Transcript Highlights:

• And then just, I'm reminded of 2023 when we had the big flooding that happened in Merced County.
• county fair really provided a lifeline and home to many of the families that were impacted by the flooding

Summary: The committee opened with routine announcements, including hearing logistics, public comment instructions, and a brief “fun fact” about National Pecan Month and Ag Day. After establishing a quorum, the committee took up a consent calendar of four bills—AB 2423, AB 2743, AB 2778, and AB 2779—which were approved unanimously. The main item heard was AB 1711 by Assembly Member Conley, which would require more timely distribution of state funds for fairs and fairgrounds and expand allowable uses for those funds. The author and the Western Fairs Association argued that fairs are important for agricultural education, local economies, cultural events, and emergency response, and that delayed funding leads to deferred maintenance and higher costs. Several committee members spoke in strong support, noting the importance of county fairs in their districts and their role as community hubs and emergency shelters. There was no opposition testimony. The committee voted AB 1711 out on a due pass motion to the Appropriations Committee, and the bill ultimately passed unanimously. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I'm reminded of 2023, when we had the big flooding that happened in Merced County.
• county fair really provided a lifeline and home to many of the families that were impacted by the flooding

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with routine logistics, noted the hearing would be brief, and approved a consent calendar containing AB 2423, AB 2743, AB 2778, and AB 2779. The chair also shared a few informal remarks about Ag Day and National Pecan Month before establishing a quorum and moving to the main item, AB 1711 by Assembly Member Connolly. AB 1711 would require fair-related state funds to be distributed in a more timely and predictable manner, with the goal of helping local fairs address deferred maintenance, infrastructure repairs, safety upgrades, and emergency preparedness needs. The author and the Western Fairs Association emphasized that fairs are important community hubs, economic drivers, and emergency response sites, and that funding delays can postpone critical projects and raise costs. Support was also voiced by rural county representatives, and committee members spoke in favor, citing the importance of county fairs in their districts and their role during emergencies such as flooding. The committee voted unanimously to pass AB 1711 to the Appropriations Committee. After additional roll calls were completed for absent members, the consent calendar and AB 1711 were both reported out of committee with unanimous support, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a flood area in there, and so this bridge would offer another...
• Homes in that area, it's a flood area in there, and so this bridge would offer another way of crossing

Bills: HB3443, HB2123, HB3757, HB2445

Keywords: transportation, oversize permit, overweight permit, permit fees, motor carrier, commercial trucking, heavy haul, wide load, special combination vehicle, manufactured home transport, portable building transport, utility poles, rural electric cooperative, farm equipment, agricultural hauling, bridge formula, load limits, weight limits, road funding, highway construction

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Steve's going to talk to us about what this looks like. flooding, Asheville, North Carolina flooding
• And as we worked, flood waters were rising across Kentucky.
• And<01:02:24.520> as<01:02:24.760> we<01:02:24.920> worked,<01:02:25.320> flood
• <01:02:25.680> waters<01:02:26.080> were And as we worked, flood waters were And as
• we worked, flood waters were rising<01:02:26.680> across<01:02:27.080> Kentucky.

Bills: SB8

Keywords: utilities, public service commission, energy regulation, appointment, emergency declaration, tax increases, consumer protection, Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:51 Approval of Minutes 00:02:07 Legislator Comments 00:02:18 LIHEAP Public Hearing 00:04:19 PSC Update on RS 26 SB 8 00:32:18 WaterStep Presentation 01:04:08, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• over a billion dollars in damage, much of which will not be covered by insurance because of the flooding
• over a billion dollars in damage, much of which will not be covered by insurance because of the flooding
• insurance<00:31:15.040> because<00:31:15.320> of<00:31:15.400> the<00:31:15.520> flooding
• insurance because of the flooding. insurance because of the flooding.

Bills: SB2057, SB2109, SB2400, HB1752, SB2599, SB2930

Keywords: immigration enforcement, sanctuary policy, detainer, ICE, federal immigration authorities, 8 U.S.C. 1357(g), 8 U.S.C. 1373, 8 U.S.C. 1644, deportation, undocumented immigrants, noncitizen, migrant rights, local police cooperation, law enforcement cooperation, hold request, judicial warrant, probable cause, civil immigration enforcement, county police, state police

Summary: The committee first took up SB 148 on combat sports, but members said they had agreement only in principle and were waiting on a conference draft and money committee release, so the bill was rolled to the next day. HB 1810 on charitable solicitation was then described as regulating professional solicitors who sell donated non-perishable tangible property, including prompt payment, financial reporting, disclosure, and contract requirements; the committee adopted the conference draft and passed it unanimously. SB 2607 on landscape architects was also passed with a conference draft after members agreed to align licensure qualifications with the uniform standard used by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards. Later, HB 1642 on consumer protection and crypto kiosks was passed with amendments to ban the purchase of cryptocurrency through crypto kiosks, and SB 2396 on property was deferred because members said they were aligned on the policy but still needed to sort out enforcement, with the issue to be left to a task force. SB 2961 on insurance was deferred to the next day pending release, and SB 2471 on the powers of artificial persons was rolled to the next day while the House and Senate sought legal clarification to make the bill more defensible; members said they agreed on the goal of addressing dark money but wanted to avoid harming Hawaii or local companies. The committee then passed SB 3001 on artificial intelligence with amendments. The conference draft renamed the regulated systems as “AI companions,” narrowed and clarified the definition, required reasonable measures to prevent outputs encouraging serious bodily injury, increased disclosure frequency for minors, added a feature restriction to discourage disengagement, removed provisions the Senate viewed as too broad or insufficiently articulated, shifted annual reporting to the Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Administration, and removed civil penalties. Members also said the romantic-relationship language had been removed for now but could be revisited later. SB 2433 on condominiums was discussed but rolled to the next day because the House and Senate were still considering changes related to DCCA authority and condo-owner disputes, and HB 1897 on condominium alternative dispute resolution was deferred for the session because the Senate was not ready and time was running out. In the final portion, HB 1753 on social media data retention was passed with amendments setting limits on how long companies may retain user data, with exceptions such as domestic violence evidence. SB 1166 on insurance was rolled to the next day after discussion of historic weather damage and the need to avoid affecting ongoing litigation against oil companies; members noted they had received an AG opinion that the bill would not jeopardize that litigation. SB 2964 on property insurance was passed with a conference draft requiring insurers to periodically ask homeowners about significant improvements so coverage can be reassessed, and SB 3255 on currency was passed with a conference draft authorizing penny rounding to the nearest five cents, though one senator voted no because he preferred the Senate version that had included a separate cash-acceptance issue. The committee also discussed SB 2852 on website accessibility for people with disabilities as the next item, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• have resources to go ahead and improve the fields, to secure fencing, and then also to work on the flooding
• development based on some of the local planning and zoning in Rio Rancho because we have some interesting flooding
• areas, non-flooding areas, and how we're going to do it.
• development based on some of the local planning and zoning in Rio Rancho because we have some interesting flooding
• areas, non-flooding areas, and how we're going to do it.

Bills: SB211, SB131, SB183, SB222, SB246, SB254

Keywords: appropriation, local government, Las Vegas, Rodriguez Park, public facilities, zoning reform, building regulations, residential apartments, commercial use, multigenerational housing, local government authority, healthcare, urgent care, emergency services, feasibility study, medical facilities, physician training, medical residency, New Mexico, massage therapy

Transcript Highlights:

• For long-term security, we're going to need to put in a flood wall and probably an auxiliary spillway
• Owensboro was selected because they have a transmission tower there on the river that is due to flooding
• uh<00:25:07.919> due<00:25:08.159> to<00:25:08.960> uh<00:25:09.039> flooding
• <00:25:09.520> in river that is uh due to uh flooding in river that is uh due to uh flooding

Keywords: 00:02 EEC – State-Owned Dams 21:07 EEC – Grid Resilience Grant Funds 37:24 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard presentations from the Department for Environmental Protection and the Office of Energy Policy on Kentucky’s state-owned dam repair program and the electric grid resilience program. Commissioner Tony Hatton explained how state dams are defined and classified under Kentucky law, the criteria used to prioritize repairs or decommissioning, and the status of several projects funded in the last biennium. He said the department is using a design-bid-build process, with major work planned or underway at Willisburg Lake, Big Bone Lick State Park Dam, Clemens Lake Dam, Marion County Sportsman’s Dam, Chinoa Lake Creek/Canning Creek Dam, and Lake Malone, and that $0.5 million is reserved for routine repairs. He also described the timeline and cost pressures, noting that construction seasons and bid uncertainty can affect schedules and estimates. Members asked several questions about whether the estimates were current, how accurate the bids tend to be, why the process takes so long, and whether it would be better to fund design separately before construction. Hatton said the estimates are the best current engineering estimates, that costs often stay within about 10% but can vary, and that the overall process is usually closer to two years than four, though delays can occur. He also said all of the allocated dam funds must be available before bids can be let. The committee discussed whether design work can become stale if construction is delayed. Kenya Stump then updated the committee on Kentucky’s electric grid resilience program under federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. She said Kentucky has received years one through three of the five-year program and has allocated funds to state park electric systems and municipal utilities, with years four and five not yet received. She identified Ken Lake State Park and Kentucky Dam Village as the two state park projects in progress, and Owensboro, Princeton, Williamstown, and Hopkinsville as the municipal projects selected through a competitive process. She said the projects are under contract or in final negotiations, with municipal construction expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and finish by the end of 2026, and explained that the work includes line, pole, transformer, meter, and outage-management upgrades. Members asked about the relationship between this program and prior park appropriations, the timing of agreements with Parks, and whether the park systems could eventually be transferred to the local electric cooperative; Stump said the park agreements are imminent and that the upgrades are intended to bring the systems up to code so the cooperative can maintain them. No votes were taken, and the chair adjourned the committee until the following Wednesday, with a possible time change to avoid a scheduling conflict.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, 15 to 30% for conservation, up to 10% for flood prevention, and 50 to 75% for storage.
• Eight flood prevention projects; again, the total there is $23.9 million.
• Flood prevention.
• So to the extent it can be considered flood prevention, which is the only way it's really described,
• A separate application around for projects located in the Colonias that have been made worse by flooding

Transcript Highlights:

• crisis that requires action just like we would see when a bridge collapses, when there's a tornado or a flood
• crisis that requires action just like we would see when a bridge collapses, when there's a tornado or a flood
• a<00:24:13.600> tornado<00:24:14.400> or<00:24:14.720> a<00:24:14.880> flood
• <00:24:15.600> They're there's a tornado or a flood.
• They're there's a tornado or a flood.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but we have 112 dams, flood protection dams that were built by NRCS that the soil and water conservation
• So it happens because you had a flood or a fire, and the feds come in and say, OK, we need to bring money
• problem that we're having in the North, and, and not a lot of you know this, but, um, we had a huge flood
• , but it was about 15,000 acres, and then one night, 8 inches of rain fell in an hour and it just flooded
• from the McBride fire, which was 2 or 3 years ago, and then they had these other huge fires and the floods

Transcript Highlights:

• Across the country, climate change is undeniably driving more frequent and severe disasters, flooding
• Just last year, devastating floods hit western Maryland.
• 27:00.799> hit last year, devastating floods hit last year, devastating floods hit western<00:
• , you're witnessing horrific flooding, you're witnessing horrific flooding, hurricanes,<00:31:17.679
• President. weather related events and floods of weather related events and floods of that<00:35:39.359

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, March 20, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with 38 members present and a quorum, then began with an invocation and several ceremonial introductions. The chamber recognized pioneering women of the Maryland State Police for Women’s History Month, including the original six female graduates and other firsts in the department, and also introduced the day’s doctor and a student intern. The Senate agreed to journalize the remarks honoring the Maryland State Police guests. The body then took up several Finance Committee bills, adopting committee amendments and favorable reports without objection on Senate Bills 385, 387, 389, 753, 469, and 608, each of which was ordered printed for third reading. SB 385 concerns immunization, screening, and preventive-service recommendations and pharmacist administration; SB 387 restricts predatory pricing and use of personal data by food retailers and delivery services; SB 389 makes transit-oriented development changes; SB 753 addresses financial exploitation protections for seniors and vulnerable adults; SB 469 authorizes a Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund affordability program; and SB 608 requires coverage for pharmacogenomic testing. Senate Bill 626, dealing with birth certificate sex designation changes and related identification documents, was briefly set aside at the request of a senator seeking possible amendments, with the presiding officer agreeing to hold it until the next session. Senate Bill 739, a climate change, homeowners insurance, and emergency management study bill, was also introduced with one amendment and sparked debate over its scope and funding, including discussion of a $150,000 Strategic Energy Investment Fund allocation and whether the study would examine the General Assembly’s own climate policies. The transcript ends during that discussion, before any final action on SB 739.

Transcript Highlights:

• with other informal acequias, but in terms of this, with the ongoing need for areas like the fire and flood
• In terms of this, with the ongoing need for areas like the fire and flood areas of both in San Miguel

Bills: SB193, SB132, SB35, SB145

Keywords: SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law, agricultural water, farmers, Rio Grande, acequia association, forest land protection revolving fund, state fund transfer, irrigation projects, SB132, DOIT, Department of Information Technology, software replacement, equipment replacement

Transcript Highlights:

• For those in the room and watching online, you may see residual flashing lights after a false alarm has
• and watching online, you may see room and watching online, you may see residual<00:02:18.800> flashing
• lights<00:02:19.520> after<00:02:19.840> a<00:02:20.000> false residual flashing
• lights after a false residual flashing lights after a false alarm<00:02:20.560> has<00:02:20.800

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, my flash hot. Uh, discussion will be if I can be allowed the school to prison pipeline.
• <03:52:24.000> Okay,<03:52:24.239> my<03:52:24.479> flash white male with a
• Okay, my flash white male with a beard.
• Okay, my flash hot.<03:52:26.720> Uh<03:52:27.600> discussion<03:52:28.000> will

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I also want to thank everyone for having the committee today um, at all the heavy rains and flooding
• So, I also want to thank everyone for having the committee today um, at all the heavy rains and flooding
• So, I also want to thank everyone for having the committee today um, at all the heavy rains and flooding
• So, I also want to thank everyone for having the committee today um, at all the heavy rains and flooding
• So, I also want to thank everyone for having the committee today um, at all the heavy rains and flooding

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee hearing opened with notice that the meeting was being streamed and could reconvene later if technical problems forced an abrupt end. The chair also announced a one-minute testimony limit and proceeded through several bills, taking mostly written and oral support testimony and asking limited questions. No votes were taken in the portion provided. HB 1626, relating to youth penalties, drew strong support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, youth advocates, the ACLU, the Department of Education, and others. Testifiers said financial sanctions on youth are ineffective, disproportionately burden Native Hawaiian youth, and function as poverty penalties; they urged replacing fines with community service, restorative practices, and ʻāina-based programs, and eliminating uncollectible legacy debt. The chair moved on after no member questions. HB 1643, relating to pharmacy, was discussed with support from the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, Kaiser, the Board of Pharmacy, independent pharmacies, and PBM representatives. Testimony focused on amendment language, audit procedures, HIPAA concerns, and the need for flexibility for small island pharmacies. HB 1668, relating to Medicaid, received broad support from disability advocates and the Department of Human Services; witnesses said CMS had already approved the underlying state plan amendment removing income and asset limits for certain workers with disabilities, but they wanted the protection codified in law to preserve it long term. The chair asked whether codification was necessary and was told it would not be harmful and would help ensure continuity if federal policy changed. The committee then heard HB 1550 on drug paraphernalia and syringe access, with support from Shipta and the Department of Health; testimony emphasized preserving flexibility for the statewide syringe access program to respond to emerging drugs like xylazine. HB 1974, relating to health, was presented as a planning measure for hearing loss; testifiers said Hawaii lacks a comprehensive hearing-loss plan and that the bill would fund a state planning process, not direct services. HB 1858 on vital statistics drew support from clinicians and medical organizations, who said better data on spontaneous fetal deaths is needed and that the term used in the bill is standard medical and CDC terminology. HB 1871 and HB 1966 also received support, with HB 1966’s EMS special fund prompting discussion about the cigarette-tax revenue source; the chair questioned the nexus to EMS, and the Department of Health said the revenue currently funds the special fund and there is no alternative funding stream.

Transcript Highlights:

• the disaster resilience task force and, uh, having seen impacts on livestock and working through floods
• and uh having seen impacts on livestock and working<00:05:16.080> through<00:05:16.400> floods
• and tornadoes and working through floods and tornadoes and all<00:05:18.960> those<00:05:19.199
• We have a lot of emergencies in the animal space that don't involve a flood or a tornado or locust or
• We have a lot of emergencies in the animal space that don't involve a flood or a tornado or locust or

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:32 SB 155 Discussion: 03:00 SB 155 Roll Call Vote: 07:50 SB 45 Discussion: 08:39 SB 45 Roll Call Vote: 36:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 155 by Senator Carpenter, which would give the commissioner of agriculture, in consultation with the state veterinarian, authority to declare and manage emergency situations affecting livestock, poultry, and other domesticated animals. The sponsor said the bill is intended to speed response to outbreaks, severe weather, and other urgent threats to animal welfare by reducing bureaucratic delays, while still working with the governor in major situations. Senator Webb praised the Department of Agriculture’s emergency response work, and the bill was advanced on a unanimous roll call vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 45 from Senator Webb, a repeat bill aimed at protecting agritourism and working-animal activities from local ordinances that could be used to restrict events such as rodeos, carriage rides, dog agility, and similar operations. Webb and supporter Mindy Patterson of the Cavalry Group argued the bill is meant to prevent local governments from using ordinances to shut down legitimate animal-related businesses and to protect local economies and property rights, not to shield animal abuse. Webb said he was willing to work with local officials and legal counsel on wording. Opposition came from Lisa Krumman of the Kentucky Animal Care and Control Association and Campbell County animal services, who said the bill was not consulted on with animal control officers and could broadly exempt working-animal or agritourism activities from local animal welfare ordinances and inspections. She argued the language could create an “undue burden” challenge to county standards for food, water, space, medical care, and inspections, especially for commercial animal establishments such as breeding facilities and petting zoos. Committee members questioned both sides about the bill’s scope, and Webb said he believed existing public health, safety, zoning, and police-power language would preserve local authority, but no vote was taken on SB 45 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, the Senate analysis of companion legislation notes potential conflicts with National Flood
• Flood insurance affordability is theoretical. It affects thousands of homeowners.
• Facebook post—maintain active forest management that supports the local economy, supports water quality, flood

Transcript Highlights:

• I lived here in 1993 when we had the 500-year flood.
• I mean, the situation that Representative Griffith mentioned was during the flood of '93.
• all routes that take you in generally the same position as long as the river is not at a 500-year flood

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Exempt temporary hurricane protection, flood walls, and barriers from permitting requirements if certain
• property address and value of work as proof of compliance, exempt temporary hurricane protection, flood
• And on the flood walls, we do need to add the word temporary in the Senate bill.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and heard a series of bills, mostly local claims and growth-management or permitting measures. SB 16, SB 14, and SB 24 were uncontested claims bills providing relief for injuries or damages involving the City of St. Petersburg and Miami-Dade County; each was described as settled or favorably reported by a special master, and each was reported favorably without debate. SB 288, a negotiated bill on rural electric cooperatives, was presented as a clarification to protect co-op authority over generation and power purchases while preserving consumer protections; it drew support from industry stakeholders and was reported favorably. SB 830 created a public-records exemption for certain local administrators and their families’ personal information, citing threats against city managers, and it also passed favorably. The committee also considered several land-use and permitting bills. SB 1138 would create a registry of qualified professionals to conduct pre-application review for plats and development, aiming to reduce delays and backlogs; local government groups raised concerns about preemption and preserving quasi-judicial authority, but the bill passed favorably with one no vote. SB 168 expanded public nuisance law to include gambling houses, increased penalties, and authorized attorney’s fees and foreclosure of unpaid fees; it was reported favorably. SB 686 revised the agricultural enclave statute to create a public-hearing process for certain residential projects in urban service areas, with a sunset date later amended to June 30, 2026; conservation and planning groups raised concerns about local planning authority and public participation, but the bill passed favorably. SB 548, a growth-management and impact-fee cleanup bill, clarified plan-based methodology, extraordinary circumstances, interlocal agreements, and refund procedures for impact fees. Local government and development stakeholders testified that it would improve predictability while preserving flexibility, though some sought further refinement on fee increases and refunds; the bill was amended and then reported favorably. SB 1234 addressed building permits and inspections, including permit validity, small-project exemptions, temporary hurricane protection, standardized permit forms, and expanded use of private providers; county officials objected to reduced oversight, while builders and private-provider advocates supported the measure. After testimony and debate, the bill was reported favorably. At the end of the meeting, Senator Jones requested to be recorded on several votes, and the committee adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• In charge of District Two, was involved heavily in the fires and the flooding.
• During the flooding, of course, you know, this being a mountainous area, you get the monsoon rains and
• the flooding, and with the scar, it did damage some of the infrastructure.