Transcript Highlights:

• This project is essential in improving the health of pets and their owners, thereby shaping a better
• This project is essential in improving the health of pets and their owners, thereby shaping a better
• > improving<00:17:45.120> the project is essential in improving the project is essential
• So, and since we are working on a lot of the transition from plantation pineapple, plantation sugar,
• <00:43:49.440> that infrastructure improvement projects that infrastructure improvement projects

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He also helped community colleges transition to better serve workforce needs across the state, bringing
• <00:03:43.200> College he also helped Community College he also helped Community College transition
• to better serve Workforce transition to better serve Workforce needs<00:03:45.439> across<00:
• If not, although there were several projects that I had the pleasure of working with Mike on, I think
• the project that will outlive the two of us and have the greatest impact, he implemented, installed,

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Year process, the transition. This year, this first year, is data migration.
• With this project, we are working closely.
• So how are you going to make that transition? be the process.
• Projects, as you can see, like transportation.
• It also includes a projected $5.2 million for overruns.

Transcript Highlights:

• And of course, we want to transitions.
• <00:19:31.600> housing shelter, and transitional housing shelter, and transitional housing
• And so we were able to identify the needs of people who use transit for shelter so that Metro Transit
• So people who use transit for line.
• <00:30:08.720> Another using transit for shelter. Another using transit for shelter.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have some good parameters in here to include a max of $100,000 for a project or 15% of the project
• Chair Acomb, Chair Swedzinski, it’s really on a project-by-project basis.
• I think there are certainly projects where this cost incentive would help make the project financials
• And I'm sure there's other projects that are retrofit-type projects also.
• c><00:16:16.399> payback projects our the uh project payback projects our the uh project payback

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so that's kind of what you're seeing there in terms of the transition.
• seeing there in terms of the transition. seeing there in terms of the transition.
• That one in particular was done on a project basis a few years ago.
• appropriation. a previous project appropriation.
• And so they can check that out project.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on State Government met for its first meeting and heard a presentation from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KY Stats) by Executive Director Matt Barry and Legislative Director Calli Arnold. The presentation reviewed KY Stats’ statutory background, its evolution from KESUS, its board membership, and its role in housing Kentucky’s longitudinal data system and labor market information office. Barry explained that KY Stats links data from multiple state sources, validates and cleans it, deidentifies it, and uses it to produce reports, evaluations, and responses to data requests for policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Barry described the scale of the system, noting more than 6,000 active data elements, 178 unique file types, and data from 48 sources across 26 agencies. He highlighted the agency’s privacy and security practices, including separate servers for source data and deidentified reporting data, and said KY Stats does not use real-time data. He also outlined the types of reports produced, including the annual high school feedback report and a recent life outcomes report tracking the 2017 public high school cohort’s postsecondary education, completion, wages, and employment outcomes. Members asked about the timeliness and availability of data, especially SNAP and Medicaid information, and Barry said most data arrive annually or quarterly and that Medicaid data had been used in a limited one-time project rather than as an ongoing feed. Questions also focused on artificial intelligence; Barry said KY Stats has not integrated AI but is exploring it cautiously because of privacy and security concerns. Several members encouraged further work with AI tools, while Barry emphasized that any use would need to protect confidentiality. The committee also discussed staffing and funding, with Barry saying KY Stats has about 49 total staff and annual funding of roughly $3.1 million in state general funds, plus federal labor-related funding. Committee members praised the agency’s work and suggested legislators may not fully understand its capabilities. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, the transitional model is to accelerate English proficiency for English learners by gradually
• Transition programs provide two to three hours of instruction per day, including one hour of heritage
• What we have found in Gadsden is that transition just doesn't work Why?
• Our schools are in the transit, in the traditional, and spotlight areas.
• This transition school is doing way better than this dual language school.

Transcript Highlights:

• Line 1393, House File 2187, is funding for DCT electronic health record system and IT projects.
• record system and IT projects. record system and IT projects.
• <00:33:54.080> at record system and IT projects at record system and IT projects at DCT.<00
• tribal encounter rate and transitioning tribal encounter rate and transitioning to<00:43:37.520>
• <01:58:38.960> to assist clients in transitioning to assist clients in transitioning to medical

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And those are just big projects. There's all sorts of small projects underway.
• Schneider, senior project manager for CalTrout.
• Schneider, senior project manager for Cal Trout.
• Yeah, look, transition is never easy, to be blunt, right? And I hate it. I don't like transition.
• I don't like transition.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture held its annual State of the Fishery forum, focusing on salmon, Dungeness crab, kelp, ocean conditions, and related aquaculture and committee reports. Opening remarks from committee leadership emphasized climate impacts, reduced federal NOAA support, state investments through Proposition 4, coastal resilience funding, and the importance of fisheries to rural economies and tribal communities. Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot described a decade of drought and climate stress, highlighted progress such as Klamath River dam removal, wetland restoration, and the state’s salmon strategy, and warned that federal funding uncertainty and staffing cuts could undermine restoration and fishery recovery efforts. Senator Cortese raised concerns about illegal cannabis cultivation damaging riparian habitat and water flows, and both Crowfoot and Fish and Wildlife Director Bonham said enforcement against illicit grows remains a major environmental priority but is constrained by resources. Director Bonham provided a broad update on California fisheries, reporting encouraging signs for salmon after several difficult years, including improved ocean conditions, stronger returns in some runs, and successful short recreational openings in 2025. He also noted major challenges, including reduced federal hatchery production at Nimbus, ongoing uncertainty around winter-run and spring-run recovery, and the need for continued habitat restoration, monitoring, and hatchery investment. On Dungeness crab, Bonham said the fishery remained valuable but constrained by whale entanglement risk, warming ocean conditions, and domoic acid concerns; he described new marked-line distribution, ropeless and alternative gear trials, and ongoing aerial and vessel monitoring. He also said the department’s unified cannabis enforcement task force had served numerous warrants and seized large amounts of illegal cannabis, but more funding is needed for sustained operations. In the salmon panel, Yurok Tribe fisheries director McCovey said the Klamath still faces low run sizes, climate-driven warming, wildfire impacts, and federal uncertainty, but he pointed to dam removal, restoration work, and AB 263’s river-flow protections as major advances. PCFFA president Bradshaw stressed that the three consecutive salmon closures have devastated coastal communities and argued for major reinvestment in aging Central Valley hatchery infrastructure and better broodstock management at Fall Creek. CalTrout’s Schneider said salmon remain at risk statewide, but cited Prop 4, habitat reconnection, floodplain restoration, improved water management, and monitoring as the main tools for recovery. In the crab panel, CDFW’s Schumann reported that the 2024–25 season produced record prices per pound and about $55 million in value despite delays and trap reductions, but he warned that three confirmed whale entanglements and elevated whale presence could force a conservative opener for 2025–26. PCFFA’s Domrash supported marked line, alternative gear, and a new gear-recovery network, while also criticizing the current ramp system as a response to a problem not fully grounded in science.

Transcript Highlights:

• We just completed round one of this year and had awards of 75 projects compared to 34 projects from last
• After projects are placed in service, projects have to be re-reviewed by staff.
• monitor the projects for 55 years.
• After projects placed in service, we have, projects have to be rereviewed by staff. placed in service
• , we have projects have to be re-reviewed by staff, and once the projects placed in service, we have

Summary: The committee opened with the State Controller’s Office May Revision requests, including funding for Fiscal book-of-record stabilization, a Broadcom IDMS licensing adjustment, the California State Payroll System, ACFR reporting automation, and $3 million for unclaimed property outreach. Testimony emphasized progress on Fiscal becoming the state’s accounting book of record in July, faster ACFR publication, and the move to electronic unclaimed property claims. Members asked about the size of the unclaimed property fund and how quickly money is transferred to the General Fund; the Controller’s office said about $15 billion is held, with most excess transferred regularly, and the LAO noted the fund is the General Fund’s fourth-largest revenue source. No concerns were raised by Finance or the LAO, and the item was closed after no public comment. The committee then heard the administration’s proposal to tax prewritten digital software and software-as-a-service, with Finance saying it would modernize sales tax treatment and raise an estimated $450 million General Fund and $560 million local revenue in 2026-27. The LAO supported modernizing the tax but suggested broader digital goods coverage and a business-use exemption; industry and taxpayer groups opposed the proposal, warning of higher costs for consumers and businesses. Members also heard CDTFA’s administrative request tied to the proposal, plus a separate CDTFA budget reduction reflecting lower operational needs; that reduction was presented as a savings item and drew positive reactions. Next, the committee considered federal conformity for “Trump accounts,” which would align California tax treatment with federal rules for tax-deferred children’s accounts and avoid tracking burdens for families. The LAO recommended approval, and the item drew no opposition. The committee also heard a proposal to cut the first-year $800 annual business tax to $400 for LLCs, LPs, and LLPs; Finance argued it would lower startup costs and encourage new business formation, while the LAO said the benefit was not well targeted and could subsidize entities that would form anyway. Members discussed the policy tradeoff, and public commenters split between support for small business relief and concern about revenue loss. The final major revenue item was a permanent business tax credit limitation, capping credits at the greater of $5 million per corporation or 50% of pre-credit liability, while excluding the low-income housing tax credit and personal income tax credits. Finance said it would raise significant revenue from large profitable corporations, and the LAO said it was a reasonable option but noted it would mainly affect the R&D credit and could have future implications for programs like California Competes. Public testimony was sharply divided, with business groups opposing the cap and anti-poverty advocates supporting it as a way to recapture revenue. The committee also heard FTB’s CalFile realignment request, which would return most of the direct-file-related resources to the General Fund while retaining a smaller staff to improve CalFile, and the California Arts Council’s request to reauthorize the Keep Arts in Schools voluntary contribution fund, which members and advocates supported despite relatively modest annual donations. The hearing continued with GoBiz proposals on civic media funding, CA RISE reappropriation, and a semiconductor facility reversion, with the LAO supporting the latter two and members raising questions about the civic media program’s scope, outreach, and inclusion of broadcast and ethnic media.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is an example of a privileged project that may never materialize while real shovel ready project
• Projects in rural areas are still stuck in red tape.
• Only deals with streamlining projects 20 acres or less, and does not affect other projects out there.
• Typically, 25% cost increase on projects, and now we're going beyond public works projects into private
• development projects.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The DOE to NRC transition is a big one.
• I should say Project Omega, not just Omega—Project Omega on the bottom right.
• I should say Project Omega, not just Omega—Project Omega on the bottom right there.
• That project is in progress. Hopefully I'll get to that project to show you.
• And that's what the project is.

Summary: The meeting opened with remarks about the value of public engagement and the quality of questions from the group, followed by a series of technical presentations from Idaho National Laboratory staff. Joe Renovitz described recent nuclear regulatory changes tied to presidential executive orders, including NRC Part 53 for advanced reactors, the forthcoming Part 57 for very small reactors, and DOE updates to reactor authorization standards. He emphasized efforts to align DOE and NRC processes, use risk-informed and performance-based licensing, support reactor deployment for AI/data centers and national security, and use AI to speed communications and crosswalks between DOE and NRC requirements. In response to questions, he said there was no plan to merge agencies, but rather to improve coordination and public outreach through groups like GAIN and NEI. David Tolman then discussed the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, transportation, disposal, and reprocessing. He explained high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), why it is needed for advanced reactors, and DOE’s HALEU Availability Program and related investments in enrichment, transportation, deconversion, and supply chain development. He also covered spent fuel management, the possibility of centralized storage or a fuel-cycle campus, the Center for Used Fuel Research, and ongoing work on high-burnup cask testing and reprocessing technologies. Tolman described aqueous, pyrochemical, and fluoride-volatility reprocessing approaches, noting the advantages and waste characteristics of each, and said several companies are working with INL on these technologies. Ashley Shields presented INL’s AI and nuclear work, focusing on the Genesis initiative and the Prometheus effort to use AI to design, license, build, and operate reactors with far less human intervention. She described INL’s broad use of generative AI tools, the need to manage large volumes of legacy technical data, and applications in reactor design, materials discovery, autonomous laboratories, and digital twins. Shields said AI is being used to reduce the enormous documentation burden in nuclear licensing and to support autonomous or remotely operated reactor demonstrations, while stressing that humans remain in supervisory roles. In discussion, she addressed data security, model access, and the continued need for software engineers. The session then recessed briefly and resumed with Mitch Kerman beginning a presentation on critical minerals and materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• The answer to this would be if they don't have enough time, enlarge the transition period beyond 2028
• The answer to this would be if they don't have enough time, enlarge the transition period beyond 2028
• the transition period Beyond 2028<00:16:46.880> that's<00:16:47.120> the<00:16:47.279>
• We’ve been running an informal pilot project limited just to Oahu to begin this study.
• If this bill is passed, we can definitely expand this to be a statewide project.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard testimony on several measures, beginning with HB 347 relating to goats. The Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments and said its Division of Forestry and Wildlife was available to answer questions. Testimony on the bill was largely opposed, with speakers arguing it would amount to a “free-for-all” rather than game management and urging deferral. DLNR responded that bag limits can be adjusted by area and game management unit under adaptive management rules, and that hunters typically take out their catch. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 1278, on which DLNR testified in support. The record in the excerpt does not include discussion of the bill’s substance beyond the department’s support, and no action or vote is shown. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on HB 144, relating to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority and proposed exemptions from Sunshine Law requirements during the transition period. The authority’s vice chair testified that the body is a startup agency with a complex transition from the University and needs to be able to discuss strategic planning, operational formation, and other day-to-day matters with more than two members present. Opponents, including the Public First Law Center, Hawaiʻi Environmental Alliance, and community members, argued the bill would cut the public out of the deliberative process, allow decisions to be hashed out in private, and set a poor transparency precedent. One testifier also raised cultural and environmental concerns about Mauna Kea. Committee members questioned whether existing law and narrower guardrails could address the authority’s concerns, and the authority said it had already proposed a narrower alternative but the bill returned in similar form. The excerpt ends before any final committee action on HB 144 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• They did a project here a couple of months ago.
• That we have going is our bike trail project.
• What they wanted to do is continue that project, the dream that we have with our chapter and the project
• We have projects; we assist a chapter in...
• Corners Rail Freight Railroad project.

Transcript Highlights:

• that is similar to 15.99, with the goal of keeping project timelines moving at a reasonable pace.
• that is similar to 15.99 family projects that is similar to 15.99 with<00:06:59.639> the<00:06
• :59.759> goal<00:07:00.039> of<00:07:00.319> keeping<00:07:00.960> project
• > with the goal of keeping project with the goal of keeping project timelines<00:07:01.759> moving
• financed by the city so we're projects financed by the city so we're trying<00:18:25.360> to<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the project is The project at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center is an excellent example of how
• So, for example, that project uses All of these new opportunities for safety.
• In terms of how we do safety when we're doing prison projects, it's obviously a real challenge to try
• a project in an active environment.
• So I think we've learned a lot from that project in terms of how we can Construction.

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met with quorum and first considered several governor’s appointments not required to appear. The committee voted to advance Olivia May Assuncion to the Commission on Disability Access, William Adams to the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors, and two California Law Revision Commission appointments: Anacubas and David Hubner, with the latter two receiving split votes but still moving forward. The committee also approved the reference of bills to committees and later, by unanimous add-on votes, approved floor acknowledgments and the remaining appointments on the agenda. The main hearing was on Brian Bishop’s appointment as Director of the Division of Adult Parole Operations at CDCR. Bishop described his law enforcement and Marine Corps background and said his focus would be balancing public safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and staff well-being. Senators asked about risk assessment for higher-risk parolees, GPS monitoring, coordination with local law enforcement, victim protections, out-of-county placement, supervision of unhoused parolees, and oversight of private reentry/housing contractors. Bishop said DAPO uses data-driven supervision, risk tools, compliance sweeps with local agencies, exclusion zones for victims, and contract monitoring through invoices, site visits, and utilization reviews. Public testimony supported Bishop’s confirmation, including from reentry providers and advocacy groups. The committee then voted 5-0 to advance his appointment to the full Senate for confirmation. The committee also heard from Sarah Larson, appointed Director of the Division of Facilities Management and Construction at CDCR. Larson discussed aligning the prison footprint with a declining population, addressing aging infrastructure and heat issues through cooling pilots, and using projects like the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center as a model for safer, more healing facilities. Senators asked about prison closures, cold shutdown status, disaster planning, water and utility issues, and how to manage closed or deactivated facilities. Larson said closed facilities are maintained minimally, reactivation would be costly, and the department is exploring more holistic infrastructure planning. Public witnesses from criminal justice and reentry organizations strongly supported her, and the committee voted 5-0 to advance her appointment to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the project is... Was in their way in trying to do their jobs.
• So, for example, that project uses... All of these new opportunities for safety.
• to do a project in an active environment, a benefit of...
• It's obviously a real challenge to try to do a project in an active environment.
• So I think we've learned a lot from that project in terms of how we can... Construction.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sovereign immunity for public transit contractors.
• It reduces costs for taxpayers, expands transit access for vulnerable Floridians, and treats public transit
• I'm representing NATA, the North American Transit Alliance. And you're recognized, sir.
• NATA represents the largest public transit contractors in the U.S., in addition to Keolis.
• Rural communities can't afford public transit.

Summary: The Transportation Committee considered several bills and amendments. SB 1274, as amended, removed a number of unrelated transportation provisions and added items including local authority to lower residential speed limits, clarification that certain license plate frames do not obscure plates, FDOT funding for eligible rural airport projects, limits on yellow-light timing changes to intersections with red-light cameras, revisions to private use of license plate readers, and rules for direct payments to first-tier subcontractors. The amendment and the bill both passed favorably. SB 1310, as amended, would direct FDOT to study advanced detection and monitoring systems at public railroad crossings and report policy options to the governor and legislature; rail safety testimony supported the study while urging attention to interoperability and other safety concerns. The amendment and bill were adopted and reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 828 on extending sovereign immunity to private contractors providing public transit services. Supporters said it would reduce litigation costs, provide predictability, and help maintain affordable transit and paratransit service, especially in rural areas; opponents argued it was an overbroad expansion of sovereign immunity and could affect employee rights and accountability. After an amendment narrowing the language to contractors providing services rather than operating transit and removing subcontractor references, the bill passed favorably. SB 1378, which strengthens traffic enforcement by clarifying abandoned-vehicle removal, penalties for unlawful plates or stickers, and vehicle seizure authority for fleeing and eluding, also passed favorably with support from law enforcement-related testimony. The committee then confirmed a slate of appointees in tab 6 by one vote, with no objections. SB 1562, dealing with motor vehicle dealers and limiting concentration of a brand’s sales among a single dealer group once the brand has a meaningful Florida presence, was presented as a competition and dealer-diversity measure and passed favorably. Members later recorded additional affirmative votes on several tabs, and the chair noted this was likely the committee’s last meeting of the year before adjourning without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Amendment number four prioritizes projects that redevelop in a contiguous to transit station owned by
• Transit and alterations, Maryland Transit and Housing<00:21:33.320> Opportunity<00:21:33.920>
• Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
• transit, uh near jobs, near opportunity. transit, uh near jobs, near opportunity.
• uh from the transit. uh from the transit.

Keywords: House streaming session for Thursday, March 19, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 122 members present, opened with prayer, and approved the previous day’s journal. The chamber then took up two congratulatory resolutions: one honoring Layla Wishard of Hagerstown for winning gold with Team USA at the Junior Roller Derby Association World Cup in Australia, and another recognizing Delores Millhouse as the 2026 Maryland Mother of the Year. Both resolutions were read and adopted with applause. The House then considered a series of committee reports, primarily from the Committee on Economic Matters, and advanced multiple bills to third reading after adopting committee amendments and favorable reports. Measures included consumer contract protections in House Bill 103, workers’ compensation presumptions for hypertension in House Bill 347, broadband access and affordability in House Bill 382, housing and land-use changes in House Bills 548 and 894, data privacy in House Bill 711, franchise law changes in House Bill 730, a blockchain-based real property title pilot program in House Bill 810, bankruptcy exemptions in House Bill 1098, and telecommunications infrastructure protections in House Bill 1100. Several bills drew questions and were special ordered for further review. House Bill 711, the Data Privacy Act, prompted extended discussion about whether its geolocation provisions could affect stadium and venue security tracking; the sponsor said the bill was intended to close loopholes around cell phone and vehicle location data and would not change existing permission-based rules, but the bill was still special ordered until the next day. House Bill 894, the transit-oriented development bill, also drew questions about local government concerns and was special ordered, with the floor leader saying county and municipal groups were generally satisfied with the amendments. House Bill 1100 was also taken up after the amendments were adopted, and the title amendment process began as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I should say Project Omega, not just Omega—Project Omega on the bottom right.
• I should say Project Omega, not just Omega—Project Omega on the bottom right there.
• That project is in progress. Hopefully I'll get to that project to show you.
• That project is in progress. Hopefully I'll get to that project to show you.
• And that's what the project is.

Summary: The meeting opened with remarks about the value of public engagement and the availability of presentation materials, then moved into a series of technical briefings from Idaho National Laboratory staff. Joe Renovitz described recent federal and DOE efforts to streamline nuclear regulation for advanced reactors, including NRC Part 53 and upcoming Part 57 rulemaking, DOE authorization updates, crosswalks between DOE and NRC requirements, and use of AI to speed licensing communications and document review. He emphasized that the goal is to align safety standards for advanced technologies, reduce rework for developers, and support deployment for commercial, defense, and research uses. In response to questions, he said there is no current plan to merge agencies, but there is more information-sharing and embedded NRC staff at DOE facilities; he also noted public outreach is supported through groups like GAIN and NEI. David Tolman then discussed the nuclear fuel cycle, covering uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, transportation, disposal, and recycling. He explained high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), DOE’s HALEU Availability Program, and the need to expand domestic enrichment, deconversion, and transportation capacity to support advanced reactors and the 2050 nuclear growth goal. He also reviewed used fuel management, including on-site storage at operating and shutdown reactors, the Center for Used Fuel Research at INL, a high-burnup research cask project, and the long-term repository question, which he said is ultimately political as well as technical. He outlined reprocessing approaches—aqueous/Purex, pyrochemical, and fluoride volatility—describing INL’s work on electrochemical processing of EBR-II fuel and noting industry interest from several companies in recycling technologies. Ashley Shields presented on AI for nuclear applications, describing INL’s use of generative AI, high-performance computing, and digital-twin tools to accelerate reactor design, licensing, operations, and materials development. She highlighted the Prometheus effort to pursue highly automated reactor design and operation, the large documentation burden for reactor licensing, and ongoing work on autonomous control, remote operation, and AI-assisted materials qualification through the Vulcan challenge and related data platforms. In questions, she said AI tools are used under data-governance and security controls, with different models chosen for different tasks, and argued that software engineers and human oversight remain necessary. The session ended with a brief recess announcement and a transition to a later presentation on critical minerals and materials.