Transcript Highlights:

• What 1227 did when it comes to a focus on kin, a focus on placement with relatives, and that initial
• license and payments to those relative and kin providers.
• And now nearly 60% of children are placed in kin or relative suitable other placement, meaning that child
• So rather than doing two back-to-back briefings with two sets of numbers in a relatively tight time frame
• And obviously with a little bit of overcrowding, it can make searches harder, just creates operational

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee held a work session on child welfare dependency, focusing on implementation of HB 1227 (Keeping Families Together) and SB 6109 (the fentanyl response bill), along with related data and system updates. DCYF first reviewed the dependency process, explaining intake, shelter care, fact-finding, disposition, and review hearings, and emphasized that removal standards are separate from service provision and that children may be in-home or out-of-home at different stages. DCYF said 1227 raised the removal threshold to imminent physical harm and strengthened kin placement, with nearly 60% of children now placed with relatives or suitable others. The department also said 6109 directs courts to give great weight to fentanyl’s lethality and added legal liaisons to support staff in court preparation. DCYF presented data showing that entries into out-of-home care declined after 1227 but rose again after 6109, returning close to pre-1227 levels. The agency also reported a sharp increase in reviewable critical incidents in 2022-2025, especially near-fatalities, which it linked to the opioid and fentanyl crisis, parental stress, and system complexity. DCYF said it has responded with statewide Safe Child Councils, staff consultations, hotspot monitoring, and additional training, and noted that some contracted services authorized under 6109 were not implemented because of fiscal constraints. Senators asked about where children are in the process, who participates in court, the timing of data releases, age breakdowns, and geographic hotspots. Advocates and lived-experience witnesses from LCYC and a family intervention clinic argued that 1227 has not prevented courts from removing children when necessary and said the law appropriately requires the state to show a causal link between home conditions and risk. They said 6109 appropriately highlights fentanyl’s danger, but stressed that the larger issue is lack of prevention and treatment resources, inconsistent county-by-county practice, and insufficient supports such as inpatient beds, family treatment, housing, transportation, and third-party safety plan participants. A parent ally described how early support, peer guidance, and kin placement helped her achieve recovery and stability after losing parental rights in an earlier case. The committee also heard an update on SB 6068 from the Administrative Office of the Courts and K Implementation and Evaluation. The report identified 15 dimensions of relational permanency and child well-being, found that some data already exist while other measures need development, and recommended a phased data collection plan, a restored data-sharing agreement between AOC and DCYF, and a standing cross-agency work group. AOC said its dependency data system lapsed when the prior agreement expired in June 2025 and needs to be rebuilt. The meeting also included a brief update on bridge housing for youth exiting inpatient treatment, with presenters saying two programs are now open, one in King County and one in Spokane, and a short introduction to juvenile rehabilitation capacity updates before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, we have a relatively light agenda today.
• offset some of what otherwise may have been reductions in nursing facility funding, we did a bed search
• </c><00:18:08.960><c> We</c><00:18:09.200><c> see</c> collected in the search charge.
• We see collected in the search charge.
• </c> on our formula, we created a search on our formula, we created a search charge<00:23:24.320><c>

Bills: HF2433 , HF2434

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation, healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Google search, an income tax is a Google search, an income tax is a payment<02:09:15.199><c> received
• Senate Bill 295-FN, relative to education freedom accounts.
• ><c> education</c><06:03:44.798><c> freedom</c> 295 FN relative to education freedom 295 FN relative
• The search for another residence.
• </c><06:50:12.400><c> to</c> Bill 115 FN, an act relative to Bill 115 FN, an act relative to universal

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• doubted or thought too little of themselves, but only to hear an encouragement from these gloating relatives
• If this citation goes public on K Search, uh, that ...
• </c><01:41:53.199><c> And</c><01:41:53.360><c> I</c> public on K Search, uh that Yeah.
• And I public on K Search, uh that Yeah.
• to the 287g program with a relative to the 287g program with a lawsuit<02:20:38.800><c> in</c><02:20

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, January 29, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened after a snow delay, heard an invocation from Reverend Scott Shelton, and conducted several floor introductions and recognitions, including birthday wishes for staff, a welcome for a temporary office staffer, recognition of the Center for Urban Families, and introduction of the week’s pages. The chamber then approved the prior journal and moved through bill and bond initiative readings, referring the listed measures to their standing committees or the capital budget subcommittee. The first substantive action was adoption of a favorable committee report on Senate Bill 17, an emergency bill authorizing the Baltimore City Board of Licensed Commissioners to issue a related event promoters permit for the CIAA tournament. The floor leader said the bill had no amendments, no fiscal impact, and no opposition in committee. The Senate adopted the report without objection and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 1 from the Judicial Proceedings Committee, which would require the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to adopt a statewide policy on law enforcement face coverings, apply it to state, local, and federal officers in Maryland, and enforce violations through a civil citation and discipline. The committee report included two amendments: one technical and one making the policy statewide and preempting local policies. During extended debate, the bill’s sponsor argued that masks undermine transparency and trust and that the measure would create a uniform standard. A senator from Frederick County questioned whether the bill would effectively create a policy for federal agents without Maryland-specific training and raised concerns about enforcement, temporary detention, complaints, and possible conflicts with federal authority. The sponsor responded that officers would retain discretion, that the bill would be enforced through civil citations, and that similar civil enforcement mechanisms have been upheld in Maryland. No final vote on the amended report is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I have for your consideration this morning Senate Bill 609 relative to improving screening for and
• So hospitals<00:18:30.640><c> and</c><00:18:30.720><c> ambulatory</c><00:18:31.360><c> search.
• </c> hospitals and ambulatory search. hospitals and ambulatory search.
• So um relative year even or or higher.
• It is uh 474 is relative to the It is uh 474 is relative to the effective<03:35:22.239><c> date</c><03

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know how much is community solar costing ratepayers from a fuel search charge above and beyond what
• </c><00:42:49.359><c> charge</c> rateayers from a fuel search charge rateayers from a fuel search charge
• This relatively simple bill everyone.
• This relatively simple bill has<00:53:20.720><c> been</c><00:53:20.880><c> years</c><00:53:21.119><c>
• This relatively simple bill has been years in the making.

Bills: HF4236 , HF4122 , HF4377

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: public utility, interim rates, utility rates, rate case, general rate case, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, PUC, rate increase cap, rate freeze, refunds, customer refunds, ratepayer protection, electric utility, gas utility, regulated utility, ratemaking, return on equity, rate base, test year, rate design

Transcript Highlights:

• And then once somebody is relatively stabilized, that's when we look at whether or not they need the
• ><c> that's</c><00:24:36.960><c> when</c><00:24:37.120><c> we</c> um relatively stabilized, that's when
• we um relatively stabilized, that's when we look<00:24:37.520><c> at</c><00:24:37.760><c> whether</c
• We had five volunteers that I didn't find on a search because they had a null start date in our system
• because they had a null start search because they had a null start date<01:02:47.200><c> in</c><01:02

Bills: HF2825

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: expungement, criminal justice, background check, security industry, private detective, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• In a time where we're trying to keep housing costs at a relatively low, or keep it from going up, actually
• </c><01:18:46.440><c> low</c> at a relatively low at a relatively low or<01:18:47.640><c> keep</c><01
• One of the pages has to allow the AGs to also search vending machines for these prohibited items, just
• </c><01:47:35.600><c> vending</c><01:47:35.840><c> machines</c><01:47:36.280><c> for</c> to also search
• vending machines for to also search vending machines for these<01:47:36.560><c> prohibited</c><01:47

Bills: HB2614 , HB1660 , HB1704 , HB1563 , HB1573 , HB1777 , HB1749

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Keywords: cosmetics, returns, refunds, consumer protection, high-pressure sales, transparency, accountability, HB1660, Hawaii, county labor standards, counties, contractors, building permits, permit denial, permit suspension, permit revocation, wage theft, wages, benefits, hours

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2614, which would require merchants selling cosmetics to accept returns of newer unopened goods within specified time frames and expand signage requirements for return and refund policies. DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection strongly supported the bill, citing updated figures of 180 cosmetic complaints from 2020 to 2025, 54 still under investigation, 148 referred to class action litigation, and more than $1.3 million in consumer losses. Members questioned whether the bill was needed given the pending lawsuit and whether bad actors would comply, while the office responded that clearer signage would improve consumer awareness and could reduce complaints without limiting other remedies. No vote was taken. The committee then heard HB 1660 HD1, which would allow counties to require contractors to disclose wage, benefit, hour, and employment-status information and to deny, revoke, or suspend permits for certain labor-law violations. DLIR, the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers Local 3, and Pacific Resource Partnership testified in support, arguing the measure would help deter cheating contractors, protect law-abiding employers, and keep bad actors from undercutting wages and taxes. One member raised concerns about possible delays to affordable housing projects and whether owners should be held responsible for contractors’ misconduct; supporters replied that compliance is a minimum standard, that county action would be discretionary rather than automatic, and that the bill would not bar counties from working with affordable housing developers. No action was reported. Finally, the committee took up HB 1704, adopting the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact to allow telepsychology and temporary in-person practice across state lines. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans supported the measure, saying it would help fill major staffing gaps, especially for forensic evaluations and services in rural and neighbor-island communities. The Board of Psychology raised concerns about the compact’s scope, the need for a study focused specifically on psychologists, background-check requirements, possible loss of regulatory authority and revenue, and the need to update older statutory provisions. Hawaii Association for Justice opposed the immunity language in the compact, and Shawn Scanlon opposed the bill, arguing it could weaken cultural responsiveness and local control and suggesting the state instead improve temporary licensing and other in-state pathways. The committee also questioned the Department of Corrections about its vacancies and whether telehealth could be filled by local providers; no vote was taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB5394 by Rose, relating to prohibiting child placing agencies from imposing certain requirements on relative
• Members, this is a relatively short layout.
• We have laws on our books that say female inmates who are subjected to invasive searches should have
• those searches conducted by female correctional officers. officers.
• You do a search for female or woman in our state statutes, and it's listed a number of times.

Bills: HJR144 , HJR218 , HB40 , HB 101 , HB 112 , HB146 , HB168 , HB214 , HB413 , HB1523 , HB493 , HB521 , HB594 , HB557 , HB305 , HB549 , HB854 , HB 1057 , HB 1052 , HB842 , HB3174 , HB3311 , HB2486 , HB3196 , HB824 , HB 1039 , HB2529 , HB2713 , HB4936 , HB4995 , HB4830 , HB4864 , HB5219 , HB5263 , HB5154 , HB2674 , HB5525 , HB5623 , HB2545 , HB2587 , HB2625 , HB5520 , HB5436 , HB4926 , HB1573 , HB5165 , HB4811 , HB5081 , HB4755 , HB3179 , HB4310 , HB4611 , HB2159 , HB4626 , HB3637 , HB3153 , HB3066 , HB2786 , HB2966 , HB638 , HB640 , HB876 , HB497 , HB5539 , HB4809 , HB5308 , HB4687 , HB4070 , HB4421 , HB4412 , HB3284 , HB3369 , HB3420 , HB3449 , HB4098 , HB4281 , HB4120 , HB4504 , HB4370 , HB 1106 , HB2370 , HB2404 , HB3863 , HB2407 , HB2253 , HB2273 , HB2040 , HB1586 , HB3788 , HB3993 , HB4690 , HB4309 , HB4696 , HB2308 , HB 1142 , HB1533 , HB1621 , HB2242 , HB2012 , HB2193 , HB2442 , HB2464 , HB2348 , HB2313 , HB2289 , HB1942 , HB2011 , HB1629 , HB2993 , HB3592 , HB3824 , HB4076 , HB4535 , HB4623 , HB4773 , HB 1091 , HB5115 , HB5515 , HB3372 , HB5659 , HCR118 , HB 1233 , HB2239 , HB2379 , HB2863 , HB3368 , HB3787 , HB3815 , HB3898 , HB4023 , HB4285 , HB4329 , HB4331 , HB4429 , HB4646 , HB4904 , HB5200 , HB5320 , HB5651 , HB5662 , HB5668 , HB5670 , HB5672 , HB5674 , HB5676 , HB5679 , HB5688 , HCR108

Keywords: regional mobility, transportation authority, local law, constitutional amendment, public projects, Texas energy fund, energy efficiency, retail electric customers, electric generating facilities, business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, Texas State Guard, task force, professionalization, state missions, critical infrastructure, science park district

Transcript Highlights:

• able to terminate parental rights, because once you terminate parental rights, you terminate every relative
• <c> is</c><00:08:46.720><c> attached</c><00:08:47.240><c> to</c><00:08:47.480><c> that</c> every relative
• that is attached to that every relative that is attached to that person<00:08:48.600><c> they're</c>
• </c><00:36:51.640><c> for</c><00:36:52.280><c> something</c> term I would maybe search for something
• Sometimes searches...

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We won't challenge people that come to us because our job is to listen and not have a lot of searching
• </c><00:27:05.279><c> questions</c><00:27:06.279><c> you</c> have a lot of searching questions you have
• a lot of searching questions you can<00:27:06.480><c> have</c><00:27:06.600><c> a</c><00:27:06.799><
• Those are transfers relative to DOIT; that is agency income restricted for agency use.
• Those are transfers relative to DOIT; that is agency income restricted for agency use.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee met for an organizational opening session in which the chair, Ken Weyler, called the committee to order and members introduced themselves. The introductions established the committee’s leadership and membership, including Vice Chair Dan McGuire, ranking member Mary Jane Wallner, deputy ranking member Karen Eil, clerk Jerry Griffin, and other members from both parties. Many members briefly described prior legislative service and professional backgrounds, with several noting prior experience on Finance or related budget committees. Chair Weyler then outlined committee procedures and expectations. He emphasized that Finance handles spending bills and fiscal notes, that bills will generally be heard by the full committee and then referred to the appropriate division, and that executive sessions may be used to save time when positions are clear. He reviewed rules on attendance, dress, phones, paperwork handling, committee replacements, conflict of interest and recusal, and the process for testimony, including that members should listen without debating witnesses and that sponsors of bills must recuse themselves from questioning witnesses on their own bills. He also described the committee’s structure and workload, noting three divisions and the role of legislative budget staff. Weyler said the committee would likely see bills from many policy committees that have fiscal impacts, and he encouraged policy committees to find offsets within their own areas rather than assume new spending will be added. No bills were heard and no votes were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's an act relative to urban farmland from Rep. Duffy and Senator Adam Gomez.
• It's not cheap, but it's relatively easy to filter a contaminated water supply, so that can be a relatively
• I also support S. 71, an act relative to the use of the food insecurity grants.
• H. 121, S. 61, An Act Relative to Urban Farmland. H. 121, S. 61, An Act Relative to Urban Farmland.
• Duffy for putting forward H. 121, an act relative to urban farmland.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries held a public hearing on 19 legislative proposals, with testimony limited to three minutes per speaker and seven minutes per panel. The hearing opened with testimony on bills promoting urban agriculture and vacant-lot conversion, including H.121/S.61, which Green Roots staff and community members supported as a way to turn vacant lots in environmental justice communities into urban farms and gardens that improve food access, health, community cohesion, and climate resilience. Rep. James Arena-DeRosa also spoke in support of H.109/S.56, the PFAS bill, describing it as a measure to protect soil and farms from contamination and to create relief for affected farmers. A major portion of the hearing focused on H.109/S.56, which would ban land application of sewage sludge/biosolids, provide liability protection and relief funds for farmers, and address PFAS contamination in soil, water, crops, and animals. Testimony came from environmental groups, farm organizations, and individual farmers, including the Mass Food System Collaborative, Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action, CEMAP, NOFA, Sierra Club, and several farmers who described contamination in Maine and Massachusetts and urged the committee to act. Witnesses emphasized that PFAS poses serious health risks, that farmers should not bear responsibility for legacy contamination, and that the bill should be paired with funding for testing, remediation, and assistance. Committee members asked questions about farm liability, the scope of the bill, contamination in different ownership situations, and the costs and timelines of remediation, with Senator Comerford and others clarifying that the bill is intended to protect farms and farmers rather than non-agricultural landholders. The committee also heard strong support for H.416, a farm-to-institution pilot program, from Rep. Lee Davis, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, and Berkshire Bounty. They said the pilot would connect Massachusetts farms to schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, and other institutions, creating new markets, strengthening local supply chains, and supporting food-is-medicine efforts. Members discussed whether the model could be statewide and referenced existing programs such as Island Grown Initiative and local hospital and insurance partnerships. Another agricultural bill, H.1058, was supported by Rep. Mark Sylvia and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association as a way to allow unused cranberry water rights to be transferred within the same watershed for municipal mitigation while helping growers retire or consolidate bogs. The hearing also included testimony on the broader farm omnibus bill H.112/S.55 and related measures, with the Massachusetts Farm Bureau and others praising the committee’s work on agricultural resilience, food security, agritourism, workforce development, and farmland access, while suggesting additional transportation-related fixes for farmers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they want to search that, if they want to seize you, they've got to get a warrant.
• That warrant has to describe with particularity the persons or places to be searched or to be seized
• If they want to go in and search for someone, let's say you, if someone wants to go into one of those
• If they wanted to Search for you.
• The FISA court themselves issued the report you're referring to about the illegal searches.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure if you search back in your inbox, you'll be able to find that.
• I'm sure if you search back in your inbox, you'll be able to find that.
• I'm sure if you search back in your inbox, you'll be able to find that.
• I'm sure if you search back in your inbox, you'll be able to find that.
• I'm sure if you search back in your inbox, you'll be able to find that.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:57:33.280><c> are</c><00:57:33.400><c> looking</c><00:57:33.760><c> for</c><00:57:34.720><c> searching
• </c><00:57:35.200><c> high</c> chairs are looking for searching high chairs are looking for searching
• Photoperiodism is the biological response to the relative lengths of day and night, which regulates critical
• c><01:24:16.800><c> lengths</c><01:24:17.200><c> of</c><01:24:17.360><c> day</c> response to the relative
• lengths of day response to the relative lengths of day and<01:24:17.680><c> night,</c><01:24:18.040>

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• had been talk about whether or not New Hampshire wanted to adopt a social studies test that were relative
• had been talk about whether or not New Hampshire wanted to adopt a social studies test that were relative
• We'll open the executive session on HB 1493 FN, relative to health education and requiring pupils to
• </c><01:49:46.400><c> And</c><01:49:46.639><c> in</c> do a search for the baby Olivia.
• And in do a search for the baby Olivia.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's relatively thick.
• It's it's relatively thick. look at. It's it's relatively thick.
• Chairman, just for discussion, when I was looking, I was searching how other states do it.
• So I thought that was an interesting... searching how other states do it.
• Um, searching how other states do it.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, that's relative in this body, right? Yeah. OK, so talk to me about this. I'm curious.
• He's in a relatively smaller county, he knows everybody there, they know him and...
• Census has been used for historically, is to pay those... relatively large amounts for us, but in a relatively
• Cities are a relatively small part of that increase.
• And they've remained relatively flat over the last year.

Bills: HB19 , HB30 , HB851 , HB1663 , HB1681 , HB1769 , HB1937 , HB1979 , HB2428 , HB2433 , HB2825 , HB3159 , HB3424 , HB3486 , HB3487 , HB3504 , HB3605 , HB3879 , HB3994 , HB4382 , HB4752 , HB5444 , HB5446 , HB5447 , HB3199 , HB4847 , HB19

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: local government debt, property tax, ad valorem tax, bond election, certificate of obligation, anticipation note, school district tax rate, voter-approval rate, debt service cap, municipal finance, county bonds, flood control district, hospital district, public works, tax transparency, property tax notice, November uniform election date, general obligation bonds, local debt reform, taxpayer notice

Transcript Highlights:

• Provides relative to initial eligibility requirements for the M.J. Foster Promise Program. Rep.
• It provides relative to incidents of assault and battery on teachers and other school employees.
• Students relative to assault and battery of school employees and students.
• And so I'm not an attorney, but I did a quick search, and I just wanted to read this for the record,
• 319, because that's a relatively simple one. Okay, committee members, we're going to go to HB 319.

Bills: HCR10 , HB195 , HB283 , HB319 , HB325 , HB407 , HB448 , HB482 , HB992

Committee: House Education

Keywords: sanctioned sports, athletics, youth sports, high school, LHSAA, self-defense, chemical spray, public safety, campus security, higher education, Teacher's Shield Act, student discipline, assault, battery, school employee protection, sick leave, expulsion procedures, Louisiana Commission on Civic Education, civic education, civic engagement

Transcript Highlights:

• I see there are relatively small changes, so then you can share that.
• The first person on the list is a parent, then it goes to other relatives and trusted adults.
• The sixth preference is a relative or close friend who does not have custody.
• About the differences between the two bills necessarily, but I did search your bill and I did see one
• It could also be to pay for transportation to visit extended relatives that don't live close to them

Committee: House House Judiciary