Transcript Highlights:

• One is improving the technologies and no bill associated with that yet, but improving technologies around
• All those technologies are available, and our government has failed.
• <00:19:46.080> that a couple months built a technology that a couple months built a technology
• I think it changed it. >> Um, can someone speak broadly to some of the technological upgrades?
• We should be able to utilize technology.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a $1 million, and that's actually for State Parks to upgrade all their equipment.
• Well, one last question: I know there was a concern over needing funding for your technology system.
• needing funding for your your technology needing funding for your your technology system<01:54:21.119
• So this grant allows the landowner to apply for it and then hopefully upgrade the dam so that we can
• But I think we’ll be ready to recruit by that date. upgrading them into Specialists and upgrading them

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is one out-of-state contract for Tyler Technologies.
• Number two, Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services, with Kerosoft Technology.
• Division of Workforce Services with Kerosoft Technology.
• Number 15, DTS Division of Information Systems, with CARESoft Technology.
• And as we look to determine how we can upgrade and renovate and maintain a number of buildings on our

Summary: The review subcommittee met to consider a supplemental agenda, methods of finance, an alternative delivery project, discretionary grants, and a large slate of construction, out-of-state, and in-state contracts. The supplemental item was a $2.6 million out-of-state contract with Tyler Technologies for a mobile app that would let citizens access state services through a single sign-on, initially for DFA vehicle and licensing services, with possible expansion to other agencies. Members also reviewed five methods of finance, including University of Arkansas projects for roof and cooling tower replacements, a new $100 million academic classroom building at U of A Fayetteville, a police department renovation at UA Fort Smith, and a boiler/chiller replacement at Hope-Texarkana. Questions focused on project timing, why some items were being reviewed after work had begun, and the high estimated cost of the Fayetteville classroom building; DFA explained that projects under $250,000 are not reviewed and that the larger project was still in design and would later seek a guaranteed maximum price. The committee also reviewed two DHS discretionary grants: one for targeted youth advocacy in southwest Arkansas and another adding $582,000 for family-centered treatment training and implementation. In the services contract section, members discussed construction-related contracts, including an ASMSA electrical scope increase tied to three-phase power requirements and the U of A Fayetteville architect contract for the classroom building. Out-of-state contracts included major items such as ACT Education’s $17 million amendment to provide required pre-ACT testing for 9th and 10th graders, a $12.5 million DFA contract for rural health transformation grant management, DHS’s $16.5 million EBT services contract with updated chip-card and fraud-prevention features, and ADH’s special procurement for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. The committee also reviewed U of A system consulting contracts for financial advisory and sponsorship strategy work, with university officials saying the outside expertise was needed for specialized planning and revenue-generation efforts. In-state contracts covered corrections reentry services, nursing board investigations, foster care and child welfare services, DHS office janitorial work, emergency management radio system expansion, veterans’ home nursing staffing, and UAMS grants consulting. A lengthy exchange centered on the Department of Corrections’ reentry housing contract, with members pressing officials about vacant beds and urging fuller use of the program, while corrections staff said placements depend on screening and eligibility. Another discussion addressed the balance between out-of-state and in-state contracting, with a member noting the large dollar volume going to out-of-state vendors and asking whether Arkansas vendors receive any preference; State Procurement said current law does not allow an in-state preference. The committee approved the supplemental agenda, the methods of finance, the alternative delivery project, the discretionary grants, and the contract lists, and then received routine reports and an emergency action report before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our accomplishments for 2025-2026 are that the legislature gave us $2.8 million to upgrade all of our
• We also want to thank you for the investment in technology for the archives and records management programs
• rural libraries that rely on city sales tax use state aid to refresh their collections, update technology

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At the same time, many ports are in urgent need of infrastructure upgrades to maintain competitiveness
• The Small Business Technology Assistance Program, SBTAP, needs more robust protections in the wake of
• It needs to support decarbonization efforts, investing in emerging clean technologies and maintaining

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is similar to that, and that it incentivizes additional technology. Scale.
• So if a well has, let's say it's a Bakken well and there's new technology, and I'm going to just make
• Different technology, different industry.
• They grew up with technology that I don't understand. My oldest is 18 years old.
• As well said, I think we're going to always push the envelope on exploration and new technology.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Finance and Tax Committee met to consider Senate Bill 2397 and a proposed amendment creating a development incentive well program for North Dakota oil and gas production. Representative Dockter explained the amendment as a way to encourage exploratory and innovative drilling in light of the state’s financial outlook and the growing share of stripper wells. Department of Mineral Resources Director Nathan Anderson and DMR geologist Timothy Nashim presented background on the Bakken and Three Forks formations, with Nashim describing research showing that Middle Three Forks second-bench development can add reserves in some areas but not others, and that roughly 600 additional wells in the strongest area could yield about 250 million barrels of oil. Continental Resources representatives William Houser and John Argo supported the amendment. They said the bill would give a temporary oil extraction tax exemption for certified development incentive wells, limited to 36 months or 300,000 barrels, and would also update tax treatment for gas used in enhanced oil recovery and on-site electric generation. They argued the measure would encourage new technology and testing in existing spacing units, complementing House Bill 1483, which they said focused on geographic expansion into non-Bakken and non-Three Forks areas. Argo said Continental still invests heavily in North Dakota but is shifting rigs elsewhere because of economics, and he urged incentives to spur exploration and preserve the basin’s long-term future. North Dakota Petroleum Council executive director Ron Ness also supported the concept, calling it a targeted, low-risk way to encourage innovation and future barrels. Committee members asked about royalty treatment, the difference from House Bill 1483, pressure maintenance, and how the program would be administered. DMR said the amendment should clarify that the operator bears the burden of proving a well qualifies and that only one incentive well per stratigraphic interval should be certified. No vote was taken; the committee paused to work on revised language and indicated the bill would likely need further adjustment, possibly in conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Better upgrade. And Mr. Shooter is now my constituent. Yes.
• And, you know, under the provisions number two it says that it continues to declare science, technology
• , engineering, mathematics, and workforce... ...It continues to declare science, technology, engineering
• party from attempting to enter into a contract with a state agency for electronic or information technology
• party from attempting to enter into a contract with a state agency for electronic or information technology

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Tingley either needs to be severely upgraded and redone or rebuilt or cast aside.
• That will enhance our educational technology infrastructure.
• The bill transfers the functions related to broadband access and technology.
• Technology Infrastructure Fund.
• That is a long time, and technology has changed significantly.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hickman Fulton County Riverport Authority was also awarded $175,000 to upgrade their grain conveyor to
• grain<00:21:08.400> conveyor<00:21:09.120> to<00:21:09.360> allow to upgrade
• their grain conveyor to allow to upgrade their grain conveyor to allow for<00:21:09.679> the<
• awarded Hickman Fulton County Riverport Authority was awarded $750,000 for their conveyor upgrade
• The Owensburg Riverport Authority was awarded $750,000 to upgrade a recently purchased warehouse to get

Keywords: 00:01 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:47 Approval of Minutes 01:07 Airport Projects 12:17 Riverport Projects 38:27 Electric Vehicle Charging Program 54:10 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met on July 15, 2025, approved the June 4 minutes, and heard updates on aviation and riverport funding programs. Commissioner Mark Carter of the Kentucky Department of Aviation reported on the $200,000 grants for general aviation airports included in House Bill 1, saying the money is being used mainly for hangar projects, fuel trucks, parking lot resurfacing, airport equipment, crew cars, and public education efforts. He said about 25 hangar-related projects were reported, with an estimated 60 T-hangars and four or five box hangars supported, and noted that the grants are often used to match federal funds. He also said the state’s jet fuel tax revenue generates about $23 million annually, up from about $19 million in 2021, and that most airports are now compliant with the ADS-B/VOR-related reporting system required in budget language, which has improved reported operations and may help airports qualify for FAA grants. Members asked about the pace of airport projects, the limited number of contractors for hangar construction, and whether airports could finance hangars themselves. Carter said timing has generally been good, though federal projects have slowed somewhat and contractor capacity remains a challenge, and he said there is no statute preventing airports from financing part or all of a hangar project. Questions also focused on the long-term need for hangars and the effect of the jet fuel cap, with Carter saying general aviation airports still have significant hangar demand and rely on state assistance because hangars are a key revenue source. Jeremy Edgeworth of the Transportation Cabinet and Brian Wright of the Kentucky Association of Riverports then reviewed riverport projects funded through House Bill 265 and House Bill 1. Edgeworth said the cabinet’s riverport grant program awarded $500,000 in each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 for 13 projects under an 80/20 match, and that House Bill 1 provided $7.5 million per year for public riverports with no local match. He described completed or underway projects at multiple ports, including equipment replacements, dock and road repairs, material handling upgrades, mooring cell rehabilitation, and a waterline loop at Owensboro. He said $12.6 million of the KPRCM funds had been awarded across 20 projects, with about $2.4 million still to be awarded later in the fall. Wright said the riverport investments are helping ports replace aging assets, expand capacity, and match federal dollars, but he also said the statewide capital need remains large, with the current list of top projects already in the $90 million range and longer-term needs still estimated at $60 million to $90 million. Members asked about timelines and future needs, and Edgeworth said many of the larger projects will take two to five years because of permitting and coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• it's older um and then it's older um and then um<00:11:13.320> obviously<00:11:13.720> upgrades
• to our ex um um obviously upgrades to our ex um entrance<00:11:17.560> way<00:11:17.880> to
• I think it's also an upgrade.
• It would be an upgrade to the whole system, getting cameras that aren't 30 years old as well, and fewer
• I just—your question, but it was also to upgrade the front sales office in terms of physical plant.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a budget presentation from New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre and CFO Jim Durus. McIntyre said the Lottery has more than tripled its return to the Education Trust Fund since 2011, from $62 million to $207 million in FY 24, while keeping expenses relatively flat over time. He explained that the Lottery operates like a business, is heavily audited, and that the governor’s budget raises the FY 26-27 revenue estimate to $185 million, up about $12 million annually from prior estimates. He attributed FY 24’s unusually strong results to record Powerball sales driven by a spike in billion-dollar jackpots tied to higher interest rates, and said scratch tickets still make up most gross sales, though Powerball is the highest-margin product. Members questioned the Lottery about the difference between gross revenue and profit, the steep rise in operating expenses, and the reasons for requested budget increases. McIntyre said the main drivers were payroll, benefits, advertising, added regulatory responsibilities from expanded gaming, and a new Salesforce customer-tracking system. He also described requested capital needs, including an outdated security system, building access and ADA improvements, and upgrades to the front office for employee safety. He said the security system is still running on an old Windows 7-based setup and that the requested upgrade would modernize cameras and add redundancy. The discussion also covered staffing and gaming expansion. McIntyre said the Lottery has 84 employees including three commissioners, with 13 funded vacancies, and that it plans to fill positions as two new gaming rooms come online in Rochester and Derry. He said the Lottery’s revenue estimates were revised upward because sports betting in Massachusetts had less impact than expected and historic horse racing machines have been more profitable than forecast. He also explained the governor’s proposal to shift historic horse racing toward slot-style machines, saying the physical machines would look largely the same but the content and math would change, and that the state’s revenue share would increase under the proposal. No votes were taken; the committee mainly asked questions and received explanations about the Lottery’s budget and revenue assumptions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing the need to do more, the Department of Programs and Reentry has deployed technology to ensure
• So anything we can do to sort of upgrade those facilities, I'm sure that the staff and the kids there
• is the investment that is needed for the facilities, whether that's air conditioning, heating, or upgrades
• what is the investment that is needed for the facilities, whether that's air conditioning, heating, upgrades
• to Wi-Fi, that seems. upgrades to Wi-Fi.

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• constantly um maintained and upgraded. constantly um maintained and upgraded. um<04:32:40.960>
• Massachusetts has a technology requirement.
• Massachusetts has a technology requirement.
• Massachusetts has a technology requirement.
• Massachusetts has a technology requirement.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, advances in technology right now allow for local production of ammonia fertilizer to bring stability
• So, advances in<00:07:15.160> technology<00:07:15.680> right<00:07:15.880> now<00
• :07:16.080> allow<00:07:16.360> for<00:07:16.520> local in technology right now
• allow for local in technology right now allow for local production<00:07:17.320> of<00:07:17.440
• upgrades and renewable energy options. upgrades and renewable energy options.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it has absolutely increased, and if you think back to 2002 and how technology has changed the
• has changed the way and how technology has changed the way that<00:24:24.320> we<00:24:24.559
• We've been upgraded to a commission, so it's fine. Yeah.
• We've been upgraded<00:49:35.119> to<00:49:35.280> a<00:49:35.440> commission.
• Uh so it's upgraded to a commission. Uh so it's it's<00:49:37.599> fine.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 219, which would revise the renewable portfolio standard. Representative Bose explained that the bill would modify class one definitions, eliminate class two, reduce the utility obligation for class one thermal renewable energy certificates from 2.2% to 1.7%, and adjust alternative compliance payments for classes one, three, and four. He said the changes were intended to save ratepayers an estimated $5.7 million annually, would not materially harm the renewable portfolio standard, and would have little effect on class two because that market is already saturated. Members questioned the impact on consumers, the state budget, and the renewable energy fund; Bose said the fund had already been redirected in the state budget, and another member noted an amended fiscal note showing a $1.2 million reduction in general fund revenue. The committee also discussed the bill’s history, including that it had been added to HB 2 and later removed by the Senate, and Bose said the Senate’s eventual action was hard to predict. The committee then heard House Bill 164 on local records retention from Secretary of State David Scanlan. He said the long-standing local records manager position had never been funded, but that the need for it had grown as towns increasingly digitize records and must ensure accessibility, including ADA compliance. He described the bill as a way to provide state support and expertise to municipalities, especially smaller towns with limited resources, and said the fiscal note for hiring the position remained accurate, though broader website and storage costs could rise over time. Members asked about retrieving lost records, the cost of a public website, and whether records should remain local or be stored at the state level; Scanlan said the state would serve as a resource rather than take control of local records. Finally, the committee began work on House Bill 365, also with Secretary Scanlan, concerning proof of U.S. citizenship for indigent voters. He said the bill would help voters who may lack required documents under the new voter registration law by allowing the state to verify qualifications through federal, private, or other state databases and by providing vouchers to cover the cost of obtaining documents such as birth certificates. He compared the proposal to earlier voter ID accommodations and said the goal was to help qualified voters meet the new requirements without weakening them. Members raised questions about defining “indigent,” how out-of-state birth records would be handled, and the practicality of the verification process; Scanlan said the term would likely need further discussion and that the state would try to assist voters before election day whenever possible.

Transcript Highlights:

• If more and more brush and such was removed, and power lines could be removed and upgraded, but they
• <00:25:46.720> but lines could be removed and upgraded but lines could be removed and upgraded
• Casten, a longtime member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, a dedicated member of the
• Casten, a longtime member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, a dedicated member of the
• can help us save our society technology can help us save our society and<05:32:52.000> our<05

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You all appropriate some additional rate so that we could upgrade some positions.
• had a lot of lower-level positions that are analysts that we're not as useful anymore because of technology
• And so we need to just rate we didn't get any additional funds to kind of upgrade a good number of our

Transcript Highlights:

• with these, so compliance with audit tool processes, things that we put in place, electronics, technology
• whether it makes sense to go forward with a pilot program that could involve significant capital upgrades
• Part of the problem is that our licensed beds, we have to make some upgrades and updates to them over

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• goals remain the same: incentivizing private investments to replace obsolete telecommunications technology
• innovation, modernization, and investment in building resiliency and expanding access to the best technologies
• California's short- and long-term future, expanding access to the latest and greatest life-saving technologies
• They're talking about putting in fiber, because fiber optics is the new technology at the time.
• sure that we worked with a company that would invest in California, would invest in fiber, would upgrade

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee heard AB 470 by Assembly Member McKinnor, a bill to modernize California’s carrier-of-last-resort rules for voice telephone service and create a process for carriers to transition away from obsolete copper networks in favor of advanced telecommunications infrastructure. The author and supporters said the bill is aimed at preserving reliable voice and 911 access while encouraging private investment in fiber and other modern networks, and emphasized that it is not a broadband bill. Support came from AT&T, business groups, and a former Cal OES director, who argued the bill provides a careful, phased modernization with CPUC oversight and increased public-safety investment requirements. Opposition came from TURN, CWA District 9, digital equity organizations, labor groups, and several local governments and county representatives. Critics raised concerns about the adequacy of the mapping process, reliance on broadband and wireless coverage data, the lack of on-the-ground verification, the challenge process, possible loss of Lifeline protections, and the impact on workers and union jobs. They also argued the bill could allow carriers to reduce universal-service obligations without enough safeguards for rural and vulnerable customers. Committee members discussed those concerns at length, especially the map-making process, the challenge procedure, and whether the bill sufficiently protects workers and customers who could be left behind. The author said the bill includes a 10-year backstop if service is lost, a CPUC-led process, and a three-to-one fiber buildout requirement tied to relinquishment, and expressed willingness to continue working with labor on workforce language. The committee ultimately passed AB 470 on a 7-0 due pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• On yesterday, before I came to Austin, I heard about the salination issue related to the technology.
• Water is a significant concern, so they will use that new technology to clean up the water and then dump
• According to the study, the water treated with the new technology is cleaner than the drinking water.
• Strategic infrastructure upgrades and a continued focus on education and workforce readiness can secure
• And the other is technology, which, as you've heard alluded to today, includes the types of horizontal

Bills: HB188, HB265, HJR35, HJR47, SB1901, HB188, HB265, HJR35

Keywords: Texas STRONG defense fund, severance tax revenue, oil and gas revenue, constitutional transfers, rainy day fund, economic stabilization fund, state highway fund, oil and gas production, qualifying county, county grants, water infrastructure, first responders, public safety, DPS staffing, commercial motor vehicle safety, gang violence prevention, human trafficking prevention, economic development, TxDOT grants, school districts

Transcript Highlights:

• grants and small business technology grants and small business technology transfer<00:51:08.319>
• What the work they do, they need an upgrade of the work that they have, the tools they have, but they
• What the work they do, they need an upgrade of the work that they have, the tools they have, but they
• What the work they do, they need<01:31:10.960> an<01:31:11.199> upgrade<01:31:11.440>
• of the work that they need an upgrade of the work that they have<01:31:12.960> uh<01:31:13.040

Bills: HF2634, HF2241, HF2649, HF2520, HF2610

Keywords: North Star Promise, scholarship, higher education, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, in-demand jobs, workforce development, career training, job market, high-demand occupations, high-demand industries, college aid, state financial aid, FAFSA, student eligibility, program of study, degree program, certificate program, community college, university, labor market data