online, by phone, or by mail.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what making sure that kids are safe.
• And in the end, our goal is to make sure our children are safe.
• And in the end, our goal is to make sure our children are safe.
• And in the end, our goal is to make sure our children are safe.
• And in the end, our goal is to make sure our children are safe.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call establishing a quorum, approval of the prior day’s journal, adoption of committee reports, and the first readings of several House and Senate files. The chamber also received Senate File 476, which was referred to Ways and Means, and Senate File 4807, which was sent for comparison with a House file. The Speaker announced members to escort the Governor to the joint convention on April 28. The main floor action was House File 3489, an education bill establishing field trip supervision rules and creating the criminal offense of grooming. Representative Bennett described the bill as a response to survivor testimony and explained that it would prohibit staff from being alone with students in certain circumstances, create felony penalties for grooming, make grooming grounds for educator license discipline, add grooming to mandatory reporting and training, and allow the Department of Education to look back further in investigations. Bennett and several members also noted the bill’s fiscal note, including added investigative staffing and prison costs. During debate, multiple members from both parties voiced support, emphasizing student safety, mandatory reporter training, clearer field trip rules, and better communication with licensing boards. Several members thanked survivor Hannah LaPresto and Detective Chad Clausen for their work and testimony, and some members stressed that grooming is a deliberate process and that the bill is intended to protect children without vilifying educators. Representative Jordan also highlighted prevention through education about consent and grooming. No amendments were offered, and the bill was given its third reading; members repeatedly urged a green vote, though the transcript provided does not include the final roll-call result.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't believe it's good for kids and I don't believe it's safe. I'll just add yes Thank you.
• So I'd encourage the committee to dig into this more deeply, really have a hearing on it, and find out
• media skills, but there need to be. guardrails in place that limit how much screen time is healthy and safe
• I share this story to highlight how what families determine is safe for their children and what schools
• consider safe are at odds right now.

Transcript Highlights:

• My question to you is again digging into what that risk is.
• What we're doing is we're creating a mechanism by which to keep juveniles in the state's custody safe
• facility by creating safety plans that would align with federal standards so that we're keeping kids safe
• standpoint, any of these safety plans must align with current federal regulations of keeping kids safe
• these cases arise, in the interest of the child's safety, we need a way to separate them to keep them safe

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• about whether their government will stay focused on real, everyday challenges: affordable housing, safe
• If we have to pass a bill like this and dig deeper into the discussion of this, and maybe it gets on
• using the gavel, whatever is part of it, but making sure the members, the staff, and the public are safe
• It absolutely expands patient access to safe care.
• Sorry, one last quick question, which is hopefully easy. ...expands patient access to safe care.

Bills: HB2014, HB2156, HB2180, HB2554, HCR2047, HR2002

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, livestock, compensation, funding, ranching, agriculture, appropriation, University of Arizona, education, state budget, biennial budget, state funding, appropriations, budget procedures, fiscal years, Judea

Summary: The committee first took up HCR 2047 and the identical HCR 2002, both sponsored by the chair. The resolutions recognize the historical, biblical, and legal legitimacy of Judea and Samaria, encourage those terms in official state communications, and reject the term West Bank as a modern political construct. Staff and several proponents, including representatives of an Israel-Arizona business coalition, a rabbi, and a StandWithUs representative, argued the language is historically accurate and important for truth, legal clarity, and Arizona’s relationship with Israel. No one testified against either measure. HCR 2047 passed 10-6 with 2 not voting, and HCR 2002 passed 11-6 with 1 not voting, both with due pass recommendations. The committee then considered HB 2554, which would move Arizona to a biennial state budget process and biennial capital planning. The sponsor argued the change would make government smaller, more disciplined, and less prone to long budget fights and spending growth. JLBC staff provided historical context, explaining Arizona’s past use of annual, bifurcated, and biennial budgeting and noting that second-year budgets are often adjusted for revenue and caseload changes. Members raised concerns about legislative leverage, executive flexibility, and whether the state already effectively budgets on a multi-year basis. Testimony was mixed: one supporter said the change could improve budget clarity, while others voted present or no, citing uncertainty and the need for more study. HB 2554 received a due pass recommendation on a 9-7 vote with 2 present. Next, HB 2014 was amended and passed. The bill directs ADEQ and the Department of Agriculture to study gasoline blend emissions and feasibility for seasonal fuel use in certain areas, with appropriations for the studies. The sponsor said Arizona’s fuel supply is vulnerable because of federal EPA rules and reliance on out-of-state refineries, especially California. Some members supported the study as a way to address possible fuel shortages, while others said prior stakeholder work had shown little could be done and questioned the cost. After adopting the Livingston amendment, the committee gave HB 2014 a due pass recommendation on a 12-2 vote with 4 present. The committee also advanced HB 2180, which funds the University of Arizona’s AZ Reach program, after adopting an amendment reducing the appropriation from $2.5 million to $500,000. The sponsor and a rural physician testified that AZ Reach helps small hospitals coordinate patient transfers, freeing clinicians to focus on care and improving access for rural communities. A program director explained that AZ Reach handles the administrative logistics of transfers for sending hospitals. Some members supported the program but noted concerns about the amount and ongoing budget negotiations, while others said the receiving hospitals needed to be part of the discussion. The bill passed with a due pass recommendation. Finally, HB 2156, as amended, appropriates $250,000 for the livestock compensation fund to help ranchers with wolf depredation losses and conflict-avoidance measures. A Game and Fish representative said the current federal grant funding is insufficient and unstable, while members debated the use of general funds and the program’s priorities. The bill received a due pass recommendation on a 10-7 vote with 1 not voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• protect us, save lives for the sake of future victims, for the sake of children who deserve to grow up safe
• being violated and you're only in your home and the very place you should feel safest is not your safe
• There were not ways for anyone to feel safe or comfortable to report.
• Don't know if I will in the future, but I will talk to the bill sponsor because I really need to dig
• I want to thank our sergeants for keeping us safe. And that is all that we have today.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you dig, if you click down into that, you then see the individuals that are also associated with the
• and transparency while supporting our mission to help seniors and adults under guardianship live safely
• as dementia, developmental disabilities, or severe mental illness limit a person's ability to make safe
• , no matter how you celebrate it, but, you know, I will see you all in the new year, and please be safe
• . ...the new year and please be safe.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met to receive updates on implementation of House Bill 1349, which created guardianship transparency measures, and on the Department of Elder Affairs’ Office of Public and Professional Guardians (OPPG). The Clerk of Courts Operations Corporation described the statewide guardianship database for judges and a public-facing website, noting the system went live in March 2025 after a soft launch in 2024. Officials said the database now includes information from all 67 clerks, with 388 users, about 6,400 wards, and 518 professional guardians. Members asked about unique identifiers, data duplication, training, and how the system is being used; CCOC said it is working to use registration numbers as identifiers, improve search functions, expand training, and seek continued funding. Secretary Michelle Branham then outlined OPPG’s implementation of HB 1349 and its broader oversight role. She said the department has doubled education requirements, expanded transparency through the Sentry system, and brought investigations fully in-house in August 2024. She described the complaint and investigation process, including legal sufficiency review, regional investigators, mandatory in-person interviews, and possible outcomes ranging from corrective training and fines to suspension or revocation. Members asked about complaint categories, disciplinary actions, whether guardians can be suspended during investigations, and how older cases are handled; the secretary said most complaints are administrative/technical, serious allegations are referred to law enforcement, and one older case discussed remained ongoing. The Auditor General’s office presented its operational audit of OPPG, covering July 2022 through January 2024 and follow-up on prior findings. The audit identified problems with monitoring private professional guardians and public guardian offices, complaint processing timeliness, incomplete public profile information, late registration renewals, failure to assess contract penalties, weak collection safeguards, missing follow-up on required public guardian reports, lack of needed rules, and Sentry system access/security controls. In response, Secretary Branham said the department does not dispute the findings and has already taken corrective steps, including launching Sentry, hiring additional monitors, moving investigations in-house, adding automated renewal reminders, updating forms, and drafting new rules. She also said the department plans to seek subpoena power and stronger fines in the next legislative session. The subcommittee took no formal vote and adjourned after members’ questions were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• these days called ACE, Agile Combat Employment, which is essentially We've operated off these big safe
• We're trying to dig up some numbers, but just anecdotally, a little data point: the amount of homeschooling
• It's an overnight tent city, a safe outdoor space that we started in 2011, sheltering up to 50 people
• ended up listening to these three folks who brought forward the idea of starting an outdoor shelter, a safe
• Ultimately, we're working in partnership with the people who are living outside to be safe and to resolve

Transcript Highlights:

• most flexible work. it could possibly find, and allowed people of every background to get around safely
• Having a safe, effective, and credible nuclear deterrent is a cornerstone of our national defense.
• only deliver the weapons, but the nuclear command and control system that would... be required for a safe
• I look forward to digging into that and finding out the answers and hopefully changing course.
• airlift receives those C-130Js, we actually were next on the list so that they can more capably and safely

Keywords: Air Force modernization, fighter aircraft, autonomous systems, air superiority, national security, recapitalization

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on military procurement and modernization, with significant discussions surrounding the Air Force's capabilities and strategic needs. Key topics included the urgent need for recapitalization of the Air Force's fighter squadrons, as well as the importance of integrating new technologies like autonomous systems to bolster military effectiveness. Several senators raised concerns about the current resources available to the Air National Guard and the potential loss of skilled service members if recapitalization plans are not swiftly developed. There were also discussions on the importance of maintaining air superiority in light of evolving threats, particularly from adversaries like China.

Transcript Highlights:

• prevention standpoint, it is easier to raise the strong children and educate them on what is healthy and safe
• of up to 30 years instead of 15, if is determined is what's needed to commit to keep our community safe
• We're doing it on what we see is their inability to follow simple instructions and operate a vehicle safely
• again, as I said earlier, drug is any substance which impairs a person's ability to operate a vehicle safely
• They don't dig deeper. Our lives are overworked.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Things like Social Security numbers in employment data, ensuring information on location data for Safe
• Things like Social Security numbers in employment data, ensuring information on location data for Safe
• <01:53:27.920> harbor you can also provide some safe harbor you can also provide some safe
• And so when I see this headline, it definitely raises a lot of red flags, and I did some digging and
• and come to find out the some digging and come to find out the walls<02:09:11.040> administration

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This may be a question for the judge, and I thank the chairman for his deference here in digging into
• people who are using these products for medical reasons a place to go, in a place where they can have safe

Bills: HB46, HB272, HB551, HB1661, HB2820, HB3181, HB4145, HB4157, HB46, HB272

Keywords: low-THC cannabis, dispensing organization, Texas Compassionate-Use Program, medical use, patient access, registration, healthcare, legislation, credit card fraud, debit card fraud, prosecution, illegal possession, state law, political contributions, address privacy, Texas Ethics Commission, election transparency, campaign finance, election supplies, ballots

Transcript Highlights:

• And wherever we get our... food from, as long as it's safe, may be good.
• I did a little more digging into other companies that are kind of in this biotechnology... race, including

Bills: SB315, SB584, SB1228, SB1484, SB1860, SB1802

Keywords: DNA privacy, genetic privacy, genetic testing, genetic material, DNA ownership, property right in DNA, genetic consent, biological sample, genomics, genetic data, HIPAA, health information privacy, health care provider, research ethics, human subjects research, law enforcement DNA, forensic DNA, paternity testing, medical examiner, genetic discrimination

Transcript Highlights:

• So it might be safe to go up to 51%. And you'd save roughly about $9 million. 51%.
• Chair, I'm going to do a little dig in tonight to see if we did kill that in our education committee.

Bills: SB2399

Keywords: mental health, psychiatric treatment, reimbursement, medical assistance, legislative report, 908, all

Summary: The committee reconvened and first reconsidered House Bill 1612, the aerospace medical and mental health support center bill. Senator Cleary offered an amendment to reduce the general fund appropriation from $500,000 to $250,000 and require the university or project sponsors to find the remaining funding from other sources. The amendment passed, and the bill was then recommended do pass as amended, with members citing concerns about university funding, but others supporting the project as a one-time seed investment. The committee also discussed a possible future FMAP increase beginning October 1, 2026, which could reduce general fund costs by roughly $9 million, though members noted the figures were still preliminary and could be addressed later if needed. The committee then returned to Human Services budget items, including early childhood and child care funding, a community cultural center grant, and several other adjustments. Members discussed reducing the “best in class” amount, changes to child care grants and quality/infrastructure funding, and clarifying that prior child care assistance appropriations were in fact being spent. They also agreed to reduce the 1915(i) Medicaid waiver line by $2 million, with the understanding that the entitlement would still be funded as needed. The committee also considered taking guardianship funding out of House Bill 1012 because a separate bill, Senate Bill 2029, would move that funding elsewhere; members agreed that removing it from the budget could help the overall bill and could be restored if the separate bill failed. Several study amendments were discussed. Senator Cleary proposed adding a maternal health study related to prenatal services, doulas, midwives, and Medicaid, and members expressed support. The committee also discussed a software/case-management study proposal, but the department said it had not requested it and would not support it as presented, so members leaned against advancing it unless the department first evaluated it. Another amendment would authorize the department to work with the city of Grafton on a long-term plan for the LSTC campus and require a report back to the legislature; members supported that as legislative intent. The committee also agreed to remove a truancy study section for later conference discussion, and it reviewed other possible study ideas, including assistive technology, before adjourning to await updated long sheets and bill text.

Transcript Highlights:

• fireworks are heavily regulated nationally and statewide, and which is why we are constantly promoting the safe
• Yeah, no, and I, and I apologize for digging in on this.

Transcript Highlights:

• The earlier you detect the earlier you get treatment, more lives you safe and also the more money you
• I'd love to dig into it, but it's complicated and it feels like it's already already done.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• White Wade, who discovered a large rock wall when digging a well in the mid-1800s, dedicated to preserving
• But anyway, thank you so much for being here and safe travels on your way home.

Bills: SJR36, SJR2, SB4, SR45, SR47, SR63, SR66, SR70, SR85, SCR14, SB10, SB11, SB10, SB11

Keywords: SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, constitutional amendment, homestead exemption, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval, November 2025 ballot, local government, Ways & Means