Transcript Highlights:

• In plain English, this is hitting rural Missouri hard. It's hitting farm families.
• In plain English, this is hitting rural Missouri hard.
• It is a workforce issue, a rural Missouri issue, and not to leave it out, an urban issue, because ticks
• So while this is first and foremost a public health and rural health bill, it also touches on readiness
• Rural Missourians are paying the price for that blind spot.

Summary: The House first established a quorum after introductions of the Freedom of the Road Riders and Warsaw High School students. Members then took up House Bill 1855, a reporting bill on alpha-gal syndrome. The sponsor described the bill as a public health surveillance measure to add alpha-gal to Missouri’s reportable conditions, require lab reporting to the Department of Health and Senior Services, and send aggregated data to the CDC. Supporters said the bill would help identify hotspots, guide education and funding, and address a serious tick-borne condition affecting rural and urban Missourians alike. Opponents raised concerns about cost, false positives/negatives, and privacy, but the sponsor and others said the system would be HIPAA-compliant and de-identified at the federal level. Two amendments to HB 1855 were debated. An amendment changing the department’s follow-up authority from “may” to “shall” was adopted, with supporters arguing that if the legislature funds follow-up, the department should be required to do it. A second amendment creating an opt-in/opt-out consent process for reporting was rejected 41-10 after extensive debate over privacy, data collection, and whether consent would undermine disease surveillance. The House then adopted the House committee substitute for HB 1855 as amended and ordered it perfected and printed. The chamber next considered House Bills 2230 and 2978, a revised education measure aimed at reducing screen time in K-5 classrooms and encouraging handwriting and cursive instruction. The sponsor said the bill was based on research linking heavy screen use to poorer educational and behavioral outcomes, and supporters emphasized local control, parent access to screen-time policies, and the need to bring experts together through a state-level focus group. An amendment to exclude virtual school programs was adopted. The House then adopted the committee substitute for HB 2230 and 2978 as amended and ordered it perfected and printed. Finally, the House began debate on House Bill 2355, the Food Is Medicine Initiative. The sponsor said the bill would let Missouri use federal funds through 1115 waivers to pilot medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, nutrition counseling, and related interventions to improve health and lower Medicaid costs. Members generally supported the concept, citing food deserts and the benefits of better nutrition, but an amendment adding vitamin therapies and cleanup language prompted concern from one member about supplement quality and regulation; the transcript ends during that amendment discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because what we're learning is they're very concerned about being prosecuted in these states that have
• It also has an exemption for rural hospitals.
• modified and the exemption for rural was modified.
• The definition of rural was modified and the exemption for rural was modified at the suggestion of the
• I am a rural pediatric hospice nurse working for Envoy Hospice in northern New Mexico.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• The time limitation for prosecuting such crimes. That is the bill. Other amendments?
• But it's making sure, like folks that live in my district, that's very unique, very rural, have a seat
• And the state attorney was getting a lot of grief for it and saying, why aren't you prosecuting more
• We don't just prosecute on probabilities and we don't prosecute on maybes and what you think is easy.
• Are there documented instances in Florida where existing laws were insufficient to prosecute attempts

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and heard several member introductions before moving to the special order calendar. The chamber first took up SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, which directs DEP to develop a statewide recycling strategy by 2026 with stakeholder input and a three-year implementation roadmap; the House bill was substituted and passed 38-0. Senators then approved CS/CS/SB 492 on mitigation banking and land development after adopting two McLean amendments, including one on out-of-service credits and another incorporating phosphate mining lands provisions; the bill passed 35-3 after debate over possible constitutional issues. CS/SB 494 on aggravated animal cruelty was also amended and substituted with the House companion to add a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers and a sentencing multiplier, with an agriculture-related exemption; it passed 37-0. The Senate next passed CS/CS/SB 500/HB 711 creating the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, including training and coordinated alert procedures, with a House amendment to align implementation timing and funding; it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 524/HB 1089 added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening tests and passed 36-0. CS/CS/SB 592/HB 393 revised the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program by lowering approval thresholds, clarifying eligibility and ownership issues, and adding sliding-door wind-driven rain mitigation devices; it passed 37-0 after discussion about funding and insurance premium credits. CS/SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education allowed charter schools direct access to grant funding and expanded money-back guarantees for certain programs, and it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 822/HB 443 on charter schools generated extensive debate and multiple amendments, including a Jones amendment requiring parent acknowledgment of school rules; the bill would expand charter autonomy, reporting flexibility, enrollment capacity, and governance provisions, and it was placed on the calendar for third reading after the amendment process. Later, the Senate passed HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, which would examine job displacement, wages, vulnerable regions, and training needs, by a 35-0 vote. It also passed CS/CS/SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, CS/SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, and CS/SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment and digitally forged intimate images, all unanimously. CS/CS/SB 1156 on a Home Health Aid for Medically Fragile Children Program was amended to clarify training requirements and passed 37-0 after supportive debate about helping parents care for medically fragile children. Finally, CS/CS/CS/SB 1240/HB 1091 on substance abuse and mental health care was amended to allow designated facilities to retain certain stabilized patients during the 72-hour involuntary examination period and passed 37-0. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, and the chamber also recognized guests and interns throughout the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• In particular, a conversation about the prosecution of the World Cup bombing.
• We need to prosecute him. The FBI should go after people like him.
• He said Vice President Harris was a criminal and should be prosecuted.
• Is that a prosecution you would initiate?
• Law enforcement and investigations and prosecutions.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• individuals... ...medical data, and there have been concerns about prosecuting individuals involved
• So I... ...rural communities. So I appreciate that. I really do.
• Vehicles were involved in over 70% of the cases we prosecuted.
• Hi, Catalina Sanchez, on behalf of the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, in support.
• Catalina Sanchez, on behalf of the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, in support.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• See, Sam, her case was one of the largest online enticement, sextortion cases prosecuted at the time
• I have specialized in prosecuting violations of online child exploitation and human trafficking.
• Or the case of Robert Solove, who in 2021 I prosecuted and created CSAM.
• This is parallel to the related criminal statutes that I prosecuted under.
• We can't prosecute our way out of the problem. The reports are coming in.

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism Subcommittee

Keywords: Stop CSAM Act, child exploitation, online safety, reporting requirements, tech accountability, NCMEC, survivor support, legislative testimony

Summary: The committee meeting centered around the urgent need to address child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online, focusing primarily on the testimony and discussions surrounding the Stop CSAM Act. Several witnesses, including representatives from law enforcement and advocacy organizations, highlighted the significant drop in reports of child exploitation cases despite an alarming increase in actual incidents. Concerns were raised about tech companies' reporting practices, with calls for more stringent requirements to ensure timely and accurate reporting of suspected abuse. The legislation aims to fortify protections for child victims by imposing stricter obligations on tech platforms to report incidents and support law enforcement in investigations.

Transcript Highlights:

• The office of criminal prosecution.
• </c> criminally prosecute thieing our future. criminally prosecute thieing our future.
• The person who did pull the heavy ore on prosecuting these criminals.
• ...things move forward who did the prosecution and investigation.
• ><c> a</c><01:42:54.320><c> sex</c> prosecuted I put together a sex prosecuted I put together a sex trafficking

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Original jurisdiction for most criminal prosecution in Minnesota lies with county attorneys.
• Also, the Governor may appoint the Attorney General's office to take over any criminal prosecution.
• Original jurisdiction for most criminal prosecution in Minnesota lies with county attorneys.
• Original jurisdiction for most criminal prosecution in Minnesota lies with county attorneys.
• Original jurisdiction for most criminal prosecution in Minnesota lies with county attorneys.

Bills: HF627 , HF474 , HF361 , HF1837

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> more</c><00:06:25.600><c> unpaid</c> rural hospitals, it means more unpaid rural hospitals, it means
• When rural hospitals, it means closure.
• ><c> hospitals</c> Medicaid is gutted, rural hospitals Medicaid is gutted, rural hospitals don't<00:06
• </c><00:06:41.440><c> hospitals</c> Today, over 40% of rural hospitals Today, over 40% of rural hospitals
• </c><00:09:06.000><c> health</c> risking the collapse of rural health risking the collapse of rural health

Transcript Highlights:

• Regarding the prosecution-led diversion program, this is a program that gives eligible defendants an
• opportunity to have their prosecution suspended and their charges dismissed if they do not commit a new
• House Bill 1425 strengthens counties' abilities to do prosecution-led diversion programs.
• Prosecution-led means it's up to the state's attorney to do this, and they would then be responsible
• for seeing what would happen if they succeeded, or if they fail, they go back into prosecution.

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Summary: The committee met to review fiscal aspects of House Bills 1417 and 1425, both part of a broader criminal justice reentry package. HB 1417 would eliminate the $35 public defender application fee and end court-ordered reimbursement of indigent defense costs, while also removing the $55 monthly community supervision fee. Testimony from the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents and the Department of Corrections said the bill would replace lost revenue with general fund appropriations of about $310,000 for indigent defense and $1.5 million for supervision fees, and that the fees are rarely collected and can hinder reentry. Representative Clemene said the bill is intended to reduce barriers to successful community reintegration and improve data and supervision practices. HB 1425 would create and fund front-end diversion, deflection, and pretrial services programs. Supporters described it as allowing prosecutors and local jurisdictions to divert appropriate low-level offenders from prosecution, establish deflection programs for people with behavioral health needs, and expand pretrial services. The bill includes a pilot program in three counties, a $1 million appropriation to DOCR for one FTE and contracts with local providers, $750,000 to DHS for treatment services, and $55,000 for a study of pretrial services cost savings. Committee members asked several questions about how the pilot counties would be chosen, how the consultant study would be procured, and what services the DHS funds would cover. The committee also heard House Bill 1603, which would provide a $500,000 matching grant for Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act compliance, with $100,000 available to each of North Dakota’s five tribes if matched. Sponsor testimony said the funds would support a Historical Society NAGPRA compliance committee and help catalog and repatriate human remains and cultural items in coordination with tribes. After questions about the federal mandate and the difficulty of identifying artifacts, the committee voted 4-0 to give HB 1603 a do-pass recommendation, with Senator Meyer assigned to carry it forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• In court, as well as both of you talk about what led to the indictments and prosecutions.
• And so when we talked about We talked about two prosecutions.
• The last question: the state law requires that county attorneys investigate and prosecute...
• Did they decline to prosecute?
• if, in fact, there's going to be federal prosecution.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of them are because she did not prosecute them.
• Many of these cases are prosecuted in New Mexico annually.
• We know what we do prosecute, but there's no DA's office.
• And you are here for the prosecution of human trafficking.
• So then does the prosecution happen?

Bills: SB41 , SB33 , SB32 , SB30

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• There would be no civil action by the family because as long as you don't prosecute somebody.
• So the prosecution, the people, by deciding to prosecute, you're forcing a retail establishment, a small
• business owner to decide whether to cooperate with a prosecution for fear of not being able to bring
• Charges are brought by the government, by the people, in order to prosecute somebody who they believe
• why you have, you can actually bring a civil claim against somebody as opposed to having somebody prosecuted

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met on March 18 for its third meeting of the year and considered a series of bills, mostly reporting them to the floor. Early measures included a bill by Senator Gernardis on releasing certain claims by employees, a bill by Senator Brooke barring people convicted of elder abuse from inheriting from the elder’s estate, and a bill by Senator Mayer requiring the Chief Administrator to report court data, including information on town and village courts. Members also advanced a bill on notice requirements for self-storage lien enforcement and a bill by Senator Sepulveda concerning mercantile establishments and collections after a finding of not guilty in a larceny case. The elder-abuse inheritance bill drew supportive comments, with one member noting a related gap in the law involving parental abandonment and inheritance rights. The most extended discussion centered on the mercantile-establishment bill, where some members raised concerns that a criminal acquittal or dismissal on technical grounds could unfairly limit a business’s ability to pursue civil recovery, while supporters argued that a not-guilty finding should prevent further collection efforts tied to the alleged crime. After debate, the bill was moved and reported to the floor, with at least one member voting no or without recommendation. The committee also advanced a bill on judicial staffing levels, with no substantive discussion noted. Later, the committee approved a bill prohibiting undisclosed reporting of mediation and court-annexed alternative dispute resolution proceedings, and a broad bill by Senator Sepúlveda replacing references to paternity and affiliation with parentage across multiple laws. Most measures were reported to the floor, and one bill on court data reporting was sent to finance. The meeting concluded with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, that probably should be motion because the petition filing sort of connotes that the prosecuting
• It probably should continue and put a time period for which the prosecuting attorney has to bring the
• I'm the Cole County Prosecuting Attorney here for the Missouri Prosecutors Association.
• prosecuted solely based upon the vaccination.
• The bill requires the prosecuting attorney notify the jail within 14 days.

Summary: The Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions heard Senate Substitute No. 3 to Senate Bill 888, a broad criminal justice measure sponsored by Sen. Nick Schroer. The bill would change juvenile procedures, including fingerprinting certain offenders under 18, sealing those records for law enforcement and prosecutors, closing juvenile proceedings to the public in some cases, allowing shackling in limited circumstances, and revising the juvenile detention assessment form. It also revises sentencing rules for certain felonies by increasing minimum time-served thresholds, limiting or eliminating conditional release for some offenses, changing how jail-time credit is calculated and challenged, and adding or reclassifying several offenses as dangerous felonies, including some sex offenses, trafficking-related crimes, and endangering the welfare of a child. The sponsor said the bill was intended to improve consistency, public safety, and transparency for victims and offenders, while clarifying that it did not change the elements of endangering the welfare of a child or create a vaccination-based offense. Testimony was mixed. The Missouri Prosecutors Association and Missouri Sheriffs’ United supported the bill, emphasizing clearer sentencing information for victims and stronger consequences for violent and repeat offenders. The Missouri Department of Corrections also supported the sentencing portion, saying the bill’s parole-percentage changes were conviction-based and that the department’s main goal was transparency at sentencing. Opponents, including the Missouri Justice Coalition, the Public Defender System, and several juvenile justice advocates, argued that the juvenile provisions would push more children into adult court, undermine Missouri’s nationally recognized juvenile model, and increase racial disparities and recidivism. They also criticized the mandatory minimums and longer sentences as costly and punitive, warning of higher prison populations and possible new prison construction. Several witnesses raised concerns about the bill’s treatment of vaccination status in the child endangerment section. Committee members questioned the sponsor and witnesses extensively about whether the bill changed commitments versus convictions, the fiscal note, prison capacity, juvenile detention bed space, and whether the measure would apply retroactively. The sponsor and DOC said the sentencing changes were forward-looking and that the bill was meant to provide more certainty at sentencing, though some details were left to experts and later cleanup. The committee recessed during testimony to return after session, then reconvened in executive session. Representative Davis offered an amendment clarifying that vaccination status alone cannot prove endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, and the committee discussed the amendment before continuing consideration of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• provide uh original criminal jurisdiction to the Attorney General to bring charges and criminally prosecute
• provide uh original criminal jurisdiction to the Attorney General to bring charges and criminally prosecute
• And then line 22 is for the Rural Finance Authority agroforestry update.
• 22</c><02:13:03.600><c> is</c><02:13:03.800><c> for</c><02:13:03.920><c> the</c><02:13:04.040><c> Rural
• </c><02:13:04.320><c> Finance</c> line 22 is for the Rural Finance line 22 is for the Rural Finance Authority

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:58:03.400><c> I</c><00:58:03.440><c> just</c> Kentucky, um, to face prosecution.
• Hopefully can address some issues to make energy more affordable in our rural parts of the state.
• this bill is straightforward: to strengthen access to care for Medicaid patients, particularly in rural
• /c><01:21:37.760><c> and</c><01:21:37.920><c> underserved</c><01:21:38.640><c> communities,</c> in rural
• and underserved communities, in rural and underserved communities, while<01:21:39.880><c> supporting

Summary: The House convened with 98 members present, declared a quorum, approved the prior journal, and received Senate concurrence requests on Senate Bills 263, 281, and 324. The chamber then moved through second readings and committee reports on a range of measures, including education, agriculture, banking and insurance, judiciary, licensing, and task force resolutions. Among the reported bills were measures on KEES scholarships for non-certified schools, a residential safe room rebate program, dual credit scholarships, impeding a first responder, motor vehicles, tallow-based cosmetic products, animal health emergencies, mortgage loan income limits, deferred deposit fees, child protection, Attorney General operations, corrections operations, school leadership, school transportation, advanced mathematics coursework, and task forces on charitable gaming and early childhood education governance. The House passed House Bill 642, a Teachers' Retirement System housekeeping bill, after adopting House Committee Substitute 1. The sponsor said the bill updates survivor benefit documentation, raises the daily earnings limit for retired members returning to work from $170 to $200, removes an unused early-return provision, reinstates a pension waiver program, clarifies benefit tier calculations using an earlier participation date in another state system, and allows a parent member to manage payments for a disabled child without a court order. Members asked about substitute teaching limits, retirement penalties, budget impact, and a removed provision involving index funds; the sponsor said he would follow up on the day limits and stated he did not believe the bill would add to unfunded liability. The bill passed 96-0. The House also passed House Bill 780 on recording commissioner’s deeds, after adopting a floor amendment that removed fines and penalties. The bill allows a city to petition circuit court if a deed is not recorded within 30 business days, and the court may compel filing and award costs and attorney’s fees. Members discussed whether the bill effectively created a lawsuit-based enforcement mechanism rather than a fine, and supporters said it would help local governments identify responsible property owners and address code enforcement and public safety issues. The bill passed 96-0. House Bill 541, concerning peace officers, also passed after a committee substitute; the sponsor said it cleans up Kentucky Law Enforcement Council procedures, strengthens certification standards, clarifies revocation language, and reflects input from law enforcement groups. It passed 95-0. House Bill 195, the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, passed after a committee substitute and floor amendment. The substitute added Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension alongside UK Cooperative Extension, and the floor amendment changed the pilot’s implementation date to January 1, 2027 and adjusted the program’s term timing. Supporters said the bill would expand urban agriculture education, connect youth to food systems and career pathways, and help students in urban counties learn practical agricultural skills; it passed 97-0. The House then took up House Bill 794 on financial exploitation, which expands protections to all adults age 65 and older, adds felony penalties for knowingly, wantonly, or recklessly exploiting those adults, allows the attorney general to seek extradition from another state, and requires investment advisers to complete three hours of continuing education on financial exploitation. Members cited real-world scam experiences and urged stronger penalties, but the bill passed 96-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• And by adding the words sex and gender, we pave a path for prosecution under the hate crime statute for
• Rural communities want to build housing. The Senate will be in a very brief recess. Mr.
• Rural communities want to build housing. The Senate will be in order.

Summary: The Senate considered a large number of amendments to an economic development bill and adopted them one by one, with repeated brief recesses as members finalized language. Early amendments made permanent the option for hybrid public meetings and added procedures for alleged open meeting law violations, authorized speed camera enforcement in school and construction safety zones, and created a retirement credit option for part-time teachers who reduced hours to care for children. Other adopted amendments updated gateway municipality designations every three years, capped ticket resale prices and banned speculative “ghost tickets,” and addressed vulnerable road users, crumbling concrete, and a fund for seasonal communities housing. Members also approved amendments to create a new framework for responding to crimes against women, including better investigation of staged suicides and adding sex and gender to the hate crimes statute; to establish a trigger law protecting private-sector labor organizing rights if federal labor law is weakened; to create a bottom-up “Enough Act” fund to fight poverty; to allow airport restaurants and bars at Logan to operate during flight hours; and to protect seniors and adults with disabilities from financial scams by allowing temporary delays of suspicious transactions and reporting to protective agencies. Additional housing-related amendments were adopted for rural communities, residential PACE financing, and a five-community tenant opportunity to purchase pilot program. A Senate Ways and Means amendment was then adopted, the substitute draft was applied to the underlying bill, and the bill was ordered to a third reading and then passed to be engrossed. The chamber also adopted an order to reconvene the following Monday at 11 a.m. and to dispense with printing a calendar. The Senate then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• enforcement then to issue a citation, educate on that, but also the final piece of being able to prosecute
• Um if you're not in a camera-assisted area and we're out in rural Minnesota, uh how does this how does
• Um if you're not in a camera-assisted area and we're out in rural Minnesota, uh how does this how does

Transcript Highlights:

• Rural county sheriffs. That's it, rural county.
• refer any of these grantees to the Department of Justice for further investigation and or potential prosecution

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules convened with quorum and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Deborah Garns, Davis Rabbit, Cindy Silva, Vincent Wells, and Lee Herrick as California Poet Laureate, all by 5-0 votes. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments, each by unanimous 5-0 votes. The committee then heard testimony on the appointment of Trista Gonzalez as Director of the Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Gonzalez described her 33-year career in tax administration, emphasized taxpayer service, efficient collection, and support for small businesses, and answered questions about lithium extraction tax registration, online sales tax enforcement under Wayfair and AB 147, and CDTFA’s work with illicit cigarette, tobacco, and cannabis activity. Members praised her responsiveness to legislators and constituents, and public commenters from Ryan LLC and the California Society of Enrolled Agents supported her confirmation. The committee voted 5-0 to send her nomination to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Aaron McGuire, executive director of the Board of State and Community Corrections, on his confirmation. He discussed the board’s expanded responsibilities, including annual detention facility inspections, grant administration, and the new in-custody death review division. Members questioned him about grant oversight, audits, implementation of SB 519, access to local agency records, standards for detention facilities, and conditions in Los Angeles County juvenile facilities. McGuire said the board is using inspections, technical assistance, and public reporting to improve compliance and transparency, and that additional trailer bill language clarified access to records. Public support came from nonprofit reentry providers and Giffords. The committee approved his nomination 5-0, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rural county sheriffs. That's it, rural county.
• refer any of these grantees to the Department of Justice for further investigation and or potential prosecution

Committee: Senate Rules