Transcript Highlights:

• These are life skills everybody should know what to do in the first vital seconds of an emergent situation
• A structured service fellowship provides supervised skill-building experiences, references, and real
• However, time and again we see news stories and social media posts about children being sexually abused
• It is just like a game plan on a team.
• I'm a social studies teacher at Madison Meadows Middle School.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas, skills of older Vermonters.
• </c> aging, healthy aging for all, social aging, healthy aging for all, social connection,<00:09:22.880
• Jason was fantastic about teaching me and the staff some more advocacy skills.
• We had a joint skills.
• Tomorrow we will have our second annual art social in the cafeteria.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He may not want to play that game. How do you know that as a coach?
• He may not want to play that game. How do you know that as a coach?
• Her math skills have taken off. Her comprehension has grown tremendously.
• We integrate learning, social, and spiritual growth.
• As part of our mission, We integrate learning, social, and spiritual growth.

Bills: HB624 , HB1022 , HB1203 , SB82 , SB206 , SB305 , SB376 , SB441

Committee: House Education

Keywords: school safety, emergency operations plan, crisis management, active shooter, drills, training, classroom security, primary health services, behavioral health, school health providers, medical necessity, student health care, education, school week, instructional time, public schools, performance score, student athletes, cardiovascular health, sudden cardiac arrest

Transcript Highlights:

• of golf or a Fighting Irish game on a Saturday afternoon.
• Those who game on a Saturday afternoon.
• She was PA Game Commission.
• </c><07:31:05.840><c> evolutions,</c> country through social evolutions, country through social evolutions
• </c> economic success and social impact. economic success and social impact.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have, you know, facility visits, guest speakers, presentations, career fairs, interview training, skill
• I believe that it's important that our students are in school learning new skills and socializing with
• And like I grew up in East Texas and so I spent a lot of time um on Fridays going to football games and

Committee: House S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, they're not getting the swimming skills that they need.
• Game-changer.
• We have highly skilled people in here.
• </c><02:45:23.319><c> people</c> just going to take our skillful people just going to take our skillful
• </c><03:12:40.479><c> Talent</c> Development and skills Talent Development and skills Talent Development

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• executive compensation, ensuring the head of the agency's salary reflects the knowledge and leadership skills
• Raising this band is more about recruitment of highly skilled professionals than increasing the direct
• So we've tried to get in, you know, highly skilled technical people from information technology, other
• Um, when we learn of a new scam, we make it known on social media. We alert our licenses.
• They don't have to take on 1000 to $300,000 worth of debt, and they've got skills to provide for them

Transcript Highlights:

• Poverty is the number one issue that we face when it comes to those social outcomes.
• Moving on to the non-market and social. Benefits.
• Labor shortages, both skilled and unskilled, are affecting many of our meat processors.
• We work with social work teams in there. and they really identify the children.
• It was an economic shot in the arm for our small, socially disadvantaged producers.

Committee: House Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• of scientific principles of food, nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, management, and behavioral social
• It took months to get licensed in each state, depriving patients of her skills while she waited.
• This is the dilemma for many military spouses: trained, skilled, and working in civilian careers who
• Nurses are highly skilled and essential members of our health care system.
• My name is Zara, and I am the program manager and social worker at Seattle Veterinary Outreach.

Bills: HB2340 , HB2155 , HB2531

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: HB 2340, nursing assistants, nurse aide, substance use disorder monitoring program, monitoring program, credentialing, licensure, disciplinary records, enforcement action, public disclosure, privacy, third-party website, stipend program, financial assistance, treatment costs, drug testing, peer support, recovery, rehabilitation, board-approved program

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> students with our critical math skills students with our critical math skills we've<00:04:30.560
• Nelson said that students' math skills are relevant and alarming because these scores and skills are
• support you see major gains in skill support you see major gains in those<00:08:28.000><c> skills</c
• </c> is that I've been talking about skills is that I've been talking about skills um<00:08:58.240><c
• basic core reading skills.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For those we identify as in need in our county, this could be anything from social services, such as
• Whenever there was a video—a good video—it was almost always game over as a prosecutor.
• There is a unique skill set that this profession requires. this profession requires.
• Please know there's a social opportunity today at five o'clock.
• game where there are lots of police officers there.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So commercials, movies, even video games - the state provides a grant program to help fund those.
• So it's not meant to be a research game; it's meant to be a research game which also gets products and
• So next I'll be discussing Social Security and Benefit Replacement Pay.
• So first is Social Security.
• Recommendations for Social Security total $2.6 billion over the biennium.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked in the non-profit and philanthropic sectors in support of immigrants, social justice and
• . skilled labor.
• More educated workers means a stronger economy, a more skilled workforce, and greater prosperity.
• I wish I could, I was talking one at a baseball game on Friday, or on Saturday.
• It was about what they could one day give back to this country as a social worker. Thank you.

Bills: HB232

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• There's the representative payee who stole over $50,000 from Social Security beneficiaries he was supposed
• For instance, we have skilled civil litigators among our attorneys. who handle our False Claims Act cases
• Does this person have a Social Security number?
• Like when we're talking about some of these, they're counseling services that sound a lot like social
• actually seen fraud when it comes to the kinds of services through the Medicaid system, even at the social

Bills: HF3043 , HF2891

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: public safety, illegal remunerations, healthcare fraud, grants, criminal penalties, state law, grants management, state employees training, certification, monitoring grants, accountability, grant fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• She’s a licensed social worker.
• So maybe it's not more social work students, because there's a lot of burnout in the social work world
• Going through those social work programs and getting those degrees, but also working with peer mentors
• Skilled settings.
• The work group also addressed longstanding frustrations regarding annual in-service scheduling, social

Committee: Joint Human Services

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Human Services Committee met in interim session and first approved the previous meeting minutes before receiving a series of presentations on homelessness and housing stability. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency updated members on the new Interagency Council on Homelessness, describing its executive-order mandate to review resources, gather input from stakeholders, identify gaps, and develop recommendations. She said the council’s first work is building a statewide program matrix of existing homeless services and funding sources, with attention to youth, tribal communities, and other vulnerable populations. Members raised concerns about youth homelessness, homeless veterans, and how the council will stay focused on a practical framework rather than getting lost in details. The committee also discussed possible connections to the rural health transformation grant and agreed to continue the topic later in the spring. Beth Olson of Presentation Partners in Housing described the organization’s housing-first model in Cass County and Clay County, including homeless prevention/diversion, housing navigation, and Cooper House, a 42-unit permanent supportive housing building in Fargo. She said the organization focuses on people with long-term and chronic homelessness, many with mental health, addiction, health, domestic violence, and Indigenous identity-related barriers, and reported strong outcomes: 85 of 86 people housed in 2025, 91% still housed after one year, and major reductions in emergency room use, ambulance rides, jail stays, detox days, and shelter use. She also explained that state funding has grown from a small share of the budget to about $1.1 million in state-connected funding for fiscal 2026, largely through contracts tied to supportive services. Members asked about vouchers, rent contributions at Cooper House, length of stay, and whether similar projects could be expanded elsewhere. Andrea Olson of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota outlined statewide homeless and housing-related services delivered through six community action agencies in all 53 counties. She explained the Community Services Block Grant structure, said housing was identified as the top need in the most recent statewide needs assessment, and described programs including Supportive Services for Veteran Families, North Dakota Homeless Grant services, and Home ARP supportive services. She emphasized that the end of North Dakota Rent Help has increased pressure on the system, that the current $2 million annual homeless grant is far smaller than prior rent-help assistance, and that community action is using case management and financial assistance to move households toward self-sufficiency. Members asked about funding formulas, rural service delivery, and coordination with Presentation Partners to avoid duplication. YouthWorks then began a presentation on youth homelessness, describing services for ages 12 to 24, the special needs of youth and former foster youth, and the organization’s use of federal and state funds to support transitional housing, emergency shelter, maternity housing, and diversion services.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the game fish that hasn't been mentioned, I think, the one fisherman mentioned trout.
• , very skilled.
• I just don't want to— That's a skill, very skilled. I know it might be hard in the future, housing.
• Same as any of the game violation, correct? Right. Yes, sir.
• The same as any of the game violation, correct? Right. Yes, sir.

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 886 by Rep. Orgeron, which would make seasonal catch totals and related reporting for the commercial menhaden fishery publicly available by carving out an exception to confidentiality rules. The author said the bill was intended to align with the original intent of prior reporting legislation and to ensure the public can see how much menhaden is being taken from Louisiana waters. Supporters, including Louisiana Wildlife Federation, CCA, charter captains, and recreational anglers, argued the fishery uses a public resource and that transparency is needed for policymaking. Opponents said they did not object to transparency in principle, but one speaker asked that size-sampling data be removed, arguing it has no scientific value and is already handled through NOAA and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Council processes. The committee reported HB 886 favorably without opposition. The committee then heard House Bill 855, also by Rep. Orgeron, which would establish a 22-foot depth requirement for the commercial use of purse seines in the menhaden fishery. The author said the bill was based on a state-funded bycatch study showing red drum bycatch rises sharply in shallow water and that the current quarter-mile buffer is insufficient, especially in nearshore areas where recreational fishing and sensitive habitats are concentrated. Supporters emphasized the public trust nature of menhaden, the economic value of recreational fishing, and concerns about bycatch, beach fouling, and localized depletion. Several speakers cited the bycatch study, public comments opposing the recent reduction from a half-mile to a quarter-mile buffer, and the belief that deeper-water fishing would reduce impacts on redfish and other species. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries staff and the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Scott Rayburn, answered questions about the current buffer rules, enforcement, and the science behind the 22-foot threshold. They explained that the recent reduction to a quarter-mile buffer came from a commission directive and that the department had investigated complaints but found no violations. Dr. Rayburn said the 22-foot figure came from modeling red drum bycatch as a function of depth and that the study focused on red drum because of its economic and social importance, while not analyzing every species in the same way. Opponents of the bill, including West Bank Fishing and Ocean Harvesters representatives, said the rule of three is a standard confidentiality concept, argued the bill should not be framed as anti-transparency, and urged removal of the size-sampling provisions. The committee heard extensive testimony but no final action on HB 855 was recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• How Social Security is how they pay their bills.
• the Social Security pushed the Social Security Administration<00:17:56.000><c> to</c><00:17:56.240><
• </c> to amend part A of title 4 of the Social to amend part A of title 4 of the Social Security<02:19
• </c> not going to pay any any tax on social not going to pay any any tax on social security<07:16:32.160
• No taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Opposition to 2128 continues to come from humanistic and social concerns to the criminal's well-being
• Victims have some skin in the game here. Victims have some skin in the game here.
• They have a lot of skin in the game.
• To get some educational skills, I don't think there's anything with that.
• Rough Rider Industries provides a job skills training program that has demonstrated positive.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. Representative Hoverson offered remarks recognizing World Autism Day, and the House then handled conference committee motions on several bills, including House Bills 1460 and 1248 and Senate Bills 2262, 2070, 2294, and 2297, with the Speaker appointing members to each conference committee. The chamber also set aside Senate Bill 2200 for re-referral to Appropriations and moved to amendments on Senate Bill 2128, which was the main subject of the day. Senate Bill 2128, a major criminal justice and corrections bill, drew extensive debate over truth-in-sentencing, mandatory minimums, parole, transitional facilities, work release, electronic monitoring, and the fiscal impact of longer incarceration. Division A of the amendments removed mandatory minimums for resisting arrest and felony simple assault while keeping consecutive-sentence language; supporters said this preserved judicial discretion and reduced costs, while opponents argued it weakened public safety. Division A was adopted 70-23. Division B proposed broader changes to preserve transitional programming, add penalties for tampering with electronic monitoring and escape, limit some work-release restrictions, create a parole board study, and fund electronic monitoring with a $600,000 appropriation. Supporters framed it as a compromise that balanced rehabilitation and public safety; opponents said it undercut the bill’s intent and left dangerous offenders with too much access to transitional release. Division B failed on a 46-46 tie. The House then took up the bill itself, with the Judiciary Committee reporting a do-not-pass recommendation as amended, and debate continued over whether the amended bill should advance, with members split between concerns about victims and public safety versus rehabilitation, prison capacity, and recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are also highly skilled positions such as tax... ...entry-level financial analyst.
• There are also highly skilled positions such as tax specialists within the Department of Revenue that
• These positions and the skill required for them also may lead to an increased time of vacancy.
• And the Gaming Control Commission is requesting four positions for illegal gaming enforcement.
• And the Gaming Control Commission is requesting four positions for illegal gaming enforcement.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review agency vacancy reports and agency-requested budget reductions, with Chair Lopez framing the discussion around stewardship of taxpayer dollars, agency efficiency, and whether long-vacant positions should be cut or repurposed. Members were given vacancy summaries and asked to focus on how agencies are functioning with current staffing, which positions are mission critical, and whether some vacancies reflect market pay issues, re-engineering of work, or true excess capacity. The chair also noted that agency heads had been asked to provide follow-up information on current openings, average vacancy duration, mission-critical roles, and reasons for vacancies. The Department of Revenue was the first major agency reviewed because it had the largest number of vacancies. Its leadership said vacancies had improved from pandemic-era highs due to market pay adjustments, but that some areas—especially general tax and audit—still had long-term openings. The department explained that some positions are intentionally frozen while work is restructured, that it hires above minimum salary in some cases to stay competitive, and that it is using automation and process changes to reduce backlogs. Members raised concerns about vacancies outside Leon County, out-of-state auditor positions, salary compression, and whether the department should provide a list of frozen positions and the salaries actually needed to recruit. The Department of Financial Services said its long vacancies were concentrated in risk management, law enforcement, and the general counsel’s office, where salaries and competition from private employers and other agencies make hiring difficult. DFS said it was using outside vendors in some areas, had reduced vacancies in its general counsel office significantly, and was willing to identify positions that could be cut, including some from treasury and OAT. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation reported progress in lowering vacancies through statewide recruiting, centralized legal hiring, automation in service operations, and leadership changes in alcoholic beverages and tobacco; it said one recommended cut could be achieved by combining two half-time positions. The Florida Lottery reported a low vacancy rate, said all positions were critical, and explained its longer onboarding time due to extensive background checks; members discussed sales reps, incentives, and the agency’s field-office structure. The Office of Financial Regulation said many of its vacancies were already in the hiring pipeline, with recent vacancies tied to promotions, a death, and internal moves, and noted that it often serves as a training ground for federal agencies. The Office of Insurance Regulation, which had a high vacancy rate concentrated in Leon County, said it had been reducing vacancies from a much higher level and was still working through hiring and administrative constraints.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also authorizes the Department of Social Services to transfer funding between child care contracts
• Effective January 1, 2028, and finally requiring the Department of Social Services to make transition
• This is the skilled nursing facilities trailer bill.
• It just brings that socialization that we all need.
• We are disappointed that Social Security numbers will continue to be shared.

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 988, house, all