Transcript Highlights:

• in one study said that they desired to have more options for faith-based programs.
• One study said that they desired to have more options for faith-based programs.
• was supposed to happen around this space, a task force that was supposed to do a study dealing with
• Do you know... ...with these type of homes, do you know where we are, what happened with that study?
• So I guess I don't know which study you're referring to. ...if you could clarify.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met with a full agenda and reported all measures favorably. The committee first heard HB 1327, which would codify the Hope Florida program in state law, and HB 1329, the related public-records exemption for Hope Florida participants; both bills drew questions about oversight, duplication of services, staffing, and data privacy, and both passed 17-0 after an amendment to HB 1329. The committee then approved HB 391, allowing certified batterers intervention programs to include optional faith-based content while remaining grounded in required therapeutic models; an amendment clarified that participation in faith-based components must be strictly voluntary. Supporters argued the bill restores choice and access, while opponents raised concerns about church-state separation and uneven availability of secular alternatives; the bill passed 17-0. Members also advanced HB 1065, creating an Alzheimer’s disease awareness initiative through the Department of Elder Affairs, with broad support from members who shared personal experiences and emphasized early detection and public education. HB 1163, dealing with recovery residences, passed 12-5 after debate over local zoning authority, home rule, and whether the bill would help or hinder placement of level four recovery homes near urban cores. Several members said they supported recovery housing in principle but wanted more clarity on task force findings and local impacts before fully backing the measure. The committee next approved HB 969, which shifts evaluation of school district mental health assistance programs to OPAGA and requires reports on outcomes and effectiveness; members stressed the need to know whether substantial mental health funding is improving student outcomes. HB 1191, which decriminalizes allowing children to travel to school, play outdoors, or stay home for reasonable periods and codifies current DCF policy, passed 16-0 with support framed around parental rights and child development. Finally, HB 1207, the Tristan Murphy Act, passed 15-0 and would expand mental health diversion and treatment options, including training for first responders, a forensic hospital diversion pilot, a behavioral health data repository, and additional evaluation requirements before inmate work assignments. The meeting adjourned after all agenda bills were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would ask that you put aside this bill and instead make a further study of the issue.
• of the issue if a change further study of the issue if a change is<00:29:15.960> needed<00:29
• However, without actual data or studies, we're relying on anecdotes.
• we're relying on anecdotes or studies we're relying on anecdotes the<00:40:55.920> data<00:40
• It's time for an actual study to lay out the facts of this supposed issue, not just facts and figures

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:26:54.560> the establishing a committee to study the establishing a committee to study
• The other kind of uh study option one.
• study before expansion Thoughtful study before expansion promotes<01:44:33.440> both<01:44:33.760
• study the environmental impact of data centers.
• So, does this bill intend to just study it, have a committee to study it, or does the bill want to prohibit

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• studies last night.
• And there's a ton of studies on that.
• Studies have shown that.
• So last time we did a study committee passed through.
• So last time we did a study committee pass through.

Bills: SB1052, SB1115, SB1118, SB1120, SB1121, SB1124, SB1171, SB1172, SB1174, SB1175, SB1214, SB1233, SB1235, SB1316, SB1345, SB1372, SB1399, SB1458, SB1494, SB1496, SB1564, SB1602, SB1621, SB1628, SB1630, SB1631, SB1668, SB1672, SB1814, SB1821

Keywords: assisted living, health care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physician orders, informed consent, AHCCCS, remote work, state agency, employment, public health, housing, zoning, middle housing, urban development, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, historic preservation, radiation protection

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1121, which would prohibit hospitals from requiring lead aprons for cardiac catheterization staff when a radiation protection system is in place, while still allowing hospitals to require aprons outside the designated safety zone or when exposure levels warrant additional protection. An amendment added flexibility for radiation safety officers to require lead or other PPE if exposures approach occupational limits and removed expedited rulemaking language. Supporters, including the sponsor and interventional cardiologists, argued the devices reduce radiation and orthopedic injuries and improve recruitment and retention; hospital groups shifted to neutral after the amendment. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1121 on a 9-2 vote. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1120, which would require hospitals performing cardiac catheterization procedures to equip at least 50% of those rooms with radiation protection systems by 2027. Supporters said the systems protect clinicians from radiation and long-term injury, while opponents, including hospital and radiology groups, argued the bill was overly prescriptive, could create a captive market, and might not fit all rooms or procedures. After adopting a children’s hospital exemption amendment, the committee passed SB 1120 on a 6-6 vote, with the chair breaking the tie in favor of the bill. Senate Bill 1118, an appropriation measure tied to the radiation protection system proposal, was also advanced after brief discussion, passing 6-5. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1214, which would create guardrails for non-FDA-approved stem cell and regenerative therapies, including provider standards, informed consent, advertising limits, reporting requirements, and a private right of action for violations. Supporters described it as a patient-protection and access bill, while testimony emphasized concerns about unregulated “bad actors” and patients traveling out of state for treatment. The committee adopted an amendment removing a reference to the National Law and passed SB 1214 on a 9-3 vote. The transcript then began discussion of SB 1630, which would create a Medicaid-funded home and community-based service benefit for adults with serious mental illness, with AHCCCS taking a neutral position and estimating a significant fiscal impact.

Transcript Highlights:

• We would create a study. We would look at everything. We can look at data.
• At if this comply with current studies.
• It was demonstrated by the Department of Commerce studies and then it was replicated by those studies
• by those studies and then replicated by those studies and then Alliant<01:00:03.200> did<01:00
• done, we got the studies replicated, and Alliant did settle.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The grants management feasibility study was to determine if a single system is feasible.
• I have some questions about the study.
• <00:37:02.960> is the study is the study is concluded<00:37:05.599> lastman<00:37:06.040
• you mentioned you’ve had a consultant working on the study.
• Can you tell me how many people are working on it and how much you are paying for this study?”

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill establishes a plant-based building materials working group to study and report on how best
• This bill appropriates funds to the Cancer Center to conduct a multi-ethnic cohort study focusing on
• It requires the Cancer Center to seek federal funding to complete the study and is effective 7/1/300?
• Vice Chair: I see that federal funding will be needed to finish the study.
• Vice Chair: I see that federal funding will be needed to finish the study.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education heard several measures focused on health, environment, and research. HB 970 would allow chiropractic students to participate in clinical practice under direct supervision; the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic offered comments and asked for a delayed implementation date until July 2027 to allow time to adopt rules, while the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association supported the bill. Members also discussed that there are currently no chiropractic schools in the state. The committee then heard HB 1185, which creates a plant-based building materials working group, and HB 1337, which establishes an endemic plant seed bank pilot program. Supporters of HB 1185 said the bill could help create green jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by developing materials such as bamboo, hempcrete, and bio-cements, with questions raised about in-state processing. For HB 1337, witnesses supported the goal of preserving endemic species but said a large-scale refrigerated storage and seed-production facility would be needed; one witness estimated startup costs of about $6 million for one island and noted existing seed banks are small-scale and not designed for reforestation. HB 1300 would fund a University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center multi-ethnic cohort study on cancer disparities among Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, and Asians, including environmental and social factors such as proximity to landfills. The Cancer Center, ACS CAN, and labor representatives supported the bill, emphasizing health disparities and concerns about landfill exposure; committee members asked about federal funding, and the Cancer Center said it would pursue NIH, private, and foundation support, with the state share described as $500,000 per year for two years. HB 736 would create a wastewater technology testing pilot program at the Water Resources Research Center; supporters said it could help certify cheaper alternatives to costly cesspool and septic upgrades, and the Department of Health supported the measure. The committee also heard HB 531, which authorizes special license plates for the Cancer Center; supporters said it would raise visibility and funds, and the Cancer Center estimated revenue would likely be under $100,000. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or a reference to Harvard sociologist Deepa Pager's similar study, The Mark of a Criminal Record, that
• The other bill, S. 1232, is to establish the first data collection in the nation to study the...
• The act to study the delivery of care.
• I'm also wanting to say that I'm in support of S. 1232, an act to study the delivery of medical care
• Okay, we'll move on to testimony and consideration of H. 1745 / S. 1232, specifically an Act to Study

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on a wide range of criminal justice, victim services, and records-sealing bills. Early testimony focused on H.1811, the Clean Slate automated record-sealing bill, with supporters arguing that automatic sealing after existing waiting periods would remove barriers to jobs, housing, and education without changing eligibility rules. Advocates from legal aid, business, and housing organizations said the current petition-based system is underused, burdensome, and costly, while opponents of expanding surveillance-related laws urged the committee to preserve privacy protections. The committee also heard testimony on H.1693, which would immediately seal records in cases ending without conviction and clarify the presumption of innocence, with speakers describing how dismissed cases still create lasting collateral consequences and prevent people from moving forward. No votes were taken during the hearing. Several bills centered on victim safety and domestic violence. Senator Michael Moore testified for S.1201, which would keep child-protective orders in effect even if the parent or guardian who filed them dies, and for S.1204, which would update the wiretap statute. Multiple survivors and advocates supported S.1215 and S.1222, arguing for a narrow wiretap defense for recordings made to document threats or abuse and for making GPS tampering a separate felony offense. Testifiers described situations in which GPS devices were cut off or disabled and said current law leaves victims at risk and gives abusers too much leeway. The committee also heard emotional testimony on H.1685/S.1238, a bill prompted by the suicide of Stavri Yanka in custody, with the sponsor, his mother, and the sheriff describing the need for better information-sharing so suicide-risk information follows a person into custody. Law enforcement and prosecutors supported several due-process and dangerousness-related bills. MassCOP, the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, and the State Police Association backed H.1828/S.1039/S.1235, which would require de novo Superior Court review for POST Commission suspensions over two weeks or decertifications, arguing officers need a meaningful appeal beyond administrative review. The committee also heard support for H.1691, expanding the dangerousness statute to additional offenses; Bristol County District Attorney Quinn said the changes would let prosecutors seek detention in serious cases such as child rape and manslaughter when facts warrant it. In contrast, the Committee for Public Counsel Services opposed expanding dangerousness detention, warning that pretrial detention causes serious harms and disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic defendants. The hearing also included testimony on H.1654/S.1063 to enhance victims’ rights and H.1525, which would rename and expand community corrections into community justice programs, with supporters emphasizing reentry, reduced stigma, and broader service access.

Transcript Highlights:

• That was done by a study with the U of M. They provided those numbers.
• That was done by a study with million.
• Do you know about the study at all, how they did it?
• Do you know about the study at all, how they did it?
• about the study at all how they did it? about the study at all how they did it?

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4949, as amended by the adopted H4949A2 and H4949A3 amendments. The bill would create a sports and events reimbursement program intended to give Minnesota a more reliable funding mechanism to compete for major sporting and entertainment events. Representative Lislegard and supporters argued that events such as the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, Final Four, World Juniors Hockey, and Olympic trials generate substantial economic activity, tax revenue, and statewide visibility, and that Minnesota has lost opportunities because it lacks a standing competitive fund. Testifiers from the Minnesota Business Partnership and Minnesota Sports and Events strongly supported the bill, describing it as a performance-based, closed-loop model that reinvests tax revenue generated by events into securing future events. Jess Graba, Cheryl Lindsey, and Dr. William Campbell emphasized community benefits beyond economics, including youth inspiration, school improvements, inclusion, and positive local engagement tied to events like the Olympic trials, the Women’s Final Four, and WWE appearances. Several testifiers cited specific figures, including roughly $71.5 million in economic impact and $4.7 million in tax revenue for World Juniors, about $74.8 million and $5.7 million for the gymnastics trials, and more than $430 million in lost economic impact from events Minnesota did not secure. Members raised concerns about the funding mechanism, especially the use of revenue that would otherwise go to the general fund or other accounts. Representative Huot said he supported bringing events to Minnesota but was uneasy about diverting general fund money and suggested stronger legislative oversight, possibly through a formal sports committee. Representative Youakim asked how the bill’s revenue capture would work and noted concerns about taking money from transportation-related accounts; staff explained that the amended bill affects seven state taxes and a fee, including motor vehicle rental taxes and the retail delivery fee, with some revenue directed to non-general fund accounts. Members also requested more information on the methodology behind the University of Minnesota Extension economic impact studies, and staff said those studies could be shared. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the reason for the study.
• Chairman, as Representative, as far as I know, when I did ask those questions, there is no study.
• There is talk that the Department of Defense has a study, which they're not going to share with us.
• And you support the effort to study this, Mr. Chair? Mr.
• And the USC study supported that. The Boston study supported that.

Bills: HB2056, HB2202, HB2207, HB2224, HB2303, HB2344, HB2532, HB2759, HB2798

Keywords: brackish water, groundwater, desalination, water resources, feasibility study, environmental impact, dementia care, telementoring, healthcare education, rural communities, grant funding, braille, disability access, education funding, state corrections, inclusion, produce incentive, agriculture, economic support, funding

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met on January 28 and heard several bills, beginning with member and staff introductions and a reminder about amendment deadlines. HB 2056 would appropriate $100,000 to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for a feasibility study of brackish groundwater desalination sites; the sponsor said Arizona should explore potential water supplies amid Colorado River concerns. A witness opposed the bill, and members debated whether brackish groundwater should be treated as a resource or a threat to aquifers. The committee approved HB 2056 on an 11-6 vote, with one member not voting. The committee then considered HB 2798, as amended, which would provide $100,000 to the University of Arizona/Arizona Geological Survey to compile data on materials related to nuclear energy, including thorium and other non-uranium fuels. The sponsor framed the bill as an economic development and national security effort, while opponents questioned whether Arizona has enough of the material to justify public spending. The University of Arizona supported the work as within the Geological Survey’s mission. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 11-5, with one member present and one not voting. HB 2303 would codify investment rules for the State Treasurer, requiring safety and principal preservation ahead of return and prohibiting speculative investments and insider-benefit conduct. The Treasurer’s Office said the bill reflects current policy and ethics rules already in place, and members asked about how “speculative” would be defined and whether the bill would affect other investment-related statutes. The committee passed the bill 15-0, with two members present and one not voting. HB 2344 would require the Treasurer to manage the local government investment pool and allow a third-party backup only in emergencies; the Treasurer’s Office argued this preserves a low-cost, high-liquidity service for local governments, while some members questioned whether it limited future Treasurers’ discretion. The committee passed HB 2344 12-2, with three present and one not voting. Later, the committee heard HB 2759, which would appropriate $500,000 to the Department of Veterans’ Services to partner with an educational institution in Yavapai County for veteran programs. A retired Navy SEAL and campus veterans coordinator described emergency housing, equipment, and professional-development needs for student veterans at Embry-Riddle, while several members supported the effort and others objected to using state funds for a private institution or a county-specific program. The bill passed 11-6, with one not voting. The committee also passed HB 2207, appropriating $300,000 for the prison Braille transcription program, after testimony that the program trains inmates in a skilled trade and has had no recidivism among released participants; it passed 17-0, with one not voting. Finally, HB 2224, as amended to reduce the appropriation from $2 million to $1 million, would fund the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program through SNAP. Supporters said it helps families, farmers, and local economies and can improve health outcomes, while members discussed budget constraints; the committee approved the amended bill after testimony from program advocates and farmers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Energy study compared the 2018 code to the 2019 code, and I have a copy of that study that
• The cost of oil has increased by 18 percent above the study estimate.
• There was a study mentioned before. Is that a study that you guys did?
• And I'm not even disagreeing with the study. So just to let you know.
• The study was about the benefit to the consumer.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to it, and we removed the study.
• The House Policy Committee added a study to it, and what we did is remove the study and remove the funding
• for this study—excuse me, not a study, a software system to record all the data so that the teachers
• So we removed that study. We removed the $300,000... We removed that study.
• We removed the $300,000 for the study.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 2265, which would provide the Fargo National Cemetery with up to a $3 million line of credit to help fund improvements such as indoor bathrooms, parking, a family gathering area, an office, a hearse garage, and a veterans gallery. Supporters said the cemetery has expanded rapidly since 2019, has already conducted about 1,000 burials, and needs better facilities for families and the Honor Guard; they also said the project would be subject to federal VA approval and, once completed, would be taken over by the VA. Members raised questions about the project’s cost, timing, funding sources, whether the bill should be a grant instead of a line of credit, and whether a chapel should be specifically included. No vote was taken on SB 2265 during the excerpt. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2230, which would have the Secretary of State mail active voters a guide on ballot measures at least 45 days before an election, with objective summaries, fiscal impacts, and arguments for and against each measure. Secretary of State Michael Howe said the office already receives many questions about ballot measures and would post the same information online and at polling places, while emphasizing the need to keep the material objective and consistent with election-law restrictions. Members generally supported the idea as a voter-education tool, and the committee adopted a due pass motion on SB 2230 by a 19-0 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2256, which would provide one-time state support for the NDSU Research and Technology Park in Fargo to expand its role in commercialization, robotics, precision agriculture, and defense-related technology. Park CEO Brenda Weiland explained that the park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit spun out of NDSU, governed by a board with both university and industry representation, and that the new model is intended to bridge the gap between research and market-ready products without competing directly with private industry. Members asked about ownership, intellectual property, the planned partnership with Carnegie Mellon’s robotics center, and how the park would use the funding; the discussion focused on contracts, licensing, and the park’s intent to build technical capacity and attract companies. The excerpt ends before any vote on SB 2256.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, one of the things I see in this is we're going to study uh having a rail from Fargo to St.
• needs to be laid over, which I think it is, and I'm glad it's getting laid over because it needs more study
• Uh, one of the things I see in this is we're going to study uh having a rail from Fargo to St.
• Uh, one of the things I see in this is we're going to study uh having a rail from Fargo to St.
• See in this is we're going to study uh having a rail from Fargo to St. Paul for a million dollars.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We contracted with a vendor to conduct a process improvement study of three major components.
• In the grants component, the study resulted in a number of recommendations regarding grant processes
• As an example, we have an NIH study that's looking at individuals 60 and above.
• In this study, they're all going through the same 12-week intervention, but some people are going to
• The prophylactic that we used in this study is something that you can now get commercially.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's Senate File 1915, and it's for the Campaign Finance Board study.
• It's Senate File 1915, and it's for the Campaign Finance Board study.
• 00:08:58.760> do<00:08:58.920> you<00:08:59.160> have<00:08:59.560> an study
• The bill does not propose an outcome; it just proposes a study that the Campaign Finance Board would
• The bill does not propose an outcome; it just proposes a study that the Campaign Finance Board would

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:32:35.440> committee HB279 is uh proposes a study committee HB279 is uh proposes a study
• was unclear to us when we were studying was unclear to us when we were studying this<00:34:41.800
• He said he has done a number of study reviews or study committees over the last several terms, and the
• <00:36:36.960> reviews Uh I've done a number of study reviews Uh I've done a number of study
• if you fail to do that uh study if you fail to do that uh study committee<00:36:55.680> what<

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• needing to pick up this year as studies needing to pick up this year as studies happened<00:13:56.760
• Um, but that's—we did not specifically name private equity as one of the components to be studied.
• Though, certainly, that would be a great thing for us to pass on to the study.
• Though, certainly, that would studied.
• Yeah, I I would the, um, for the study.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The caucus of the whole received an update from Representative Kornheiser on House Bill 955, focusing on the Ways and Means amendment and how it aligns with Act 73 and the House Education Committee’s broader education transformation work. She said the amendment was assembled from separate pieces developed earlier in the session and covers three main areas: planned property tax updates, steps needed for the future education finance system and foundation formula, and policy changes to support collaborative education service agencies and district mergers. She emphasized that the bill is aimed at the future state of the system, with many provisions tied to later effective dates and pending reports. Kornheiser described the property tax provisions as further defining the new non-homestead/second-home classification so the Tax Department can continue form development and data collection before rates are set, and she said the bill also advances regional assessment districts and a more regular reappraisal cycle. On education finance, she said the amendment adds school construction and school debt provisions, reserve guidance, pre-K funding study language, special education funding protections, and transportation-related follow-up work so those pieces can fit the foundation formula. She also framed the bill as reducing cost drivers in the system, citing health care savings, reference-based pricing, mental health coordination, special education scale, deferred maintenance, and larger-scale school organization. During questions, members asked about merger support funding, transportation timelines, private equity ownership of school transportation, tuition restrictions for approved independent and public schools, and the timing and finality of the second-home tax definitions. Staff explained that merger support would be reimbursed through AOE for committee expenses and would not count against excess spending thresholds, that transportation and other grant categories will be addressed in future reports and decisions, and that the transportation study does not explicitly name private equity but could encompass staffing and cost issues. They also confirmed that the tuition-related provisions apply to approved independent, in-state public, and out-of-state public schools receiving tuition, but only when the foundation formula takes effect. No votes were taken during the caucus; the update was informational, with the bill noted as having been referred to Appropriations and expected to come up for action later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• The same is true in looking at a study out of Florida.
• I think well over 100 studies.
• Someone should study that. I would argue let's have a study of that. Let's do that.
• Enlow: We'd have to study that.
• I'm looking at an MIT study that says the exact opposite.

Bills: HB 3

Keywords: emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, public safety infrastructure, Project 25, P25, broadband emergency alerting, outdoor warning sirens, homeland security, disaster response

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:05:33.359> Senator referred for interim study. Senator referred for interim study.
• study for me.
• study. Are you ready for the question? study. Are you ready for the question?
• So all of us voted interim study.
• So all of us voted interim study.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , mean a very in-depth qualitative study, mean a very in-depth qualitative study, right?
• <00:41:22.160> or think this is the the the drug study or think this is the the the drug study
• <01:33:33.679> that's skewed result in the study that's skewed result in the study that's
• again why we would like to have a study. again why we would like to have a study.
• developed countries in the world studied developed countries in the world studied by<02:02:47.840

Keywords: 1189, house, all