Transcript Highlights:

• and this year, and that was the elimination of paper-pencil tests for our third- and fourth-grade students
• There are still some schools that really don't want to do that until much later in their testing years
• Grades three through eight take between eight and 11 hours of testing every year.
• over year the right model. ...employ year over year the right model.
• requirements for five years or at least until a test is developed.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As far as the testing goes, obviously, it's been a long time since I took a test.
• Once you have two years, you have two years, Insurance is the biggest hindrance.
• to eight years.
• years, three years.
• Have you taken a test? I did not take a test.

Summary: The subcommittee heard and approved four bills focused on reducing or modernizing professional regulation. HB 6015, by Rep. Oliver, repeals the word “reusable” from the wine keg statute to allow businesses more flexibility in container materials; members joked about the possibility of a Home Depot bucket, and the bill passed 16-0. HB 339, by Rep. Abbott, creates an alternative temporary licensure pathway for surveyors and mappers based on employer recommendation and exam passage, but members raised concerns about qualifications, liability, and oversight; Abbott said he was open to amendments, and the bill passed 14-1 with Rep. Overdorf dissenting. HB 139, by Rep. Lopez, allows pawnbrokers to use digital transaction forms instead of only printed forms; a technical amendment added readability and placement requirements for digital forms, and the bill passed unanimously. HB 195, by Rep. Chambliss, lets the Department of Corrections coordinate with DBPR boards so inmates who complete licensure-related classes can receive credit toward professional licensure; supporters framed it as a second-chance and workforce bill, an amendment clarified that DBPR handles professions without boards, and the bill passed favorably 15-0. The committee then received a presentation from DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin on the department’s role overseeing more than 1.7 million businesses and professionals across over 30 fields. She highlighted enforcement and complaint data, including more than 24,000 inspections and complaints handled in the last fiscal year, a preference for education and voluntary compliance over formal discipline, and the department’s alternative dispute resolution program, which returned $2.7 million to consumers and saved $270,000 in costs. Griffin also reviewed recent deregulatory and efficiency efforts, including endorsement/reciprocity reforms, fee waivers, reduced processing times, and shorter call wait times, and said DBPR is continuing to look for ways to cut red tape while protecting public safety. Members questioned Griffin about permitting, continuing education, complaint processing, board vacancies, fraud in cosmetology and construction, coordination with other agencies, and whether schools can block students from taking state exams over unpaid tuition. DBPR staff said complaints are generally processed within 60 days, schools cannot bar graduates from taking the exam because of tuition debt, and the department works with other agencies when issues cross jurisdictional lines. The panel discussion that followed featured industry representatives from landscape architecture, building/code administration, pools, roofing, construction, HVAC/electrical, and hospitality, who generally supported reducing local permitting burdens, standardizing requirements, improving reciprocity and training pathways, and using technology and clearer scopes of work to make licensure and inspections more efficient.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there any standardized testing for solubility of PFOS?
• over many, many years, we think that's a bit hasty.
• And I think also we'll get more testing, right?
• Many responsible manufacturers already tested.
• If what is the testing that determines?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• because there's no means testing at all. because there's no means testing at all.
• $125,000 a year in their household. $125,000 a year in their household.
• This is tried and tested.
• It's just been 20 years; needs change. It's just been 20 years; needs change.
• using this space for 20 or more years. using this space for 20 or more years.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's 44 years old.
• The next year, the math score for that grade might be In the overachieving, and we have to test for gifted
• year does not lend itself well to looking at individual years.
• So we've been working on that for, I think this coming year will be 5 years. Thank you.
• And any single thing can happen in a particular year that makes it very much not an average year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Years of research.
• That’s seven years after four years of medical school.
• So just because you necessarily pass a test doesn't mean you actually can do the test.
• 18 years.
• Even after 10 years—10 years after college of medical education—I still worry.

Bills: HB35, HB4490, HB4454, HB2188, HB3078, HB4743, HB2556, HB46, HB5342, HB4783, HB3785, HB5278, HB1639, HB2581, HB4224, HB4070, HB4099, HB4882, HB3794, HB46

Keywords: peer support, first responders, mental health, confidentiality, emergency services, disclosure, next of kin, public information, deceased persons, privacy rights, patient solicitation, marketing practices, healthcare regulation, task force, deceptive advertising, nurse aide, certification, Texas Board of Nursing, healthcare workforce, nursing standards

Transcript Highlights:

• But 20 years in business yesterday for our company, we're very fortunate to have stood the test of time
• But 20 years in business yesterday for our company, we're very fortunate to have stood the test of time
• But 20 years in business yesterday for our company, we're very fortunate to have stood the test of time
• But 20 years in business yesterday for our company, we're very fortunate to have stood the test of time
• But 20 years in business yesterday for our company, we're very fortunate to have stood the test of time

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on January 29, 2025, and heard testimony on HB 108, which concerns intoxicating liquor and would expand direct-to-consumer shipping for beer and spirits. Supporters included representatives of Koloa Rum Company, Maui Brewing Company, and Ola Brew, who argued the bill would modernize alcohol laws, help small local producers compete, support jobs and local agriculture, and give consumers more access to Hawaii-made products. They also said Hawaii already has experience regulating direct wine shipments, with age verification and carrier-based delivery systems in place, and that direct shipping could help businesses reach visitors after they return home and diversify beyond tourism. Opposition came from the Hawaii Public Health Institute, whose representative said the bill could increase access for underage drinking, especially because liquor commissions do not currently conduct compliance checks on alcohol shipments and may lack capacity to do so. The group also raised tax-enforcement concerns, saying the existing three-tier system makes excise and sales tax collection easier, while direct shipping would require additional auditing. They urged the committee to oppose the bill or defer it until more research is done, and suggested a common carrier reporting requirement to help reconcile shipments. Committee members questioned both sides about whether current law already allows some alcohol shipments, whether a Kentucky distiller could ship directly to Hawaii, and how reciprocity with other states would work. Supporters said the bill is modeled on wine-shipping language and could be amended to clarify reciprocity, while opponents said the bill lacks a common carrier reporting requirement and would place a burden on county liquor commissions. No vote or final action on HB 108 was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh this is approximately 28 years old.
• I do have a few and years ahead.
• test. Thank you. test. Thank you. Senator<01:30:28.239> Senator<01:30:28.639> Dain.
• warrants that are 25 or more years old. warrants that are 25 or more years old.
• ,<01:32:31.040> every County is we get uh every year, every County is we get uh every year

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Roll Call: 00:00:01 Recognition of New Members: 00:01:17 Disaster Response: 00:01:41 Pretrial Discussion: 00:31:25, 958, all

Summary: The committee first established a quorum, approved the minutes from the November 7, 2024 meeting, and then heard an update on disaster response and courthouse recovery efforts after the April flooding. Representatives from the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Franklin County Circuit and District Court Clerk’s office, and the Franklin Circuit Court described damage in Perry, Hardin, and especially Franklin counties. Perry County had limited roof and water infiltration issues with no operational impact. Hardin County’s justice center basement took about 18 inches of water, affecting court records and mechanical/electrical equipment, and court operations were briefly suspended. Franklin County’s courthouse was far more severely damaged, with about four feet of water on the first floor, forcing relocation of court operations to temporary sites, including AOC space and the regional jail for custody proceedings. Witnesses said damaged files from Hardin and Franklin counties were removed, sent to an out-of-state vendor for drying and remediation, and would be returned or destroyed as appropriate. They estimated combined costs for file restoration, building repair, and remediation at about $11 million, with insurance through KCOJ/KO expected to cover only part of the losses and FEMA reimbursement still pending a federal disaster declaration. They also said the Franklin County courthouse’s first floor remains gutted, electrical panels and HVAC systems need major replacement, and the second and third floors may be used temporarily once power and data are restored. Members asked about roof damage in Hardin County, the status of FEMA applications, digitization of court records, and whether Senate Bill 25 restricted funds could be used to cover the funding gap; staff said the funds cannot be spent without General Assembly authorization. The committee also discussed broader record-retention and e-filing issues, with members noting the limits of paper filing and the need for better digitization as a backup in emergencies. AOC staff said they are working with the Supreme Court and state law librarian on what records can be digitized and how long hard copies must still be retained. After the disaster-response presentation, the committee moved on to a separate informational presentation on pre-trial services, with introductions from the executive officer of pre-trial services, the president of the Kentucky District Judges Association, a circuit judge, and the manager of pre-trial services, who began explaining how the pre-trial system works for newer committee members.

Transcript Highlights:

• after year after year.
• , but we did bring it up last this year, but we did bring it up last year. year. year.
• Five<02:33:44.800> years. Five years. Five years.
• And this is not in the last year. This has been going on year after year after year.
• year after year after has been going on year after year after year<03:16:10.720> after<03:16:

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the February 18, 2026 journal, and received several committee and House messages. Judiciary reported juvenile parole board appointments to the consent calendar for confirmation, and Transportation and Energy reported Senate Bills 28 and 25 along with other measures. The House transmitted multiple bills to the Reviser of Statutes, and the Senate later agreed to take up a large group of House bills on special order and consent calendar. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to personal-privilege remarks recognizing visiting groups, including the Mad Moms and Mad Dads advocating for people with serious mental illness, and the Colorado Gifted and Talented Association. Members spoke about stigma and the need for mental health legislation, and about supporting gifted students and their families. These remarks were welcomed by the chair and other senators. The Senate then considered a package of supplemental appropriation bills, including House Bills 1150 through 1179, covering agency budgets, school finance adjustments, education fund uses, and capital construction transfers. The committee of the whole adopted the package on second reading, and the full Senate later adopted the committee report by a vote of 33 ayes, with one excused and one vacant seat. The bills were ordered placed on the calendar for third reading and final passage. House Bill 1151, a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Corrections, drew extended debate. Supporters argued the bill was needed to cover existing obligations, avoid more costly jail backlogs, and prevent unsafe conditions, while critics said the department’s population management failures and broader sentencing policies were driving unnecessary costs and called for accountability and structural reform before more funding. Despite the debate, the bill was included in the adopted second-reading package.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that would be to test at the contractor's board and pass an aptitude test to determine if they were
• I've tried to go back and read like several years of the minutes from the plumbing board.
• I've tried to go back and read like several years of the minutes from the plumbing board.
• I've tried to go back and read like several years of the minutes from the plumbing board.
• I thought we had spoken about if they failed that test, then put them in the hours.

Summary: The Senate Commerce Committee met on May 6, 2026, with five members present and approved the prior meeting minutes. The committee first heard HB 750, a “click-to-cancel” consumer protection bill requiring subscription cancellations to be as easy as sign-up and to be available through the same method used to subscribe. An amendment was adopted, testimony included support from labor and consumer advocates and opposition from some business groups, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up SB 414, which was narrowed to cap interest on medical debt at 3%. After reconsidering and replacing prior amendments, the committee adopted the new amendment set and reported the bill favorably as amended. HB 799, concerning inspection licensing for elevators, escalators, and boilers, was presented by the State Fire Marshal and reported favorably with little discussion. The longest discussion centered on HB 953, a major plumbing workforce and licensing reform bill. The bill was amended substantially: the original proposal to move plumbing oversight to the Contractors Board was removed, the plumbing board remained in place, apprenticeship and journeyman/master plumber hour requirements were revised, penalties and reporting requirements were added, and language was included to support workforce development and reentry training. The committee heard both support and opposition, including clarification from the State Plumbing Board that it already has an appeals process through the courts, and HB 953 was reported favorably as amended. Finally, HB 220, the “PROTECT Act,” was heard to require covered online platforms to maintain a clear and usable mechanism for reporting child sexual abuse material and exploitation. An amendment was adopted to account for platforms that require registration to access content, testimony was supportive, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. HB 952 was deferred, and HB 827, a related plumbing workforce bill, was amended to align more closely with HB 953 but then failed a motion to defer by roll call vote, allowing it to remain pending. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is my seventh year on.
• I've been on this committee this 13 years, and then y'all send folks waiting eight years.
• And in fiscal year 2024.
• Test kits, COVID test kits, the current policy allows for the dispensation of four COVID test kits to
• I just wanted to share sort of a snapshot and compare fiscal... year 2022 to year-to-date fiscal year

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• tested positive for at least one drug.
• The following year we got an additional $201,000.
• And then this year we used $275,000 of those funds and next year we are projected to spend about $438,000
• percent of those of that number that was tested that tested positive for substance abuse.
• These are this coming year, fiscal year, school years' grantees, and First Nations, who's first on the

Transcript Highlights:

• We had an entire year of hybrid testing where we ran it in parallel.
• And that has still to date never occurred, not in testing, not last year.
• You know, so, never occurred, not in testing, not last year.
• I mean, the fund got in trouble years and years, 15 years ago, by having unreasonable assumptions.
• So, obviously, every year it's a one-year contract that renews every year, over five years.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They don't need and the freeze is only for this one year. It's going to freeze every year.
• year. It's going to freeze every year. year. It's going to freeze every year.
• The average life expectancy of a 65 year The average life expectancy of a 65 year old<00:05:16.880
• My oldest patient is 72 years disease. My oldest patient is 72 years of<00:20:08.080> age.
• "Aren't all babies tested, right?" >> Aren't all babies tested, right?

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's why it's a pilot program to test to see if we can do it.
• I've been a nurse for 43 years.
• The child was out of home a year and a half.
• My daughter, you know, she's 29 years old. She's my everything.
• And so I'm hopeful this bill makes it to the finish line this year.

Transcript Highlights:

• of those tests and drugs.
• Get the test positive.
• It's four years of college, and I think three to four years after college.
• Right here in Santa Fe, we are celebrating our 50th year this year.
• Maybe we're measuring the wrong thing for years and years and years, and this is still a problem.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My biggest concern on the bill is testing.
• So I'm concerned about the testing.
• So this is my biggest concern: how the testing will include diversity, how much testing is already being
• After being in the classroom for 25 years, it was like more testing.
• Yeah, I was able to do that last year. Thank you. Try again this year. That is wonderful.

Bills: SB234, SB210, SB243, SB244, SM16, HB8

Keywords: foster children, school transportation, education funding, public education, child welfare, New Mexico Highlands University, soccer field, women's sports, infrastructure improvement, funding allocation, student athletes, appropriation, New Mexico State University, nutrition, travel support, funding, education, university support, financial assistance, parenting students

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:40:09.280> it's budget year after year and that it's budget year after year and that it's
• years I know we said this and years and years I know we said this back<00:50:16.760> in<00:50
• after year, right?
• it's<00:59:27.599> a increasing year after year right it's a increasing year after year right
• after year?

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the January 16, 2024 minutes without objection. Members then heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its December 2024 performance audit of the Department of Human Services’ outstanding provider debt in Minnesota’s Medicaid fee-for-service program. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall said the audit was launched after the office noticed a large accounts receivable balance during the state financial statement audit and became concerned that DHS did not understand the extent of the overpayments, had poor data, and planned to forgo recovery of some recoverable balances. Deputy Legislative Auditor Lori Lyson explained that DHS had reported $51.7 million in provider debt across about 2,500 providers in fiscal year 2023, with testing focused on long-term care facilities and the largest balances. The audit concluded DHS did not comply with legal requirements and lacked adequate internal controls. Findings included that DHS had not attempted to recover more than $40 million since collection notices were last sent in 2015 and 2019; that the department planned to write off some balances under $1,000 and some older than six years despite the auditors’ view that at least some of that debt may still be recoverable; that DHS overstated accounts receivable in its financial reporting because it had not updated its allowance calculation since 2019; and that MMIS data were insufficient to verify balances, with 20 of 59 sampled providers not reconciling and many dates inaccurate. In response to member questions, the auditors said the overpayments appeared to be routine program adjustments rather than fraud, but the department could not explain many of them because detailed data are only retained for about three years. They also said they did not know which specific DHS leader approved not collecting the debt, and that responsibility for recovery appeared split between program and finance staff, with each pointing to the other. The auditors recommended DHS recover the debt where possible, improve internal controls, retain better documentation, ensure accurate financial reporting, and work with the legislature if needed to clarify recovery authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is part of a multi-year effort that you all kicked off two years ago to This is part of a multi-year
• Those four-year rates do not apply to the two-year sector or the certificates.
• So there's $20 million a year that we've had for two years.
• over year.
• over year.

Bills: SB37, SB29

Keywords: high-quality literacy instruction, science of reading, structured literacy, reading instruction, literacy assessment, dyslexia screening, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, biliteracy, English language learner, ELL, bilingual education, dual language program, reading intervention, reading difficulty, reading improvement plan, literacy coach

Transcript Highlights:

• And it takes a year, two years to train them to be competent.
• multiple years?
• And so 22 years, 26, 4 years, and the price of everything has gone up.
• And so 22 years, 26, 4 years, and the price of everything has gone up.
• And so 22 years, 26, 4 years, and the price of everything has gone up.

Keywords: 1183, house