Transcript Highlights:

• We also operate the Bill Bowman Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which this committee will get a chance
• to tour this afternoon and see some of the service work that occurs in that laboratory.
• So we are aiming to position North Dakota as a national leader in water technology and management.
• So essentially what we are is a federal funding project from the National Science Foundation.
• You know, the goal of the National Science Foundation is to ensure that the engine is the major hub for

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She has that federally funded through the National Cancer Institute.
• </c> talking about uh it also has a national talking about uh it also has a national security<01:17:59.080
• </c> very hard to compete uh nationally very hard to compete uh nationally because<01:23:59.880><c> uh
• security and for our nation.
• </c> very very important for our national very very important for our national security<01:25:37.560>

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• of our researchers to the Laboratories of our researchers to the<00:02:48.800><c> startup</c><00:02:
• Many other universities would also be gutted, and as a nation what that would mean would basically be
• what that would gutted and as a nation what that would mean<00:22:31.919><c> would</c><00:22:32.159>
• So, yes, what could happen, and what there have been people talking about nationally, is if you're in
• So, yes, what could happen, and what there have been people talking about nationally, is if you're in

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• voluntarily submitted by a hunter for sampling, and that deer did test positive for CWD, confirmed by the National
• Veterinary Services Laboratory.
• I have been watching this dreaded disease spread throughout our nation for the past 20 years and hoping

Summary: The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission met on April 17, 2026, with a quorum present, adopted the agenda and prior minutes, and then focused primarily on chronic wasting disease (CWD) management in light of a new positive deer detection in Washington Parish. Staff explained that the March 11 declaration of emergency expanded the CWD control area into portions of Washington and surrounding parishes, including parts of Morehouse, Union, Lincoln, and Jackson, and that the emergency rule remains in effect for 180 days unless rescinded earlier. The commission also discussed the task force’s report and recommendations, but the chair indicated those recommendations would be tabled pending legislative action on Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 (SCR 24)."} 0}

Transcript Highlights:

• We are deer hunting receives accolades from across the nation, Realtree Field, and Stream, North American
• Is because nationally, when people think of Oklahoma, they don't necessarily think of.
• It's more laboratory type. And we still do a lot of our research.

Committee: House A&B Select Agencies Subcommittee

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 20 is the Laboratory Building Steering Committee. That was established before.
• little or nothing for grazing bison and for the, was it, North Dakota Bison Association or Buffalo National
• Buffalo National Buffalo Museum. Sure.

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1012, the Department of Health and Human Services budget. Senator Dever walked through the amended budget, highlighting a roughly $5.85 billion all-funds total, major one-time items for IT, child care, housing, behavioral health, juvenile justice, rural EMS, and supportive housing, along with funding for Medicaid expansion, CCBHCs, opioid settlement uses, and several studies and reporting requirements. Members discussed the provider inflation increase, with Senator Mathern urging a 2%/2% rate instead of 2%/1.5%, but the committee adopted the subcommittee amendment and then passed the amended bill 15-0 with a do-pass recommendation. Senator Dever was named as carrier. The committee then considered House Bill 1540, a school choice/education savings account-style bill. Senator Shibley explained the subcommittee amendments, including clarifying the Bank of North Dakota as administrator, adding a means test at 400% of the federal poverty guideline, and adjusting the fiscal note to about $21.7 million for the second year. In debate, members raised concerns about the bank being assigned duties outside its normal role, the lack of DPI involvement, and whether the means test should be tiered rather than a hard cutoff. The committee rejected a do-not-pass motion 5-10-1, then approved a do-pass motion on the amended bill 9-6-1, with Senator Wobama noted as the likely carrier. The meeting ended with the chair announcing the committee would adjourn and reconvene the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• God of all nations and people, Let us pray.
• God of all nations and peoples, this day we remember you as the God of freedom and truth.
• So many from across the nation, Juneteenth holds a deep meaning for Black Americans.
• So many from across the nation, Juneteenth holds a deep meaning for Black Americans.
• Californians are already carrying the heaviest cost-of-living burden in the nation.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Allegiance: to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation
• Ensuring one agency's information is not siloed only makes for a safer state and nation.
• very fortunate that we're in between two national parks.
• We have Biscayne National Park, and we also have Everglades National Park.
• The University of Florida Adam Michael Rosen Neuro-Oncology Laboratories, which houses multiple laboratories

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several member introductions recognizing interns, guests, and advocates. The Rules Chair added CS for CS for SB 622 to the special order calendar, and SB 80 on state land management was temporarily postponed. The chamber then moved through a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills when the measures were identical or nearly identical. The Senate passed SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, requiring DEP to develop a recycling and waste diversion roadmap by 2026; SB 492 on land development and mitigation banking, after adopting amendments related to mitigation credit use and former phosphate mine lands; and SB 494/HB 255 on aggravated animal cruelty, which increases sentencing consequences and creates a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers, with an amendment clarifying the database language. The Senate also passed SB 500/HB 711 establishing the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, SB 524/HB 1089 adding Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening, SB 592/HB 393 revising the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education, SB 936/HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment, and SB 1156 on a home health aid program for medically fragile children. Most of these bills were adopted after brief sponsor explanations, questions, and in some cases amendments or House-substitute motions. Debate centered on several policy issues. Senators raised concerns about the constitutional and environmental implications of mitigation banking credits in SB 492, the scope and privacy implications of the animal abuse database in SB 494, the funding and eligibility details of the condo resilience program in SB 592, and the public-school/charter-school balance in SB 822, which drew extensive questioning about enrollment, governance, discipline, accountability, and data sharing before being placed on the third-reading calendar after amendments. The Spectrum Alert bill drew support from members who compared it to the Purple Alert and emphasized the risks faced by children with ASD. The medically fragile children home health aid bill also drew strong support, with senators describing it as a long-needed fix to help families provide in-home care without losing Medicaid coverage. Votes on the measures reported in the transcript were overwhelmingly favorable, with bills passing by margins such as 38-0, 35-3, 37-0, 36-0, and 35-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Forest Service, and this is across all seven national forests now.
• foresters, our forestry expertise, and our streamlined contracting procedures to get more done on national
• The Forest Service has some pretty aggressive goals to harvest and to restore our National Forest System
• And so that's something that we can certainly have... ...our National Forest System lands.
• Laboratory oversight, to cleanup in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, waste remediation, water quality testing

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a slow process, and that's even at the CDC level nationally.
• Through my involvement with national committees, including chairing the National Association of State
• The national benchmark after major surgery is 27.
• The national benchmark is 25% in orthopedic procedures on a national study that we were a part of; 45%
• The national benchmark is 25% in orthopedic procedures on a national study that we were a part of 45%

Committee: Joint Health Care Committee

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a detailed annual presentation from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and review findings. He explained the committee’s structure, the de-identified review process, and the distinction between pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related deaths. He said national maternal mortality has declined from its 2021 peak, but mental health conditions, substance use, overdose, suicide, cardiovascular disease, hemorrhage, infection, and embolism remain major causes. He emphasized that many deaths are preventable, with especially high rates among non-Hispanic Black women and in the American Indian/Alaska Native population, and noted that a large share of deaths occur after 42 days postpartum. Committee members asked about suicide, domestic abuse, pregnancy testing in unexplained deaths, and the role of home births and midwife training. Dr. Arnold said the committee is adding a caseworker, exploring post-mortem pregnancy testing in suspicious cases, and working with coroners and forensic officials; he also said home births and untrained midwifery pose safety concerns and that better public education and facility-based care are important. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matt Clark on cigarette ignition propensity standards and fire prevention. He recommended updating North Dakota’s cigarette ignition legislation to the current national standard and also considering legislation requiring fast-breakaway oxygen tubing, citing fatal fires involving smoking around home oxygen. He explained that his office verifies manufacturer testing and maintains certification for cigarettes sold in the state, but does not itself conduct the testing. Members asked about implementation, cost, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Clark said he would follow up with cost information and additional details, and that he had not seen evidence of a major issue on tribal lands but would look further. Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services presented the North Dakota Stroke System of Care report. She described the statewide network of two comprehensive stroke centers, four primary stroke centers, and 30 acute stroke-ready hospitals, along with the stroke registry and quality-improvement efforts. She reported that most strokes are ischemic, that the median stroke patient age is 71.5, and that common risk factors include hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes. She highlighted improvements in door-to-CT, thrombolytic treatment times, dysphagia screening, EMS pre-notification, and interfacility transfer performance, and said new priorities include hemorrhagic stroke quality measures and standardized EMS stroke screening tools. Members asked about the VA hospital’s participation, and Greff said she would pursue outreach. After a break, the committee heard testimony from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals as part of the prior authorization study, focused on non-opioid pain treatment. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to acute pain treatment and may push patients toward opioids, especially in the critical 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window. He cited data showing that even short opioid exposure can increase the risk of long-term use and said prior authorization is often a barrier for physicians and patients. Khan recommended open access with a quantity limit rather than prior authorization, suggesting a 14-day limit supported by the product’s data and an episode-of-care approach. Members asked about dental use, payer discussions, and cost; he said the product’s wholesale acquisition cost is about $16.10 per tablet, with patient assistance available, and that he would follow up on payer and comparison-cost questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also operate the Bill Bowman Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which this committee will get a chance
• to tour this afternoon and see some of the service work that occurs in that laboratory.
• So we are aiming to position North Dakota as a national leader in water technology and management.
• So essentially what we are is a federal funding project from the National Science Foundation.
• So the engine's program, you can see with this map, is a dedicated line of funding from the National

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Summary: The committee met in Fargo and approved the minutes from the March 31 meeting before hearing a series of informational presentations focused on North Dakota agriculture, water, and research. NDSU President David Cook opened with remarks about NDSU’s land-grant mission, emphasizing statewide service through research, teaching, and extension, and highlighting examples such as the Lilac Agriculture startup and the university’s role in applying research to real-world problems. He said he intends to spend time listening across the state to better understand local needs. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study projected significant potential for expanded irrigation acreage, especially in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau, and estimated major economic gains from irrigation, including higher farm returns and support for value-added agriculture. Members discussed water permits, surface water versus aquifers, infrastructure, drought resilience, and the role of legal drains in improving productivity and generating economic activity. The presenters also noted that the full report is available online. Dr. Greg Lardy followed with NDSU’s required interim report, outlining the university’s agricultural research and extension system, including the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, seven research-extension centers, and the economic importance of agriculture to the state. He highlighted recent research impacts such as new crop varieties, potato breeding successes, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, weather-network tools, and 4-H programming. He also described NDSU’s budget priorities: restoring the governor’s proposed 10% cuts, additional operating support, and deferred maintenance funding. Committee members asked about the new agricultural field lab, storage sheds, and NDSU’s partnership with Grand Farm. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor presenting water-related research, including data center cooling, water reuse, smart irrigation, and a feasibility study on co-locating data centers with greenhouse and aquaculture production. Members asked about water use, ownership, and whether the concepts were operational or still speculative. Finally, North Dakota AgTech presented its NSF-funded innovation engine work, describing startup commercialization, on-farm trials, workforce development, and partnerships with NDSU, UND, tribal colleges, and other land-grant institutions. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> nationals to violate those same laws. nationals to violate those same laws.
• </c><00:51:28.079><c> His</c> Nichols Bank National Bank. His Nichols Bank National Bank.
• </c><06:48:05.120><c> He</c> is needed to defend our nation. He is needed to defend our nation.
• laboratories.
• </c> efforts at our national laboratories. efforts at our national laboratories.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• California has always led the nation in both innovation and worker protection.
• artificial intelligence tools threaten a dehumanization of the economy, hitting large swaths of this nation
• A world-class laboratory should not be built on a lowest-bid workforce.
• standards through Cal/OSHA and maintains some of the strongest labor and safety protections in the nation

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard several bills focused on worker protections, AI in the workplace, bereavement leave, and construction labor standards. SB 909 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would increase public works contractor registration fees, raise prevailing wage and related penalties, and direct half of collected penalties back into the Public Works Enforcement Fund. Supporters said the bill would help combat wage theft and misclassification and strengthen enforcement; opponents argued the higher fees and penalties would burden contractors without fixing enforcement backlogs. The committee voted the bill out on a due pass motion to Appropriations. The committee also approved SB 951 by Senator Reyes, which would require 60-day notice when 25 or more workers are displaced by technology and require reporting on AI-related job impacts. Supporters framed it as a response to rapid AI-driven layoffs and a way to gather real-time data; opponents raised concerns about small employers, proprietary information, and litigation. SB 947 by Senator McNerney, the “No Robo Bosses Act,” would require human review of automated discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions and restrict predictive behavior analysis. Supporters said it would prevent biased or mistaken automated decisions; opponents objected to the inclusion of independent contractors, private rights of action, and other provisions. Both bills were advanced to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection. The committee also passed SB 1149 by Senator Durazo, which would expand bereavement leave to cover a “designated person,” including chosen family relationships. Supporters, including AARP and a witness who described losing a long-term partner, said the bill reflects modern family structures; there was no opposition. In addition, SB 1185 by Senator Cortese, applying skilled and trained workforce standards to pharmaceutical facility construction, was approved despite opposition from business and construction groups who said there was no demonstrated safety problem and that the mandate could raise costs and reduce competition. Several other bills on the consent calendar were also approved, and all measures were reported out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• California has always led the nation in both innovation and worker protection.
• artificial intelligence tools threaten a dehumanization of the economy, hitting large swaths of this nation
• A world-class laboratory should not be built on a lowest-bid workforce.
• standards through Cal/OSHA and maintains some of the strongest labor and safety protections in the nation

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey... ...shows millions of students are addicted to these
• My son was a great student, in the top 7% of his class, a National Honor Society member, and Vice President
• The states are generally the laboratories of democracy, and we can see that this has happened in other
• one-year post-doc, a one-year residency, at which point you can become licensed after passing a national

Bills: SB2024 , SB227 , SB268 , SB1467 , SB1580 , HB5537 , SB1313 , SB1677 , SB918 , SB331 , SB2207 , SB2721

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: e-cigarettes, marketing prohibition, youth protection, criminal penalties, public health, school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, health care, licensing, complaint procedure, disciplinary action, law enforcement, death records, vital statistics, healthcare, trauma facility, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• other challenges for the agency is that some of these tests are called PLA codes or proprietary laboratory
• Currently, Texas unfortunately leads the nation for new HIV diagnoses.
• My name is Ward Tisdale, National Association. ...in mutual insurance companies testifying against HB
• I'm with the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, respectfully testifying in opposition

Bills: HB813 , HB1680 , HB3569 , HB4074 , HB4635 , HB5178 , SB527 , SB1307 , SB1822

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: autism, health insurance, coverage, medical treatment, health benefit plan, HIV prevention, prescription drug, prior authorization, health benefits, insurance coverage, insurance, contract termination, property and casualty, insurance agents, discrimination, appraiser, umpire, licensing requirements, continuing education, admin penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• RESCHEDULING FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING BUT I DO WANT TO SAY IT IS VERY FORTUITOUS BECAUSE FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL
• PERKINS FUNDING IS THE PRIMARY FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN CTE ACROSS THE NATION IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
• OUR RESERVE FUNDINGS WHERE WE FUND OUR LABORATORY SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE STATE FOR CTE FUNDING AS WELL
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND THE NATION

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you've been following life sciences in New Hampshire, we're really competing nationally to attract
• If you've been following life sciences in New Hampshire, we're really competing nationally to attract
• In several instances throughout this tells laboratory folks that are using rats and mice to not report
• </c> throughout this tells um laboratory throughout this tells um laboratory folks<03:45:20.120><c> that
• </c><04:09:10.400><c> animals</c> treatment of these laboratory animals treatment of these laboratory

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hydropower has the flexibility to allow for load following, according to the National Hydro Power Association
• 00:04:08.959><c> the</c> for load following according to the for load following according to the National
• Hydro</c><00:04:09.879><c> Power</c><00:04:10.159><c> Association</c><00:04:10.879><c> there</c> National
• Hydro Power Association there National Hydro Power Association there are<00:04:11.280><c> over</c> are
• delivering</c> National Laboratory to begin delivering National Laboratory to begin delivering Elric<

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a proud recipient of a national advocacy award.
• This right here, I'm a proud recipient of a national these this right here I'm a proud recipient of a
• national advocacy award I wouldn't be able to have these type of things these type of opportunities
• independent testing laboratories.
• It's a plant that grows for free, and it costs the same as the nationals, you know.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held its first hearing of the 194th session to take public testimony on 21 cannabis-related bills. Chairs Donahue and Gómez outlined hearing procedures and noted that written testimony would also be accepted. Much of the hearing focused on the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), with Senator Mike Moore urging support for S. 90 to create an inspector general unit within the CCC. He argued the commission has suffered from dysfunction, workplace harassment allegations, delayed governance reforms, missed fee collections, and high legal costs, and said stronger legislative oversight is needed. Committee members largely agreed the CCC needs reform, though some expressed hope that new leadership would improve operations. A major theme was market structure and business viability. Representative Tyler testified for H. 183 to raise adult-use purchase limits from one ounce to two ounces, saying the change would reduce confusion and help retailers compete with neighboring states. Senator Payano supported S. 100, which would require a study of cannabis supply and demand to guide cultivation licensing, warning that oversupply is driving down prices and threatening cultivators. The Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, represented by Ryan Dominguez, backed a package of bills aimed at increasing revenue, reducing regulatory burdens, attracting investment, and stabilizing the market, including higher purchase limits, simpler badge and testing rules, and a phased increase in the retail license cap. Attorneys Kevin Conroy and Mike Ross also supported raising the cap, arguing that the industry lacks capital and that more investment and exit opportunities are needed for provisional and distressed licensees. The most contentious issue was whether to raise the retail license cap from three to six. Supporters, including several business owners and industry advocates such as Peyton Shubrick, Tito Jackson, Armani White, Sean Burt, and others, said the current cap traps owners in declining businesses, prevents exits, and limits access to capital. They argued that many social equity and economic empowerment operators are struggling, that oversupply has pushed prices down, and that allowing more ownership could help businesses scale or sell. Opponents, including Senator Liz Miranda and several social equity operators, warned that lifting the cap now would let larger operators and multi-state companies dominate the market and harm equity-owned businesses. Miranda’s S. 88 would instead strengthen enforcement of ownership limits through audits, whistleblower protections, an anonymous tip line, and greater transparency. Another major topic was worker and consumer safety: Laura Bruno, Danny Carson, Al Vega, and others supported H. 194 after the death of Lorna McMurray, arguing for a CCC workplace and consumer safety department, better ventilation and PPE standards, stronger testing oversight, and retaliation protections for workers. The hearing ended without votes, with members thanking testifiers and indicating the committee would continue reviewing the bills.