Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:01.760><c> today</c><00:04:02.400><c> at</c><00:04:02.520><c> the</c><00:04:02.600><c> capital
• </c> new habitat here today at the capital new habitat here today at the capital with<00:04:03.080><c
• That is what our $6 million request is: asset preservation for the very first building at the zoo to
• The $6 million in asset preservation is urgently needed to fund the renovation of A Building's envelope
• The $6 million in asset preservation is urgently needed to fund the renovation of A Building's envelope

Transcript Highlights:

• And back in 2010, you could easily put a capital stack, which is all of the sources, 2010, you could
• easily put a capital stack, which is all of the sources that are needed to put a financing transaction
• So the conventional market does come up into this capital equation that we have.
• It has two phases, and what is so remarkable about this project is the capital stack.
• The capital markets need it to end.

Committee: Senate Director Nominations

Transcript Highlights:

• So, that's custodying of the asset.
• It also single asset transaction.
• ,</c><04:35:17.840><c> but</c> companies go get private capital, but companies go get private capital
• Um, but they assets. It's not my forte.
• world, that's actually pretty earthshattering to have a digital asset be brought to the capital markets

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Summary: The subcommittee focused primarily on a bill concerning long-term care insurance rate increases and consumer notice. Members and staff discussed replacing or supplementing a proposed public hearing requirement with annual reporting, website updates, and consumer-facing disclosures about approved rate increases, carriers writing the products, and how the products work. Several participants emphasized that long-term care policies are long-term products, that rate increases can be spread over many years for actuarial reasons, and that consumers need better information about trends and the impact of increases. A major point of disagreement was whether the bill should try to cap premium increases. One member argued the real problem is unexpected increases of 15% to 20% and urged a statutory cap to protect consumers. Insurance department representatives and others responded that hard caps had been struck down in prior case law, that the department’s core responsibility is solvency, and that carriers need sufficient premium to pay future claims. They also said the market is struggling because many carriers stopped selling the product, leaving in-force policies to bear the cost, and that overly restrictive caps could cause insurers to withdraw from the state. The discussion then shifted toward a compromise requiring carriers to notify policyholders before a rate increase is approved and allowing a 60-day comment period. Participants debated whether the notice should come from the carrier, how confidentiality rules would apply before approval, and what the department should do with public comments. The department said it already reviews filings carefully and that submitted rates are often adjusted before approval; lawmakers noted that prior commissioners had pushed back on increases in some cases, including a seven-year moratorium. No final vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair repeatedly tried to move the subcommittee along to other bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a market capitalization threshold: an annual market capitalization of 500 billion, or half a
• </c> playing with it's serious digital assets playing with it's serious digital assets that<00:21:08.240
• </c><00:54:26.000><c> Commission</c> governor's uh digital asset Commission governor's uh digital asset
• Yeah, so when you go into business, you risk your own capital, right?
• </c><01:02:32.599><c> right</c> business you risk your own Capital right business you risk your own Capital

Summary: The committee met in executive session and first discussed scheduling, noting that Town Meeting Day would cancel the next Tuesday meeting, that they would meet Wednesday instead, and that remaining bills would be handled through subcommittees and a likely final executive session on the 19th to meet the deadline for committee action on the 20th. The committee then took up several bills, with repeated roll calls and votes, often placing measures on the consent calendar after committee approval. House Bill 185 on ambulance reimbursement rates was described as a perennial issue and was voted inexpedient to legislate, with members noting concerns that an any-willing-provider approach would make premium impacts hard to evaluate. House Bill 186 on cannabis legalization was retained for further work, with members saying the bill addressed stopping marijuana arrests but that the sales and implementation details still needed more development. House Bill 241 on treatment alternatives to opioids was also retained because the sponsor could not attend and the committee wanted more time to continue work. The committee then considered House Bill 302 on state treasury investments in digital assets and precious metals. The amendment narrowed the proposal, removing more complicated provisions like stable tokens and staking, lowering the authorized allocation from 10% to 5%, and limiting eligible digital assets to those with very high market capitalization; members discussed volatility, the treasurer’s discretion, and oversight through bond-rating concerns. The amendment and the bill as amended both passed, and the bill was placed on the consent calendar. Other measures moved quickly: House Bill 451 on a paint product stewardship program was amended to remove direct funding and framed as manufacturer-run enabling legislation, then passed and was placed on consent; House Bill 499 made technical corrections to insurance laws and passed unanimously; House Bill 538 on relocating Liquor Commission positions passed unanimously; House Bill 552 on children covered under the state retirement insurance plan was cleaned up to remove a student requirement and passed unanimously; and a blockchain/digital currencies bill was amended to address noise and local regulation concerns for data mining operations, with supporters emphasizing energy-use issues, municipal authority, and a separate commission studying regulation. That bill also passed and was sent to consent.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a part of our ability to extend the institution out and to have assets across the state, to serve
• On the capital project side, the board does not have any new buildings on the list for capital improvements
• What truly makes the institute a North Dakota asset is our state advisory committee.
• They invest their time, their intellectual capital, maybe some of their inputs.
• I mean, you still have the asset, but you're not producing any cash.

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Summary: The committee met in Fargo and approved the minutes from the March 31 meeting before hearing a series of informational presentations focused on North Dakota agriculture, water, and research. NDSU President David Cook opened with remarks about NDSU’s land-grant mission, emphasizing statewide service through research, teaching, and extension, and highlighting examples such as the Lilac Agriculture startup and the university’s role in applying research to real-world problems. He said he intends to spend time listening across the state to better understand local needs. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study projected significant potential for expanded irrigation acreage, especially in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau, and estimated major economic gains from irrigation, including higher farm returns and support for value-added agriculture. Members discussed water permits, surface water versus aquifers, infrastructure, drought resilience, and the role of legal drains in improving productivity and generating economic activity. The presenters also noted that the full report is available online. Dr. Greg Lardy followed with NDSU’s required interim report, outlining the university’s agricultural research and extension system, including the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, seven research-extension centers, and the economic importance of agriculture to the state. He highlighted recent research impacts such as new crop varieties, potato breeding successes, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, weather-network tools, and 4-H programming. He also described NDSU’s budget priorities: restoring the governor’s proposed 10% cuts, additional operating support, and deferred maintenance funding. Committee members asked about the new agricultural field lab, storage sheds, and NDSU’s partnership with Grand Farm. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor presenting water-related research, including data center cooling, water reuse, smart irrigation, and a feasibility study on co-locating data centers with greenhouse and aquaculture production. Members asked about water use, ownership, and whether the concepts were operational or still speculative. Finally, North Dakota AgTech presented its NSF-funded innovation engine work, describing startup commercialization, on-farm trials, workforce development, and partnerships with NDSU, UND, tribal colleges, and other land-grant institutions. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will move that House File 2418 be referred to the Capital Investment Committee.
• But that is what it does: it sets up a capital maintenance plan and it requires that at future times
• </c> changed it so that it is a uh capital changed it so that it is a uh capital maintenance<00:02:03.360
• The park asset fund was created in 2007 and finances the updating and replacement of park assets such
• </c><00:10:50.880><c> investment</c> and with the uh uh capital investment and with the uh uh capital

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• Energy Resources in the Commonwealth, and Senate 2270, An Act Maximizing and Optimizing Small-Scale Assets
• those peaks and reduce the times ISO New England thinks they are needed and will limit... ...the capital
• and existing distribution system assets.
• People are very hesitant to commit to a large capital investment even when it reduces their greenhouse
• And dates back to the 1970s for solar domestic hot water systems, which had a lower capital investment

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Summary: The hearing focused broadly on solar policy and several related bills, especially S. 2269, S. 2270, H. 3520, H. 3521, and related measures on distributed energy resources, municipal solar caps, permitting reform, and tax credits. Testimony from the Air Force supported S. 2232, which would exempt federal military installations from renewable energy production caps and net metering limits to support energy resilience at bases like Hanscom. Most other witnesses argued that Massachusetts needs to speed up rooftop, municipal, and community solar deployment to address high electricity prices, federal tax credit rollbacks, grid reliability, and climate goals. A major theme was streamlining permitting through automated or “smart” solar permitting, including a statewide platform managed by DOER. Permit Power, SEIA, Vote Solar, 350 Mass, and others said current local permitting is fragmented and costly, and that instant permitting could reduce soft costs and speed installations. Several witnesses also urged changes to interconnection rules, including flexible interconnection, remote inspections, and faster utility approval timelines. Some speakers raised concerns about small towns lacking staff to meet short deadlines and suggested a state-hosted platform to reduce the burden on municipalities. Another major topic was lifting caps on solar deployment. Municipal officials from Lexington and Cambridge said the 10-megawatt municipal cap and regional caps are blocking shovel-ready projects and should be removed, including for behind-the-meter municipal solar and MBTA-community housing. Other witnesses described additional limits on project size, net metering, and residential tax credits, and called for making the state residential solar credit refundable and larger. Several speakers also supported virtual power plants, distributed energy resource targets, solar canopies, microgrids, and expanded access for affordable housing, tenants, and low- and moderate-income customers. No votes were taken. Committee members asked questions about permitting timelines, grid modernization, the rationale for caps, balcony solar, and interconnection delays, and witnesses said they would follow up with additional information where needed. The hearing ended with broad support from industry, municipal, environmental, and advocacy groups for advancing the solar and distributed energy bills, while some witnesses opposed provisions they viewed as overly restrictive, such as mandatory SMART participation for all solar projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties like ours have many capital projects.
• From a delivery perspective, this bill addresses a recurring issue we encounter on large capital projects
• These are not large capital projects, but routine facility needs that should be completed quickly and
• maintenance facilities, that's always going to have a need for our cities and for all of our public assets
• It's not just a neighborhood; it's our cultural heart and one of the most significant historic assets

Committee: House Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in total, the state has approximately $35 billion in total investments and liquid assets encompassed
• Fund buy-down programs, as well as maintaining adequate capital for the bank.
• So we're still dealing with a situation where we don't have an entire cash portfolio of state assets.
• So we're still dealing with a situation where we don't have an entire cash portfolio of state assets.
• But when we talked about cash management initially, it was talking about total capital of the state.

Summary: The Leadership Division of the Budget Section approved the prior meeting minutes and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s interim work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has reviewed state cash, investments, and liquidity across agencies and concluded the state’s overall mix of long-term and short-term assets is appropriate, with about $35 billion in total liquid assets and investments and roughly 89% in longer-term investments. He highlighted process improvements already underway, including replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work, and said the board sees opportunities to improve forecasting, automation, and statewide coordination. Members asked about whether the CD change would increase returns, how the Legacy Fund transfer for the homestead tax relief bill affected earnings, and whether more state cash could be consolidated or better managed through BND; Sickler and BND staff said those issues are being studied and may lead to legislation for the 2027 session. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the committee on the Task Force on Government Efficiency. He said the group has focused less on cutting dollars and more on defining metrics and asking how the legislature knows whether programs are working. The task force is pushing a standard set of questions for new or expanding programs—who is affected, expected outcomes, alternatives, how success will be measured, and full funding—and OMB has agreed to require those answers in future budget requests. Members discussed possible use of dashboards, program evaluators, AI tools, and possible rule or statutory changes to require performance measurement. Toman said the task force will continue meeting with agencies such as the courts, university system, auditor, HHS, Commerce, and ITD to identify workflow bottlenecks and potential efficiencies. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota gave a workforce update, reporting that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and labor force participation is about 68.7%, both well above national performance. He described Job Service’s 15 workforce programs, including H-2A housing inspections for foreign agricultural workers, the job placement partnership program with DOCR, WOTC, and other federal and state workforce efforts. Davis said the agency served more than 11,000 individuals in 2025, operates nine workforce centers, and tracks outcomes through quarterly and annual reporting. In response to questions, he said job openings data reflect only positions in the system and may understate actual hiring needs, that child care and other assistance programs could be better tied to employment outcomes, and that the DOCR partnership has shown strong results with lower recidivism and higher earnings. He also said the H-2A inspection workload is growing quickly and additional staffing or less frequent federal inspection requirements could help. Allen Knutson then presented S&P Global’s updated revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the prior month’s outlook, improving the state’s near-term revenue picture, though the economy remains volatile and agriculture is facing weaker commodity prices. Based on the updated forecast, total major tax revenues for the current biennium are projected to be about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and the next biennium could be about $500 million higher, though that estimate is preliminary and may change. He also walked through an alternate oil-price scenario showing significantly higher oil and gas collections and a larger Strategic Investment Fund balance if prices remain elevated. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about tribal allocation changes in the alternative scenario; Knutson said additional updates are possible through OMB and future forecast cycles.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:16:22.000><c> know</c><00:16:22.079><c> it's</c><00:16:22.399><c> uh</c><00:16:22.560><c> capital
• </c><00:16:22.959><c> modern</c><00:16:23.440><c> excuse</c> but I know it's uh capital modern excuse
• but I know it's uh capital modern excuse me<00:16:24.800><c> uh</c><00:16:25.360><c> it's</c><00:16:
• Because I think that's one of our biggest assets, sometimes asking for that kind of support.
• </c><00:26:34.559><c> uh</c><00:26:34.720><c> sometimes</c> one of our biggest assets uh sometimes one

Summary: The committees met on a 3:00 p.m. agenda that included House Concurrent Resolution 94 and several gubernatorial nominations. HCR 94, which asks the governor to proclaim Hawaii a Purple Heart State on August 7, 2025, drew support from the Hawaii Veterans of Foreign Wars and no opposing testimony. The chair recommended passage as is, and the committees adopted the recommendation without objection. The bulk of the meeting focused on nominations to the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, along with one nomination to the Medical Advisory Board. Nominees and supporters emphasized experience, continuity, and service: Dana Alla Lopez, Beverly Lee, and others described prior commission work; Janet Sato and Marcia Deutsch highlighted long involvement in arts education, grants review, and public art; and Randall Francisco stressed arts advocacy and accessibility. Testimony in support also came from commission staff, the Association for Hawaiian Civic Clubs, the County of Kauai Office of Economic Development, the mayor of Kauai, and others. One nominee, Judy Kvel Kovville, had support from the Department of Transportation. Several committee members raised broader questions about sustaining arts funding amid possible federal cuts and changes in state project financing that could reduce revenue under the 1% for art law. The nominees for the arts-related posts said they were open to exploring new funding sources, including private philanthropy, community support, and learning from other states. After discussion, the committee voted to advise and consent on all listed nominations—GM506, GM507, GM508, GM556, GM654, GM740, GM742, and GM743—with no votes or reservations, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's growing interest and momentum around Massachusetts. ...up a venture capital fund.
• How do we continue to attract capital? How do we get the most out of it?
• Through this, we can unlock dramatically more capital from global...
• But any and all new capital spending will still have to fit within the constraints of our capital plan
• We are helping founders access capital for GPUs, free workspace, and mentorship via Beacon.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies

Summary: The committee held a hearing on Governor Healey’s economic development proposal, H.5386, the Mass Winds Act, with the governor and administration officials describing it as a follow-on to the 2024 Mass Leads Act. They said the bill is intended to help Massachusetts compete globally for capital, talent, and companies by creating a Global Mass initiative, including a proposed $50 million innovation access fund and $20 million for site development to help international firms locate or expand here. The administration also highlighted about $305 million in new bond authorizations, plus operating proposals such as lowering the LLC filing fee, expanding the small business energy tax exemption, funding internship incentives, and supporting downtown revitalization and the creative economy. Committee members and witnesses focused on several policy areas within the bill. On talent, Northeastern University supported the internship tax credit, and the Latino Empowerment Advisory Council backed a provision waiving redundant English testing for internationally trained nurses who have already demonstrated proficiency in practice. On labor mobility, the governor defended changes to the non-compete law as closing a loophole, while attorney Russell Beck opposed the revisions, arguing they would upset the 2018 compromise and could reduce employer-provided compensation. Municipal and housing witnesses supported codifying site plan review and broader zoning reforms, while others urged attention to affordable housing, tiny homes, and commercial-to-residential conversions. Local officials and municipal groups generally supported the bill’s downtown, arts, and planning provisions but asked for more detail on implementation and infrastructure, especially around energy, water, and data centers. The Massachusetts Municipal Association said the bill’s standardized site plan review and downtown investments could help communities, but stressed the need for close state-municipal partnership. The AFL-CIO asked for trigger language to preserve labor rights if federal protections weaken. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office opposed the LLC fee reduction, warning of significant revenue loss and possible fraud concerns. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with the committee accepting written testimony afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Wetch's last point, which is capital investments.
• The majority of capital outlay work is done in contracted-out work.
• This bill doesn't deal with the cost of capital proceeding.
• It goes to pay dividends to our shareholders, who also provide capital for infrastructure.
• In a general rate case, they look at expenses, capital additions, and so forth, right?

Summary: The committee heard several energy and water affordability bills, with extensive testimony on SB 254 by Senator Becker, SB 541 by Senator Becker, SB 453 by Senator Stern, SB 292 by Senator Caballero, and SB 473 by Senator Padilla. SB 254 was presented as a broad utility affordability package addressing short-term climate credits, a Power Fund, tighter scrutiny of rate increases and utility profits, wildfire spending, securitization of future utility costs, and streamlining. Supporters, including TURN and several environmental and public power groups, said it could lower bills and reduce long-term costs; opponents from investor-owned utilities, labor, business, and local government raised concerns about market impacts, insufficient analysis, and the breadth of the bill. The committee approved SB 254 on a 6-3 vote and placed it on call. SB 541 focused on load flexibility and using existing grid capacity more efficiently. Senator Becker described it as a transparency and planning measure to identify cost-effective load shifting and reduce peak demand, while supporters said it could improve resiliency and save money. Several CCAs and utilities opposed the bill in print or unless amended, arguing that some language implied a mandate and that the concept needed more cost-effectiveness analysis; the author said amendments would remove language dividing the state goal among retail suppliers and clarify that the bill is not a procurement mandate. The committee passed SB 541 as amended to Appropriations on a 9-1 vote and left it on call. SB 453 by Senator Stern would return unspent ratepayer-funded microgrid program dollars and was described as a way to keep the lights on and redirect unused funds. It drew support from local government and environmental groups, with PG&E expressing concern about how the bill would affect its ability to spend awarded funds. The committee passed SB 453 as amended to Appropriations on a 12-0 vote. SB 292 by Senator Caballero would require more granular outage and reliability reporting, including census-tract-level data, to better inform resilience planning after PSPS events; utilities opposed unless amended, citing duplicative reporting and regulatory overlap, but the bill passed 12-0 to Appropriations. SB 473 by Senator Padilla would require or expand water utility decoupling to promote conservation and affordability. Supporters, including water utilities, labor, business, and local government groups, argued decoupling stabilizes revenue, supports conservation, and can keep rates lower for low-use customers. The Public Advocates Office opposed, saying prior pilot data showed no conservation benefit and about $1 billion in added costs, and that the CPUC had already rejected similar requests. Committee members questioned the conservation and capital-investment effects of the different rate structures; the author and supporters argued decoupling helps utilities fund infrastructure while allowing lower fixed charges for low-use customers. The transcript ends during that discussion, before a final vote on SB 473 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Wech's last point, which is capital ...investments.
• The majority of capital outlay work is done in contracted-out work.
• This bill doesn't deal with the cost of capital proceeding.
• This bill doesn't deal with the cost of capital proceeding.
• In a general rate case, they look at expenses, capital additions, and so forth, right?

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Summary: The committee heard a series of energy and utility bills focused largely on affordability, reliability, wildfire costs, grid flexibility, and water rates. SB 254 by Senator Becker drew the most extensive discussion. Becker described it as a broad affordability package that would provide customer credits, create a Power Fund to move certain costs out of rates, tighten scrutiny of utility spending and profits, expand wildfire cost review, and use securitization and public financing to lower long-term costs. TURN and many environmental and public power groups supported the bill, while investor-owned utilities, labor, business groups, counties, and others opposed or opposed unless amended, arguing it did not adequately address underlying cost drivers and needed more analysis. The committee passed SB 254 on a 6-3 vote, with the bill held on call. SB 541, also by Senator Becker, focused on load flexibility and better use of existing grid capacity. Becker and economist Ryan Hledick said the bill would increase transparency on load-shifting progress and direct the CPUC to develop a strategy to capture distribution-level savings by shifting demand away from peak hours. Support came from labor, environmental, solar, storage, and demand-management groups, while CCAs, utilities, and public power agencies raised concerns that the bill could be read as a mandate and needed clearer amendments. After the author described amendments to remove language dividing the state goal among suppliers and to add cost-effectiveness and lessons learned from prior programs, the committee passed the bill 9-1 on call. The committee also approved SB 453 by Senator Stern, which would help return unspent ratepayer-funded microgrid money and support keeping the lights on in at-risk communities. PG&E expressed a concern about timing but no opposition, and local government and environmental groups supported the measure; it passed 12-0. SB 292 by Senator Svantes focused on PSPS and outage data reporting at the census-tract level to better target resilience investments. Supporters said more granular data would improve planning and equity, while utilities sought to avoid duplicative reporting; the bill passed 12-0. Finally, SB 473 by Senator Padilla addressed water affordability and conservation by requiring the CPUC to allow water utility decoupling. Supporters, including water utilities, labor, cities, and business and environmental groups, argued decoupling promotes conservation and can lower bills for low-use customers. The Public Advocates Office and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District opposed, saying prior CPUC studies found no conservation benefit and higher costs under the full RAM mechanism. Members debated the evidence and rate-setting process, and the bill was moved out on a 12-0 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• As the owner of stock, and who does have a security entitlement with respect to a financial asset and
• That makes it clear that all interests in the financial asset held by the securities intermediary are
• Number one, if there is control of those assets, those digital assets by some intermediary, so it could
• If that digital asset is under control, and that’s a legally defined term, If that digital asset is under
• So think about the capital remodel for those of you who are here.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Human Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows a landowner to monetize a portion of the asset value of the land and allows the state to preserve
• They're working assets that support agriculture, tourism, water, Are not just scenic, they're working
• assets that support agriculture, tourism, water security, and rural livelihoods.
• And I've done this in different bills that I was trying to do for venture capital or angel investors,
• not venture, but angel investment. different bills that I was trying to do for venture capital or angel

Summary: The committee first heard HB 186, which would update New Mexico’s Land Conservation Incentives Act by increasing the conservation tax credit cap from $250,000 to $2 million, raising the credit percentage, and making the credit refundable. The sponsor and conservation groups said the bill is intended to help land-rich, cash-poor landowners preserve working farms, ranches, watersheds, habitat, and cultural resources, while also leveraging federal conservation dollars and supporting rural economies. Supporters from land trusts, Realtors, conservation organizations, and local landowners testified that current caps are too low to make easements feasible for smaller properties and that the bill would reduce pressure to sell to developers. Some members raised concerns about fiscal impact, whether refundable credits should be limited, and whether wealthy landowners could benefit; the sponsor said the bill is aimed at smaller landowners and that the fiscal estimates may be overstated. The committee voted 6-3 to do pass HB 186. The committee then considered HB 92, which would phase out the state income tax on Social Security benefits over eight years. The sponsor argued that Social Security income should not be taxed and said the phase-out would help seniors, attract retirees, and support the economy. An amendment was adopted to strike language related to a prior date. Opposition testimony focused on fairness and revenue concerns, with one witness arguing the bill would mainly benefit higher-income filers and reduce funds for schools, infrastructure, and housing. Several members questioned the fiscal impact, the income thresholds, and whether the bill was ready without more data; the sponsor said the phase-out was designed to avoid a cliff effect and that the current estimates were uncertain. The committee then voted 5-3 to table HB 92. Finally, the committee heard HJM 1, a memorial supporting stronger relations between Taiwan and New Mexico and the United States in trade, technology, education, and official exchanges. The sponsor and a representative from Taiwan’s economic office described the long-standing sister-state relationship and said the memorial would reinforce goodwill and people-to-people ties. Members spoke in support of the relationship, with one noting Taiwan’s importance in technology and chip manufacturing. One member questioned tariffs and the need for the memorial but still acknowledged the strong bilateral relationship. The committee approved HJM 1 on an 8-1 do pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Commissioner Adam Bakke of the Division of Capital
• Asset Management and Maintenance.
• Those are the agencies that receive annual capital funding for the acquisition of land, and the body
• Now, you asked about the asset management board.
• The asset management board, to my knowledge, does not generally work with Article 97 property.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Summary: The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight held an oversight hearing on draft regulations implementing Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution under Chapter 274 of the Acts of 2022, the Open Space Act. Chairs Cabral and Collins framed the hearing as a review of how the new process for dispositions or changes in use of Article 97 land would work, including public notice, environmental justice protections, replacement land, appraisals, and the role of the legislature. Under Secretary Stephanie Cooper and Commissioner Adam Bakke testified for EEA/DCAM, followed later by Deputy Inspector General O’Neill and Deputy Inspector General Giles on appraisal review. Much of the discussion focused on how the draft regulations would operate in practice. EEA said the regulations would require advance public notice, define “comparable location” for replacement land, and allow the Secretary to make findings on whether an action would adversely affect environmental justice communities. Members pressed for longer public comment periods, clearer notice to local officials, more frequent updates to the site evaluation tool, and a clearer definition of terms such as “limited duration” for permits and licenses. EEA said the regulations are intended to standardize a process that has been handled through policy and case-by-case review, and that the legislature still retains the final authority to approve any Article 97 disposition. Committee members also questioned whether the draft rules shift too much discretion to the Secretary and whether the proposed “proponent” process could allow private entities to drive Article 97 actions. EEA responded that non-public proponents would still need municipal support and legislative sponsorship, and that the regulations do not create a new avenue to bypass the existing home rule and legislative process. Members raised concerns about the current policy’s unanimous-vote requirements for municipal commissions, the proposed waiver provisions, whether MEPA applies, and the lack of explicit enforcement or penalty language in the act or regulations. EEA and DCAM said the act does not provide an enforcement mechanism and that disputes would generally be handled through the courts or the Attorney General. The Inspector General’s office explained its role in reviewing appraisals for special legislation, including Article 97 matters, to ensure compliance with USPAP standards and to forward its review to DCAM. The hearing did not include any votes or formal committee action; members indicated that the committee may later issue recommendations to the executive agencies based on the testimony and questions raised.

Transcript Highlights:

• Arizona is exploring sponsorship opportunities for ADOT's assets.
• Arizona is exploring sponsorship opportunities for ADOT's assets.
• Arizona is exploring sponsorship opportunities for ADOT's assets.
• Arizona is exploring sponsorship opportunities for ADOT's assets.
• you may not have all of those assets there on the site to do that.

Summary: The committee first received a presentation from NCSL staff on national transportation funding trends and alternative user-fee options as gas tax revenue declines. The presentation covered declining fuel-tax purchasing power, the effects of more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, and a range of state responses including indexed gas taxes, EV and hybrid registration fees, voluntary and mandatory road usage charges, transportation network company fees, retail delivery fees, and per-kilowatt-hour EV charging fees. Members asked about Virginia’s mileage-fee program, enrollment rates, and whether states had reduced gas taxes alongside new fees; the presenters said they would follow up with additional information. Committee staff then presented a comparison of Washington’s transportation budget with Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, focusing on population, lane miles, road condition, fuel taxes, preservation spending, mega-projects, and governance structures. The discussion highlighted Washington’s unique transportation pressures, including ferries, fish-passage obligations, high debt service, and major capital projects. Members asked follow-up questions about debt service, interest costs, CCA impacts on fuel prices, and whether project costs differed by state. The committee held public hearings on three bills. House Bill 2109 would allow vehicles being towed on trailers to use coverings to contain mud, rocks, or debris instead of requiring prior cleaning; the bill’s sponsor and construction witnesses supported it as a practical solution, and the fiscal note showed modest costs to WSP and WSDOT. House Bill 2139 would raise snowmobile registration fees to support snow park and trail grooming; State Parks, DNR, and several snowmobile advocates supported it, while some snowmobile users opposed it, arguing that enforcement of unregistered sleds should be addressed first. House Bill 2192 would expand the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s fatal crash review authority and allow it to collect certain health data; the sponsor and agency supported the bill as a public-health tool, while one attorney raised concerns about limiting civil discovery and evidentiary access in fatal crash litigation.

Transcript Highlights:

• going to contextualize federal impacts within state public finance, so the state operating budget, capital
• On the capital budget, right, as we invest in infrastructure, as we invest in assets that the Commonwealth
• has, again, about 25% of the state's capital investment plan from fiscal year 2025 is direct federal
• So about 25% of the state's capital investment plan comes from the feds.
• So the fact that we have resources that we can deploy in a variety of ways, the Innovation and Capital

Committee: House House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability

Summary: The inaugural hearing of the newly named House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability focused on how federal policy changes could affect Massachusetts, especially in education, health care, research, infrastructure, climate, and business conditions. Chair LaNatra said the committee was created to monitor federal funding decisions and their impacts on state programs and services. Members introduced themselves, then heard testimony from Doug Howgate of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Sarah Mills of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and Quentin Palfrey, the governor’s Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. Howgate argued that the Trump administration and new Congress pose ideological, practical, and process-related risks to Massachusetts, citing proposed cuts to Medicaid, education, research, and other domestic programs. He said federal dollars make up about a quarter of the state operating budget and capital plan, warned against using one-time reserves to backfill ongoing federal cuts, and urged the state to prioritize core services while protecting areas where Massachusetts is especially strong, such as higher education and research. In response to committee questions, he said the House Medicaid proposal would still cost Massachusetts hundreds of millions and that international student and NIH-related changes could harm the state’s labor force and innovation economy. He also advised that the state communicate clearly without overreacting to daily federal developments. Mills testified that AIM members are most concerned about uncertainty, tariffs, Medicaid cuts, and NIH reductions. She said tariffs are raising costs, disrupting supply chains, and hurting small and medium-sized businesses, housing construction, and exporters, with AIM’s business confidence index falling to its lowest level since the pandemic. She said Medicaid cuts would raise employer health costs, reduce productivity, and strain the health care system, while NIH cuts would threaten Massachusetts’ life sciences and academic research ecosystem. In questions, she said AIM has increased federal outreach, is coordinating with the U.S. Chamber and the Massachusetts delegation, and is hearing concerns from employers about immigration compliance and workforce disruptions. Palfrey described the Healey-Driscoll administration’s efforts to maximize federal funding, including a biweekly interagency council, a municipal partnership effort, and a statewide roadshow. He said Massachusetts has secured nearly $9 billion from major federal laws for projects such as the Cape Cod bridges, Allston Multimodal, grid modernization, clean-energy school buses, and broadband. He also said the administration launched a public website to track federal impacts and is working with municipalities, nonprofits, and the Attorney General on grant changes, legal issues, and litigation. In response to questions, he warned that cuts to NOAA, NSF, Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs could affect services and the state budget, and said the administration is tracking changes to federal grant applications and conditions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Confidence means more capital, more companies.
• Confidence means more capital, more companies.
• Louisiana's unclaimed property law simply does not address these assets.
• That gap means a digital asset can be liquidated the moment it is reported.
• We are a digital asset company.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 267, which would change the membership rules for the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors by adjusting appointment qualifications, term limits, and nomination procedures. Vice Chair Thomas explained the bill was meant to address the lack of nominations from existing entities and to allow the governor more flexibility, especially in smaller districts. After adopting a technical amendment, the committee reported HB 267 favorably. The committee then considered House Bill 478 on utility overcharge reimbursements. The bill, as amended, requires utilities to clearly label reimbursements on customer bills and sets a deadline for issuing refunds. After discussion with the Public Service Commission and utility representatives, the committee changed the reimbursement timeline from 45 days to 90 days and clarified that the bill would not interfere with larger settlement or regulatory credits. HB 478 was then reported favorably as amended. The longest discussion centered on House Bill 924, a consumer protection measure aimed at contractors who solicit residential property owners after declared disasters. The author said the bill was intended to curb predatory storm-chasing and fraudulent insurance-related practices, while still allowing emergency mitigation work. The committee adopted technical amendments and then a conceptual amendment shortening the catastrophe response period from six months to 30 days. Testimony was split: the Insurance Commissioner and some roofing industry witnesses supported the bill as a way to deter fraud, while other contractors argued it would hurt small businesses, limit legitimate door-to-door work, and not solve enforcement problems. The bill remained under consideration after extensive testimony and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I would also mention the investments and the opportunities we have with capital projects and
• And there's some overall things... ...important piece that we have to capitalize on.
• We improve readiness, and we protect critical assets.
• And so just having her as an asset for those VPs of finance, I think will help us going forward.
• So this part is still in process on capital. Thank you. Yep.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee