Transcript Highlights:

• And in this one section,<00:40:20.160> we section, we section, we omitted<00:40:21.920> the
• I'll now walk you through a section-by-section summary.
• section summary. section summary.
• Section<00:46:15.080> one Section one Section one is<00:46:16.200> the<00:46:16.320>
• Section<00:48:51.680> 4 Section 4 Section 4 26<00:48:53.400> BSA<00:48:53.920> subsection

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by former member Jason Lorber, who spoke humorously about the difference between asking questions and making statements, urging members to be direct and add value in deliberation. The chamber then took up several resolutions: JRH 11, urging Congress to enact the National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2025, was read and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development; JRS 51, setting weekend adjournment for May 1, 2026, was adopted in concurrence; and H.C.R. 261 was read, recognizing May 2026 as Older Americans Month and designating May 6, 2026 as Age Strong Vermont Day. Members also used announcements to welcome guests and highlight events, including the Age Strong Vermont initiative, a former member’s return, visitors connected to psychedelic medicine advocacy, an art social, fisheries and trout-in-the-classroom guests, a legislative intern, and a reminder about the May 16 NAMI walk. The House then took up Senate Bill 230, an omnibus labor measure relating to fair employment practices. The committee explanation described technical clarifications to parental and family leave for full-time teachers, expansion of protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, removal of outdated statutory language on mandatory retirement for tenured faculty, and clarification that elected and appointed municipal officers are not employees for minimum wage and overtime purposes. The main new policy in section 3B would prohibit non-compete agreements for non-exempt employees, with an exception for collective bargaining agreements, and would restrict certain non-compete and related clauses in health care provider contracts while preserving continuity of care and excluding non-clinical business support services. The committee reported extensive testimony and voted 11-0-0 to recommend the bill favorably with amendment; the House agreed to propose the amendment to the Senate and ordered third reading. The House also began consideration of Senate Bill 179, updating Vermont’s Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act. The committee presentation explained that the bill would eliminate the current 9-month deadline for disclaimers, reflecting changes in federal tax law and the much larger modern estate and gift tax exclusion, and would modernize the statute in several ways. Proposed changes include clearer rules for jointly held property, allowing pre-death disclaimers, authorizing trustees and parents in limited circumstances to disclaim on behalf of trusts or minor children, permitting disclaimers by proxy for infirm persons, clarifying partial disclaimers and entity disclaimers, improving delivery rules for non-real-estate property, and specifying that a disclaimer is not a transfer for transfer-tax purposes. The bill was described as a response to outdated law in light of an impending large intergenerational wealth transfer, and the House proceeded with second reading discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section two and three propose similar amendments to section 84.0272, subdivision two, and section 84.96
• . sections. sections.
• amendment to section<00:04:32.440> 84.0272 section 84.0272 section 84.0272 subdivision<00:04:
• Section 11 provides that sections one through five, and sections six through 10, are effective the day
• It's marked as section 12. line 1.21. It's marked as section 12.

Bills: HF3643, HF3426, HF4222, HF4224

Keywords: Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman, memorial park, state park, working group, Minnesota Historical Society, Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, Saint Paul, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Administration, Legislative Coordinating Commission, general fund appropriation, park planning, interpretive services, public engagement, state memorial, land use, natural resources, commemorative legislation, environment

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I'll note that this amends after sections by inserting after section or replacing section two.
• inserting after section or replacing inserting after section or replacing section<00:05:35.760><
• section two. section two. >> Two,<00:05:36.440> correct.
• section is in section one of the bill. section is in section one of the bill.
• That's in section That's in section one. That's in section one.<00:06:49.240> Yep. one.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:08:15.000> three, section after section {dash} three, section after section {dash} three
• Code sections 1373 and 1644.
• Requirements and exemptions in this section shall be construed consistently with section 139.
• covering sections to keep both sections covering sections to keep both sections at<00:14:32.240>
• with section 139. with section 139.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee took up a large decision-making agenda and adopted most measures, often with technical or clarifying amendments. Bills addressed wildlife habitat conservation plans, civil identification cards for 16- and 17-year-olds, electronic and mail voting for associations, remedies for unauthorized disclosure of intimate images, traffic safety around stationary vehicles and pickup truck passengers, expedited permitting for housing for people with disabilities, rainwater catchment systems, EMS advisory committee membership, social media account deletion, limits on immigration-enforcement cooperation, prompt payment rules for professional solicitors, fetal death vital statistics, protections for gender-affirming care, passenger ropeways, law-enforcement facial coverings and immigration-related detention, domestic violence, health care facility access, guardianship record sealing, child protective proceedings, remote driver’s license hearings, disposable vaping products, dog attacks, insurance premium increase explanations, the DOE harm-to-student registry, Hawaiian Homes lease succession, EMS law modernization, hoisting machine regulation, release on recognizance, language interpretation rules, civil asset forfeiture for fireworks offenses, and assisted community treatment. Several bills were deferred, including HB 1897, HB 1957, HB 2121, and HB 2324, while HB 1957 was deferred indefinitely. Most measures were adopted without recorded opposition, though HB 1875 and HB 1961 drew no votes from Vice Chair Gabbard, and HB 2413 was adopted with reservations. A number of bills received substantive amendment instructions. HB 1682 was amended with committee report language noting concerns about departing from the model act. HB 1768 and HB 1886 were revised to narrow or clarify immigration-enforcement restrictions and law-enforcement identification and facial-covering provisions, including plainclothes and undercover exceptions, a narrower civil immigration arrest/detention offense, and savings clauses. HB 2540 received extensive amendments to convert policy language into mandatory terms, refine facial-covering and identification rules, align criminal and policy exemptions, narrow immigration-related offenses, and clarify the definition of law enforcement agency. HB 2413 was amended to define violent offenses, change written findings to oral findings on the record, limit reconsideration of bail, and restrict who may request sanctions or financial conditions. Other amendments included technical fixes, bad-date corrections, severability clauses, and chapter-consistency changes. The committee also heard a joint Education/Judiciary item, SCR 105 and SR 99, urging the Department of Education to provide students information on pre-registering to vote before reaching voting age. Testimony was reported in support from the Department of Education, Office of Elections, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and the League of Women Voters. With no opposition or further discussion, the committee voted to pass both resolutions with technical, non-substantive amendments (SD1).

Transcript Highlights:

• sections 16 and 17. sections 16 and 17.
• Uh<01:21:00.040> section<01:21:00.480> three Uh section three Uh section three is<01:21
• existing in other sections of law. existing in other sections of law.
• Section 5 and section 11 are related to our tobacco education proposal.
• found in section four. found in section four.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're in Section C. C1A. Thank you, Ms. Chair. We're in Section C.
• Section G is the Restricted Reserve Fund Transfer Request section.
• Section N. Let's go ahead. Let's do all of Section N. Yes, sir. Mr. Chair, this is Section N.
• Section P. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Section P.
• Section P. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Section P.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So let's start with Section 1. And Dustin, do you want to just go quickly through the sections?
• Section 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all...
• This section creates general provision sections that apply to the entire new chapter.
• the section.
• Okay, so in the first section, definitions section of the bill, it would be 18.

Bills: SB2156

Keywords: campaign finance, disclosure, political contributions, election transparency, North Dakota Century Code, 908, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review HB 2156, which reorganizes North Dakota campaign finance disclosure law by repealing Chapter 16.1 and moving the provisions into a new Chapter 16.2 with mostly technical cross-reference updates. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State’s office walked through the bill section by section, explaining that most language is carried over from current law, with some cleanup to definitions, reporting requirements, public access rules, and filing procedures. The committee discussed how the new chapter would apply to candidates, candidate committees, political committees, political parties, ballot measure groups, and conduits. Several substantive issues were raised and adjusted during the discussion. Members questioned the open-records language for expenditures and contributions over $250, the use of “deposit” versus “receipt” as the reporting trigger, and whether the 48-hour supplemental reporting deadline should be changed to three calendar days; the group ultimately favored keeping 48 hours and using “deposit” consistently. They also clarified reporting dates, including changing one special-election deadline from 40 days to 39 days, and confirmed that balances of campaign funds would be reported but not made publicly available. The Secretary of State’s office also explained that the bill would make late fees public and that the chapter-wide penalty for willful violations remains a Class A misdemeanor. The main policy change debated at length was the late-filing fee schedule. Members expressed concern that the existing penalties were too low to deter intentional non-filers, and after discussion the committee agreed to increase the final late fee from $100 to $500 while keeping the new public posting of delinquent filers. The committee also reviewed an inflation-adjustment provision for reporting thresholds and the “ultimate true source of funds” language, which was described as existing law being carried into the new chapter. The meeting ended with the understanding that additional drafting changes would be made and that the bill would be ready for further committee action later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a longer section, and so we'll jump forward to R4 for the next section.
• Jumping forward to R7 and the next two sections, beginning with section nine on the Senate side and section
• Jumping forward to R7 and the next two sections, beginning with section nine on the Senate side and section
• Jumping forward to R7 and the next two sections, beginning with section nine on the Senate side and section
• This is section 10 on the House.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you look at each section, it's the end of the section.
• the uh different sections. the uh different sections.
• . section.
• I want to go section by section. Section 1, subsection A, definitions.
• the section by section of the bill. the section by section of the bill.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:35.279> Section sections that are the same. Section sections that are the same.
• Section 8 is the Senate and section five is the House.
• Section 14 is the Senate, section 10 is the House.
• Section 14 is the Senate, section 10 is the House.
• Section 14 is the Senate, section 10 is the House.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1418, amending Section 60118, Title 40, Chapter 2, Article 6.2, A.R.S., by adding Section
• Senate Bill 1613, repealing Section 4, 220, A.R.S., and amending Section 2,000, Section 15, and Section
• Section 44-308, A.R.S., relating to the state treasurer.
• Section 36-6881, 36-685, A.R.S., relating to public health control.
• House Bill 2660, amending sections 32-924 and 32-15.01, A.R.S., by adding section 32-30.03, relating

Summary: The House convened, approved the prior journal, received gubernatorial communications, and then moved into an additional Committee of the Whole to consider Senate bills on two calendars. In that committee, members adopted floor and committee amendments and reported SB 1100, SB 1160, and SB 1178 out as amended. On the second calendar, the committee considered SB 1200, SB 1560, SB 1627, and SB 1723, adopting amendments on SB 1200, SB 1627, and SB 1723 and reporting all four measures out, while SB 1725 was retained on the calendar. The House then adopted the committee reports and sent the amended bills to engrossing or third reading as appropriate. The chamber then took up a long series of third-reading votes. Several bills passed with recorded votes and some member explanations focused on public safety, parental rights, school safety, health care, local control, property rights, and wildlife management. Among the measures that passed were SB 1013, SB 1015, SB 1046, SB 1094, SB 1095, SB 1124, SB 1186, SB 1214, SB 1275, SB 1280, SB 1315, SB 1318, SB 1205 on reconsideration, SB 1327, SB 1416, SB 1418, SB 1582, SB 1613, SB 1662, SB 1664, SB 1670, SB 1711, SB 1741, SB 1821, and several concurrent memorials. A number of bills failed, including SB 1052, SB 1170, SB 1457, SB 1074, SB 1540, SB 1649, and SB 1663. Debate on several bills drew pointed partisan and policy disagreements. Members opposing health-related bills argued they targeted LGBTQ people or medical decision-making, while supporters framed them as protecting children or bodily autonomy. On SB 1170, members said the bill contained a drafting error that would create extreme penalties and strain prison capacity. On SB 1280, supporters and opponents split over Mexican gray wolf management and federal conservation efforts. On SB 1199, the Salt River horse herd bill, members discussed herd management, heritage, property impacts, and a required emergency clause; it passed with the needed two-thirds majority. The House also adopted a group concurrence motion on numerous House bills and passed several House bills on final reading, including HB 2013, HB 2016, HB 2028, HB 2086, HB 2118, HB 2140, HB 2170, HB 2226, HB 2244, HB 2248, HB 2249, HB 2327, HB 2379, HB 2380, and others, forwarding them to the Governor.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're in Section D.
• We're in Section D.
• Section N. Let's go ahead. Let's do all of Section N. Yes, sir. Mr. Chair, this is Section N.
• Section P. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Section P.
• Section P. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Section P.

Summary: The committee reviewed a large slate of appropriation, transfer, and continuation requests across multiple sections. In Section B, members considered temporary FY27 appropriations for agencies including Health, DHS, Education, Treasury, Public Safety, State Police, Emergency Management, Aeronautics, Military, Economic Development, Game and Fish, and others, covering items such as maternal health outreach, LIHEAP overpayment returns, Wynne High School tornado rebuilding, senior food services, cybersecurity, crime victim claims, airport grants, conservation incentives, and emergency tower maintenance. Questions focused on the DHS senior services carry-forward and Treasury custodial banking fees tied to lower balances after COVID funds were spent down. All Section B items were approved. The committee then approved continuation requests, ARPA reallocations, and federal grant-related items in Sections B2, C1A, D1, D2, D3, E1, E2, E3, F1A, G1, H1A, I1A, J1/J2, K1/K2/K3, L1/L2, M1/M2, N1/N2, O1A, and P1A. These included university nursing and workforce programs, environmental and recycling grants, highway safety and emergency management grants, a transfer to the Merit Teacher Incentive Program, restricted reserve transfers for military, agriculture, UAPB, Game and Fish, and AETN, and various cash-fund and budget classification transfers. Several members asked for more detail on the State Police highway safety grant, VOCA victim compensation funding, the NSGP nonprofit security grant, and the Office of State Technology’s E-Rate-related transfer; agency officials explained the uses and noted that some funding levels depend on federal awards and collections. A notable discussion occurred on the Department of Commerce reallocation, which shifts 68 positions and $3 million among divisions to support an organizational realignment and avoid shortfalls. The committee also reviewed a state central services deduction request to keep the rate at 2%, a DHS overtime request for child protection caseloads, and a year-end adjustments request authorizing up to $1 million in temporary actions to close FY26 books without disrupting payroll or vendor payments. Most items were approved or, in some sections, simply reviewed without objection. The meeting adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 4 modifies the Online Instruction Act.
• Section 4 is the Minnesota Math Corps program.
• Section 8 modifies grounds for sanctions.
• Section 15 relates to excess tax increment.
• Section 16 modifies a reporting requirement for the teacher preparation grant program, and Section 17

Bills: HF1306

Keywords: education, school policy, teacher training, student health, emergency response

Transcript Highlights:

• be Section 4.
• Also, specifically, it is starting at 11, which is section 3 and 17, which is section 4.
• I could compromise and let go of section four. Section three, that's really important.
• 3 and 17, which is 11, which is section 3 and 17, which is section<00:16:05.360> 4.
• Section three, that's really four. Section three, that's really really<00:18:16.720> important.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Summary: The Committee of Conference on Senate Bill 564 reconvened to review a new amendment from Representative DuMont. The amendment cleaned up prior language, added a new section carving out wetland buffers and conservation areas for special exception or conditional use permit treatment, and included an effective-date delay. Senator Murphy noted that agreed-upon language was missing to prevent municipalities from imposing new building or lot-size restrictions before the bill’s effective date, and that language was restored using wording from amendment 2070. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey, who explained that fire-code concerns centered on road access and dead-end roads, and suggested tying road-length limits to NFPA 1141 so the bill would reference an established standard while preserving existing state fire code provisions on water supply, road widths, slopes, and turnarounds. Members discussed refining the language to say road-length caps must comply with the state fire code and NFPA 1141. Representative Alexander also explained that section 3 would expand by-right treatment for certain subdivision buffers and reduce development costs, while section 4 would require at least conditional use or special exception review for wetland buffers and conservation areas rather than allowing a flat denial. After a brief pause to resolve concerns, participants agreed to keep section 3 and section 4, with the understanding that the changes struck a balance between lowering housing-development costs and preserving local review and environmental protections. The committee then voted unanimously to support the agreement, seconded by Rainforth, and the chair said the revised amendment would be sent to OLS for final drafting.

Transcript Highlights:

• proposal here is to accept house section proposal here is to accept house section 26<00:25:23.919
• <00:26:33.039> 42<00:26:33.520> related section 35 and House section 42 related section
• 21 and uh line out of Senate section 21 and uh Senate<00:26:47.120> section<00:26:47.559>
• 47<00:27:24.000> uh are Senate only. sections 46 and 47 uh are Senate only. sections 46 and
• Article 8, section 44 and section 45. Seeing no further discussion, a roll call.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then sections, I guess it's the next three sections, so that would be four through six, I believe
• “Can we go to section five of Senator Hill?” “Yes. Starting at line 97.” “What? Section five.
• >> section five. That's section four. >> section five. That's section four.
• That is the only crime in Section five: the entry. >> That is the only new crime in Section five.
• Section four is just paperwork.

Keywords: Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 3 February, 2026; 9:00 A.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several criminal justice and public safety bills. Senator Sparks explained SB 2416, which would let a law enforcement officer who tests positive on an initial drug screen obtain a more invasive follow-up test at the officer’s expense; if the second test is negative, the first result would be treated as a false positive and the officer’s certification would not be put at risk. The committee also heard SB 2228, which would reduce the waiting period for certain felony expungements from five years to three years, following a recommendation from the criminal justice task force. Members discussed how expungement remains discretionary with the court and does not change which offenses are eligible; the bill passed committee after a motion and voice vote. The committee then considered a committee substitute for SB 21108, a combined bail bill. Counsel said it would require suspension of a bail agent’s license when there is a civil judgment, exclude credit card transaction fees from authorized bail fees, clarify requirements for cash deposits in lieu of surety or property bonds, bar unsecured judicial release for bail-restricted offenses, and allow courts to assess service-of-process costs against bail agents in certain failure-to-appear cases. A reverse repealer was added, and the committee voted to pass the committee substitute. Finally, the committee heard SB 2114, which would expand state immigration enforcement efforts by allowing DPS to collect information on illegal aliens, codifying participation in the federal 287(g) program, and creating state penalties for certain unlawful entry and criminal conduct by undocumented persons, including enhanced penalties for violent or sex offenses. The sponsor and counsel said the bill is intended to work with federal law and includes exemptions for certain federal immigration statuses and a provision allowing some nonviolent defendants to agree to deportation in lieu of prosecution. Members raised concerns about enforcement, probable cause, and unintended consequences, but the sponsor said the bill would require proof of entry through the Gulf of Mexico for the new entry offense and that the measure would enhance cooperation with federal authorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're in Section D.
• Section G is the Restricted Reserve Fund Transfer Request section.
• Section N. Let’s go ahead. Let’s do all of Section N. Yes, sir. Mr. Chair, this is Section N.
• Section P. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Section P.
• Section P. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Section P.

Summary: The committee met to review a large slate of fiscal year 2026 and 2027 appropriation, transfer, and continuation requests across multiple sections. Early items included temporary appropriations for agencies such as Health, DHS, Education, Public Safety, State Police, Emergency Management, Aeronautics, Military, Economic Development, and Game and Fish, covering items like maternal health outreach, energy assistance repayments, Wynne High School tornado rebuilding, senior food services, cybersecurity, crime victim reparations, aviation grants, conservation incentives, and emergency tower maintenance. Members asked questions on several items, including DHS aging carry-forward funds and Treasury custodial banking fees tied to COVID-era balances; the committee also approved a disclosure by the chair on the Game and Fish-related item before voting to approve the section. The committee then approved continuation requests, CARES Act and ARPA reallocations, and federal grant appropriations. Notable discussion included the Boonville developmental disability project, ALIGN program reallocations at several universities, a small business technical assistance grant at UA Little Rock, and a Department of Public Safety highway safety grant, for which members requested more detail on operating expenses and professional fees. Additional approvals covered a transfer to the Merit Teacher Incentive program, restricted reserve fund transfers for military medical command and university projects, and a state central services deduction held at 2%. The Department of Commerce also received approval for a reallocation of positions and spending authority tied to its organizational realignment. Later sections included shared technology and higher education transfers, cash fund appropriations for school Medicaid reimbursements, corrections, youth mental health, narcotics detection canines, bike safety equipment, a state motor pool pilot, and law enforcement safety costs. The committee also reviewed budget classification transfers, including a Governor’s Office legal fee transfer related to a California lawsuit, and heard explanations about E-Rate reimbursements affecting the Office of State Technology. Members asked about VOCA funding levels for crime victim services and about the National Security Grant Program for nonprofits and faith-based organizations; officials said federal funding had declined from prior highs but appeared to have stabilized, and that the nonprofit security grant is an annual federal program. The meeting concluded with review of pay plan requests, DHS overtime funding for child protection caseloads, and a year-end adjustment request allowing DFA to make up to $1 million in transfers to close the books, after which the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sections<00:50:19.720> 8,21<00:50:20.720> and Sections 8,21 and Sections 8,21 and 22<00
• The first grouping of sections,<00:53:39.720> sections, sections, sections, sections, sections
• Section one is unchanged. It... Section 1 is unchanged.
• Section 53. Um, this requires services. Section 53.
• section applies to. section applies to.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Members met to review a budget bill agreement using a nonpartisan spreadsheet and summary materials. Chairs and members thanked fiscal, research, revisers, and agency staff for the collaborative process, noting the bill had been difficult and that the final product reflected compromise. The chair also said only minor technical changes were expected before final enactment, and the spreadsheet walkthrough was then turned over to fiscal staff. Fiscal staff explained that the agreement met the overall budget target and walked through major human services provisions. Key items included nursing facility payment changes, including a phased PDPM change, APS inflation, modified single-bed incentives, and a CPI-U capped payment cap; a nursing facility surcharge; workforce standards board rule costs; continuation of certain nursing facility property tax rates; regulation of for-profit acquisitions of nursing homes and assisted living facilities; repurposing assisted living special project funds; funding the SEIU self-directed worker agreement; CFSS reimbursement in acute care hospital settings; and multiple disability waiver rate and authorization changes, including CPI-U inflation caps, waiver authorization reforms, and a waiver reimagined advisory task force. The agreement also included family residential service rate increases, a temporary extension of customized living disproportionate share payments, tribal eligibility for targeted case management, positive supports training changes, out-of-home respite modifications, swimming lessons as an allowable service for certain children with disabilities, a provisional EID provider license, and program integrity services funded by licensing fee increases. Additional provisions covered MinnChoices studies and assumed savings, behavioral health fund changes, substance use disorder treatment billing and rate changes, supportive recovery housing, housing support supplemental rates for specific providers, disability determinations, enteral nutrition payment timing, temporary funding for Boundary Waters Care Center, several one-time human services grants, senior nutrition funding, and grant reductions and extensions. No formal vote was described in the transcript; the discussion focused on explaining the agreement and its fiscal effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• 3BSA Section two amends uh 3BSA Section two amends uh 3BSA uh<00:18:59.679> 125A Section
• So section one is the finding section. I won't read those to you.
• Section two is the intent section. you. Section two is the intent section.
• this when I say section now like section this when I say section now like of<01:24:40.960> a<01
• statutory section uh some so section statutory section uh some so section 1121 1121 1121 requires

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 5 comes from section 5.1 of the bill.
• Section 11 at the bottom of page 11.
• Section 17 at the bottom of page 15 and running ahead to Section 18 on pages 16 and 17 relates to the
• Section 26 on page 24, along with Section 27, relates to canvassing of elections.
• Section 29 on page 26 provides...