Video & Transcript Research : 'electronic voting machine'
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TX
Transcript Highlights:
- You may vote against him, but you will never doubt where he stands.
- And he really did not like that bill, and he quietly sat right there and voted. No.
- The victor will be the majority, hopefully representing both minority and majority votes.
- I need to get your votes here in a moment.
- The House has taken their vote. Following the motion in writing, Mr.
Bills:
SB27, SB30, SB293, HB4, HB2974, HB5138, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SCR12, SCR39, SB2023, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB810, SB1505, SB583, SB507, SB1434, SB1772, SB2016, SB1122, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB1882, SB393, SB1791, SB209, SB2429, SB1085, SB1975, SB2717, SB1262, SB636, SB2056, SB884, SB1200, SB1845, SB2458, SB801, SB3014, SB3013, SB758, SB2797, SB2076, SB2876, SB1640, SB1449, SB1181, SB1234, SB2926, SB2841, SB1528, SB1854, SB317, SB1250, SB2082, SB1237, SB2819, SB629, SB2608, SB1602, SB2009, SB867, SB640, SB1698, SB2680, SB913, SB1071, SB1086, SB1087, SB1483, SB1444, SB1553, SB1556, SB1703, SB2133, SB2297, SB2298, SB2622, SB2955, SB2334, SB1367, SB2044, SB2363, SB2565, SB1888, SB3036, SB3057, SB3043, SB3063, SB3035, SB203, SB2688, SB2522, SB2459, SB2655, SB2251, SB1884, SB2928, SB2566, SB2549, SB2553, SB2919, SB1944, SB1232, SB1798, SB2603, SB2607, SB2683, SB1319, SB3045, SB3071, HB796, HB1523, HB5294, HB748, HB3395, HB180, HB3171, HB146, HB5596, HB5694, HB1135, HB3225, HB186, HB1449, HB3793, HB112, HB104, HB3336, HB3520, HB3320, HB5663, HB2399, HB111, HB3483, HB4580, HB3748, HB632, HB4730, HB5690, HB5689, HB3385, HB4359, HB5381, HB123, HB5606, HB1057, HB3664, HCR141, HCR40, HCR59
Keywords:
judicial conduct, judges discipline, judicial compensation, retirement benefits, judicial transparency, SJR 50, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, securities tax, transaction tax, occupation tax, financial markets, broker-dealer, stock exchange, securities exchange, trading platform, clearing agency, transfer agent, FINRA
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Health and Human Services Feb 11th, 2026 at 08:33 am
House Health & Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- No, and I'd like to explain my vote. Minority Whip Martinez. Representative Sena-Cortez? No.
- I have a vote of six to two. You have a do pass on the committee substitute. Thank you.
- Oh, and Representative Jones to explain her vote. Representative Jones to explain her vote.
- By a vote of seven to two, you have a due pass. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, members.
- Please vote yes on HB 306. Thank you. Thank you. Please vote yes on HB 306. Thank you. Thank you.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, April 27, 2026)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote.
- The first electronic vote will be The first electronic vote will be conducted<06:35:00.958>
as - <06:35:07.040>
as electronic votes will be conducted as electronic votes will be conducted - Members will record their vote by electronic device.
- Members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a five-minute vote.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee 1/22/25
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- it it uh puts a drill bit in the Machine it it uh puts a drill bit in the ground<01:08:38.920>
and - The only thing that changes and upgrades are the electronics on the end and the central office and the
- They—the electronics—last probably from 5 to 10... is that where you're driving at who is that where
- <01:35:51.880>
it's it you change out the electronics it's it you change out the electronics - changes and upgrades are the electronics changes and upgrades are the electronics on<01:37:51.560
Summary:
The House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee met for an introductory session to begin the new legislative session. Members and staff went around the table introducing themselves and describing their agricultural backgrounds, including farming, livestock, crop production, county government, and related research or staff roles. Chair Paul Anderson emphasized agriculture’s importance to Minnesota’s budget and economy, welcomed new members and staff, and noted that the committee would have a full agenda.
The committee then heard a presentation from the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, Extension, and the Forever Green initiative on the GREE program (Agricultural Research, Education, Extension, and Technology Transfer). Testimony described GREE as a state investment created in 2015 to support agricultural productivity and growth through research, education, extension, and technology transfer. Speakers highlighted its broad focus areas, including crop and livestock genetics, soil health, water quality, nutrient management, microbial science, agroecological innovation, and technology stewardship, as well as rapid-response funding for emerging issues such as waterhemp, PRRS, and avian influenza.
University witnesses said the program has brought in faculty and extension educators, generated sponsored research awards, and leveraged state funding into additional grants and contracts. They cited a reported roughly 12-to-1 return on investment and said the state has invested about $39 million since 2015. They also noted additions such as a deep winter greenhouse program and a tribal representative on the advisory group. No committee votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
House Chamber - Wed Apr 22, 2026, 12:00PM HST - Day 49
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Members, we will be taking a hand vote. Members, we will be taking a hand vote.
- Please note that an aye vote is a vote in support of the chair's ruling.
- Members, a roll call vote has been requested.
- Members, we are going to take a roll call vote. Vote aye if you are in favor of the chair's ruling.
- Madam Speaker, there are 39 votes aye and 11 votes no.
Bills:
HB389, HB469, HB1510, HB1573, HB1705, HB1858, HB1875, HB1946, HB1961, HB1962, HB2001, HB2093, HB2096, HB2097
Keywords:
HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- in each respective voting district.
- in each respective voting district.
- Let's do a vote. Okay, we'll pass the CD1. For the Senate, I'll vote yes. Senator Dela Cruz. Aye.
- So, we've got a vote. YAY! So, we've got a vote. YAY!
- <00:35:36.634>
[clears throat] electronic [clears throat] electronic [clears throat] means<00:
Bills:
HB389, HB469, HB1510, HB1573, HB1705, HB1858, HB1875, HB1946, HB1961, HB1962, HB2001, HB2093, HB2096, HB2097
Keywords:
HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes
HI
Bills:
HB389, HB469, HB1510, HB1573, HB1705, HB1858, HB1875, HB1946, HB1961, HB1962, HB2001, HB2093, HB2096, HB2097
Keywords:
HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- And we're good to vote. Certainly. Okay.
- And we're good to vote. Great. I will figure out what time is. Okay. For the Senate, I'll vote yes.
- May I take the vote for the House? Please. Chair Seyama. Aye. Chair Tarnas. Aye.
- Take the vote for the House. Please. Chair Seyama. Aye. Chair Tarnas. Aye.
- We have another vote. Yay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If you're right, it is worth it.
Bills:
HB389, HB469, HB1510, HB1573, HB1705, HB1858, HB1875, HB1946, HB1961, HB1962, HB2001, HB2093, HB2096, HB2097
Keywords:
HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Transportation, Highways and Public Works Apr 21st, 2026
Transportation, Highways & Public Works
Transcript Highlights:
- It has the same vote as St. Helena. St. Helena has an exact same vote as East Baton Rouge Parish.
- I want to vote on it. We're going to vote. All right. Or if nobody opposes, you don't have to vote.
- Just go with the vote.
- If we have to take a vote, regardless of what that vote is, it would shift it to a different class of
- He wanted to vote on it first, but after he's going to take it.
Bills:
HCR32, HB493, HB679, HB745, HB896, HB1000, HB1024, HB1050, HB1159, HB1172, HB1173, HB1207, HB1208, HB1218
Keywords:
Saint Claude Avenue Bridge, Port of New Orleans, backup motors, infrastructure, traffic management, expropriation, property rights, Amite River Basin, drainage, East Feliciana Parish, St. Helena Parish, government authority, traumatic brain injury, identification card, law enforcement training, medical verification, disability rights, special permits, transportation, tandem loads
Summary:
The House Transportation Committee met on April 21 and considered a series of transportation, licensing, tolling, and public safety measures. It reported favorably House Bill 745, extending special permits for tandem loads hauling containers to and from port facilities; House Bill 1000, a DOTD cleanup bill that clarifies Highway Priority Program reporting and raises the letter-bid contract threshold from $1 million to $3 million; and House Bill 1050, which clarifies commercial driver’s license rules, including age and intrastate/interstate driving limits. The committee also approved House Bill 1172 naming a portion of U.S. Highway 165 in Oberlin the Coulin Brooks Manuel Memorial Highway, House Bill 1218 naming a portion of Louisiana Highway 1090 the Lewis Pat Miramon Memorial Highway, House Concurrent Resolution 32 urging backup motors for the St. Claude Avenue Bridge, and House Bill 1207 on public contracting standards and competition in public bidding.
A major portion of the meeting focused on House Bill 896, which responds to tolling issues at the Belle Chasse bridge project. The bill would require toll signage, local toll customer service centers, dispute procedures, and limits on administrative fees, with amendments addressing effective dates, in-person assistance, appeal deadlines, law-enforcement exemptions, and limits on certain charges. The author and witnesses described high administrative fees, long travel distances to customer service locations, and problems with toll bills, while committee members noted the issue was complex and ongoing. The committee reported the bill favorably as amended.
The committee also heard House Bill 1159, allowing Jefferson Parish municipalities to use automated speed enforcement devices again under local control. Supporters from Gretna, Westwego, Harahan, and Kenner said photo enforcement reduced crashes, improved safety, and helped limited police resources, while opponents were not emphasized in the transcript. After discussion about whether the measure should be voluntarily or involuntarily deferred, the committee ultimately deferred the bill. House Bill 493, which would prohibit expropriation by the Amite River Basin Drainage and Water Conservation District in East Feliciana and St. Helena Parishes, drew extensive testimony about reservoir fears and local opposition; the committee voluntarily deferred it. House Bill 679, as substituted, created a driver’s license designation for people with brain injuries and required related law-enforcement training; witnesses described personal experiences with brain injury and the need for officers to recognize communication and behavioral effects, and the committee reported the substitute favorably. House Bill 1173, which waives late fees for certain reinstatement-relief payment plans for driver’s licenses, was also reported favorably, and House Bill 1024 creating a Louisiana Democratic Party prestige plate was approved as well.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 4/14/26
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And I'm still going to vote for it.
- And and I'm still going to vote for it.
- to be voting in favor of it. Thank you. to be voting in favor of it. Thank you.
- And rooftop solar also generates electronic waste.
- Yet each is subject to electronic waste.
Keywords:
Public Utilities Commission, PUC, energy regulation, utility regulation, electric utility, public utility, rate case, multiyear rate plan, decoupling, rate decoupling, greenhouse gas, social cost of carbon, environmental cost, resource planning, certificate of need, distributed renewable energy, interconnection, budget billing, electronic filing, contested case
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- Henry, 11 aye votes. And 7 nay votes. I declare Senate Bill 1552 to have passed.
- Senator Boren, do you care to vote? Senator Hicks, do you care to vote?
- , one nay vote.
- Bill 227 has received six aye votes and one nay vote.
- , two nay votes.
Bills:
HJR1024, SB1316, SB1491, SB1552, SB1679, SB1877, SB2040, SB2133, SB2153, SB2174, SB2180, SB227, SJR39, SJR47, SJR48
Keywords:
Judicial Nominating Commission, congressional districts, terms of office, Oklahoma Constitution, legal qualifications, political party restrictions, family ties, administrative rules, sunset provision, state agencies, regulatory review, legislative oversight, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, county home rule charter, home rule, county government
AL
Alabama 2026 1st Special Session
Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee Feb 25th, 2026
Finance and Taxation Education
Transcript Highlights:
- So if you had a city system and county system and the people wanted to vote, that's part of this amendment
- Then they could vote it and combine the two school systems.
- I'm going to vote for it here. I'm going to vote for it on the floor.
- I'm going to vote for it here. agree. I'm going to vote for it here.
- I'm going to vote for it on the floor. I'm going to vote for it on the floor.
Bills:
HB178, HB124, HB96, HB250, SB289, SB317, HB359, HB178, HB124, HB96, HB250, SB289, SB317, HB359
Keywords:
HB178, Ten Commandments, public schools, K-12 education, Alabama, school display, religious display, Bible, Judeo-Christian, Establishment Clause, church-state separation, religion in schools, founding documents, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Northwest Ordinance, social studies, civics, history curriculum
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Business and Insurance REVISED Feb 5th, 2026 at 09:30 am
Business and Insurance
Transcript Highlights:
- the renewal, and it actually says already in the law that they should send it to the last known electronic
- none of the specific statutes that deal with those annual certificates of renewal actually say electronic
- With that, I ask for your yes vote. End Kirk, would you care to close the debate?
Keywords:
workers' compensation, workers comp, Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission, Administrative Workers' Compensation Act, self-insurance guaranty fund, multiple injury trust fund, physician advisory committee, advisory council on workers' compensation, workers' compensation court, insurance, employer liability, self-insured employer, fund transfer, records transfer, agency reorganization, statutory cleanup, technical corrections, Title 85A, SB1343, Vision Plan Contractual Requirements Act
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Delivery of Government Efficiency Apr 16th, 2025
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Transcript Highlights:
- So we urge you all to vote no on this. Thank you. Representative Curry.
- I've worked on the nonpartisan election protection hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE. vote for many years.
- I appreciate this bill and I hope you vote it out favorably. Thank you.
- Members of the representative curry a quick question this 866 our vote.
- We support it and ask you to vote it out favorably. Thank you members.
Bills:
HB3146, HB3719, HB3895, HB3923, HB4748, HB4751, HB4936, HB4952, HB4990, HB4991, HB5061, HB5196, HB5238, HB5246, HB5487
Keywords:
State Office of Administrative Hearings, SOAH, administrative hearings, contested case, contested case hearing, administrative law judge, ALJ, final decision, proposed decision, agency hearing, hearing continuance, rescheduling, Texas administrative law, Government Code Chapter 2001, workers' compensation, Department of Human Resources, Texas Labor Code, Transportation Code, Agriculture Code, Insurance Code
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The committee will be utilizing electronic registration systems this session.
- So, please, please, please, I beg each and every one of you to vote for this bill.
- Well, this is the third time we've heard this story, so you may not be happy with how the committee votes
- Senator Paxton, why don't you lay that bill out because we can vote those bills out when we come back
- Let's make it 30 minutes after adjournment because I think we have a vote to do.
Bills:
SB1079, SB1243, SB1504, SB1579, SB1708, SB1844, SB1851, SB1879, SB1921, SB1951, SB2237, SB2238, SB2406, SB2407
Keywords:
SB 1079, Texas, county government, commissioners court, Local Government Code, Chapter 263, surplus property, salvage property, data storage device, hard drive, electronic media, digital records, confidential information, protected information, privacy, records retention, information security, data destruction, device disposal, sensitive data
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I mean, our bill layouts, we're going to vote out a handful of bills at this point. Um.
- OK, Chairman, did you already vote on one bill? Uh, we voted on 2.
- But if you would like unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on 2406, which is sunset Bill, you may
- That that's unanimous. voting for. 2406. That's right.
- Are there any other voting motions that we need and we expect all those states those submit those in
Bills:
SB 1079, SB 1243, SB 1504, SB 1579, SB 1708, SB 1844, SB 1851, SB 1879, SB 1921, SB 1951, SB 2237, SB 2238, SB 2406, SB 2407
Keywords:
SB 1079, Texas, county government, commissioners court, Local Government Code, Chapter 263, surplus property, salvage property, data storage device, hard drive, electronic media, digital records, confidential information, protected information, privacy, records retention, information security, data destruction, device disposal, sensitive data
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 2/24/26
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And then it goes to a full roll call vote.
- Second key concept is that an electron is an electron.
- Electron is an electron, and there's a lot of devices out there that can provide distributed energy resources
- I am the Midwest Regional Director with Vote Solar.
- Um, I'm Patty O'Keefe with Vote Solar.
Keywords:
virtual power plant, VPP, distributed energy resources, DER, demand response, load management, grid modernization, peak demand, peak shaving, battery storage, energy storage, solar photovoltaic, solar panels, electric vehicles, smart thermostats, heat pumps, aggregator, public utilities commission, PUC, rate recovery
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee Jun 23rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Bonta, Macedo, not voting. Masito, not voting. ...Due Pass to Judiciary.
- Bauer-Kahan, Macedo, not voting. Masito, not voting. DeMaio, no. Hoover, not voting. Irwin, aye.
- You respectfully ask for an aye vote? I was going to ask for an aye vote. Thank you.
- There are 10 votes. McKinnor, aye. Patterson, not voting. That bill is out 11-2.
- There are 10 votes. McKinnor, aye. Patterson, not voting. That bill is out 11-2.
Summary:
The committee began as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum and heard several privacy- and technology-related measures. The first item was H.R. 117, a resolution urging Congress to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The author and supporters argued the law is outdated and shields platforms from accountability for harms such as harassment, exploitation, scams, and other online abuse. Witnesses, including a survivor parent and a gender justice advocate, described harms to children, women, and LGBTQ people and urged a two-year sunset to force federal reform. Some members supported the resolution as a call for federal action, while one member said he could not support it because the resolution was too general and lacked specificity about the reforms being sought. No vote was taken because the committee lacked a quorum.
The committee then heard SB 898, which would require manufacturers of connected consumer products to disclose how long they will support the software and to notify consumers when products approach end of life. The author said consumers deserve transparency about security updates and continued functionality, and supporters from Consumer Reports and PIRG emphasized cybersecurity risks, consumer confusion, and electronic waste from unsupported devices. Opponents, including business and industry groups, raised concerns about enforcement through the unfair competition law, notice burdens, labeling issues, and compliance challenges, especially for products with long support windows or third-party dependencies. One member expressed support, noting the cybersecurity risks of end-of-life devices, but again no vote was taken because there was no quorum.
The committee also heard SB 435, which would narrow the CCPA definition of publicly available information to limit how businesses classify data as public. The author and supporters said the bill would close a loophole that allows data brokers and others to monetize personal information without meaningful consent and could help prevent surveillance and misuse of data, including by government agencies. Opponents argued the bill would upset the balance between privacy and the free flow of information, create compliance uncertainty, and retroactively reclassify information that businesses reasonably believed was public. Some members said they supported the goal of stronger privacy protections, while others said the bill was too broad. The committee again could not vote due to the lack of a quorum.
Later, the committee heard SB 923, which would expand Californians’ right to delete personal information to cover data obtained from third parties and require online businesses to offer a web form or similar method for deletion requests. Supporters, including the California Privacy Protection Agency and consumer advocates, said the bill would make deletion rights meaningful and better address data broker practices. Opponents sought an opt-out-of-processing alternative and raised operational and legal concerns, but supporters said deletion is not the same as retention or processing limits. Members largely spoke in favor of the bill’s privacy goals, but no action was taken. The committee also heard SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would require human review for certain automated employment decisions and limit predictive analysis in workplace discipline and termination. Labor groups supported the bill as a safeguard against biased or erroneous AI-driven decisions, while business, public employer, and local government groups opposed it as overbroad and burdensome. Members voiced support for human oversight in employment decisions, but the item was not voted on because the committee still lacked a quorum. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1114, the SOGI Data Privacy Act, which would restrict disclosure of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex data to federal agencies absent a court order or legal requirement; the author and witness framed it as a response to federal efforts to obtain sensitive LGBTQ-related data.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
February 4, 2025 - 09:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- Please silence all electronic devices. Kimberly, please call the roll. Chair Salsman, here.
- The other idea is, and automation is going to help secure our future, having X-ray machines that every
- With AI technology today and those semis driving through an X-ray machine, it can be visible what is
- They would have to abandon the machine.
- They have to abandon, they would have to abandon the machine.
Summary:
The committee received an overview from Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, including staffing, licensing, forestry, law enforcement, and consumer services. He emphasized agriculture as a major economic driver and a national security issue, arguing that Florida should protect farmland, aquifer recharge areas, and the wildlife corridor through the Rural and Family Lands program. He said the program is cost-effective because the state buys development rights rather than land outright, keeps land on local tax rolls, and helps preserve farmland in perpetuity. He also highlighted the Fresh From Florida marketing program, increased social media reach, and the department’s efforts to reduce vacancies and improve pay and efficiency.
Members asked about nutrient management, citrus disease, housing, disaster recovery, wildfire prevention, interdiction stations, and concealed carry permitting. Simpson said SB 1000 and updated best management practice manuals, informed by University of Florida research, are helping agriculture use less water and fertilizer, and he described citrus greening as having devastated the industry while noting research, replanting programs, and CUPS as possible paths to recovery. On housing, he argued that allowing H-2A farmworker housing on farms would ease pressure on the broader housing market, and on disasters he described a zero-interest loan program for farmers affected by hurricanes and other events. He also detailed wildfire preparedness improvements, including upgraded helicopters, dozers, drones, and prescribed burns.
The commissioner said ag interdiction stations are catching stolen semis, drugs, human trafficking, and other illegal activity, and that the department wants more technology, including X-ray scanning, to inspect more trucks. He also discussed concealed carry administration, saying the department cleared a large backlog and that constitutional carry reduced but did not eliminate permit demand because permits still provide reciprocity and other benefits. Members generally praised the department’s work, expressed support for rural land protection, Fresh From Florida, water-quality improvements, and foreign-interference concerns, and the meeting ended with no formal votes or other committee action beyond adjournment.
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- that worked for me had to get a Class C because they were actually putting the chemical into the machine
- Into the machine. So does this eliminate that?
- You know, this is my second launch with electronic licensing, and it was the largest launch for our agency
Summary:
The Administrative Rules Subcommittee reviewed several agency rules and most were approved without objection. The Department of Agriculture repealed rules tied to the now-repealed Arkansas Catfish Processors Fair Practice Act. The Department of Human Services updated Medicaid policy to clarify child support enforcement treatment for pregnant women, remove the word “forcible” from rape/incest good-cause language, and eliminate a 90-day waiting period for ARKids B after loss of group coverage; members highlighted the significance of the language change and asked for a quick-reference eligibility chart. DHS Medical Services also received approval for a CMS cell and gene therapy model rule for sickle cell drugs and a technical Medicaid-assisted medication-assisted treatment update that was described as cost-neutral and non-substantive.
The Department of Labor and Licensing presented several rules implementing recent acts and internal cleanup changes. These included procedures for local construction plan disputes under Act 591, Contractors Licensing Board amendments raising the restricted commercial license threshold from $750,000 to $1.5 million and allowing deferral of owner-complaint investigations during civil litigation, and a similar residential contractors change. The HVACR Licensing Board presented broader revisions under Act 746, including grammar and cleanup changes, elimination of the Class C license with transfer of existing holders to Class B, expansion of allowable work limits, a change to continuing education from four hours annually to eight hours per three-year code cycle, and clarification on training, child labor, and licensing issues. Several members questioned the practical impact of the HVAC changes, but the rule was approved.
The committee also granted the Department of Inspector General’s request for exclusion from rulemaking reporting under Act 473, concluding that no rule was necessary because the act already defines the key terms and review process for foreign-adversary cultural exchange agreements. In addition, the Arkansas State Library’s report recommending continuation of its existing rules was accepted. During the status updates on outstanding 2023-session rulemaking, Education explained delays were due to overlapping 2025 amendments and the large volume of rules, while members expressed concern about the length of time since enactment; staff noted only a small number of 2023 rules remain outstanding. The meeting ended after written 2025-session updates were received with no further questions.