Transcript Highlights:

• <00:30:18.399> could regional competitiveness could regional competitiveness could materially
• On cost of living competitiveness.
• Second, regional competition matters. People are Regional competition matters.
• We're going to lose our competitiveness. We're going to lose our key economic advantages.
• Cost of living, accessible housing, child care, and tax competitiveness.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• . competitiveness.
• If competition is weak, innovation and the U.S. economy suffer.
• and address harmful anti-competitive conduct impacting small businesses.
• While large mergers and anti-competitive While large mergers and anti-competitive practices can disadvantage
• practices and to report annually on the state of the competitive landscape.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and maybe we can get a competitive and maybe we can get a competitive advantage. advantage. advantage
• they're starting to see the competitive they're starting to see the competitive possibilities<00
• federal fellowships available for researchers that are competitive.
• <00:25:51.440> federal you have highly competitive federal you have highly competitive federal
• It's kind of like that are competitive.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And sometimes these projects find it hard to apply through competitive grants.
• We want them to, once they're able to stand on their feet, they can go and apply through the competitive
• We want them to, once they're able to stand on their feet, they can go and apply through the competitive
• leagues with the more competitive leagues with the more competitive grants.<00:07:58.080> Well
• The Senate has more competitive options with listing priority projects.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have fierce competition. competition within our own municipalities and markets.
• It'll be more competitive.
• There's intense competition among the processors.
• So I mean that would create competition, but I don't think it's the kind of competition that the sponsors
• It's called the Credit Card Competition Act.

Bills: HB245, HB700, HB2783, HB3526, HB3900, HB4061, HB4124, HB4166, HB4395, HB4534, HB4609, HB4641, HB4736, HB4738, HB4739, HB4945, HB5015, HJR175, HB245

Keywords: military service, retirement, law enforcement, custodial officer, Employees Retirement System, commercial financing, brokers, registration, disclosures, finance, consumer protection, fees, deferred compensation, automatic participation, county employees, payroll deductions, retirement plans, fiscal transparency, local government, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• San Francisco World Spirits Competition San Francisco World Spirits Competition for<00:07:45.800
• Francisco World Spirits Competition Francisco World Spirits Competition awarded<00:08:53.760>
• San Francisco World Spirits Competition San Francisco World Spirits Competition for<00:09:45.400
• the requirements for any competitive the requirements for any competitive recruitment<00:35:59.480
• <00:36:06.760> examination added to their competitive examination added to their competitive

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Rabbi Toby Weisman, who spoke about Passover, the obligation to remember liberation from slavery, and the Torah’s repeated command to love the stranger. He connected that theme to immigrants and the need for community, courage, and small acts of kindness. After the devotional, the chamber took up three Senate bills for first reading and referral: S. 179 on the Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act to Judiciary, S. 212 on potable water supply and wastewater system connections to Environment, and S. 227 on immigration protocols in Vermont schools to Education. The House also referred H. 558, relating to the Medicaid School-Based Services Program, to Appropriations, and H. 937, reported favorably by Ways and Means, was also sent to Appropriations under House Rule 35a. The House adopted JRS 45, a joint resolution on weekend adjournment for March 20, 2026, by voice vote. It also read and adopted several concurrent resolutions, including HCR 187 congratulating Village Garage Distillery of Bennington for a silver medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, HCR 213 recognizing March 2026 as Social Work Month in Vermont, and HCR 224 congratulating Vermont athletes at the 2025 National Senior Games and designating March 18, 2026, as Vermont Senior Games Day at the State House. Members made remarks in support of the resolutions, including praise for the distillery, social workers, and senior athletes, and guests in the gallery were recognized. The House then took up H. 887, which would amend the Fair Employment Practices Act to align documentation rules for crime victims with the protections already available to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking under the safe leave law. The committee and sponsor described it as a modest but important fix to ensure survivors can access both leave and anti-discrimination protections without conflicting paperwork requirements. The House agreed to the committee amendment and ordered the bill to third reading. Next, the chamber began H. 917, an omnibus military affairs bill combining several measures: correcting the Adjutant General title, defining Gold Star family member, creating a hiring preference for military spouses in state government, and providing free parking for disabled veterans. The sponsor outlined the bill’s purpose and sections, and discussion began on the title correction and related provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've been competing in this competition for almost 20 years, and...
• The winner of this competition is North Dakota.
• I've been to that competition in a previous life, and it's impressive what they did.
• World Competition.
• Our competition is India, Mexico, and China.

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, the hyper-competitive and win-at-all-cost environments of our...
• These mega events that the Assembly Member mentioned represent more than just sporting competitions.
• These mega events that the Assembly Member mentioned represent more than just sporting competitions;
• That's why they're being lured away by global competition in Vancouver, in Toronto, in London.
• And it's becoming very, very competitive.

Summary: The committee heard AB 749, which would create a blue ribbon commission to study equitable access to youth sports and recommend a statewide framework, including coaching standards, PE modernization, and funding models to reduce barriers for families. The author and supporters, including youth sports advocates, educators, coaches, and former athletes, argued that sports improve health, school engagement, and long-term opportunity, while noting racial and income disparities in participation. One member raised concerns that a new commission could add cost and regulatory burdens, but the bill was framed as a study measure rather than immediate regulation. The committee also took up AB 549, aimed at coordinating state and local security planning for major upcoming sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympic and Paralympic Games. Supporters said the bill would improve interagency coordination, protect visitors and communities, and help prevent human trafficking and discrimination during mega-events. Members discussed the need to avoid over-policing and to center community values, but the bill advanced on a due pass recommendation to Appropriations. AB 1291 addressed ticket purchasing for concerts, sports, and other live events by requiring electronic proof of purchase and allowing it to be used for entry if a ticket cannot be accessed through no fault of the buyer. Supporters said the measure would give consumers more certainty and help address problems in a monopolized ticketing market, while opponents from venues, sports teams, and entertainment groups warned it could undermine anti-scalping tools, create security problems, and burden venues with duplicate or fraudulent proofs of purchase. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended basis to Privacy and Consumer Protection, with the roll held open for absent members. The consent calendar item, AB 644, was also approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• nationwide a very very competitive nationwide a very very competitive industry<00:42:18.720>
• enacted competitive incentives. enacted competitive incentives.
• This bill is about staying competitive. This bill is about staying competitive.
• little late to the actual competition. little late to the actual competition.
• fact the at the end of the competition fact the at the end of the competition the<01:42:17.120><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and put them at a competitive and put them at a competitive disadvantage<00:37:51.839> thank<
• That's really helpful, and that's why there's no competitive portion to section A.
• That's really helpful, and that's why there's no competitive portion to section A.
• proposal and there is a competitive proposal and there is a competitive Grant<01:13:14.600> process
• they'd already had their competitive they'd already had their competitive process<01:24:33.639><

Bills: HF2274, HF1932

Keywords: taxation, income tax, property tax, corporate tax, homestead credit, local government aid, tax credits, economic development, taxpayer assistance, tax credit outreach, tax preparation, free tax help, IRS, Department of Revenue, general fund appropriation, earned income tax credit, child tax credit, volunteer income tax assistance, VITA, low-income taxpayers

Transcript Highlights:

• And we think we can be uniquely competitive with... ...in this space.
• As it's been mentioned, it's very, very competitive.
• Competitive in space.
• And the justification is because there's a lot of competitiveness out there.
• And the justification is because there's a lot of competitiveness out there.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The next pillar is talent, our greatest competitive resource here in Massachusetts.
• I think our competition is more in our own country, state by state.
• Just to follow up there, I mean, look, we're in competition with every other state, right?
• Why wouldn't it get more competitive to keep it? So the non-compete...
• Competitive grants. We need a process that supports the ongoing work.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on Governor Healey’s economic development proposal, H. 5386, also referred to as the Mass Winds Act, focused on global investment, talent, innovation, housing, and business competitiveness. Governor Healey, Secretary of Economic Development Eric Paley, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matt Gorzkowicz described the bill as a response to federal uncertainty and global competition, building on the 2024 Mass Leads Act. They highlighted proposed investments in a Global Mass initiative, including a $50 million innovation access fund and $20 million for sites to help international companies locate or expand in Massachusetts, along with support for AI, quantum, robotics, defense innovation, climate tech, downtown revitalization, and creative/cultural economy projects. They also emphasized measures to lower business costs, including reducing the LLC filing fee, expanding the small business energy tax exemption, and streamlining housing and development rules. Committee members questioned the administration about non-compete reform, AI and data-center infrastructure, housing affordability, and whether the bill would help retain workers and companies in Massachusetts. The governor and secretaries argued that the non-compete changes would restore the original compromise by requiring any alternative to garden leave to be negotiated at separation, and they said the bill’s housing and workforce provisions are intended to help young workers stay in the state. They also said Massachusetts is already investing in AI training, an AI hub, and energy-related planning, while acknowledging that data-center growth will require careful attention to water, electricity, and ratepayer impacts. Several witnesses testified on specific sections. Northeastern University supported the internship tax credit, saying experiential learning helps students gain jobs and remain in Massachusetts. The Latino Empowerment Advisory Council supported the waiver of redundant English testing for internationally trained nurses, saying it would speed entry into the workforce without lowering clinical standards. Russell Beck opposed the non-compete changes, arguing they would undermine the 2018 compromise and could reduce other forms of employee compensation. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office opposed the LLC fee reduction, citing revenue loss and fraud concerns. Municipal and regional groups, including the MMA and the Metro Mayors Coalition, supported site plan review codification and downtown/arts investments, while urging continued municipal input. The AFL-CIO asked for trigger language to preserve labor protections if federal law changes, and business and industry witnesses generally supported the bill’s competitiveness and global investment provisions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with written testimony invited after the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, of course, you know, none of us are competitive.
• So we did do a competitive procurement.
• And so my point is this doesn't make for a competitive market.
• And so my point is this doesn't make for a competitive market. another.
• And so my point is this doesn't make for a competitive market.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee held its first meeting of the term and heard introductory remarks from the chair, vice chair, ranking member, and members, who broadly described their interest in child welfare, mental health, aging services, homelessness, and agency accountability. The chair then outlined the subcommittee’s jurisdiction, including child welfare, mental health and substance abuse safety net services, domestic violence, developmental disabilities, elder services, and child support, and introduced the Department of Children and Families (DCF) as the first agency panel for the term. DCF presented an implementation update on HB 7089, a 2024 law aimed at increasing accountability and transparency for community-based care (CBC) lead agencies that deliver most child welfare services under contract. The department said the bill was prompted by forensic examinations that found problems such as noncompetitive procurement, related-party transactions, excessive executive compensation, and weak financial oversight. DCF described new contract requirements and monitoring tools covering board governance and annual training, conflict-of-interest disclosures, financial penalties for noncompliance, fidelity bond requirements, limits on direct service provision by lead agencies, related-party procurement rules, procurement thresholds, real-property approvals, compensation caps, expanded public reporting, and a new Future of Child Protection and Funding Work Group. DCF reported that some lead agencies had completed required board training, others were still on schedule, and two agencies exceeding the direct-service threshold had been referred to the Auditor General. Members asked DCF about the reasons for the bill, the impact on children, the work group’s regional representation, aging-out youth, the Embrace Families transition, board training requirements, and whether enforcement actions had been taken. DCF said the bill was intended to protect funds for children and families and improve oversight, and clarified that the Central Florida lead agency contract was awarded through competitive procurement rather than an absorption. DCF also said the board training was designed to be meaningful but not overly burdensome, with timing left partly to lead agencies as they implement the new requirements. The committee then heard from two CBC leaders, who generally supported the accountability goals of HB 7089 and said their agencies had already addressed most of the new governance and disclosure requirements. They reported that board training had been completed or was being scheduled, but both agencies said the fidelity bond requirement has been difficult or impossible to obtain in the market as written, though they were able to secure the separate performance bond. The CBC witnesses also warned that recruiting providers is increasingly difficult, especially for higher-acuity children and group-home placements, due to limited provider supply, regulatory burden, insurance costs, and rising risk. They said these pressures are contributing to budget deficits in some areas and urged lawmakers to consider the funding model, insurance and indemnification issues, and the risk of overregulation reducing provider participation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Students, attract top talent, etc., which then makes them less competitive on future grant proposals.
• The U.S. and China are engaged in systemic competition.
• -China competition. Beijing engages in information warfare.
• We are in a superpower competition, and we remember the last superpower competition that we were in,
• It's the lithium competition.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Um, so this rule set is on the competitive natural gas supplier and aggregator rules.
• It gives them the authority to assess fines on competitive electricity suppliers.
• authority to assess fines on competitive authority to assess fines on competitive electricity<00
• I did end up finding a more relevant statute to the competitive natural gas suppliers.
• uh for this conditional um competitive uh for this conditional um competitive natural<00:16:15.600

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and adopted the consent calendar without objection. It then took up Department of Safety Rule 25161 on administrative license suspension forms. After discussion of a staff concern that the rule text should expressly require a defendant’s signature or refusal to sign, and the officer’s witness signature, the agency agreed to revised language. The committee voted to grant conditional approval with those edits. The committee next considered Department of Agriculture rule 192, concerning importation of bovines and domestic animals. Staff identified several issues, including an overly broad federal citation, an unclear definition of infection, a possible conflict between provisions on telephone-issued permits and documents that must be carried, and missing struck-through repeal language. Because the department had not proposed written fixes, members moved to postpone the item until next month, and the motion passed. A second Agriculture item, 25207, was discussed as a long-expired set of rules that the agency said were still needed to run its programs; the committee granted conditional approval. The Public Utilities Commission’s competitive natural gas supplier and aggregator rules prompted the most extensive debate. Staff argued the cited statutes did not clearly authorize the commission to impose fines on natural gas suppliers, while the agency responded that authority could be read from related Department of Energy transition language and general rulemaking provisions. Members discussed whether the issue reflected a statutory gap created when responsibilities were split between the Department of Energy and the commission. The committee ultimately voted to waive and postpone the item to next month so the attorneys could work out the authority question. The committee also postponed Department of Energy items 219 and 220 at the agency’s request, and it noted that the Liquor Commission’s emergency rule had been revised to reduce reporting from monthly to quarterly before being reissued, with the item also postponed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Competitive integrated employment opportunities.
• Not all 2,000 plus individuals we were tracking achieved competitive integrated employment.
• So far, 792 of those individuals have achieved a competitive integrated employment outcome.
• Phase two is getting people into competitive integrated employment.
• Just as a reminder, what SB 639 did was transition into competitive integrated employment.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Through this funding, we are able to make our compensation structure more competitive with our public
• Through this funding, we are able to make our compensation structure more competitive with our public
• I don't say that disparagingly, but I do think that we can be competitive.
• I don't say that disparagingly, but I do think that we can be competitive.
• I don't say that disparagingly, but I do think that we can be competitive.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee heard a presentation from State Court Administrator Jeff Shorba on the Minnesota judicial branch’s 2026-27 budget request. He outlined the courts’ structure and workload, noting 322 judges, about 2,800 staff, roughly 1 million district court cases annually, and a current budget of about $479 million. Shorba emphasized the courts’ constitutional role, the fact that court fines and fees are deposited into the general fund rather than retained by the branch, and recent legislative investments that helped reduce pandemic-era backlogs, improve technology, sustain treatment courts, and raise interpreter and examiner pay. The budget request focused on several areas: a 6% judicial salary increase to address recruitment and retention problems, including a 15% rise in turnover and a 27% drop in applicants since 2020; funding for health care and office lease cost increases; digital accessibility compliance work required by new federal ADA rules; a modernized justice partner access system for court records; higher pay for forensic psychological examiners, whose workload has risen sharply; increased juror compensation from $20 to $100 per day and mileage adjustments; and ongoing funding for interpreters, jury services, and cybersecurity. Shorba said the total request would be a 12% increase over the FY 2026-27 base budget. Members asked follow-up questions about funding for newly launched treatment courts and how those courts are financed after federal grants expire. Shorba said he would provide more detail later and noted the branch generally starts treatment courts with federal funding before seeking state support. Representative Ric also asked about labor negotiations, and Shorba explained that the judicial branch negotiates its own contracts rather than using the executive branch, with three unions involved and many unrepresented employees. No votes or formal actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• It offsets and keeps them competitive.
• They're not anti-competitive; they're very competitive.
• So, you know, when the national guys say it's not set competitively, I just have to disagree.
• So there's a broad competitive landscape on part of it.
• So there's a broad competitive landscape on part of it. The harder part is the retailers.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card heard extensive testimony from credit union, banking, retail, restaurant, and payments-industry representatives about proposals to limit interchange fees, especially on the tax and tip portions of transactions. Several witnesses opposed state-level restrictions, arguing they would create a patchwork of rules, burden state-chartered institutions, raise compliance complexity, and ultimately reduce resources for fraud prevention, cybersecurity, rewards, and access to credit. Others, including retail and merchant advocates, said swipe fees are a significant and growing cost for small businesses and that states should consider reforms such as limiting fees on taxes and tips, allowing surcharging, improving transparency in merchant contracts, and studying collection costs more closely. Witnesses also discussed recent legal and regulatory developments, including Illinois’s interchange-fee law, OCC and NCUA interim rules, and the ongoing Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement. Industry representatives said the Illinois law has been delayed and is likely preempted for most transactions, while merchant advocates argued the state efforts and court rulings show that networks and banks do not set fees competitively. The proposed antitrust settlement was described by some as a meaningful but limited merchant victory, with temporary fee reductions and expanded surcharge/steering rights, while others said it still falls short of structural reform. The commission members pressed witnesses on the practical effects of fees, the cost of cash, whether merchants can pass costs through, and whether small businesses are actually seeing benefits from the current system. Members repeatedly emphasized the need for a fair middle ground that protects both small businesses and the payment system. No substantive votes or policy actions were taken beyond accepting testimony, and the meeting ended with adjournment after all scheduled witnesses had spoken.

Transcript Highlights:

• But by your logic, it's still competition, right? So yes, yes, they do have an unfair advantage.
• operation so yes there is competition operation so yes there is competition with<00:25:09.399>
• <00:27:16.880> at<00:27:17.039> a would still be unfair competition at a would still
• be unfair competition at a larger<00:27:17.640> scale<00:27:18.320> than<00:27:18.559>
• to the hundreds of hotels competition to the hundreds of hotels across<00:27:27.480> the<00:27

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Don't you want this to be a competitive, market-based type of admissions process?
• This forces our universities to choose between national competitiveness and state funding, which is a
• So we don't want this very credible and competitive system that has been ranking us, that we've been
• And yes, I understand that it is competitive to get into different universities.
• across the board nationally. ...and our universities the ability to stay competitive across the board

Summary: The committee first took up PCS for HB 1503, which would require general education courses that use technology to provide students opportunities to build digital literacy, including instruction on applications of artificial intelligence and related topics such as software engineering, computer networks, database systems, and cybersecurity as applicable to the course. It would also require high school computer science courses offered by school districts to include instruction on AI. There was no public testimony or debate, and the bill was reported favorably on a unanimous roll call vote. The committee then considered PCS for HB 1279, an education bill that the sponsor said was intended to improve consistency, oversight, and transparency while putting Florida students first. The bill drew extensive questioning and opposition over provisions affecting university admissions and funding, including a 95% Florida-resident first-time-in-college enrollment target tied to preeminent funding, a cap on nonresident students from any one country, standardized GPA weighting, limits on institution-wide graduation requirements, and changes related to accreditation references and other education programs. The sponsor argued these changes would open more seats for Florida students, preserve academic rigor, and align statutes with existing regulations and court action, while opponents said the bill would harm university competitiveness, research, revenue, faculty recruitment, and access for international and nontraditional students. Public testimony on HB 1279 was largely opposed. Speakers included a student advocate, a dental hygiene representative concerned about dual regulation of expanded-function dental programs, and faculty representatives from FSU and FAMU who warned the bill would politicize admissions and curriculum, reduce competitiveness, and create negative fiscal impacts. During debate, supporters emphasized taxpayer investment in Florida students and the need to prioritize in-state applicants, while opponents argued the bill would weaken the state university system and undermine its national standing. The committee reported PCS for HB 1279 favorably by a 12-5 vote.