Transcript Highlights:

• , and manage over 40 dedicated fund programs.
• over 115 federal grants, laws, manage over 115 federal grants, and<00:31:40.799><c> manage</c><00:31
• </c><01:31:59.760><c> those</c> challenge in terms of managing those challenge in terms of managing those
• So eligible to go to the claims process.
• So we're still dealing to the claims.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Now the chairman is quick to claim that we want to choose bureaucracy over veterans.
• And I dispute that claim.
• With their VA disability claims, it resulted in $21 billion in awarded claims to veterans.
• Priorly, we urge greater adherence to the Fully Developed Claim, or FDC, process, which is designed to
• who continue for-profit representation of initial VA claims.

Committee: Senate Senate Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: veteran services, homelessness, unemployment, VA funding, mental health, congressional oversight, testimonies, American Legion, Dole Act, suicide prevention

Summary: This meeting focused on veteran services, emphasizing the urgent need to address the alarming rate of unemployment and homelessness among veterans. Numerous testimonies were presented detailing the impact of mass furloughs and cutbacks at the VA on personnel, notably veterans who were serving as employees. Various representatives expressed deep concern over how these firings could drastically affect the quality of care available to those who have served the nation. There was a strong call for Congress to bolster funding for existing programs aimed at alleviating veteran homelessness and improving overall care quality, especially in mental health services.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I mentioned, LASD initially claimed 500 deputies should be on their safety list.
• We have small claims courts. Why not have something like that for this sort of a situation?
• Squatters have no lease, no consent, no legitimate claim of possession.
• I'm the managing attorney of the research unit at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office.
• , leading to blanket denials with only a few substantive claims being heard.

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard several public safety-related bills, with extensive testimony for and against each measure. AB 82 by Assembly Member Ward would expand privacy and safety protections for patients, families, and providers of gender-affirming care, including limits on reporting certain prescription data to CURES, expanded safe-at-home and anti-doxing protections, and broader health information confidentiality. Supporters said the bill responds to rising harassment and threats against transgender people and providers; opponents argued it would create dangerous secrecy and undermine parental rights. The committee recommended the bill do pass to Judiciary, and it was held on call. AB 331 by Assembly Member Pellerin would clarify that county election certification is a ministerial duty, prohibit misleading ballot return envelopes, and require voter information guides to be delivered to jails in an acceptable format. The Department of Justice and supporters said the bill strengthens election integrity and access, while the Secretary of State had no position after amendments addressed concerns. The committee moved the bill do pass to Appropriations, and it passed on call. AB 1178 by Assembly Member Pacheco would narrow public-records redaction rules for undercover peace officers, while preserving disclosure of sustained misconduct records. Law enforcement supporters said it protects undercover officers and their families; transparency and civil liberties groups warned it could lead to broader withholding and confusion in the courts. After amendments and discussion, the committee recommended the bill do pass as amended to Appropriations, and it passed. AB 981 by Assembly Member Gibson would create a five-county pilot requiring intelligent speed assistance devices for people convicted of specified reckless driving and speed offenses, with a report back to the Legislature. Supporters, including traffic safety advocates and crash survivors, said it would reduce speeding and save lives; opponents raised concerns about cost, liability, oversight, and the breadth of the pilot. The committee recommended the bill do pass as amended to Appropriations, and it passed. The consent calendar was also adopted. The committee then heard AB 22 by Assembly Member DeMaio, which would repeal Proposition 57, restrict release of sexually violent predators, and repeal a sex-offender registry exception for certain offenses. Supporters framed it as a public safety correction to prior policy choices, while opponents said it would be unconstitutional and would harm youth rehabilitation and community safety. The chair recommended a no vote, no motion was made, and the bill was held. The committee also began hearing AB 897 by Assembly Member DeMaio, which would create a process to remove alleged squatters from property more quickly; the author and supporters said it would protect property owners and provide due process, while opponents warned it could criminalize informal housing arrangements and accelerate homelessness. The transcript cuts off during testimony on AB 897, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most importantly, you would be responsible... for managing the hundreds of thousands of men and women
• The Undersecretary of the Air Force is, by law, the chief management officer of the Air Department of
• I can manage that, I commit.
• That is to say... hands-on experience managing a major organization.
• I've worked with acquirers, program managers in that process.

Committee: Senate Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel

Keywords: Department of Defense, nominations, Matthew Lohmeyer, Justin Overbaugh, global security, military readiness, NATO, Russia, China, defense infrastructure

Summary: The meeting was primarily focused on discussing nominations for key positions within the Department of Defense, specifically for roles such as the Undersecretary of the Air Force and the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. Senators expressed urgent concerns about global security threats, the need for robust military readiness, and the emphasis on effective collaboration with NATO allies amidst rising tensions with adversaries such as Russia and China. Several senators highlighted the challenges facing military infrastructure and defense capabilities, suggesting a critical need for improvements and investment in these areas to ensure national security.

Transcript Highlights:

• What it does is it says this is the cap of each individual's claim.
• There is no claim by the siblings. There is no claim by the other parent.
• and, in cases, how much a claim can allow to be recovered.
• We need to find a way to crack down on the claims that aren't legitimate claims.
• Because the difference is between property damage claims only and injury claims where people are substantially

Bills: HB37 , HB51 , HB173 , HB180 , HB192 , HB306 , HB366 , HB393 , HB485 , HB516 , HB521 , HB526 , HB638 , HB752 , HB817 , HB976 , HB1006 , HB1044

Committee: House Civil Law and Procedure

Keywords: HB37, expropriation, eminent domain, property rights, foreign entity, foreign corporation, limited liability company, LLC, reciprocal expropriation agreement, Louisiana property law, land acquisition, utility infrastructure, public utilities, railroad, waterworks, sewerage, natural gas pipeline, electric utility, telecommunications, carbon dioxide pipeline

Transcript Highlights:

• David Durden, General Manager, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
• That money could be used in the CRTF to pay claims.
• And I guess I would throw in that if you just take a simple windstorm claim.
• The cost of the claim is not substantial.
• These are the biggest claims I see, and I've seen a surge in claims on homes over the last four to five

Bills: HB778 , HB 1266 , HB1576 , HB2213 , HB2517 , HB2518 , HB2841 , HB3306 , HB3320 , HB3388 , HB3508 , HB3520 , HB3689

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: credentialing, healthcare, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, managed care, hurricane, windstorm, loss mitigation, grants, insurance discounts, property retrofitting, insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, board composition, coastal counties, property insurance, taxation, Texas FAIR Plan Association, premium taxes, maintenance taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• existing workers' compensation law while allowing employers and ensuring the opportunity to rebut claims
• Employers and insurers may still challenge claims, but the burden of proof shifts away from the officer
• . ...or insurers to try to challenge claims, but the burden of proof shifts away from the officer.
• I would imagine it varies, how they manage that throughout an officer's career.
• That's... ...mode rather than just responding to claims.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up its only bill, House Bill 132, which would create workers’ compensation presumptions for police officers for certain conditions, including noise-induced hearing loss/tinnitus, PTSD, and heart injury or stroke occurring within 24 hours of responding to or returning from a call or emergency. The sponsor described the bill as a bipartisan effort developed with input from workers’ compensation officials, PERA, and the Albuquerque Police Department, aimed at easing the burden on officers to prove causation while still allowing employers to rebut claims. An amendment was adopted first, refining definitions and adding language that preserves an officer’s ability to prove causation even when the presumption does not apply, and tying the heart/stroke presumption to the existence of a physical training program and medical screening requirements. Supporters included representatives of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, the Workers’ Compensation Administration, New Mexico State Police, AFSCME/NMFL, and a workers’ compensation attorney. They argued the bill recognizes the cumulative physical and psychological toll of law enforcement, could improve treatment and retention, and would reduce disputes over causation while remaining balanced. One supporter asked the sponsor to consider changing the 20-year requirement tied to PTSD coverage so officers in smaller departments could access benefits earlier. Committee discussion focused on the amendment’s physical training and medical screening condition for the heart/stroke presumption, with questions about whether all departments have such programs and whether the language could limit coverage. Workers’ compensation staff testified that, from 2016 through 2025, there were 75 statewide claims potentially covered by the bill’s provisions before amendment, including about 20 hearing-loss claims, 11 heart-related claims, and about 44 mental-injury claims. A medical witness said research supports a correlation between law enforcement work and these conditions, though no New Mexico-specific study was available yet. After discussion, the committee voted to give House Bill 132, as amended, a do-pass recommendation, with no opposition recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:27.919><c> that</c> they need and having to manage that they need and having to manage that
• </c><00:33:49.480><c> them</c> for patients they have to manage them for patients they have to manage
• </c> conjunction with the case management conjunction with the case management agencies<01:42:23.599>
• </c><01:42:55.920><c> that</c> um it is the case managements that um it is the case managements that
• Um, I am a CFI case manager for Granite Case Management, and I am very much in support of this bill,

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> would tell you Massachusetts is managing would tell you Massachusetts is managing a<02:19:43.599
• So how do you manage that in a restaurant? How do you manage working 80% and 20%?
• </c> employee also has the ability to claim employee also has the ability to claim above<03:45:57.520
• 46:11.680><c> and</c> the employee is able to claim above and the employee is able to claim above and
• ><c> given</c><03:46:14.199><c> our</c> beyond what we've claimed given our beyond what we've claimed

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Transcript Highlights:

• At that point, we were approaching 100,000 in claims financed by the program, and you can think of claims
• We supported 230 staff, including 125 clinicians and case managers.
• The coach helped me find ways to manage stress and have more balance in life.
• The coach helped me find ways to manage stress and have more balance in life.
• The coach helped me find ways to manage stress and have more balance in life.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:27:05.039><c> training</c> transportation management training transportation management training
• Requesting AMPO to coordinate a transportation management training program.
• <00:36:04.880><c> will</c><00:36:05.040><c> bring</c> the claims that geothermal will bring the claims
• </c><00:36:40.720><c> Um,</c> closed loop process like they claim.
• Um, closed loop process like they claim.

Committee: Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The joint Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs and Committee on Transportation, Culture, and the Arts heard several resolutions, with most public testimony focused on Senate Concurrent Resolution 159 and Senate Resolution 129, which urge continued U.S. support for the Ukrainian military. Testimony on those measures was largely opposed, with witnesses arguing Hawaii should prioritize local needs such as homelessness, infrastructure, and cost of living over additional aid to Ukraine; one support testimony was noted from the Democratic Party of Hawaii. Despite the opposition, both committees recommended passage with technical, nonsubstantive amendments, and the recommendations were adopted. The committees also considered transportation-related resolutions. Senate Concurrent Resolution 182 and Senate Resolution 152 would initiate a summer streets pilot program, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 200 and Senate Resolution 180 would ask AMPO to coordinate a transportation management training program. Testimony on the summer streets proposal included support and opposition, with one witness saying community input should be gathered through existing district and community meetings rather than creating a pilot. The training-program measure drew opposition from a witness who argued it would add unnecessary bureaucracy. Both pairs were recommended for passage, with the summer streets resolutions passed unamended and the training-program resolutions passed with technical amendments. In the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs committee, Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 and Senate Resolution 14, concerning relocation of the Pearl City post office to Navy property, were recommended for passage with technical amendments. The committee also heard extensive testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 136 and Senate Resolution 150, which call for a geothermal energy working group. Supporters included the State Energy Office, PUC, consumer advocate, and others, though the energy office asked to move the report deadline to 2027. Opponents raised concerns about cost, health impacts, environmental risks, and Native Hawaiian representation. The chair proposed amendments to add a Native Hawaiian member, the consumer advocate, and the House and Senate energy committee chairs, clarify participation by utility, geothermal, and nonprofit representatives, and extend the report deadline to 2027. The resolutions were then recommended for passage with amendments, and all recommendations were adopted before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any ingredient cannot be claimed as CBI if it is on one of those lists.
• Any ingredient cannot be claimed as CBI if it is on one of those lists.
• Again, it ensures that these ingredients cannot be claimed as confidential business information.
• So we need help in managing these. We've been... They're a real challenge.
• So we need help in managing these. We've been having conversations, like I said, with the U.S.

Summary: The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee heard five bills, with testimony focused on farmworker climate equity, product recall responsibility, diaper ingredient disclosure, agricultural commissioner fee authority, and vape disposal and youth protection. Members also took up one consent item. The chair reviewed testimony rules, and the committee established a quorum before proceeding. AB 1600 by Assembly Member Arambula would treat farmworker housing as disadvantaged communities for purposes of climate and environmental funding. Supporters said farmworkers face severe climate, housing, water, and pollution burdens but are often excluded from existing DAC mapping tools. The bill passed 4-1 to the Committee on Appropriations. AB 2462 by Assembly Member Pellerin would require manufacturers to take back recalled products at no cost from consumers and additional collection points such as recycling centers, waste facilities, and thrift stores, while strengthening CalRecycle enforcement. It drew support from counties, cities, and waste stewardship groups, and opposition from manufacturers and juvenile product interests concerned about implementation, coordination, and penalties. The bill passed 5-1 to Appropriations. AB 1901 by Assembly Member Berman would require children’s diaper manufacturers to disclose ingredients online and on packaging. Supporters framed it as a parents’ right-to-know measure, while industry witnesses sought amendments to align it with other California disclosure laws and protect confidential business information. The bill passed 5-0 to Appropriations. AB 2380 by Assembly Member Papin would raise the maximum fee counties may charge to support agricultural commissioner operations and pesticide enforcement; it received support from county agricultural officials and passed unanimously to the Assembly Floor. AB 2667 by Assembly Member Hadwick would ban deceptively marketed disposable vapes, allow household hazardous waste facilities to disassemble them, and direct DTSC to address school-confiscated vapes. School and local government witnesses described widespread youth vaping and disposal challenges, and the bill passed unanimously to the Business and Professions Committee. AB 2086, the consent item, also passed unanimously. Later add-on votes confirmed the earlier actions, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And hopefully that would help, like I said, help people manage their household finances a little bit
• That would help, like I said, help people manage their household finances a little bit better in a time
• My name is Clint Caldwell, and I'm a general manager, CEO of six Shoppers Value Food stores, Cost Plus
• Under the existing version of LUTPA, they can bring those claims.
• Under the existing version of Lutpa, they can bring those claims.

Bills: HCR66 , HB387 , HB617 , HB797 , HB950 , HB975 , HB1186 , HB1222 , HB1223 , HB1228 , HB1256

Committee: Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The Senate Commerce Committee met on April 20, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then heard a series of bills and resolutions. It first advanced H. CR 66, which directs Louisiana Economic Development, working with the Governor’s Office of Rural Development, to study rural parish economic assets, infrastructure, workforce, and development opportunities. The committee also moved HB 387, a clarification allowing the fire marshal to review architectural and engineering plans equally, and HB 1223, which seeks to promote clinical trials in Louisiana by having LED market the state’s research capacity and by adjusting internal review board procedures. HB 1228, a cleanup bill for hearing aid dealers that updates definitions, contracts, testing periods, licensing, and related requirements, was also reported favorably, as was HB 950, which would create an elderly consumer perception program through the Office of Elderly Affairs to help seniors recognize scams and fraud. The committee spent the most time on HB 617, a broad “hidden fees” consumer transparency bill. The author and supporters said it would require mandatory fees to be included in upfront pricing so consumers can make informed choices, while opponents from grocery, restaurant, hotel, housing, retail, and business groups argued the bill was vague, overly broad, and likely to create compliance burdens and litigation risk. Housing advocates objected to the bill’s housing exemption, warning it could weaken renters’ ability to bring claims over undisclosed fees. After extensive debate over variable pricing, sales taxes, enforcement, and the scope of the bill, Senator Morris moved to defer HB 617, and the committee agreed without objection. The committee also heard HB 797, which would create a “Bayou Gold” certification program for certain gold vendors and transactional gold products. The sponsor said the program would encourage vendors to keep gold insured, segregated, and closer to Louisiana consumers, with the Treasury administering the certification through participant fees. Several senators and an outside witness raised concerns that the state seal could be mistaken for an endorsement, could create liability or consumer confusion, and would favor a narrow set of vendors. Despite opposition, the committee reported HB 797 favorably, with members noting it still had to go to Finance. Later, the committee advanced HB 1186, which would create a more uniform statewide building code and licensing system for inspectors, add disciplinary authority, and impose a small permit fee to support the program, and HB 1222, which would let LED develop a grocery initiative to address food deserts and food insecurity. The meeting concluded with the committee hearing HB 1256 on abandoned digital assets, which would require dormant digital assets to be held in original form for three years so owners can reclaim them.

Transcript Highlights:

• lien that's ...support and we settle a claim.
• lien that's support and we settle a claim.
• And an attorney, you know, handles this claim.
• How does DCF know that there's a claim...
• I think that's different than these third-party claims.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> got a degree in sports management got a degree in sports management and<00:05:56.880><c> now</c>
• ,</c><00:07:12.639><c> find</c> case manager, find case manager, find a<00:07:15.520><c> provider,</c
• ,</c><00:14:37.360><c> county</c> talked about the case manager, county talked about the case manager
• ,</c> case manager, whose responsibility, case manager, whose responsibility, whose<00:14:39.680><c>
• </c> ensuring claims paid are legitimate. ensuring claims paid are legitimate.

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• state agencies to participate in a workshop about insect identification, ecology, monitoring, and management
• So, Madam Chair and members of the committee, we leave all management decisions to the experts to say
• Madam Chair, members of the committee, we will leave the management decisions up to the experts.
• Northern part of Las Vegas, the camp fires, where people's claims haven't been paid.
• Then there's restoration and management of watersheds. The fourth purpose is flood prevention.

Bills: SB154 , SB187 , SB193 , SM3

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Keywords: insurance, wildfire, flood damage, natural disasters, property coverage, water projects, appropriation, New Mexico, finance authority, infrastructure, New Mexico Finance Authority, funding, SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Scrub Club's social media manager and PR manager.
• Beautiful state's uniqueness that can be claimed by no other. Thank you. Thank you for being here.
• This legislation also adds a member from CAMA to the DEP's regional land management team.
• Is Miami-Dade County just too big a county to manage itself anymore?
• Is Miami-Dade County just too big a county to manage itself anymore?

Committee: Senate Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The committee heard and acted on a long agenda of environmental and natural resources bills. It reported favorably SB 1784 on sewer collection systems, allowing municipal sewer revenues to be used for expansion; SB 1388 on vessels, which prohibits random vessel inspections without probable cause, creates a five-year safety decal, bars local fuel-type boat bans, and expands funding options for boat ramps and marinas; and SB 880, which designates the American flamingo as Florida’s state bird and the Florida scrub jay as the state songbird. SB 946, as amended, was also reported favorably; it restricts certain waste facilities and incinerators near the Everglades, with the amendment narrowing the focus to the Broward/Miami-Dade area near the C-9 impoundment project. SB 1792 on dry sandy beaches was reported favorably after amendment, creating a pilot and process to inventory beaches and explore voluntary public access or conservation arrangements with private owners. SB 866 on anchoring limitation areas was reported favorably despite opposition from cruisers and boaters who argued existing law should be used instead of new county-specific restrictions. SB 832 on former phosphate mining lands was reported favorably with amendments that removed language about the necessity of phosphate mining and clarified that landowners requesting a radiation study must pay for it. The committee also reported favorably SB 1326 on hurricane evacuation clearance times and permit allocations in the Keys, and SB 1580, after a delete-all amendment, which authorizes DEP to use public-private partnerships for coastal resiliency projects. Finally, SB 1300 on oil and gas drilling permits was introduced to require DEP to consider potential harm from accidents or blowouts to natural resources when reviewing drilling permits, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill. The committee also took up confirmations, temporarily postponing the vote on Rodney Barreto’s FWC reappointment after public criticism of his leadership, while recommending favorably the other listed appointments.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think what you're saying is we talk a lot about forest management, which...
• Because it is important to manage the forest. And utility hardening is also important.
• Welcome, Senator Stern, the Chair of Emergency Management, joining us today. Welcome.
• So the claims are very high, which implies that the premiums need to be very high.
• urban land policy and how we handle land management policy.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Insurance held an information hearing on the impacts of climate change and catastrophic wildfire on California’s insurance market, with opening remarks focused on the state’s affordability, availability, and stability problems. Chair and members discussed the role of SB 254’s report, the Sustainable Insurance Strategy, the growth of the FAIR Plan, and the need to better align insurance regulation, mitigation, and land-use decisions. The Vice Chair noted the importance of hearing from industry as well as consumer and academic experts, and Senator Becker said the report would inform further committee work. Amy Bach of United Policyholders described how climate-driven wildfire and flood risk, combined with inflation, insurtech, and risk modeling, have reduced competition and pushed more homeowners into the FAIR Plan and non-admitted surplus lines coverage. She said availability is improving somewhat, but affordability will depend on mitigation, insurer competition, and fair rate regulation. In response to questions, she emphasized underinsurance as a long-running problem, supported stronger insurer responsibility for replacement-cost estimates, and suggested a public reinsurance backstop and more mitigation funding rather than removing wildfire coverage from basic policies. Nancy Watkins of Milliman and Michael Wara of Stanford argued that the market problem is fundamentally that expected claims and expenses now exceed premiums because too many homes are burning. They said California needs both risk reduction and actuarially sound pricing, along with a state mitigation framework that targets the highest-risk communities and prioritizes home hardening, defensible space, and community-scale mitigation over broad acreage-based spending. They also discussed the role of non-admitted carriers as a gap-filler, the need for better data on reconstruction costs and mitigation effectiveness, and the importance of sustained funding rather than one-time grants. A later panel with Frank Freebalt of Cal Poly and Michael Golnar of UC Berkeley focused on modeling and mitigation science. They said wildfire policy should treat the issue as a structure-ignition and urban conflagration problem, not just a wildland fire problem, and stressed integrated land-use, utility, and community mitigation. Members asked about zoning, building codes, utility hardening, and who should pay for mitigation; witnesses said older, denser neighborhoods are the highest priority, that utilities must improve operational safety measures, and that targeted mitigation in the highest-risk areas offers the best return. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um moving to page R2 house claims.
• It provides an additional six months for the resubmission of a claim when a prior claim for the same
• when a prior the reubmission of a claim when a prior claim<00:39:59.200><c> for</c><00:39:59.359><c>
• </c><00:58:03.359><c> managed</c><00:58:03.760><c> by</c> funds that could be managed managed by funds
• that could be managed managed by DHS<00:58:04.880><c> where</c><00:58:05.200><c> programs</c><00:58:

Transcript Highlights:

• We have no management or anything.
• And just to expand on that, so that is part of the management or non-management abilities of those acres
• At least that's from our legislative management meeting notes. So claim to the lake bed.
• At least that's from our legislative management meeting notes. So claim to the lake bed.
• It's a Legislative Management committee because, you know, we added some water management issues to our

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Summary: The committee met for its third interim meeting, approved the prior meeting minutes, and heard a series of statutory reports from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Water Resources. Chair Hauck noted that Legislative Management had denied the committee’s earlier request for a fertilizer capacity study, and that the committee would also revisit the proposed Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger later in the day. Commissioner Doug Goring reported on several agriculture topics, including uncrewed aerial systems grants to detect noxious weeds, irrigation expansion potential, the low-carbon fuels program for ethanol plants, the Environmental Impact Mitigation Fund, model zoning ordinances for animal feeding operations, and fertilizer production and usage in North Dakota. He emphasized that fertilizer supply depends heavily on natural gas and water, that most nitrogen fertilizer is imported, and that large-scale fertilizer plants require very large capital investments. Members discussed fertilizer storage, natural gas pipeline capacity, water availability, and the role of state infrastructure in supporting value-added agriculture. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Water Resources’ economic analysis tool for water conveyance and flood-related projects. Dr. Dwayne Poole explained that the tool was created under 2017 legislation to help evaluate projects expected to cost $1 million or more, and that the department is proposing adjustments to better account for end-of-useful-life conditions and changing hydrologic data. He said the changes would remain focused on direct, demonstrable costs and benefits, not indirect impacts, and would be implemented through guidance and operating procedures rather than statutory changes. Committee members and water users discussed whether the revisions would better reflect real-world conditions, including deferred maintenance, changing rainfall patterns, and downstream effects. A representative from the Water Resource District Association said the group was working with DWR and hoped to review test scenarios before the June meeting. The committee then received a detailed presentation on Devils Lake, its outlets, and the Tolna Coulee control structure. State Engineer John Paskowski reviewed lake history, outlet capacities, sulfate and downstream flow constraints, and the purpose of the Tolna Coulee structure in limiting head cutting and preventing uncontrolled downstream releases. Members questioned whether the structure was effectively a dam, whether the lake would naturally overflow without it, the last time the outlets ran, and whether water quality in Devils Lake has improved over time. Paskowski said the outlets last operated in August 2025, that sulfate levels still limit operations, and that the lake has freshened somewhat but not enough to eliminate water-quality concerns. The discussion also touched on whether water from flooded areas or closed-basin systems could be reused for irrigation, and on the broader implications of wet cycles, inundated land, and drainage management across the state.