Transcript Highlights:

• They would pay minimum wage.
• So you may get thousands, tens of thousands of dollars back in retroactive pay and have to give a chunk
• So I'm very happy to pay for this service and be helped to navigate through this.
• But this is small-scale growth and an opportunity to test market.
• But this goes to small-scale growth and an opportunity to test market products, small-scale in order

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard seven measures, including four bills and three proposed committee substitutes. HB 6033, repealing the Labor Pool Act, was presented as a cleanup measure to remove duplicative regulation; supporters argued workers would still be covered by OSHA, wage laws, workers’ compensation, and liability insurance, while opponents raised concerns about losing specific protections for day laborers. The bill was reported favorably on a 4-? vote, with several members voting no over concerns about worker protections. HB 453, dealing with pool and spa contractors, was described as a technical update to Chapter 489 that would better align licensing scopes with current industry practice and allow contractors to perform related work without stopping for additional licensed trades. An amendment making only drafting changes was adopted, and the bill passed unanimously. CS/HB 277 on veteran benefits assistance was also reported favorably unanimously after testimony focused on protecting veterans from predatory claims-assistance practices while preserving choice and requiring disclosures, fee limits, and data-security safeguards. The committee then approved PCS for HB 291, which would require personal mobility device batteries sold in Florida to meet an IPX-7 certification standard, after the sponsor cited fire risks from lithium-ion batteries; the measure passed unanimously. PCS for HB 709, allowing valid pari-mutuel permit holders to lease facilities to nearby high-li permit holders, was amended to require a minimum of 59 live performances and then passed unanimously. CS/HB 4011, expanding who may serve as a building official on Palm Beach County’s Building Code Advisory Board, passed unanimously as a good-government fix to fill vacancies. Finally, PCS for HB 499, allowing small craft breweries under 31,000 gallons to self-distribute, drew extensive testimony from brewers and distributors about small-business growth versus the three-tier alcohol system; despite concerns about weakening distribution safeguards, the bill was reported favorably by a 13-2 vote. The meeting then adjourned with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, one possibility I'm envisioning is looking at whether there is a sort of scaled-down version of a
• Um, I'm doing more listening than talking, but it seems to me that, uh, we have a scaling issue here
• But if it was just, oh, we wanted to give it a bath, we wouldn't pay for that.
• But if it was just, oh, we wanted to give it a bath, we wouldn't pay for that.
• But if it was just, oh, we wanted to give it a bath, we wouldn't pay for that.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first held a work session on HB 505, which would allow the sale of freeze-dried foods produced in homestead food operations. Members raised concerns about the bill’s broad language, especially the provision stating freeze-dried food would not be considered potentially hazardous. Several suggested narrowing the bill to specific products such as processed foods, berries, fruit, dairy products, ice cream, or vegetables, and requiring use of commercial freeze-drying equipment rather than dehydrators. There was also discussion of oxygen absorbers, moisture control, sanitation, and whether the issue should be handled in statute or rules. By the end of the discussion, members generally agreed the topic should be treated in a separate section of law rather than folded into the existing homestead food license, and the chair said the matter would be sent to the food safety subcommittee, with the possibility of a study committee if more time was needed. The committee then moved to HB 277, a technical correction to the animal cruelty statutes. Representative Bixby explained that current law refers to a “colt,” which applies only to male baby horses, leaving fillies unaddressed; the bill would replace “colt” with “foal” and make related wording changes so the restriction applies to any horse under 90 days old not being nursed by its dam. The New Hampshire Farm Bureau testified in support, saying the change was requested to clarify and modernize the statute and that the issue had been identified during work on related animal cruelty legislation. No votes were taken in the portion provided. The chair recessed the work session until 11:00 a.m. and announced that Representative Ktoa would take over the hearing on HB 277.

Transcript Highlights:

• As David mentioned, these institution-specific trusts do not currently pay benefits.
• Instead, the institutions pay all benefits while assets accumulate in the trust.
• The institutions are currently paying employer contributions along with those SRP benefits.
• It would still occur from the institutions even after these trust funds began paying benefits.
• All PERS employers pay the PERS 1 rate, and all TERS employers pay the TERS 1 rate noted in the second

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you leave five to seven years, you only have to pay back 50%; seven to 10 years, you pay back 25%;
• It's not what I would call a sliding scale at all.
• We have 52,581 active members paying in, just under 47,000 retirees that we are paying out.
• You know, when we pay out more money than we pay in, we've got to manage that liquidity need, so we can't
• Me, as a state employee, the benefit that I'm going to receive between what I pay in and the state pays

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for free and then pay it back after they graduate and get a job.
• That means we have to provide the funding for them to pay for additional...
• The state can always pay more than what the formulas require.
• And so, paying it down more quickly doesn't free up...
• But as you mentioned, there's economies of scale, right?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• THAT YOU ALL HAVE FUNDED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS PUTTING ASIDE PAY
• WE FUNDED RESIDENTIAL CAPACITY EXPANSION AND WE FOCUS A LOT ON CONTRACTED STAFF PAY INCREASES SO FOR
• THE BILL PAYING.
• INSTEAD OF DOING A LOT OF THINGS HAVE SCALE WE WOULD DO A LOT OF THINGS REALLY WELL.
• HIRING IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND YOU PROVIDED PAY RAISES SO WE ARE NORTH OF 50,000 NOW FOR

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We strongly support House File 4819, as we believe it is a critical next step in creating a large-scale
• We strongly support House File 4819, as we believe it is a critical next step in creating a large-scale
• We strongly support House File 4819, as we believe it is a critical next step in creating a large-scale
• <00:46:01.040> public<00:46:01.359> infrastructure large-scale public infrastructure large-scale
• He said those are externalized costs that all of us pay to clean up the mess. the Clean Water Fund the

Bills: HF4211, HF3426, HF4819, HF3466, HF3793, HF3339

Keywords: air pollution, lead emissions, continuous emissions monitoring system, CEMS, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, MPCA, environmental monitoring, emission compliance, air quality, public health, industrial pollution, permitted facility, residential exposure, toxic metals, emission limits, pollution control, stack monitoring, real-time emissions monitoring, natural resources, environment

Transcript Highlights:

• to pay for this.
• They would pay 85% of that. We would have to match 15%.”
• So now scale that to hundreds or thousands of users.
• A bank, they also pay those examination fees.
• Is that something that the person that our citizens pay, or is that something a facility pays?

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the pay of these forensic um examiners. the pay of these forensic um examiners.
• of Human Services pays them considerably more<00:09:01.120> than<00:09:01.360> what<00
• So, we upped the pay for them, courts.
• We need to make sure that we get this process right on an incredibly minuscule scale.
• I went through um a um minuscule scale.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The projects range in scale from $100,000 to $4 million.
• And this is implementation projects that are very large-scale projects.
• So the more waste you generate, the more you pay.
• to pay, by when, how to pay, etc.
• the problem pays.

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations on the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plans for extreme heat mitigation and outdoor access, then took up SB 54 implementation, SB 707 textile producer responsibility, and recovery needs related to the Los Angeles fires at state parks. For the extreme heat chapter, agencies described funding for the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, urban greening, urban forestry, fairground upgrades, and technical assistance for community-based climate programs. Witnesses emphasized that these are existing programs with strong demand, that technical assistance is important for reaching disadvantaged and tribal communities, and that the proposed funding would expand outreach and implementation capacity. Members asked for more detail on where funds have gone geographically, examples of successful projects, tree-planting totals, and how fairgrounds could better support fire staging and emergency preparedness. The LAO said the timing of the administration’s proposed funding generally made sense because the programs are already established, and no votes were taken. For outdoor access, State Parks, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources described funding for new parks in underserved communities, deferred maintenance, state lands access, and several new or pending programs. State Parks said the park development program would fund roughly 48 projects and that deferred maintenance funding would address high-priority health, safety, and access needs. Fish and Wildlife said its lands program would improve visitor amenities and access on properties that often lack basic facilities. The Natural Resources Agency also outlined three newer outdoor-access proposals: expanding recreation in disadvantaged communities, enhancing natural resource values and trail access, and a nature/climate/education facilities grant program. The LAO distinguished between existing programs, which are ready to move forward, and the newer proposals, where the Legislature may want more input before funds are allocated. Members also raised concerns about park police vacancies, the need to track outcomes for accessibility investments, and whether Prop. 4 could help with wildfire-related recovery at state parks. CalRecycle then presented on SB 54, the plastics and packaging producer responsibility law, and members pressed hard on the delay in regulations. CalRecycle said it has held workshops, formed an advisory committee, selected the producer responsibility organization, and completed required baseline and covered-material reports, but needs more time to address complex comments and novel features such as source reduction and eco-modulated fees. Members expressed frustration that a statutory deadline was missed and asked for a concrete timeline; CalRecycle said it expects regulations in place by 2026, ahead of the PRO’s January 1, 2027 plan deadline. Finance said the Beverage Container Recycling Fund is currently healthy enough to support short-term loans for implementation. The committee also reviewed SB 707, the textile EPR law, which would create the nation’s first textile producer responsibility program; staff said the proposal would add positions and loan authority, and members noted the statutory deadlines for PRO approval, needs assessment, and later regulations. The hearing ended with discussion of the January Los Angeles fires’ damage to Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park, where State Parks described extensive losses, emergency response work, and ongoing damage assessment. Members asked about FEMA eligibility, state funding sources, and community engagement in rebuilding, and the department said it is still assessing costs and will work with the public on reimagining the parks.

Transcript Highlights:

• YOU CAN SEE HOPEFULLY THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF THIS OPERATION. THIS IS JUST ONE IN THE STATE.
• THEY PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. THEY TREAT THEIR CUSTOMERS CORRECTLY AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW.
• THEY OPERATE AND THEN THE NEXT AND TAKING OUT CASH FROM SAFES AND GO INTO A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PAYING
• THEY PAY THE FINES AND CASH. $20,000 IN CASH.
• YOU GO THROUGH, YOU BAIL OUT AND THEY COME OUT AND YOU PAY A $250 FINE BUT YOU MADE THAT IN 5 MINUTES

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Pay, here. Patzkowski, here. Pifer, here. Pogamiler, here. Provenzano, here. Ranson, here.
• got a pay raise.
• If at the end of the day there was money for them, they would have been appreciative of a pay raise.
• The Joint Committee Report on Senate Bill 1167 does provide for Oklahoma's Pay for Success program.
• I would say that's up to the future legislature, and we'll see if they'll be willing to pay for It, but

Bills: SB1365, SB2139, SB1595, SB1303, SB2180, SB2072, SB1772, SB1209, SB137, SB1944, SB372, SB1636, SB1256, SB1827, SB2104, SB1226, SB1876, SB1966, SB80, SB1148, SB1147, SB1149, SB1161, SB1162, SB1164, SB1159, SB1165, SB1174, SB1156, SB1158, SB1163, SB1175, SB1176, SB1166, SB1167, SB1157, SB1146, SB1481, SB1144, SB1145, SCR20

Keywords: SB1365, Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act, procurement exemption, competitive bidding, state purchasing, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, tourism department, merchandise for resale, gift shops, lodges, golf pro shops, state parks, restaurant contracting, retail outlets, public procurement, purchasing flexibility, Title 74, emergency clause, restrictive covenants, discriminatory covenants

Transcript Highlights:

• The impact here is pretty simple: it's just overtime pay for our employees.
• The impact here is pretty simple: it's just overtime pay for our employees.
• Make sure she or he pays their utility bills for those two months.
• We are paying for these bills. SB 422 should be discarded. Thank you. Thank you.
• Taylor Swift to pay for transit to trails. So with that, we urge your support.

Bills: AB568, SB90, SB133, SB147, SB229, SB233, SB240, SB245, SB280, SB378, SB393, SB417, SB434, SB494, SB495, AB62, SB104, SB119, SB132, SB193, SB262, SB422, SB431, SB435, SB468, SB503

Keywords: higher education, Nevada System of Higher Education, operational expenses, instructional expenses, public funding, education funding, teacher grants, classroom supplies, instructional support, specialized personnel, civics education, Nevada Center for Civic Engagement, funding, youth programs, civic involvement, Southern Nevada, Clark County, Las Vegas Valley, regional planning, economic resiliency

Transcript Highlights:

• At the outset, it's also important to understand the scale and the evolution of this workforce.
• bill would also force firms to outsource training to third-party entities that don't yet exist at scale
• We know the scale of mental health and the scale of substance abuse disorders.
• should stop, but knowing that they help him with math, but it's not worth it if this is the price we pay
• place where we're going to... ...help him with math, but it's not worth it if this is the price we pay

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard several Senate bills focused on workforce training, public safety, health, and consumer protection. SB 1203 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would expand and modernize private security guard training, especially de-escalation training, and drew strong support from security workers and labor groups who described dangerous encounters and inadequate preparation. Opponents, including security firms and business groups, argued the bill would impose major costs, create staffing shortages, and push employers toward unregulated alternatives. The committee ultimately voted to pass the bill to Labor and Employment, with some members noting support contingent on future amendments about training capacity. SB 936 by Senator Blakespear would restrict retail sales of larger nitrous oxide canisters while preserving legitimate medical, culinary, and automotive uses. Supporters, including Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, counties, public health groups, waste agencies, and law enforcement organizations, said misuse of nitrous oxide is causing addiction, impaired driving, neurological harm, and disposal hazards. There was no organized opposition on the record, and the committee passed the bill to Public Safety. SB 1271 by Senator Reyes would require the Medical Board to collect data on licensed midwives’ capacity to serve as preceptors and train new students, with the information reported to the Legislature. Supporters said California’s midwifery pipeline is strained, especially in rural and birth-desert areas, and that more data is needed to expand training access. The committee passed the bill to Health. SB 903 by Senator Padilla would prohibit AI chatbots from being advertised or used as therapists without appropriate licensed-professional oversight and informed consent, and would reinforce confidentiality and patient-protection rules. Testimony centered on the death of a teenager after extensive interactions with an AI chatbot, with supporters urging stronger guardrails and opponents asking for amendments; the committee passed the bill to Privacy and Consumer Protection. The consent calendar item, SB 1165 by Senator Caballero, was also approved and sent to Revenue and Taxation.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the outset, it's also important to understand the scale and the evolution of this workforce.
• bill would also force firms to outsource training to third-party entities that don't yet exist at scale
• We know the scale of mental health, the scale of substance abuse disorders.
• should stop, but knowing that they help him with math, but it's not worth it if this is the price we pay
• place where we're going to... ...help him with math, but it's not worth it if this is the price we pay

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard several Senate bills, with most of the discussion focused on worker training, public safety, and consumer protection. SB 1203 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would expand training and de-escalation requirements for private security officers. Supporters, including security workers and labor groups, said the bill would better prepare officers who often respond first to mental health crises and violent incidents. Opponents, including security industry representatives and business groups, argued it would impose major costs, create training bottlenecks, and could reduce licensed security coverage. The committee ultimately voted the bill out on a due pass recommendation to Labor and Employment, with some members noting future amendments to address training capacity and employer-provided training. The committee also approved SB 936 by Senator Blakespear, which would restrict retail sales of nitrous oxide canisters larger than 8 grams while preserving legitimate medical, dental, culinary, and automotive uses. Support came from county officials, public health groups, waste management organizations, law enforcement, and local governments, who described rising misuse, impaired driving, and recycling hazards. No opposition testimony was presented, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1271 by Senator Reyes, aimed at strengthening California’s midwifery training pipeline by requiring data collection on licensed midwife preceptor capacity, also passed unanimously to Health. Supporters said the bill would help address shortages in rural birth care and improve access to training for aspiring midwives. SB 903 by Senator Padilla, which would place guardrails on the use of AI in mental health and psychotherapy settings and prohibit AI from being marketed as a therapist, drew emotional testimony from a mother whose son died by suicide after extensive chatbot interactions. Health and behavioral health groups supported the measure, while several industry and health organizations were opposed unless amended; the committee nevertheless sent it to Privacy and Consumer Protection on a unanimous vote. The committee also approved SB 1165 on consent and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• that we have to jump through to be legal to do things the right way for the people that rely on us to pay
• for legal fees or have you pay your lawyers and have it wait weeks and weeks and weeks to get answers
• This last year made me pay $2,000 that I shouldn't have had to pay.
• How are you gonna drop 10 points on a 30-point scale for the efficacy of the product?
• Maybe they don't understand how growing works and the production scales.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is to start in October of 2028 and will require adults to pay cost sharing up to $35.
• Utility amounts they pay, which is very error-prone and burdensome for them.
• With HR1, they changed that to will pay 75%, and the federal government will pay 25%.
• Will pay 25%. So that is an increase to the state budget of over $65 million per year.
• Then also what we pay in fiscal year 29.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a work session to review how H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) could affect Washington’s Medicaid, long-term care, developmental disabilities, and food assistance programs, with a focus on implementation challenges, fiscal impacts, and likely coverage losses. Staff and agency officials explained Washington’s Medicaid financing structure, eligibility categories, caseload trends, and the role of the Health Care Authority and DSHS in administering Apple Health and related services. They also described how Medicaid expansion increased access to behavioral health services and how H.R. 1’s provisions are expected to affect the expansion population most directly. Health Care Authority and DSHS officials outlined several major H.R. 1 changes: new work and community engagement requirements for the Medicaid expansion population, six-month redeterminations instead of annual renewals, changes to immigrant eligibility, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, new cost-sharing requirements, reduced retroactive coverage, and changes affecting long-term care eligibility. They said Washington is still awaiting federal guidance on many details, but estimated that about 620,000 Apple Health expansion enrollees could be subject to work requirements, that roughly 30,000 immigrants could lose Medicaid eligibility under the new definition of qualified alien, and that some long-term care and developmental disability clients could be indirectly affected. Officials also said the state is working with other agencies to build shared verification systems and may seek a delay waiver, though they do not expect broad federal flexibility. The committee also heard that H.R. 1 immediately blocks Medicaid reimbursement for Planned Parenthood services for one year, with the state planning to backfill about $11 million to preserve access. In addition, officials warned that the law could reduce federal Medicaid revenue by billions over time and strain hospitals and emergency rooms as more people become uninsured. They noted that Washington’s rural health transformation grant application is due November 5 and could bring some funding, but not to offset coverage losses. No votes were taken; the session was informational only. The committee then heard a separate presentation on food assistance, where staff and DSHS described H.R. 1’s SNAP changes, including expanded work requirements, immigrant eligibility restrictions, higher state administrative costs, and a possible future state share of benefit costs tied to payment error rates. DSHS estimated a four-year fiscal impact of about $750 million for food assistance changes and said the state is working on system and policy changes across agencies before the new requirements take effect.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the undeniable truth is that when hospitals are forced to pay money, they pay attention and they
• This leaves taxpayers paying for negligent care that causes death.
• And we're paying about double of malpractice insurance of what they pay counterparts in Texas.
• We've compared some things, and we're paying about double the malpractice insurance of what they pay
• The scales of justice are held by a woman who's blindfolded.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several health-related bills. SB 398, by Senator Burgess, would create a statewide Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign through the Department of Elder Affairs, focused on early detection, brain health, risk reduction, clinical trial access, and community resources. Supporters said Florida has a large and growing Alzheimer’s population and that the campaign would help families and vulnerable communities; the bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee also adopted an amendment to SB 714, by Senator Burton, which would create non-opioid advanced directives and add liability protections for providers in medical emergencies involving opioids. Supporters framed it as a patient-choice measure, while opponents argued it was vague and could interfere with appropriate pain treatment; the amended bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 756, which removes the current age-eight diagnosis requirement for autism-related insurance coverage and extends coverage beyond age 18 for those diagnosed with autism. Senator Burton said the bill would help families whose children are diagnosed later or whose needs continue into adulthood. There was brief discussion about existing lifetime benefit caps, but the sponsor said the bill did not change those limits. The committee then took up SB 734, a proposal by Senator Yarbrough to repeal Florida’s wrongful death exception that bars certain parents and adult children from recovering non-economic damages in medical negligence cases. The sponsor and supporters described the current law as discriminatory and unjust, especially for families of older adults and disabled individuals, while opponents warned it would raise malpractice costs, increase premiums, and worsen provider shortages. The bill drew extensive public testimony from both grieving family members and health care/insurance representatives, and members debated whether caps or other safeguards should be added. No final action on SB 734 is reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• systems, I mean both the technical infrastructure, which is antiquated and is currently part of a large-scale
• Last week in the House Health and Human Services Committee, Access testified that the agency is paying
• In the proposal to CMS, Access indicated they would pay out year-one payments to TIP providers ahead
• So you did pay out the entirety of the year-one payments? Is that what you're telling us?
• We cannot pay the providers directly under the CMS rules. Okay.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held another oversight hearing on Access, focusing on fee-for-service behavioral health management, prior authorization and claims processing, the Targeted Investment Program (TIP), and network adequacy. The chair and other members criticized Access for repeated transparency failures, including missing records related to the Covered Behavioral Health Services Guide, lack of public comment, unanswered questions about ARPA compliance, and concerns about ghost networks and delayed payments to providers, especially in Native communities and rural areas. Interim Director Roberta Harrison said Access had improved fraud controls after the sober living scheme crisis and acknowledged the need for modernization. She reported faster prior authorization processing, fewer denial codes, real-time dashboards, additional staffing, and claims processing under 30 days. She also said the agency wants more fraud referrals and is working to strengthen internal systems and communication. On the TIP program, Access officials explained that payments are delayed because of complex data validation and allocation across many provider sites; they said year one of TIP 2.0 was paid, but years two and three had not yet been distributed. The committee requested a formal plan within 30 days for paying the estimated $122 million in delayed TIP funds and asked for CMS-related documentation. Committee members also questioned Access about a direct contract with Constellation for claims processing, noting language in the proposal suggesting higher ROI from denying more claims; Access said that language was not part of the contract scope and was verbally rejected. On network adequacy, officials described time-and-distance standards, annual MCO reports, and internal review processes, but could not immediately confirm whether a fiscal year 2025 report had been submitted to CMS or whether any corrective action plans had been imposed. The chair concluded that Access’s improvements appeared to be driven by legislative pressure, said the committee would review the information received, and announced that Access would be sent detailed monthly reporting directions before the hearing adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because anything more than that would tip the scale against customers when it comes to cost.
• Because anything more than that would tip the scale against customers when it comes to cost.
• I'm tired of paying for them to, you know, get on to my utility.”
• as you go, to avoid the replication of... ...utilities and paying for the uneconomic duplication.
• It's not just paying for it now, but in one of the settlements that we just had, we were simply going

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight met to receive an overview from Public Counsel Walt Trierweiler on the work of his office. He described the office’s role in representing Florida utility customers in rate and service cases, including investor-owned electric, water, and wastewater matters, storm cost recovery, fuel clauses, storm protection plans, and specialized dockets. He emphasized the office’s use of depositions, expert witnesses, customer correspondence, and service-hearing testimony to challenge unsupported utility costs and seek “fair, just, reasonable, and affordable” outcomes for customers. Trierweiler highlighted several current issues, including affordability, data centers, and the growing use of AI in reviewing large utility filings. He said the office has begun using affordability experts and data center witnesses, and that data center-related utility proposals raise concerns about energy demand, water use, and community impacts. He also expressed caution about AI and machine learning because of confidential utility information, while acknowledging that utilities, regulators, and his office are increasingly using such tools. Members asked questions about how customer input is gathered, how profit is evaluated in rate cases, the role of settlement agreements, and whether the office is considering water consumption impacts from data centers. Trierweiler said customer feedback largely comes in through hearings, correspondence, and direct calls rather than office-led canvassing, and that his office seeks to limit imprudent costs while allowing utilities a fair return. He also explained that the office may file motions for reconsideration and appeals after PSC orders, and that it sometimes submits alternative settlement proposals even when approval is unlikely, to present a different option for the commission’s consideration. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after concluding its agenda.