Transcript Highlights:

• of times the builders will agree to build basic infrastructure or things like that that might be a barrier
• of times the builders will agree to build basic infrastructure or things like that that might be a barrier
• they<00:29:47.399> had<00:29:48.320> um<00:29:48.919> what having what barriers
• they had um what having what barriers they had um what were<00:29:49.200> the<00:29:49.360>
• possible but one of the big barriers possible but one of the big barriers we've<01:08:04.359>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• AI policies and directives that act as a barrier to American AI innovation.
• AI lowers the barrier. There is no longer no technical expertise required. AI lowers the barrier.
• And so what are the barriers?
• So that's a big barrier.
• So that's a big barrier.

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cupboard meets people where they are, ensuring fresh access to fresh and healthy food without cost or barriers
• 04.000> without healthy food without cost or without healthy food without cost or without barriers
• . barriers. barriers.
• c><00:53:11.359> much farmers that um just face so much farmers that um just face so much barriers
• to farming for named as the top barrier to farming for them.<00:54:36.400> I<00:54:36.720>

Bills: HF3579, HF3549, HF3548, HF4388, HF3566

Keywords: eggs, donation, quality assurance, food assistance, charitable programs, agriculture, grain indemnity, financial security, crop insurance, Minnesota agriculture, farm assistance, down payment, state funding, loan modification, rotational grazing, grazing management, livestock, pasture management, soil health, erosion control

Transcript Highlights:

• So, to help them stay, help residents move the housing ladder and not set more barriers than are needed
• this is a very different approach to providing housing, and it's really the intent is to remove barriers
• this is a very different approach to providing housing, and it's really the intent is to remove barriers
• this is a very different approach to providing housing, and it's really the intent is to remove barriers
• Really, the intent is to remove barriers that inhibit the development of housing. >> Thank you.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint House committees on Housing and Education heard HB 1713, HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and transfer remaining balances in the school impact fee and certain fair share accounts to the school facilities special fund. The Department of Education testified in opposition, while the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, the Attorney General’s office (with comments and suggested constitutional amendments), the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the School Facilities Authority, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, NAP Hawaii, Avalon Development Company, Mark Development, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Housing Hawaii’s Future, Landis Research Foundation, BIA Hawaii, and others testified in support. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered comments. The DOE said the bill would weaken a key tool for matching school facilities to residential growth, while supporters said the current program leaves funds unused or restricted in ways that limit their effectiveness. A lengthy discussion followed about the difference between the older school impact fee program and the separate fair share agreements tied to land use entitlements and change-of-zone approvals. DOE Deputy Superintendent Jesse Suki explained that fair share funds are tied to the district where they were collected, may be too small to build a full school on their own, and are held until needed for projects such as Core Ridge, Central and West Maui, and other planned schools. Committee members pressed DOE on why funds had remained unspent for years, how much money was in the accounts, and whether the department had reviewed audit findings about the program. Members also questioned whether homeowners ultimately bear these costs through developers passing them along. The committee did not take a vote during the portion of the meeting provided. The discussion ended with members and DOE debating whether the current statute should remain in place, whether past entitlements should be affected, and whether the bill should be amended to better address remaining construction-related obligations and the use of collected funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also share your goal of trying to remove barriers to building more market-rate housing to meet both
• development grant from the Met Council to further analyze our regulations and support us in reducing barriers
• The bill also reduces unnecessary design mandates and procedural barriers that add cost without improving
• <00:46:22.640> that mandates and procedural barriers that mandates and procedural barriers
• We support the Minnesota Starter Home Act because it addresses barriers that will increase our ability

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So landscaping, uh, perimeter barriers of some kind.
• <00:42:13.359> And uh perimeter barriers of some kind.
• And uh perimeter barriers of some kind.
• <00:42:36.800> I'm barriers or locks or I don't know.
• I'm barriers or locks or I don't know.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• change reinforces existing law, ensures timely implementation, and protects homeowners from local barriers
• We're a statewide nonprofit that removes barriers to building smaller and more affordable homes.
• This results in barriers that delay or block production of ADUs, a widely popular and more affordable
• We are a statewide nonprofit that removes barriers to building smaller and more affordable homes.
• Last year, our sponsored legislation AB 1855 was a breakthrough in removing longstanding barriers to

Summary: The committee first heard SB 753, which would modernize California’s shopping cart recovery rules by allowing cities and counties to return abandoned carts directly to retailers, recover documented retrieval costs, and avoid the current impound-and-wait process. The author and supporters, including San Jose officials and the League of California Cities, said the bill would help clear streets, sidewalks, and waterways and reduce local costs. Grocers and retailers opposed the measure unless amended, arguing it would turn cart retrieval into a new cost burden and could create incentives for cities to charge too much for stolen property. After extensive discussion about notice periods, cost caps, and local ordinances, the committee adopted amendments and passed the bill 6-0 as amended. The committee then took up SB 445, which would speed up permitting and approvals needed for high-speed rail by requiring early engagement, setting rules for third-party coordination, and creating a dispute-resolution process. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier, broader transit proposal and was intended to reduce delays caused by utilities, local governments, and other entities. Supporters said permitting bottlenecks add major costs and delays to infrastructure projects, while opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts raised concerns about safety, reliability, affordability, and the need to review the pending amendments. The bill passed 8-1 to the Utilities and Energy Committee. The committee also heard SB 9, a narrower housing bill focused on accessory dwelling units. The author explained that it would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards control if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the bill would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 6-0. The committee then began hearing SB 79, which would allow more housing near major transit stops; the author and supporters framed it as a response to the housing shortage and transit underuse, and the hearing continued with extensive support testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The regulatory requirements in Texas have created unnecessary barriers to practice.
• have that burden or barrier.
• There are two barriers.
• So I think having that additional burden of liability is a barrier for them as well.
• Okay, so the thing is for patients, the lack of licensed locations is a huge barrier.

Bills: HB46, HB35, HB4490, HB4454, HB2188, HB3078, HB4743, HB2556, HB46, HB5342, HB4783, HB3785, HB5278, HB1639, HB2581, HB4224, HB4070, HB4099, HB4882, HB3794

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• When I took a tour of the new facility, I asked what some of their barriers were to being able to provide
• <01:04:42.400> were<01:04:42.640> to what some of their barriers were to what some
• Our state has a growing shortage of child care slots, and the barriers to open new programs are plenty
• Our state has a growing shortage of child care slots, and the barriers to open new programs are plenty
• to open new programs are plenty barriers to open new programs are plenty this<01:07:21.480> bill<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So one of the things, the civil commitment process in Minnesota is it can be a barrier to people reporting
• 20:18.679> a process in Minnesota um is it can be a process in Minnesota um is it can be a barrier
• people<00:20:19.840> reporting<00:20:20.320> that<00:20:20.440> they barrier
• to people reporting that they barrier to people reporting that they have<00:20:20.799> substance<
• for individuals who choose to barrier for individuals who choose to receive<01:02:31.720> their

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the biggest barriers to long-term solutions in the direct care sector is the lack of comprehensive
• <00:12:58.760> to<00:12:58.920> LA<00:12:59.160> longterm biggest barriers to
• LA longterm biggest barriers to LA longterm Solutions<00:12:59.920> in<00:13:00.079> the
• So we're seeing that as a barrier that we'd like to remove.
• <00:29:40.720> uh uh so we're seeing that as a barrier uh uh so we're seeing that as a barrier

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the barriers are even higher for entrepreneurs who don't speak English as a native language,
• Investments are used to help entrepreneurs and small business owners address language barriers, navigate
• c><00:02:36.440> are<00:02:36.680> even<00:02:37.120> higher uh however the barriers
• are even higher uh however the barriers are even higher for<00:02:37.879> entrepreneurs<00:02
• <00:03:17.120> navigate address language barriers navigate address language barriers navigate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• whether there's a language involved whether there's a language involved whether there's a language barrier
• I do I do know that but anything barrier I do I do know that but anything barrier I do I do know that
• stated that with our language you stated that with our language you stated that with our language barriers
• we have in our society today barriers we have in our society today barriers we have in our society today
• to Student addressing a common barrier to Student addressing a common barrier to Student Learning which

Keywords: sessions, 2025-R, 1, 219

Transcript Highlights:

• like a universal form and or reducing to like a universal form and or reducing the<00:13:14.560> barriers
• so<00:13:15.800> that<00:13:16.440> individuals<00:13:17.040> with the barriers
• so that individuals with the barriers so that individuals with disabilities<00:13:18.680> would
• this bill, along with some of the others, really complement each other and really start to reduce barriers
• this bill, along with some of the others, really complement each other and really start to reduce barriers

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several Human Services measures focused on Medicaid access, long-term care benefits, home health reimbursement, SNAP administration, trauma-informed child welfare, and child abuse reporting. HP 702 would increase funding for Medicaid in-home services if federal matching funds are secured, and testimony from disability advocates supported the measure as needed to help people with disabilities cover medical expenses. HB 1477, described as a correction to a prior session’s mistake, would clarify that the monthly needs allowance for certain long-term care residents does not replace state supplemental payments and would raise the ceiling by $25 to fix the prior issue and by an additional $20 as a new benefit; DHS supported it with amendments, and the committee indicated it would amend accordingly. HB 713 would fund a DHS rate study for home health services, with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii strongly supporting it and describing rising labor costs, losses on Medicaid patients, and access concerns if agencies cannot keep serving Medicaid clients. HB 1099 would appropriate emergency funds to DHS after a USDA penalty tied to SNAP response times, with supporters including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others arguing the money should be reinvested in staffing and systems to improve access and avoid further penalties. HB 1079 would direct the Office of Wellness and Resilience and DHS to create trauma-informed assessments and training for Child Welfare Services staff; testimony from state offices and advocacy groups supported it, citing the Mālama ʻOhana Working Group, staff burnout, and the need for a sustainable train-the-trainer model. Finally, HB 239 would narrow when failure to provide a child’s needs constitutes abuse or neglect, but DHS raised concerns that the current wording could broaden abuse findings and leave families in poverty without a clear safety net, while the Honolulu prosecutor’s office opposed it, warning it could weaken mandatory reporting and hinder investigations of child abuse. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided, though the chair said HB 1477 would be amended and several measures were left open for further questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know it's a big barrier to entry on housing.
• And most times the right decisions are very unpopular, and I think we got to move through those barriers
• <01:21:49.920> and through those through those barriers and through those through those barriers
• and most<01:21:50.280> of<01:21:50.440> those<01:21:50.639> barriers<01:21:51.000
• most of those barriers are all internal internal<01:21:52.520> to<01:21:52.800> us<01:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from the National Court Reporters Association, and it's a consumer protection measure that removes barriers
• aligns with legislative efforts to continue to grow the profession and to remove administrative barriers
• makes practical improvements that help patients use the benefits they already pay for and reduce barriers
• makes practical improvements that help patients use the benefits they already pay for and reducing barriers
• Directing GO-Biz to prioritize grid manufacturing fills a gap in state energy priorities, and lowering barriers

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• significantly during my time in office, and that's a result of the efforts our community has made to reduce barriers
• have an affordable living situation for myself, but the lack of housing options is a significant barrier
• They either tax people trying to buy homes, raising the barrier to enter towns, or strip homeowners of
• They raise costs, they reduce supply, and they create barriers to home ownership.
• They raise costs, they reduce supply, and they create barriers to home ownership.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility. For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources. The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce. A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• organization has documented both the tremendous economic contribution of Latinas and the persistent barriers
• HOPE has documented both the tremendous economic contribution of Latinas and the persistent barriers
• California has led the nation in advancing equal pay protections, too many Latinas continue to face barriers
• However, certain provisions create anti-competitive barriers that disadvantage independent glass businesses
• And so that has a lot to do with consumer protection and why this is in here, to simply put another barrier

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on domestic violence protections, pay equity enforcement, Jewish demographic data collection, court transparency, auto glass insurance practices, pet policy disclosure for renters, and civil rights accountability for federal officers. SB 99 would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases; supporters from the Department of Defense and military organizations said it would close jurisdictional gaps for military families, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1237 would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California pay data reporting laws; supporters said stronger enforcement is needed to address persistent wage gaps, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1387 would allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data; supporters said better data would improve policy and anti-discrimination efforts, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary or divisive, and it passed to Privacy. SB 932 would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it passed to Judiciary/Appropriations on call. The committee also took up SB 98, which would regulate auto glass insurance claims by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring clearer estimates and invoices, and limiting inducements to consumers. The sponsor and NICB said the bill would curb fraud and unsafe repairs, while independent glass shops and industry groups argued it could reduce consumer choice and favor insurer-aligned networks; the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees and provide refunds if nondisclosure materially affected an applicant’s decision; supporters said it would save renters time and money, while rental housing representatives objected to a provision limiting eviction based solely on failure to sign a pet addendum. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 747, the No Kings Act, would create a California cause of action allowing people to sue federal officers for constitutional violations using standards similar to Section 1983. Senator Wiener and a witness who said he was unlawfully detained by Border Patrol argued the bill is needed because federal officers currently lack comparable accountability after the Supreme Court narrowed Bivens remedies. Law enforcement groups opposed the bill, warning that the qualified immunity language is unclear, could create a separate California standard, and might expose officers and governments to retroactive litigation; members discussed possible amendments on qualified immunity and retroactivity, and the bill was moved forward with an urgency amendment while negotiations continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about making sure that when a parent raises a concern, they're not met with an insurmountable barrier
• Every delay matters, every mis-support matters, and every unnecessary barrier matters.
• And we're always fighting the logistical barriers of who's saying what letter works where.
• 2025, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 358 with strong bipartisan support to address zoning barriers
• It will not solve every challenge, but it will remove a major barrier for families who are already relying

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met to hear several education-related measures. It reported favorably, without objection, on House Bill 1215, which would transfer certain removed historical statues and monuments to the Office of State Parks, prohibit re-erection in the parish where they were removed, and require interpretive signage. The committee also advanced House Bill 682, which creates a school guardian program for honorably discharged veterans employed or contracted by local school systems or charter schools; testimony emphasized that guardians would be unarmed, trained, and used for mentoring and school safety. House Bill 1079, giving enrollment preferences in charter schools to children in early childhood programs, military families, foster children, and children in custody disputes, was also reported favorably, as was House Concurrent Resolution 81, directing the Department of Education to study options for districts facing declining enrollment. The committee then took up House Bill 1084, which would allow public postsecondary institutions to raise tuition and mandatory fees by up to 15 percent annually, with higher increases requiring Board of Supervisors approval. The bill drew extended debate over affordability, TOPS, student retention, and whether universities should have more autonomy to set prices. Members raised concerns about fee burdens on families and whether the state should first study the issue; supporters argued the bill would increase transparency and let institutions respond to funding needs and market conditions. Senator Mazzell offered an amendment lowering the cap from 15 percent to 10 percent, and the committee adopted the amendment before reporting the bill favorably as amended. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 342, which would shift the burden of proof in special education due process hearings from parents to local education agencies. The author and parents testified that the current system places an unfair burden on families of children with disabilities, who often lack access to records and legal resources, and that schools already control the documentation and should have to show compliance with IEP obligations. Jefferson Parish school officials opposed the bill, arguing it would increase legal costs, require more staff and attorney time, and potentially lead to more hearings; they also questioned the fiscal note. The Legislative Fiscal Office said the fiscal impact was indeterminable, and the committee continued hearing testimony from parents and school representatives as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• But once age classification becomes the basis for account eligibility, we're watching a barrier to entry
• The virtual nature of this platform is important, as it helps overcome barriers to in-person support,
• We tried to connect the student to psychological services at the university, but encountered barriers
• We tried to connect the student to psychological services at the university, but encountered barriers
• They consistently report higher levels of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and barriers to accessing

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational hearing on the impact of social media on LGBTQ+ youth, focusing on benefits, risks, and possible safeguards. Chair members framed the discussion around the tension between protecting young people from addictive design, harassment, hate speech, exploitation, and mental health harms while preserving access to affirming resources, community, and crisis support that many LGBTQ+ youth rely on online. Members emphasized that the hearing was meant to inform future policy rather than relitigate prior bills, and several members of the LGBTQ+ Caucus attended or participated. The first panel featured lived experience and advocacy testimony from Madi Roby of Alliance for Trans Youth Rights, Shea Gardner of LGBT Tech, and Casey Pick of the Trevor Project. Roby described social media as essential to exploring identity, finding trans language and safety information, and connecting to Trevor Project resources during a family crisis, while also acknowledging online hate and bullying. Gardner argued that lawmakers should regulate harms more precisely rather than impose broad age-based exclusions, warning that account bans and age-gating could cut off access to community, privacy-protective pseudonymity, and crisis resources. Pick testified that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely than peers to attempt suicide, that social media can be both a lifeline and a risk, and that Trevor Space and other moderated online spaces can improve mental health and reduce isolation; she also cautioned against policies that would push youth into less visible, less moderated spaces. Committee members questioned the witnesses about algorithmic feeds, addictive design, age verification, and whether platforms should be required to do more to protect youth. Several lawmakers distinguished between personalized feeds and addictive features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, and asked for more targeted prescriptions. Witnesses generally supported stronger privacy protections, limits on data collection and use, better reporting and moderation tools, digital literacy, and design changes that reduce harmful engagement patterns without eliminating access to community. The discussion also touched on the loss of LGBTQ-specific 988 services at the national level and the importance of maintaining alternative support pathways. The second panel presented research from Common Sense Media, UC Irvine, Hope Lab, and LGBTQ+ Health Australia. Researchers reported that LGBTQ+ youth often arrive online with higher depressive symptoms and limited in-person support, encounter homophobic and transphobic content at high rates, and may self-censor because of fear of harassment. At the same time, many said social media helps them feel less alone and find affirmation. Dr. Sean Young emphasized a harm-reduction approach, noting that online environments can be designed to support health and that policymakers should measure whether restrictions actually reduce harm or simply displace it. Dr. Amy Green echoed that social media is both harmful and supportive for LGBTQ+ youth, underscoring that the policy goal should be to make youth safer rather than less visible online.