Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker and members, I rise to recognize the upcoming retirement of a long-time Rules Committee employee
• Foster, we have another speech. We've got another speech.

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest and retirement recognitions, including tributes to long-serving Assembly staff Liz Foster and Teresa Trujillo. Members also made procedural motions, including placing SB 546 on the inactive file, re-referring SB 716 to the Local Government Committee, and rescinding prior actions on SB 1344 and SB 1273 to return them to the third reading file. The body then took up a long series of concurrence and third-reading items, with most measures passing overwhelmingly. Among the bills discussed were AB 442 on working forest management plans, AB 2042 on civil actions, AB 1145 on vehicles, ACR 162 honoring Congressman Doug LaMalfa, AJR 17 on immigration registry renewal, SB 941 limiting commissary markups in private detention facilities, SB 1306 on controlled substances and semiconductor manufacturing, SB 1169 extending tentative map validity, SB 1211 on conviction integrity units, SB 971 on older adult education, SB 1193 on Alameda County discretionary funds, SB 1115 on public cemetery district trustee removal, SB 1187 removing language-access provisions from a Brown Act transparency measure, SB 505 on money transmitter security, SB 799 on the South Bay Regional Housing Trust, SB 994 banning NDAs for local officials and staff, SB 1405 on unclaimed retirement distributions, SB 881 extending food-bank-related tax incentives, SJR 18 on campaign finance reform, SB 1307 on forged real estate documents, and SB 1196 on utility hookup timelines. Most measures were approved with little or no opposition; SJR 18 passed 43-14, and several items required urgency or 54-vote thresholds and were adopted. The Assembly also adopted HR 136 designating Home Hardening Week and the consent calendar, including ACR 228. The session concluded with adjournment-in-memory presentations for David and Lupe Navarro and Rachel Summers, followed by an announcement that the Assembly would reconvene the next day at 9 a.m. for a floor session recognizing departing members, and the House adjourned until Tuesday, August 18 at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker and members, I rise to recognize the upcoming retirement of a longtime Rules Committee employee
• Foster, we have another speech. We’ve got another speech.

Transcript Highlights:

• Keenan, employee notification. Question comes on adoption of the amendment.
• , said, pretty much again, I'm paraphrasing, I didn't bring any notes for this, I didn't plan the speech
• , said, pretty much again, I'm paraphrasing, I didn't bring any notes for this, I didn't plan the speech

Summary: The Senate considered a comprehensive immigration-related bill, the Protect Act (House No. 5316), with extensive debate focused on limiting civil immigration enforcement in sensitive locations and protecting immigrants, victims, workers, and public institutions. Supporters argued the bill would reduce fear in schools, hospitals, courts, child care settings, and other community spaces, while preserving criminal law enforcement and public safety cooperation. Several senators also emphasized the economic and community contributions of immigrants, and some spoke from personal or district experience about fear, school enrollment declines, and impacts on health care and daily life. A number of amendments were debated. Amendment 6, offered by Senator Kennedy, was adopted to extend protections to DDS facilities and disability-related care settings, with supporters stressing the importance of protecting immigrant caregivers and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Other adopted amendments included Amendment 7 on effective dates, Amendment 34 adding residential schools/programs as safe spaces, Amendment 10 on courthouse curtilage, Amendment 13 protecting health care workers from retaliation, Amendment 20 establishing an immigration commission with minority-party representation, and Amendment 69 as a corrective/technical amendment. Many other amendments, largely offered by Senator Tarr and others, were rejected, including proposals concerning 287G agreements, detainers, civil arrests, court authority, and legal defense funding; several amendments were also withdrawn. The chamber took multiple roll-call votes on contested amendments. Amendment 59 on 287G funds was defeated 5-34, Amendment 63 on status information tied to criminal offenses was defeated 7-32, Amendment 67 on felony detainers was defeated 10-29, and Amendment 75 on state-funded legal defense programs was defeated 5-34. After amendments were completed, the Senate adopted the Ways and Means recommendation, ordered the bill to a third reading, and then passed it to be engrossed by a 37-3 vote. The Senate later rejected a House amendment, appointed a conference committee, and adjourned to meet again the following Monday at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Keenan, employee notification. Question comes on adoption of the amendment.
• , said, pretty much again, I'm paraphrasing, I didn't bring any notes for this, I didn't plan the speech
• , said, pretty much again, I'm paraphrasing, I didn't bring any notes for this, I didn't plan the speech

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Hicks, we are joined today by Kayla Roaddedes from the YWCA and many advocates and employees
• Council for a three-year term ending June 30, 2029. ri s ty ish er to the board of examiners for speech
• Senate do advise and consent to the nomination of Chrisieisher of Norman to the board of examiners for speech

Bills: HB2268 , HB3000 , HB3043 , HB3066 , HB3078 , HB3143 , HB3144 , HB3244 , HB3298 , HB3320 , HB3467 , HB3321 , HB3329 , HB3431 , HB3464 , HB3499 , HB3500 , HB3586 , HB3590 , HB3650 , HB3671 , HB3695 , HB3700 , HB3701 , HB3764 , HB3767 , HB3834 , HB3931 , HB3934 , HB3940 , HB3944 , HB3979 , HB3985 , HB4113 , HB4294 , HB4302 , HB4317 , HB4324 , HB4359 , HB4426 , HB4427 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB4434 , HJR1077 , SR42 , SR35 , HJR1023 , HB1225 , HB1374 , HB1381 , HB1590 , HB1675 , HB2153

Transcript Highlights:

• Commission and the Civil Service Commission of the City of New Orleans to develop a plan for transfer of employees
• Mike was ably represented by his son, John, also an attorney, who delivered his acceptance speech on
• Despite this being the last opportunity he would have to address our community, Mike's speech didn't

Bills: HR39 , HR40 , HR41 , HCR19 , HCR20 , HCR21 , HB2 , HB3 , HB15 , HB441 , HB976 , HB977 , HB978 , HB979 , HB980 , HB981 , HB982 , HR19 , HR20 , HR21 , HR22 , HR23 , HR24 , HR25 , HR26 , HR27 , HR28 , HR29 , HR30 , HR31 , HR32 , HR33 , HR34 , HR35 , HR36 , HR37 , HR38 , HCR15 , HCR16 , HCR17 , HCR18 , SCR10 , HB115 , HB208 , HB465 , HB964 , HB965 , HB966 , HB967 , HB968 , HB969 , HB970 , HB971 , HB972 , HB973 , HB974 , HB975 , HB474 , HB487 , HB503 , HB606 , HB633 , HB707 , HB720 , HB728 , HB733 , HB846 , HB852 , HB856 , HB868 , HB875 , HB78 , HB112 , HB148 , HB149 , HB190 , HB221 , HB346 , HB354 , HB355 , HB356 , HB358 , HB384 , HB427 , HB657 , HB675 , HB716 , HB207 , HB300 , HB331 , HB428 , HB464 , HB587 , HB618 , HB629 , HB801 , HB853 , HB891 , HB901

Transcript Highlights:

• [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
• [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
• [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
• They have 11,000 employees at this point.
• They have 11,000 employees at this point.

Summary: The meeting began with introductory remarks for new and returning members of the House Commerce Committee, led by Chairman John Hunt. Members briefly introduced themselves and their backgrounds, and several noted the committee’s bipartisan, collegial tone. Hunt explained the committee’s structure and traditions, including the division into three subcommittees: banking and business, consumer protection, and liquor commission matters, with insurance now handled as a single area. He also reviewed basic hearing procedures, including decorum, questions for information only, and the committee’s practice of moving bills through subcommittees before full committee executive sessions. The committee then heard an overview from the New Hampshire Insurance Department, led by Commissioner DJ Bettencourt and staff. The department described its mission as promoting a safe and competitive insurance marketplace and emphasized consumer protection, market competition, and affordability. Officials outlined the department’s responsibilities, including licensing insurers, producers, adjusters, and TPAs; reviewing insurance forms; regulating companies and market conduct; overseeing financial solvency; and investigating insurance fraud. They also noted that the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers, collects premium taxes and fees for the state, and returned more than $2.7 million to companies in fiscal year 2024 due to underspending. The presentation also covered the broader regulatory framework for insurance, including the role of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in promoting uniform standards across states and territories. Officials said New Hampshire licenses about 1,200 insurance companies and roughly 245,000 producers and adjusters, and that the department’s financial examinations are part of an accreditation system used nationwide. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided; the session was primarily organizational and informational, with the insurance department presentation beginning the committee’s substantive work for the term.

Transcript Highlights:

• language pathologists, and music speech language pathologists, and music therapists<00:34:57.599><c>
• The bill also establishes protections for hospital employees.
• The bill also establishes protections for hospital employees.
• President, I'd move for the adoption of the favorable committee report. an agency, officer, employee,
• We're going to do the speech on Thursday, which is Lincoln's actual birthday.

Transcript Highlights:

• [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
• [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
• [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
• [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
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Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard several measures, beginning with HB 194, which would designate May 22 as Maritime Day. Testimony from labor, health, and community groups was in support, and the committee later recommended passage of the bill as is, with several members voting yes and some reserving or being excused. HB 458 would designate April 27 as Brother Joseph Dutton Day; the Department of Accounting and General Services, the Joseph Dutton Guild, and a descendant all supported it, and the committee recommended passage with technical amendments. HB 957 would designate the first Friday in May as Lā‘au Day; support came from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and many individuals, and the committee recommended passage as is. HB 345 would establish the ʻōpae ula as the state shrimp to promote awareness and protection of anchialine ecosystems; DLNR, Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAu, and other supporters testified, and the committee recommended passage with technical amendments. The committee also heard HB 901, which would allow public charter schools to appeal directly to the Board of Education on certain operational, governance, or funding matters. The Attorney General and the Public Charter School Commission offered technical comments and suggested amendments, while the commission described its current monitoring and renewal process and said it works closely with schools over the life of a charter contract. Members raised concerns about whether the bill would shift too much work to the Board of Education, and one member voted no when the committee later moved the bill with the Attorney General’s amendments. HB 1066 would add Head Start-related ex officio members to the Early Learning Board; the Early Learning Board and the Executive Office on Early Learning supported it, explaining the changes were needed to align with the federal Head Start Act, and the committee moved it forward without opposition. HB 1069 would add voting members from the Department of Education and Board of Education to the School Facilities Authority Board. DOE and the School Facilities Authority supported the change as a way to strengthen collaboration, though questions from members focused on the current communication process between the agencies. HB 1343 would require the Board of Education to adopt a policy banning student phone and related device use during school hours; the committee noted written testimony in support and then moved to decision-making. At the end of the meeting, the committee adopted recommendations to pass HB 194, HB 458 with technical amendments, HB 957, HB 345 with technical amendments, HB 901 with amendments, HB 1066, HB 1069, and HB 1343.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> employees or officers of the state? employees or officers of the state?
• So again, if a legislator or an employee, let's say you've got an employee of the Department of Human
• </c> want to make sure that when an employee want to make sure that when an employee or<01:15:41.360>
• So again, if a legislator or an employee, let's say you've got an employee of the Department of Human
• Could be employee, could be a non-employee. It's much broader. It's much more effective.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um and retain uh good nursing employees.
• </c> political subdivisions and the employees political subdivisions and the employees and<01:10:39.360
• And taxpayer and employee money here.
• But if we're going to try and retain employees and recruit employees, it has to be through decent benefits
• But if we're going to try and retain employees and recruit employees, it has to be through decent benefits

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• County, I'd like to introduce a man that's got 34,000 students, 43 schools, a little over 4,000 employees
• 00:09:02.320><c> little</c><00:09:02.520><c> over</c><00:09:02.680><c> 4,000</c><00:09:03.480><c> employees
• ,</c><00:09:04.240><c> and</c><00:09:04.360><c> no</c> a little over 4,000 employees, and no a little
• over 4,000 employees, and no telling<00:09:04.800><c> how</c><00:09:04.880><c> many</c><00:09:05.120
• His speech is not where we want it to be, but we'll continue to pray that God will restore him back to

Transcript Highlights:

• I do have a speech. Would you like me to give it? I'll save it for my other.
• Currently, there is no mandatory training for public school employees on human trafficking prevention
• Currently, there is no mandatory training for public school employees for human trafficking prevention
• in educating our students on human trafficking, we lag behind in training our teachers and school employees
• They must make that training available to school employees who work directly with military families.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met and considered a wide range of education-related bills, with most measures receiving favorable reports. Early in the meeting, the committee approved CS/SB 754 on International Baccalaureate bonus funding, CS/SB 1122 on Florida Virtual School updates, and CS/SB 430 requiring public schools to adopt cardiac emergency response plans, train students and staff in CPR/AED use, and maintain accessible AEDs. Testimony on the cardiac bill came from the American Heart Association and the Florida chapter of the American College of Cardiology in support, and the chair noted a survey suggesting many districts already have AEDs in schools. The committee also approved CS/SB 1528 on educational opportunities for military children, which expands coordination and training under the interstate compact, and CS/SB 364, which would move the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys from the Department of Legal Affairs to Florida Memorial University for research and administrative support. The committee then adopted amendments and favorably reported CS/SB 1590 on educator preparation, which modernizes teacher standards and certification pathways, including updates to FEAPs, a revised teacher exam, and an alternative certification program. The SPLC testified in opposition to part of the bill, arguing that language on historical instruction and systemic racism was contradictory and could limit accurate teaching of history. The committee also approved CS/SB 1702 on education, incorporating a wireless-device-in-schools pilot and other education provisions, with support from the Florida Charter School Alliance and others. CS/SB 444 on human trafficking awareness was amended to require no-cost training for school employees and charter schools; FSU law students testified in support, emphasizing the need for school personnel to recognize trafficking indicators. The committee also approved CS/SB 650 on hazardous walking conditions, expanding transportation eligibility for students walking near limited-access facilities, though members noted the bill carried an indeterminate fiscal impact and no dedicated funding. Later, the committee favorably reported CS/SB 1102 on school readiness, which expands how disabilities can be identified for early learning services and ties additional funding to training on early identification of delays. It also approved SB 1382 on access to school readiness programs for economically disadvantaged households, revising eligibility and priority tiers to use state median income rather than federal poverty level and refining the waitlist and forecasting process. Several members recorded votes on bills they had missed during the meeting, and the committee adjourned after reporting all of the above measures favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are working families and small business employees losing coverage because Republicans refuse to
• I just gave a one minute speech needs.
• :54.080><c> self-employed,</c> their employees, the self-employed, their employees, the self-employed
• I am not going to rip up the speech that I had written, but I am not going to give that speech.
• I have to talk about the speech.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> requiring any public school employee, requiring any public school employee, student,<03:34:39.600
• There's going to be an argument made that it infringes on teachers' freedom of speech.
• She said that chilling effect on speech is itself a constitutional harm.
• chilling effect on speech is itself a<04:47:31.360><c> constitutional</c><04:47:32.080><c> harm.
• </c><04:47:36.160><c> freedom,</c> protects free speech, academic freedom, protects free speech, academic

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• , speech, speech, may<00:06:39.280><c> we</c><00:06:39.520><c> prove</c><00:06:39.919><c> accountable
• They elect a president to do that. civilian employees. These workers are civilian employees.
• Employees, the National Treasury<04:18:44.479><c> uh</c><04:18:45.040><c> Employees</c><04:18:45.600
• c> are</c> hardworking federal employees are hardworking federal employees are working<04:33:32.320><
• He cheated his employees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, President Biden this year changed 3,000 employees at HHS and 3,750 at NIH.
• , I would say to any federal employees: think twice.
• There are 91,000 employees at HHS. That's a simple yes, and I'm going to take that as a no.
• I'm grateful for the work that the CDC employees do; some of them are members of my church.
• Do you agree with the buyouts that were presented to CDC employees just last night?

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• employees employees uh<00:36:03.920><c> for</c><00:36:04.160><c> the</c><00:36:04.400><c> department
• If you've got seven employees working in the space, that's about $175,000 per employee.
• I I don't see why you're per employee.
• In my decision or my reasoning, a good business decision when those same employees or the other employees
• >> We laid off 18 employees, and we eliminated another 32 positions. >> Of the 18 employees that you

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the September 17 meeting, and heard a presentation from Kentucky Department of Education staff on SEEK school funding and KDE on-behalf payments. KDE explained recent SEEK changes, including the guaranteed base per-pupil amount, attendance-based calculations, second-month and January growth, the 2022 change funding kindergarten at 100% instead of 50%, and the existing add-ons for at-risk students, exceptional children, limited English learners, home/hospital instruction, and transportation. Staff also reviewed tier one funding, noting the 2024 increase from 15% to 17.5% and explaining that eligibility depends on local tax effort and property wealth. They also described Senate Bill 6 from the 2025 session as a reporting proposal to include on-behalf costs in education spending totals. KDE staff then outlined on-behalf payments made for districts, including roughly $458 million for Teachers Retirement System contributions, $942 million for health insurance, about $12 million for technology costs, and additional SFCC debt service outside KDE’s appropriation, for a total of about $1.5 billion. Members asked how a future Senate Bill 6 would affect local contributions and whether folding on-behalf payments into SEEK would shift costs among districts. KDE and Senator Gibbons clarified that the bill was intended only as a reporting mechanism and would not change local contribution or district payments; it would simply present a broader total of state education investment. The discussion also noted that Kentucky’s reported SEEK amount alone does not capture all state education spending. Members raised questions about home and hospital instruction data, saying local concerns suggest growth in some communities even if statewide numbers appear stable. KDE said the statewide figure has been relatively consistent but offered to provide district-level trend data. Co-Chair Petrie also asked about the accuracy of SEEK projections and on-behalf calculations, referencing prior concerns from the Office of Education Accountability. KDE responded that it works with the state budget director’s office in a consensus forecasting process and has been reviewing demographic and property-assessment data, including exceptional child counts, to improve forecast accuracy.

Transcript Highlights:

• It could even be speech-language.
• If they are receiving speech services, the speech pathologist, or even our behavioral strategists that
• Well, in... ...was receiving an hour of services of speech therapy.
• I mean, I'm talking from ED to speech language to autism, right?
• PISA was modeled kind of after the speech-language assistant certificate that we have.

Committee: Joint Special Education Funding Committee

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 4, 2026 minutes, and received a lengthy Department of Public Instruction presentation from Stanley Schauer Jr. on North Dakota student performance data in math and ELA, with comparisons between students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Schauer explained the assessment systems used, the 1% alternate assessment cap for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the absence of 2019-20 data due to the pandemic, and how state standards are set by North Dakota educators. Members asked about cohort trends, the role of alternate assessments, grade-level patterns, and whether the state should focus more on reducing the novice category than on moving students from approaching to proficient. Schauer also discussed the new NDA Plus assessment, the state’s planned growth model, and the possibility of future breakdowns by disability category or by schools using science-of-math approaches. Special education educators testified that students with disabilities continued to receive services during COVID because of FAPE obligations, which likely helped limit learning loss, and emphasized that IEP teams focus on individual growth rather than only proficiency buckets. Committee members then shifted to special education funding and possible funding models. Brandon Bombach of Grand Forks Public Schools presented on the state aid formula, focusing on the special education weighting factor and arguing that the current formula does not adequately respond to growing student needs because it counts enrollment but does not adjust when the number of students with IEPs rises. He used examples to show that a district can have the same enrollment and receive the same weighting even if the number of students needing services increases. Members discussed whether the formula should be tied more closely to actual need and accountability, and the chair indicated that the committee would continue gathering data and ideas for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• There would certainly be consequences for any of those employees.
• that Elliot Engan gave that night speech that Elliot Engan gave that night regarding<00:29:02.159><c
• </c><00:47:08.240><c> on</c> because you're going to give a speech on because you're going to give a
• speech on the<00:47:08.480><c> floor</c><00:47:08.840><c> later?
• ,</c><00:49:10.920><c> which</c><00:49:11.840><c> in</c> sit through a political speech, which in sit

Committee: House Ethics