Transcript Highlights:

• So, uh, that for that, I take the heat. Apologize.
• that,<00:18:28.720> I<00:18:28.800> take<00:18:29.040> the<00:18:29.120> heat
• uh that for that, I take the heat. uh that for that, I take the heat.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: House Transportation opened public hearings on three Senate bills and discussed a fourth scheduling issue. On SB 499, which would change Traffic Safety Commission reporting requirements, the sponsor’s representative said the bill would require annual aggregated data on the causes of traffic collisions in New Hampshire and recommendations to address them. Members asked about the added Trauma Medical Review Committee seat, and a representative explained that it is a longstanding state board of emergency and trauma professionals; the bill had already been amended and passed unanimously earlier in the process. On SB 500, concerning restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators, the sponsor and trucking-industry supporters said the measure arose from concerns raised by female truck drivers and was intended to require larger commercial facilities with available public or employee restrooms to allow truck drivers to use them when there are no public safety concerns. Supporters from the New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said driver shortages make it important to recruit and retain women, and that lack of bathroom access is a significant barrier. Committee members asked about the scope of the problem and whether the issue affected male and female drivers differently. The committee then heard SB 559, which would reduce the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads. Supporters, including bicyclists and the Bike-Walk Alliance, testified that lower speeds improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, citing personal crash experiences and national guidance supporting lower urban speed limits where warranted by traffic or engineering studies. They emphasized the bill would not mandate lower limits statewide but would give towns local discretion. Members questioned whether the group would support 15 mph limits and how congestion and travel-time concerns were weighed. A Department of Transportation official testified neutrally, saying the agency had no formal position but had concerns about public perception and possible spillover to unnumbered state roads. The chair also noted an earlier scheduling problem that prevented immediate executive action on a bill until later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota because we have a lot of residential and business customers that were on a steam program for heat
• residents in the city of Virginia, which has a population of 8,348 people, have had to convert their heating
• , sidewalk, and lighting improvements will be part of the phase two project. had to convert their heating
• system from had to convert their heating system from steam<00:24:03.440> to<00:24:03.600>

Bills: HF4710, HF4055, HF3848, HF3989, HF4599, HF3767, HF3592, HF3575, HF3574, HF3543, HF4606, HF4489, HF3891, HF3438, HF3811, HF3400

Keywords: capital investment, water infrastructure, sewer systems, public funding, municipal development, Eveleth, wastewater treatment, state bonds, environmental compliance, infrastructure, bonds, economic development, local government, transportation, intersection improvements, Lake Elmo, HF4599, St. Joseph, Minnesota bonding bill, bond proceeds fund

Transcript Highlights:

• district to yours, and mechanical breakdown of a facility, such as the generator breaks down, the heat
• generator breaks facility, such as the generator breaks down,<00:18:47.800> the<00:18:47.960> heat
• don't<00:18:48.919> want<00:18:49.120> our<00:18:49.240> little down, the heat
• , we don't want our little down, the heat, we don't want our little ones<00:18:49.800> to<00:18

Bills: HF2136, HF4195, HF4548, HF4432, HF4174, HF3024, HF4389, HF3773

Keywords: youth intervention, grants, community support, early intervention services, nonprofit, Minnesota human services, forecast adjustment, budget forecast, appropriations, Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, Health Care Access Fund, general fund, behavioral health, housing support, General Assistance, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, MFIP, DWP, child care assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• the IBEW State Council, the Operating Engineers Local 49, the Sheet Metal Workers Local 10, and the Heat
• Workers Local 10, 49, the Sheet Metal Workers Local 10, and<01:41:22.960> the<01:41:23.040> Heat
• <01:41:23.360> Frost<01:41:23.600> Insulators<01:41:24.239> local and the Heat
• and Frost Insulators local and the Heat and Frost Insulators local 34.<01:41:25.679> While<01

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the March 11, 2026 minutes, then heard House File 4048, which would exempt chiropractors from Minnesota’s provider tax if they are no longer eligible to provide chiropractic benefits under Medicaid/MinnesotaCare. Representative Robbins said the bill corrects an unfair situation because chiropractors still pay the tax even though the benefit was eliminated. Testifiers from the Minnesota Chiropractic Association and a longtime chiropractor supported the bill, arguing that most chiropractors are small-business owners and should not pay a tax for services they can no longer provide. Several members said they supported restoring chiropractic coverage instead of changing the tax, and there was discussion about whether the tax applies to all providers and whether it is effectively passed on to patients. The committee adopted a motion to recommend HF 4048 to the Committee on Taxes. The committee then took up House File 3893, as amended, a bill to restrict artificial intelligence from engaging in psychotherapy or counseling with humans. The author and supporters said the bill is intended to prevent AI chatbots from posing as therapists or counseling vulnerable people, citing reports of suicides and other harms linked to chatbot interactions. The A2 amendment was adopted; the author said it reflected stakeholder concerns and added informed-consent language. Testifiers in support, including a psychologist and a suicide-prevention nonprofit leader, urged strong safeguards and said AI should not replace licensed professionals in crisis settings. Other testimony raised concerns about overbreadth and unintended effects. TechNet and a rural mental health provider said the bill should be narrowed so it applies to clinical therapy rather than wellness or educational tools, and should allow supervised AI uses such as transcription and administrative support. Members discussed rural access, existing licensing-board authority, privacy laws, and whether the bill should target AI companies directly rather than licensed clinicians. The transcript ends during continued discussion of HF 3893, with no final committee action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1108, Labor and Employment—Greenhouse Workers Collective Bargaining and Heat Protection—is
• collective employment greenhouse workers collective bargaining<01:18:11.800> and<01:18:11.960> heat
• bargaining and heat protection. bargaining and heat protection.

Keywords: House streaming session for Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum and then moved through messages from the Senate, introducing several Senate bills and referring them to committees. It then took up multiple third-reading calendars and considered a large number of bills across public health, criminal law, education, estates and trusts, social services, and state government. Most bills passed with broad margins, including measures on fiduciary attorney-client privilege, food labeling and prohibited ingredients, human trafficking awareness training, pharmacy prescriber-pharmacist agreements, provisional social work licensure, structural racism training funding sources, youth delinquency prevention funding, menstrual hygiene product labeling, school resource officer sexual activity prohibitions, nurse licensure enforcement, physician delegation changes, child support income definitions, AI-related child sexual abuse material, trauma-informed care resources, restrictive housing for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities, open movie captioning, autism and dementia police training, gift card fraud, scholarship eligibility, retention proceeds, graduate scholarship eligibility, intercepted communications penalties, benefits for children in custody, juvenile supervision petitions, institutional debt reporting, contraception access reporting, surgical smoke evacuation systems, tax foreclosure notice requirements, special police officer study, child advocacy center standards, victim notification at charging, human trafficking reporting, drug dispensing cost surveys, school board nominating commission changes, the Henrietta Lacks Commission, ID card photograph requirements, and several others. A few bills drew substantive floor discussion. House Bill 963 on appointment of personal representatives was supported as a way to help families and heirs access assets, including in cross-border situations. House Bill 877 on institutional debt reporting prompted debate over whether the bill was useful and whether it would burden colleges; supporters said it would create needed aggregate data and a data dictionary to better understand debt incurred directly from institutions. House Bill 1076 on over-the-counter contraception access and reporting was clarified as a reporting measure that harmonizes prior reporting requirements and does not use taxpayer funds to purchase contraception, though grants had supported vending machine installation. House Bill 288 on extending a state of emergency for schools was explained as applying to natural disasters, civil disasters, public health emergencies, or specific security threats, with one member expressing concern about state involvement and learning loss from prolonged closures. House Bill 746 on the Medicaid/health insurance collaborative care model was briefly delayed by a computer issue, then passed after a short pause. Several members announced vote changes after the roll calls, including corrections on House Bills 65, 771, 769, 900, 1058, 1076, 1490, 1540, and 1554. Final actions on the floor were overwhelmingly favorable to the bills considered, with only a handful of measures drawing notable negative votes, including House Bills 410, 963, 1042, 1058, 1076, 1152, 1540, and 1554. The House also passed a number of local and policy bills with strong bipartisan support, and no amendments or motions to postpone were recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• No more money to help seniors heat their homes. They say we don't have it.
• No more money to<02:27:30.240> help<02:27:30.399> seniors<02:27:30.880> heat<02:
• <02:27:32.080> They to help seniors heat their homes.
• They to help seniors heat their homes.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The next page I provided a heat map of where our current enrollment is for employers.
• page<00:46:25.960> I<00:46:26.000> provided<00:46:26.440> a<00:46:26.480> heat
• <00:46:26.760> map<00:46:27.040> of The next page I provided a heat map of The next
• page I provided a heat map of where<00:46:27.280> our<00:46:27.400> current<00:46:27.680

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are heat maps in other states where we're a provider.
• you would like to to see these are<00:32:10.240> or<00:32:10.320> are<00:32:10.640> heat
• maps<00:32:11.360> in<00:32:11.600> other<00:32:11.760> states are or are heat
• maps in other states are or are heat maps in other states where<00:32:12.240> we're<00:32:12.399

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard presentations from the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and the Governor Scholars Program. The FCCLA student speaker described how career and technical education helped her gain certifications, work in early childhood settings, and recognize a child who needed speech help, emphasizing support for CTE, FCCLA, and related student organizations. The Governor Scholars Program presentation, led by Dr. Jennifer Price with student speakers Max Corbett and Abigail Ziggler, focused on the program’s role in serving about 1,500 rising seniors each summer, its history since 1983, its statewide reach, and its impact on leadership development, college readiness, and keeping students connected to Kentucky. Members praised the students and program, and several shared personal stories about the program’s long-term benefits. Representative Camuel asked about funding, and Dr. Price said the program’s request was $2.1 million to maintain current enrollment levels of about 1,020 scholars for 2026; no vote was taken on that request during this segment. The committee then took up House Bill 498, sponsored by Representative Duvall, with Aaron Looper of Graduation Alliance testifying in support. A committee substitute was adopted after explanation. The substitute broadened eligibility for accredited providers to include public and nonprofit entities, allowed each county an opportunity to provide services with a $200,000 aggregate maximum per county, reduced the dollars per credit to serve more students, and made date corrections. Representative Duvall said the bill was a workforce measure developed from the Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force and aimed at adults who lack a high school diploma but have two years or less remaining to graduate. Looper said the bill would create a pathway for adults to earn a regionally accredited high school diploma, paired with workforce and industry-recognized credentials, and stressed that it would not compete with GED programs, which are better suited for adults farther from graduation. He said the model is pay-for-performance, with providers paid only after milestones are completed, and that it would be available online, in person, or in hybrid form to improve rural access. In response to questions, he said students would not be charged fees, providers would handle transcript retrieval and remediation, and the program would include built-in accountability measures. He also said the budget request is $2 million per year, with the goal of maintaining the current level of service and eventually expanding if successful. Members asked about how the program differs from existing adult education options, access in all counties, and whether there are deserts in service availability; Looper said the online model and provider outreach are intended to address those gaps.

Transcript Highlights:

• But um, we actually received heat initially from the legislative auditor that we were taking cases that
• But um we actually received heat<01:24:40.560> from<01:24:41.360> initially<01:24:42.239
• > from<01:24:42.560> the<01:24:42.960> uh<01:24:43.840> uh heat from initially
• from the uh uh heat from initially from the uh uh legislative<01:24:44.639> auditor<01:24:45.120

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Legislative Audit Commission heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its evaluation of the Office of Ombuds for Families (OBFF). Auditors said the office remains important because of Minnesota’s long history of racial disparities in the child protection system, but they found major problems with how OBFF is operating. The report said OBFF’s statutory duties are very broad compared with its small staff and budget, and that the ombuds persons are not carrying out all required duties while spending substantial time on activities not required by law. Auditors also said the office’s recent impact is unclear and that its complaint-handling work has significant deficiencies, including poor documentation, limited data, few policies, inconsistent handling, and failure to follow best practices. The presentation also focused on oversight and accountability. Auditors said OBFF’s three community boards, which are supposed to appoint and oversee the ombuds persons, have not provided adequate oversight: meeting requirements were often not met, attendance was low, and there was little evidence the boards were fulfilling their statutory duties. The auditors further said OBFF’s unusual structure, with no single designated leader and shared authority among the three ombuds persons, creates unclear lines of accountability. Their recommendations included revising OBFF’s statutory duties to better match legislative goals and resources, improving complaint-handling practices, strengthening board oversight, and establishing a single leadership position for the office. Members asked follow-up questions about racial disproportionality in out-of-home care, spending on nonrequired activities, and whether the ombuds persons met statutory qualification requirements. Auditors referred members to the report for more detailed data, said the office does not track expenditures by function, and noted that while the ombuds persons have relevant professional backgrounds, the evaluation raised concerns about whether they are meeting their duties as expected. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• from the recycling program is transferred to the Department of Social Services to be used in their heating
• So now we're sitting another year on vacant properties, heating and cooling, operating, mowing along
• Another year on vacant properties, heating and cooling, operating, mowing along those vacant buildings
• And if we're heating and cooling a building, nobody's in. That was kind of the genesis of that.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I was downtown at the Capitol with my executive secretary, my boss, and had heated discussions.
• 01:06:44.480> uh executive secretary, my boss, and uh executive secretary, my boss, and uh heated
• <01:06:46.160> People<01:06:46.480> were<01:06:46.640> really heated discussions
• People were really heated discussions.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:12 Approval of Minutes: 00:01:34 Actuarial Valuation Update – KPPA: 00:02:10 Actuarial Valuation Update – TRS: 00:25:32, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, confirmation of a quorum, and approval of the prior minutes. The main presentation was from KPPA officials Ryan Barrow and Erin Saratt on the annual actuarial valuations for the retirement and insurance systems. They said the systems’ funding status improved overall, with three of five insurance funds fully funded, CERS hazardous dropping from over 100% funded to 90.9% because of premium changes, and KRS receiving $650 million in supplemental funding over the biennium. They also reported strong investment returns above assumed rates, higher payroll and membership counts, and resulting actuarial losses tied to higher salaries and premiums, especially on the insurance side. Members asked several questions about what drove the actuarial losses and whether legislation affected them. KPPA said the CERS insurance loss was driven by premium increases and Senate Bill 10, while the pension-side losses were largely due to higher payroll and benefits for Tier 1 and Tier 2 members. They explained that new Tier 3 employees are designed to add no additional unfunded liability, and that the state administers the systems but does not directly control all hiring. Questions also focused on retiree health premiums, which KPPA said rose about 15% for non-Medicare retirees and 38% for Medicare retirees, with the increase attributed to utilization, prescription costs, and the Inflation Reduction Act. The committee then heard from TRS Deputy Executive Secretary and General Counsel Beau Barnes on the 2025 TRS actuarial valuation. He reported that the Retirement Annuity Trust and Health Insurance Trust both received full funding, the retirement trust’s funded ratio improved to 61%, TRS 4 remains well funded with no liability, and the health insurance trust improved to 89.1%. Barnes said TRS is on track to fully fund legacy liabilities within the amortization period, with 2044 as the point when the system reflects 100% funding and 2046 as the last year needing additional dollars for the legacy liability. He also explained that lower assumed investment returns and updated mortality assumptions increased liabilities, but that TRS uses direct rate smoothing for budgeting purposes. At the end of the meeting, the chair circulated a proposed set of “do’s and don’ts of pensions,” emphasizing that future legislation should not create unfunded liabilities. Barnes also noted he would later discuss several legislative proposals for the 2026 session, but the transcript provided ends before that discussion or any votes on those proposals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, it has heat and electricity only when that generator is running.
• Uh, it has heat and electricity only when that generator is running.
• Uh, it has heat and electricity only when that generator is running.
• Currently, New Hampshire's plates are made from aluminum with graphics applied using a heat transfer

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Little Antlers child care facility in Plymouth, and small business support like the plumbing and heating
• <01:17:41.040> the<01:17:41.280> plumbing<01:17:41.600> and<01:17:41.840> heating
• <01:17:42.080> company like the plumbing and heating company like the plumbing and heating

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Converting the building's municipal steam heating system to a more efficient natural gas system, installing
• Our current heating system is outdated and inefficient, leading to high operational costs and inconsistent
• heating throughout the building.
• It has water, heat, and electricity, of course, but it does not have restroom facilities.

Bills: HF2178, HF942, HF2470, HF1043, HF1287, HF1229, HF1230, HF424, HF571, HF404, HF910, HF1055, HF318, HF319, HF401, HF609, HF306, HF1599, HF1881

Keywords: HF2178, Cohasset, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, public infrastructure, water tower, water infrastructure, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, street reconstruction, municipal infrastructure, Public Facilities Authority, bond proceeds fund, Minnesota bonding, local government aid, utility infrastructure, public works, infrastructure, stormwater

Transcript Highlights:

• So that means we pay the lights, the heat, even the snow shoveling, as well as a group of operators that
• c><00:11:57.839> the<00:11:58.079> lights,<00:11:58.480> the<00:11:58.680> heat
• , that means we pay the lights, the heat, that means we pay the lights, the heat, even<00:11:59.920

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• extremely old, which means they're already much more expensive to operate, much more expensive to heat
• <00:43:18.480> more<00:43:18.680> expensive<00:43:19.400> to<00:43:19.640> heat
• <00:43:19.960> and operate much more expensive to heat and operate much more expensive to
• heat and cool<00:43:21.720> um<00:43:22.400> they<00:43:22.559> have<00:43:22.800

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fire sprinklers rapidly contain fire by activating immediately when they detect heat, not smoke, allowing
• activating immediately when they Fire by activating immediately when they detect<00:27:49.559> heat
• > smoke<00:27:51.919> allowing<00:27:52.440> them<00:27:52.600> to detect heat
• not smoke allowing them to detect heat not smoke allowing them to control<00:27:53.159> a<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for people here, it is hard enough to find good people to run for office, and some people take more heat
• one that people at the doors got the the one that people at the doors got the most<01:21:11.280> heated
• 12.199> and<01:21:12.360> it<01:21:12.520> was<01:21:12.800> almost most heated
• about and it was almost most heated about and it was almost always<01:21:13.960> issues<01:21

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• operational costs are lower because maybe they're spending less money on energy, for example, on heating
• operational costs are lower because maybe they're spending less money on energy, for example, on heating
• operational costs are lower because maybe they're spending less money on energy, for example, on heating
• 12:08.080> but<01:12:08.360> our But our understanding is natural gas, as a form of heating

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Capital Investment Committee met on January 23 and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The main presentation was from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on its evaluation of Minnesota’s Sustainable Building guidelines, also referred to as B3. The auditors said the guidelines apply to certain new buildings and major renovations funded with general obligation bonds and are intended to improve energy efficiency, occupant health, and environmental quality. They described the program as involving the Departments of Administration and Commerce, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research, and project teams, but found widespread confusion over who is responsible for administering and enforcing the program. The auditors reported that oversight and accountability are limited, compliance is not clearly tracked, and there is no agency assigned to ensure projects follow the guidelines or to require compliance data. They said many projects in a review of 2020 bonding projects had not begun tracking compliance, and that up-to-date data were often missing. They also found the law’s stated program objectives are outdated because the referenced energy-code provision was repealed in 2009, and that measurable goals have not been established for most of the guideline categories. The office recommended that the legislature designate a responsible agency, clarify duties in statute, require compliance monitoring and data collection, update the program’s stated goals, and direct systematic evaluation of cost and sustainability outcomes. Members asked about consequences for noncompliance, funding, and whether cost impacts should be studied first. The auditor said the requirements are legal obligations, but no real enforcement consequences have been used so far, and any consequences discussed have been mostly theoretical. She said the Departments of Administration and Commerce were receiving about $1 million combined to support the contract with the Center for Sustainable Building Research, while other state agencies were not receiving dedicated funding for oversight. In response to questions about costs, she said the overall effect of the guidelines on project costs and sustainability is still unknown, but that the legislature could direct an analysis of cost impacts before taking further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know, maybe the heat did something to my computer, but I was struggling to sign on to the link
• sedation and outside environments can lead to serious health issues, including severe sunburn, frostbite, heat

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on xylazine held its first meeting, with House Chair Mindy Domb and Senate Co-Chair John Keenan outlining the commission’s charge and a proposed work plan. The commission is tasked with studying the public health and safety impacts of xylazine in the illicit drug supply, including whether it should be scheduled as a controlled substance, how to regulate its production and distribution, and how to improve outreach and treatment for people exposed to it. Members were told the report deadline had been extended to March 30, 2026, and staff proposed a series of public hearings and working groups leading to a final report. The meeting also included attendance, packet materials, and procedural planning. The first major testimony came from BSAS Director Deirdre Calvert, who described xylazine’s appearance in Massachusetts drug supply data, the state’s public health alerts, and DPH’s partnership with Brandeis, CDC, and harm reduction organizations. She emphasized four priorities: reducing stigma and discrimination in health care, expanding self-directed wound care support and coverage for supplies, expanding access to drug checking and test strips, and supporting low-barrier services such as mobile vans and drop-in centers. Commission members asked about first responder awareness, medical education, and whether harm reduction services might face federal restrictions; Calvert said misinformation remains a problem and noted ongoing training efforts, including collaboration with public safety agencies. Several other speakers reinforced the need for low-barrier care and drug checking. Dr. Raghini Jala, an infectious disease and addiction medicine physician, said xylazine has become a common component of the unregulated opioid supply and urged support for rapid-response education teams, community-based drug checking, and better hospital and detox protocols for xylazine withdrawal and wounds. Recovery coach Alan Young testified from lived experience, describing severe wounds, fear of inadequate withdrawal treatment in emergency settings, and the value of mobile care vans that can provide methadone, buprenorphine, and wound care in the community. Dr. Sarah Wakeman echoed the need for naloxone, rescue breathing, low-threshold treatment, and non-stigmatizing health care settings, while Sarah Macon of the Boston Public Health Commission described Boston’s harm reduction and drug checking work, including on-site testing, wound care, and a decline in opioid mortality. Tracy Green of the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream explained that xylazine has declined in recent samples while metatomidine is rising, said drug checking is increasingly used but still not enough, and argued for more funding, staffing, and statewide access to real-time drug checking and harm reduction services.