Transcript Highlights:

• Some states have also um decided that they might get a broader pool if they look at tax records.
• Some states have also um decided that they might get a broader pool if they look at tax records.
• So, that's the first provision in pool.
• <00:56:06.160> And<00:56:06.400> so pools or brought more people in.
• And so pools or brought more people in.

Bills: HF3874, HF3875, HF3378

Keywords: judicial funding, Chief Justice security, fiscal year 2028, court system, judicial branch, judiciary, court notices, restitution, child protection, publication process, human services, Optum reports, data privacy, transparency, legislative oversight, 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the March 3 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Minnesota Judicial Branch on House File 3874, which was laid over for possible inclusion in a finance bill. State Court Administrator Jeff Shorba and Chief Judge Michael Fritz testified in support of a supplemental funding request focused on judicial branch safety and security, along with funding to cover the employer share of Minnesota Paid Leave costs. Shorba said the branch is seeking help because it did not receive funding for paid leave in the last session and is having to hold positions open to absorb the cost. The safety and security request included five parts: personal data protection for judges and court administrators, home security, two additional staff positions for threat assessment and coordination, security for the chief justice at public events, and a revived courthouse security grant program for counties. Testimony emphasized rising threats and incidents involving judges and court staff, including examples of doxing, home surveillance, and threats involving litigants, and cited increases in reported incidents, threats, and disturbances. Fritz said the branch’s current response system is stretched and that more law-enforcement-trained staff would improve coordination and response. Members questioned why the judicial branch should receive state funding for paid leave when private employers must absorb the cost, and Shorba responded that the branch was excluded from end-of-session funding decisions and that the mandate should be funded for all branches of government. Members also asked about the threat-response process and whether local law enforcement should be used more directly. Another concern raised was whether State Patrol troopers assigned to judicial security would have the training needed for criminal-code enforcement, and Shorba said the branch is discussing that issue with the State Patrol. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fifty percent of our pool goes away when you start school before Labor Day.
• /c><00:29:53.799> here's<00:29:54.080> what<00:29:54.240> the the rest of the pool
• here's what the the rest of the pool here's what the University<00:29:54.840> of<00:29:54.960
• goes away when August 50% of our pool goes away when you<00:30:10.600> start<00:30:10.919>
• exists an opportunity for early risk exists an opportunity for early detection<01:20:52.440> that

Bills: HF1124, HF1457, HF1803

Keywords: school calendar, education, school year, Labor Day, state law, school construction, landfill, dump site, closed landfill, contaminated site, pollution control agency, school siting, public school, charter school, environmental health, student safety, brownfield, solid waste, waste disposal site, site contamination

Transcript Highlights:

• They do system reliability planning and risk monitoring and response.
• They do system reliability planning and risk monitoring and response.
• 14.759> and they do system reliability planning and they do system reliability planning and risk
• <00:06:15.199> monitoring<00:06:15.840> and risk monitoring and risk monitoring and response
• <00:54:47.119> in Southwest power pool in Southwest power pool in Minnesota<00:54:49.000><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And, thankfully, there is no increased risk of pregnancy loss. So, why do you think, or...
• First of all, can you please define what a high-risk pregnancy is?
• to. undergo alternative reproductive technologies such as IVF, they are typically considered high risk
• Risk?
• than two years later sitting in a doctor's office that I would have been told that I would be high risk

Bills: HB201, HB272, HB618, HB 1094, HB 1142, HB201, HB272

Keywords: financial crime, card fraud, motor fuel theft, law enforcement, criminal activity, skimmers, prevention, training, credit card fraud, debit card fraud, prosecution, illegal possession, state law, HB 618, Texas insurance code, IVF, in vitro fertilization, fertility treatment, infertility coverage, government employee health benefits

Transcript Highlights:

• covenants that reserve to a private, for-profit owner perpetual control of amenities like playgrounds, pools
• you take these together, these failures expose the association to significant legal and financial risk
• It allows a neutral judge to examine the association's conduct, assess the risks and the financial condition
• mandatory fees that have increased over 123% in five years are putting my ability to remain in my home at risk
• mandatory fees that have increased over 123% in five years are putting my ability to remain in my home at risk

Summary: The Senate Committee on Regulated Industries met with a quorum and considered four bills. First, the committee took up SB 1724 on municipal utility services. A late-filed strike-all amendment by Senator Martin was adopted after he explained it would require annual customer meetings for certain extraterritorial utility customers, cap the use of utility revenues for general government purposes, eliminate a 25% surcharge and reduce the rate differential cap, remove municipal natural gas utilities from the bill, and preserve certain surcharges only as needed to satisfy existing bond covenants. The Florida League of Cities raised implementation concerns about the July 1, 2026 effective date and the time needed for rate studies and budget adjustments, but the bill as amended was reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 936 on temporary door locking devices by Senator McLean. The bill would define temporary door locking devices, authorize their installation at any height, require the Florida Building Commission to add standards to the Florida Building Code, and require their use to be incorporated into safety plans, drills, and training. With no opposition or debate, SB 936 was reported favorably. Next, the committee considered SB 1014 by Senator Mayfield, which would prohibit municipalities from refusing water and wastewater service solely because a property owner declines annexation, if the property is near a municipal main line, not served by another utility, and the utility has capacity. An amendment narrowed the bill by defining “main line” and reducing the distance threshold from 2,000 meters to one-half mile. The Florida League of Cities opposed the bill as amended, citing concerns about large users, possible conflict with annexation law, potential enclave creation, and revenue impacts, but Senator Mayfield said he would continue working on the issues. The committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, Chair Bradley presented SB 1498 on community associations. A strike-all amendment was adopted that made technical changes to video conference recording, turnover inspection reports, and electronic voting, and added provisions requiring associations to provide records to law enforcement and prosecutors, creating a second-degree misdemeanor for willful refusal. It also targeted mandatory club or amenity fee structures controlled by developers or third parties, declaring such provisions against public policy, limiting assessments to proportional expenses, and allowing suits and conveyance of common areas after turnover. Testimony from homeowners described alleged governance abuses and opaque, profit-driven mandatory fees in their communities, while the Community Associations Institute supported the amendment. The committee reported CS for SB 1498 favorably. Members then recorded additional votes for the record, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And uh there is a risk as circumstance.
• to attract a smaller pool of students. to attract a smaller pool of students.
• toxicologist doing corporate risk toxicologist doing corporate risk analysis<00:46:53.599> at
• <00:47:34.240> to accreditation reduces those risks to accreditation reduces those risks to
• It it puts everybody at risk of thing.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard updates from the chancellors of the state university system and the community college system on ongoing restructuring, collaboration, and enrollment trends. The university system said its office move to the NHTI campus is ahead of schedule and should save students about $250,000 a year while creating revenue for the community college system. Both systems described continued work on transfer pathways, direct-admit outreach, shared advising, and broader efforts to shrink footprints, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency in response to declining enrollment and demographic pressure. A major topic was a possible federal change to Pell Grant eligibility that would require students to enroll in at least 7.5 credits. The chancellors said most community college students are part-time because of work and family responsibilities, and that the change could affect roughly 2,000 current Pell recipients and make it harder for students to afford or sustain enrollment. Members also discussed how the state’s governor’s scholarship statute largely benefits full-time students, suggesting possible future statutory changes. The chancellors explained how credits typically work, noting most courses are three or four credits and that students would likely need to add an entire course to meet the proposed threshold. The committee also discussed the broader higher education landscape, including declining high school cohorts, competition among New England institutions, and the need to right-size capacity. One member raised concerns about the health of regional campuses such as Plymouth and Keene; the chancellors said incoming enrollment is down at UNH and Plymouth and holding at Keene, attributing the trend to demographics rather than one campus drawing students away from another. They emphasized the importance of community colleges, adult learners, and short-term workforce programs as part of the state’s future education mix. Finally, the committee touched on the value of the university system’s research enterprise. The chancellor said about $250 million a year flows into the university system in federal research grants, with about $9.5 million currently under stop-work orders from federal agencies. She said the immediate concern is not DEI-related but federal cuts and possible caps on indirect cost recovery. Members noted that the R1 research designation supports business partnerships, student opportunities, and economic development projects such as West Edge in Durham.

Transcript Highlights:

• How do we finance uh Medicaid and what are some things that are potentially at risk.
• All of that's been at risk as we've been looking at this budget reconciliation process, so the details
• all across the state through the county supported Medicaid program as well as the safety net care pool
• Now, we've got a potentially larger pool of uninsured people, if they don't then move on to the exchange
• The insurance companies are leaving and they're not going to come back in until we reduce the risk and

Transcript Highlights:

• Deputy Attorney General Poole.
• My name is Michelle Poole. I'm a Poepoe. My name is Michelle Poole.
• Question for the AG, Ms.<01:00:11.880> Poole.
• If you speak up, you're risking your relationships. Your bills might not get heard.
• And silence doesn't carry a legal risk. Or, sorry, silence carries a legal risk, not speaking up.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 3123, which would treat free tuition or school-conditioned enrollment at private educational institutions as a conditional gift rather than a contractual obligation unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Office of the Governor supported the bill, and Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools strongly backed it, saying it would protect donor intent, preserve school-ohana relationships, and help maintain tuition assistance and educational access for families. A committee member commented favorably on the unity among school organizations, and there were no objections raised before the committee moved on. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2438, which creates a civil cause of action for interference with constitutional and statutory rights through threats, intimidation, or coercion, with private and government enforcement options and protections for constitutionally protected speech. Testifiers from the Community Alliance on Prisons and a know-your-rights educator supported the measure as a civil rights protection grounded in the Hawaii Constitution. No opposition testimony was presented during the hearing, and the measure appeared to receive general support from those who testified. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 3142, which establishes offenses for dangerous and habitual dangerous intoxication and allows civil protective custody and emergency examination in lieu of arrest in certain cases. The Attorney General, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Health, and Department of Human Services supported the bill as a treatment-oriented diversion tool for people who are dangerously intoxicated and at risk to themselves or the public. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, warning it could expand police discretion, burden emergency rooms, and function as a loss of liberty without sufficient treatment resources, while committee members questioned whether the bill would simply cycle people through emergency rooms and back onto the street. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided; the chair said decision-making would occur at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• ON THE RISK SCORE.
• FIGHTS DEFINITION ITS ACTIONS TO REDUCE LONG TERM RISK TO PEOPLE AND PROPERTY.
• MOVING ON WITH ADDITIONAL FLOOD RISK REDUCTION INSTEAD OF THE TEMPORARY FLOOD RISK REDUCTION THAT YOU
• SAW THE PREVIOUS FLOOD RISK REDUCTION INSTEAD OF THE TEMPORARY FLOOD RISK REDUCTION THAT YOU SAW THE
• PREVIOUS SLIDE THINK NOW LONG TERM FLOOD RISK REDUCTION COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT FLOOD RISK REDUCTION.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• .<00:37:56.240> Cess<00:37:56.560> pools<00:37:56.880> are<00:37:57.040> the<
• Cess pools are the biggest problem.
• Cess pools are the biggest wastewater<00:37:58.079> pollution<00:37:58.880> problem<00:
• <01:00:12.400> might<01:00:13.040> um highest risk might um highest risk might um &
• as highest risk or you have<01:00:21.119> to<01:00:21.280> be<01:00:21.359> very

Bills: HB644, HB1802, HB1569, HB1619, HB1620, HB1730, HB1749

Keywords: PFAS, single-use plastics, environmental health, food ware, pollution reduction, HB1802, conservation banking, conservation bank, mitigation banking, compensatory mitigation, incidental take permit, incidental take license, habitat conservation plan, HCP, DLNR, BLNR, Board of Land and Natural Resources, endangered species recovery committee, threatened species, endangered species

Summary: The committee heard several environmental and energy bills, beginning with HB 644 on single-use plastics. DLNR and DOH supported the measure, and environmental advocates said it would reduce plastic waste in oceans and landfills. Testifiers urged the bill to avoid weakening existing county ordinances, and some supported delaying implementation to use up inventory, while Upstream opposed compostable-plastic exemptions and urged prompt passage. Committee members asked whether reusable and refillable foodware could be added to the PFAS prohibition, and Upstream said that would be consistent with the bill’s goals. The committee then took up HB 1802 on conservation mitigation banks, HB 1569 on microfiber filters for newly manufactured washing machines, and HB 1619 on electric vehicle infrastructure. HB 1802 drew mostly agency testimony from DLNR, with opposition testimony noted from environmental groups, and members discussed whether suggested amendments would address concerns. HB 1569 received limited testimony, with support from the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and opposition from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. HB 1619 was supported by the PUC, Hawaiian Electric, the Department of Transportation, and several advocacy groups; Earthjustice said the bill was needed to address a widening EV charging shortfall and described the funding increase as relatively small compared with the benefits. The committee also heard HB 1620, which would increase the barrel tax to fund the EV charging rebate program. The State Energy Office and PUC offered comments, while the Tax Foundation of Hawaii opposed the special-fund approach and said the bill should also address the non-petroleum fossil-fuel portion of the barrel tax. Earthjustice and youth transportation advocates supported the measure, and the chair asked for information on unused hydrogen fueling subaccount funds; PUC said no hydrogen program funds had been deployed and estimated the balance was likely around $2 million, with exact figures to be provided later. Finally, the committee heard HB 1730 on wastewater systems, which would create a wastewater technical advisory group and fund positions at DOH. DLNR, DOH, OPSD, UH, and several environmental groups supported the bill, emphasizing cesspool pollution, affordability, and the need for more staffing and technical assistance. Testifiers suggested amendments to create a separate cesspool conversion implementation working group and debated the size and composition of the advisory group, including whether to include outside engineers and whether SHIP should be on the panel. No votes were taken during the hearing segment provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're required to ride in all 254 counties, and then TEA is our assigned risk plan for auto, and that
• Um, and also, you know, companies just may rethink their risk appetite in risky In, in states that they
• consider risky or risk, at high risk for wildfires, and that could include Texas.
• pool state, like we're seeing across the country for other states that are having to do that as well
• So, um, a lot of the school districts pool into governmental pools, um, that is basically a self-insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• Here's the other big key to this: why the big risk to our healthcare system.
• That all gets put at risk.
• But I do want to give an example, and I kind of mentioned that about that risk that we take.
• We took a risk with our oncology program.
• So we took a risk; it was a calculated risk to bring oncology services to Ruidoso.

Transcript Highlights:

• very limited risk. very limited risk.
• The risk profile investment management.
• The stock market tends to be much higher risk than a fixed-income investment.
• <01:02:41.360> And unpredictability and risk. And unpredictability and risk.
• , libraries, recreational centers, pools, libraries, recreational centers, pools, um um um parking

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• certain non-profit state associations and organizations from providing and training and insurance of risk
• pool contracts of public educational entities.
• relating to requiring public schools to provide certain parents notice regarding certain incidents and risk

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And thankfully There is no increased risk of pregnancy loss. So why do you think, or?
• First of all, can you please define what a high-risk pregnancy is?
• And typically reproductive IVF, they are typically considered high risk.
• a woman who is 35, 36, um, trying to get pregnant, most, you know, would you consider that a high risk
• And then I'm assuming that all this money goes into a pool that pays for in the unlikely circumstance

Bills: HB201, HB272

Keywords: disabled veteran, partially disabled veteran, veterans property tax exemption, homestead exemption, ad valorem tax, property tax relief, surviving spouse, appraisal district, Tax Code, local government revenue, homestead portability, service-connected disability, veteran benefits, Texas property tax, residence homestead, disability rating, disaster response, financial assistance, helicopter, municipalities

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:33:56.000> a ocean actually came in and now it's a ocean actually came in and now it's a pool
• :58.320> that's<00:33:58.640> on<00:33:58.880> this<00:33:59.120> side pool
• stagnant water that's on this side pool stagnant water that's on this side of<00:33:59.919> the
• to public safety and hazard risks to public safety and developed<00:43:30.119> infrastructure.
• of hazards to the um and also risks of hazards to the community<00:43:57.359> and<00:43:57.760

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several shoreline easement resolutions and a water-supply study resolution. For the easement measures, the Department of Land and Natural Resources supported each item, and testimony also came from affected landowners and community members. Members asked about why some easements were granted gratis to public agencies, with DLNR explaining that those cases involved public infrastructure such as stormwater management and did not require bonds or rent. For private properties, DLNR described the standard process of monthly rent during the legislative approval gap, followed by a one-time appraised payment for a 25-year easement once the appraisal is completed. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on shoreline erosion and whether hardened shoreline structures or seawalls were contributing to beach loss. On one measure, DLNR explained that a large sandbag shoreline structure was tied to a nearby boat harbor that had altered sand movement over time, causing flanking erosion on adjacent unarmored property. On another, DLNR said a wall built under a valid 1960s permit was originally a boundary or landscaping wall, but now functions as a seawall as the shoreline has migrated landward. Members raised concerns about fairness, public beach access, and whether adjacent owners should share costs, and DLNR responded that shoreline matters are handled parcel by parcel under existing statute. The committee also heard support for a resolution creating a task force or study on desalination. DLNR’s Commission on Water Resource Management supported the intent but asked for more time to complete a comprehensive report, noting the work would require substantial staffing and coordination. The Board of Water Supply and CARES also testified in support, with CARES emphasizing future water-supply needs, cultural and historic preservation concerns, and the importance of coordinating with other agencies. DLNR said it would rely on existing studies and work with county agencies and the Department of Health. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, a district court judge ruled that Mexico was violating the constitutional right of at-risk students
• About half of insurance plans in the state are actually employer pools.
• We are essentially a self-funded insurance pool, and those we cannot regulate as an insurance company
• year for billiard tables, 50 a year if you were going to make whiskey, but 60 if you're going to play pool

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we should increase retirement contributions from the employer side in order to keep our retirement pool
• Yet, unlike other UC campuses, it doesn't have the same access to a large pool of private philanthropy
• Cuts of this magnitude, and even higher when factoring in deferrals, risk pushing out the very students
• majority of Pell Grant recipients and first-generation students, yet does not have a large philanthropic pool
• to fall back on. pool to fall back on larger campuses.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Healey administration wrote, we are at risk of losing the homes we have, especially the affordable
• The Healey administration wrote, we are at risk of losing the homes we have, especially the affordable
• I cannot afford a rent increase without it putting me at risk of losing my home.
• So this would enable us to grow the pool and to build of it. to go around.
• Both rent and remain at a constant risk of displacement.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held a hybrid hearing on a broad slate of landlord-tenant and home rule bills, with most testimony focused on rent stabilization, tenant opportunity to purchase (TOPA), tenant fees, access to counsel, algorithmic rent fixing, and tenant protections in subsidized housing. Chairs Cyr and Haggerty outlined the hearing procedures and noted that written testimony could also be submitted. Several members and invited speakers emphasized that the committee was hearing from both local officials and residents affected by housing instability, especially in Somerville and other communities facing high rents and displacement. Supporters of rent stabilization and local-option rent control argued that Massachusetts needs tools to prevent displacement while new housing is built. Senator Eldridge, Senator Jalen, Somerville officials, tenant organizers, and residents described steep rent increases, no-fault evictions, and the loss of naturally occurring affordable housing. Somerville’s home rule petition was described as allowing annual increases tied to CPI plus 2%, capped at 5%, with exemptions for owner-occupied two- and three-family homes and a 15-year exemption for new construction. TOPA supporters said it would let tenants or their designees buy buildings before speculative buyers, preserving affordable housing stock; opponents, including small landlords and property managers, argued rent control would reduce supply, discourage investment, and that TOPA could delay sales and harm properties. The committee also heard testimony on bills to curb junk fees and regulate tenant charges, including limits on late fees, lease renewal fees, payment portal fees, attorney’s fees, and other add-on charges. Advocates said these fees can add hundreds of dollars a month and disproportionately harm low-income renters and renters of color. Another major topic was algorithmic rent fixing: Senator Moore and Representative Sabadoza said landlords should not use software such as RealPage to coordinate pricing, citing federal antitrust actions and arguing that competition is essential to lowering rents. Additional testimony supported a statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, with legal services providers saying representation dramatically improves outcomes and can save the state money, and a bill to create an office of tenant protections to better enforce sanitary code violations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, hospital-at-home programs across the country and in the state are at risk.
• Every patient knows their health risks, and together we work toward minimizing those risks to increase
• As expected, we had a low-risk pregnancy and there were no complications and no medical intervention
• a low risk vaginal delivery and they did not end up needing a C-section which they're at higher risk
• We work on keeping them low risk so that they can have more choices, and we don't... ...them low risk

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing with testimony on several health care bills, with most of the discussion focused on primary care access, community health center reimbursement, midwifery and birth centers, telehealth, hospital-at-home, direct primary care, and trans-inclusive health care access. Chair Feeney and Chair Murphy opened by noting the large number of signups and asking testifiers to keep remarks brief because of time constraints. Legislators and witnesses repeatedly emphasized that Massachusetts’ primary care system is under strain and that federal policy changes and reimbursement gaps are worsening financial pressure on providers. On community health centers, Representative Blay, Senator Lovely, Michael Curry, Bethany Keeley, Jag Deep Trevetti, Sean Cahill, and Christina Severin all supported H. 1096/S. 711, which would require commercial insurers to pay federally qualified health centers at least the MassHealth prospective payment system rate. They argued that commercial plans currently reimburse health centers below Medicaid rates, threatening sustainability, staffing, and access, especially as federal cuts and coverage losses could increase uncompensated care. Testifiers said the bill would stabilize health centers, protect primary care access, and not cost the state money. A second major topic was H. 1117/S. 784 on sustaining birth centers and the midwifery workforce. Senator Lovely, Senator Miranda, Emily Anesta, Rebecca Orden, Catherine Rushworth, Nishira Burrill, Joel Sutherland, Rachel Blessington, Joelle Ward, and others described the 2024 maternal health omnibus as an important first step, but said birth centers and midwives still face low reimbursement, workforce shortages, and financial instability. They urged reimbursement parity, a workforce development fund, and support for freestanding birth centers, citing improved outcomes, lower C-section rates, better patient experience, and racial equity in maternal health. Several speakers shared personal birth stories and said the bill would help preserve and expand birth options in communities like Roxbury, Worcester, and the North Shore. The committee also heard support for H. 1343 on direct primary care from Dr. Garofalo, Dr. Altman, Dr. Nair, Stephanie Cameron, Dr. Haley Moke-Blessed, and others, who said current insurance rules force patients to use a separate in-network primary care doctor for referrals and sometimes prevent physicians from dispensing medications. They argued the bill would reduce delays, administrative burden, and costs while improving continuity of care. In addition, Dr. Miklides and Sue Stempeck supported H. 1141 on hospital-at-home parity, saying the model has strong outcomes and should be reimbursed at the same rate as brick-and-mortar hospital care. Heather Myers and Katrina Cook testified on telehealth and digital health equity, urging broader coverage for asynchronous care, remote monitoring, interpreter services, and digital literacy supports. SEIU Local 509 supported H. 1188/S. 681 on trans-inclusive health care access, saying it would remove arbitrary insurance barriers to gender-affirming care. No votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.