Transcript Highlights:

• That is not our black letter reading of the law, and we can't... ...provide.
• That is not our black letter reading of the law, and we can't guess at legislative intent.
• That's the language that we're talking about, and you made reference to the actual reading of that.
• I was trying to get my screen to light back up. Sorry.
• I was trying to get my screen to light back up, sorry. All right, any questions?

Summary: The Arkansas Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a large slate of agency rules and related reports. The chair announced that several items were stricken from the agenda and that the maternal health providers and remote monitoring rules were pulled by the agency. The committee filed reports on emergency rules, ALC subcommittee rule reviews, and administrative directives, then moved through agency rules from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce/Insurance, Department of Corrections, and multiple divisions of the Department of Human Services. Most rules were explained as technical updates or implementations of 2025 legislation and were approved without objection. Examples included repeal of obsolete equine ID-chip rules, updates to agriculture financing and pesticide rules, removal of duplicative workers’ compensation plan language, a unified visitation rule for correctional facilities, DHS marketing rules for PASS programs, a comprehensive DCFS policy manual revision, Medicaid-related changes for fictive kin, ABLE accounts, presumptive eligibility for pregnant women, SNAP work requirements and alien eligibility, coverage for certain incarcerated youth, nurse aide training updates, and permanent rules for state employee insurance and procurement. The committee also approved requests to exclude the Insurance Department from rulemaking requirements for Act 772 on forced organ harvesting and for restorative reproductive medicine, with the department saying it would issue rules later when more guidance is available. The most extended discussion concerned DHS’s dental Medicaid rate rule under Act 1025. Members and witnesses debated whether the statute’s language covered only oral surgeons or also general dentists performing oral surgery procedures, and whether the rate increase should apply more broadly to the services rather than the provider title. DHS said it was following the black-letter language of the law and could not confirm a broader interpretation without further approvals and funding, while legislators and a Dental Association representative said the intent was to increase payment for the services, especially in rural areas. Members also discussed the possibility of fixing the language in a future session or through a new rule if approvals and CMS review allow. Despite the concerns, the committee approved the rule. The meeting ended with approval of rule review reports and monthly updates, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just read it earlier today, and I'm a little bit concerned with it.
• I'm sorry, I didn't read it carefully. No, no. It's okay. If we didn’t get it right, we’ll fix it.
• I know I'm interested to read the bill closely.
• As I read it, it says it can be determined due to the unavailability of data related to the number of
• So now, after I read everything and heard what you said, you mentioned that you were excited about the

Bills: SB750, SB2995, SB1716, SB2430, SB203, SB1679, SB2683, SB1414

Keywords: tuition exemption, paramedics, higher education, public institutions, laboratory fees, education code, financial aid, education, student support, scholarships, nontraditional education, student enrollment, financial assistance, Texas students, foreign adversaries, trade secrets, research integrity, security measures, international agreements, student privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, it appears I'm reading ahead on the Behavioral Health Workforce.
• Do you have a share screen here? I'm not on the right website.
• Do you have a share screen here? I'm not on the right website.
• I mean, I've read a million reports, and it doesn't talk about it this way if it's in our space.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to approve the April and May minutes, welcome a new member, and hear an update from Gina Frey of EOHHS on statewide health and human services workforce development efforts. Frey described cross-secretariat initiatives under the Workforce Skills Cabinet, including MA Repay loan repayment awards, expanded community college and tuition supports, ESOL/work-readiness programming for immigrants, and efforts to build career pathways and reduce attrition in nursing, behavioral health, direct care, and primary care. She also reviewed a $46 million ARPA-funded home and community-based services grant program that supported 82 grantees, led to hiring 8,752 new staff, over 1,000 interns, 2,000 new certifications, and a drop in vacancy rates from 22% to 12%. Members raised concerns about the impact of immigration policy changes on the direct care workforce, including losses of trained workers in provider agencies, and asked whether any exemption or other relief efforts were underway. Frey said EOHHS is tracking the issue closely but did not identify a specific exemption effort. The discussion also touched on Medicaid and related program changes, with Frey noting the administration is focused on understanding potential impacts to eligibility and work requirements. Rep. Howard asked about initiatives for direct support professionals and wraparound supports, and Frey said those efforts are often led by individual agencies such as MassAbility and DDS, with EOHHS coordinating across them. The latter part of the meeting shifted to planning FY26 subcommittee goals and possible events. Members discussed using the Health Policy Commission’s Behavioral Health Workforce Center and possibly asking for a study comparing compensation in DDS and related direct care roles against health care and education jobs. They also discussed a possible cross-state public event on immigration’s impact on the workforce, especially for people with disabilities and direct support services, and agreed to continue refining goals and event ideas by email and at the next meeting. Frey provided a website link and contact information for Amy Doyle at the Health Policy Commission to facilitate future presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• You won't see the numbers up on the screen because again, that would be an eye test.
• I won't read all of these, but as you can see, there are a couple ones I want to hit on the rebranding
• The number 4 there and kind of the bottom left side of the screen, the pumphouse, the wells, and the
• But it just having two presentations today, and again, I didn't read the specific language of the bill

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AND THEN FOR MASTERS AND DOCTORATE WE LOOKED AT THE THRESHOLDS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN.
• I HAVE THREE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE SCREEN AND I WANTED TO SPEND A BRIEF MINUTE A BRIEF MINUTE ON THAT THE
• IF I'M READING SOMETHING WRONG PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
• MY UNDERSTANDING AND READING OF THE RULES IS THAT AS LONG AS THERE IS TIME LEFT IN THE COMMITTEE AND

Transcript Highlights:

• As I read the bill, the 10 is a minimum on the split that they could give them. Yes, sir.
• Some of them are as easy as if you order a book in a manual and read it.
• There needs to be some kind of screening or some kind of protection that comes into play.
• To go back to what the senator was saying, there's got to be a heightening of the screening.

Bills: HB2, HB43, HB49, HB94, HB137, HB156, HB200, HB250, HB3, HB42

Keywords: vaccination, parental consent, minors, medical consent, guardian approval, criminal procedure, split sentencing, probation, Class A felony, Class B felony, minimum confinement, HB49, Alabama criminal code, capital offense, capital punishment, death penalty, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, sexual torture, child sexual abuse

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the initial referral at the time of the fatality was screened out, and multiple prior cases on this
• family were screened out as well, and there was a lack of a thorough investigation at the time of the
• inadequate documentation, or drug screen inadequate documentation, or drug screen was<00:13:37.600
• Okay, can everybody see my screen? >> Yes. >> Okay, so like I said, my name is Brooke.
• Okay, can everybody see my screen? Okay, can everybody see my screen? >> Yes.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 22, 2025 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel on accidental ingestion of illegal drug products by children. Panel members said pediatric ingestions have become the most common case type they review, with the highest-risk children ages one to four, and that fatal cases have increased in recent years. They reported that the substances most often involved are fentanyl, cannabinoids including THC products, methamphetamine, and increasingly xylazine; they also noted a decline in buprenorphine-related ingestions, which they viewed as a positive trend. The panel used several case examples to highlight recurring problems in investigations and medical response, including delayed DCBS involvement, failure to administer Narcan, inadequate drug testing, lack of child abuse team involvement, and limited or absent law enforcement investigation. They said law enforcement issues are especially common in pediatric ingestion cases and are concentrated in Jefferson County and the Bluegrass/KIPA regions. One example involved a one-year-old who died from fentanyl and Benadryl intoxication; another involved a two-year-old who died after ingesting multiple substances; and a third involved a four-year-old with near-fatal THC gummy ingestion where delayed treatment worsened the child’s condition. They also described a 10-month-old THC ingestion case that resulted in a criminal abuse conviction, which they presented as an example without missed investigative opportunities. Committee members discussed possible policy responses, including creating a more specific criminal child abuse offense or clarifying existing abuse and neglect definitions to cover unsafe access to illegal drugs, while preserving room for true accidents and prescribed medications. Members also raised the need for statewide standardization in reporting, investigation, and medical response, and suggested the panel should be able to call in agencies such as law enforcement, DCBS, judges, and hospitals for closed-session review of selected cases. The panel chair said they were already pursuing meetings with LMPD and would provide Jefferson County-specific breakdowns, and members expressed interest in additional data and agency follow-up before considering legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And as his chief of staff underscored in reading this passage, quote, Jerry believed in private kindness
• So we organized a private screening for students from all five of the Norfolk high schools, including
• Welcome, welcome to the Capitol, and thank you for reading such an inspiring book.
• New category: Senate bills on third reading, regular. Six bills in this category.
• I invite you to read it. New is all of a whopping 11 lines. I invite you to read it.

Keywords: March 12, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Am I reading that correctly? Madam Chair, Senator Thornton. Yeah, that's correct.
• Probably you'd have to read the decision that was made by the panel.
• These were the original altar screens when the church was completed.
• It currently reads Santa Cruz de la Canada because the tilde cannot be put on the N.
• I want to make sure that when they read Senate Bill 47, they realize that their senator from Espanola

Transcript Highlights:

• READ IT FOR YOURSELF, IF YOU DARE TO.
• HAVING READING MATERIAL AVAILABLE THAT ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO BE INTERESTED IN READING IS KEY TO IMPROVING
• THEIR READING SCORES.
• MY MOTHER WAS A READING TEACHER GROWING UP. I READ A LOT OF CONTENT THAT WAS NOT AGE-APPROPRIATE.
• I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I HAD A KIND TEACHER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT ME READING BELOW MY READING LEVEL

Transcript Highlights:

• You go to a Twins game, you're going to go through screening.
• You go to a Twins game, you're going to go through screening.
• You go to a Twins game, you're going to go through screening.
• Capitol, there's a rigorous screening you go through.
• Capitol, there's a rigorous screening you go through.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The interview focused on changes to security at the Minnesota Capitol complex in response to rising political violence and recent attacks on public officials, including the June 14 assassinations of Melissa and Mark Hartman and the attempted assassination of Senator Hoffman and his wife. The senator said those events, along with broader threats against elected officials, created urgency to strengthen protections for members, staff, and visitors. The discussion centered on the Axtell report, a Department of Public Safety security assessment of four priority buildings: the Capitol, Centennial Office Building, Judicial Center, and Minnesota Senate Building. The report included a public executive summary and a confidential detailed analysis. Its top recommendation was weapon screening, which the advisory committee adopted as the highest-impact measure to prevent weapons or other dangerous items from entering the buildings. The senator described visible changes such as screening at entrances, single-entry points, Evolv machines, and X-ray screening for bags, as well as a Senate rule barring guns in the gallery after concerns about member safety. She argued these measures do not significantly reduce access because most state capitols already screen visitors, and said restrictions on firearms in government buildings are consistent with constitutional limits in sensitive places. She also noted that permit holders may still enter with firearms for now, but said she plans to introduce a bill to ban guns on the Capitol complex entirely. Additional recommendations discussed included encrypted staff badges, more consistent access controls across buildings, and behavioral threat assessment training. The senator said some proposals will require legislative action and funding, citing an estimated $41 million request from the Department of Administration, while other measures could be implemented administratively from the non-public security report.

Transcript Highlights:

• Was that what you're reading now? Uh, that is yes, I'm reading from that. Okay.
• That's that we can read it on our own. Whatever you didn't manage to read to us. Okay.
• them so I can read them and see them. them so I can read them and see them.
• <02:27:17.920> Any just give it to us to read. Any just give it to us to read.
• some sort of a screening some sort of a screening mechanism?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was my job to make sure that all those products were processed and screened and all appropriate, what
• we call... ...were processed and screened and all appropriate, what we call good manufacturing practices
• It should be fair. were processed and screened and all appropriate what we call good manufacturing practices
• So, folks, I’m just going to—and I’m not going to, as part of these documents, I’m just going to read
• done so folks I'm just going to and I'm not going to as part of this year documents I'm just going to read

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs held its fourth public hearing of the 2025-26 session on recognitions, definitions, and designations related to veterans. Chairs John Velis and Joseph McGonagle opened the hybrid hearing with housekeeping rules and noted the committee’s reporting deadlines. The hearing focused on several bills honoring veterans and military-related service, including H. 3825 to include reserve components in flag half-staff recognition for service members killed in action, S. 2499 to place a State House marker honoring three Medal of Honor recipients from the war on terror, S. 2498 to add Merchant Marine recognition at veterans cemeteries and the State House and create a Massachusetts merchant mariner medal, and H. 2500/S. 2500 to have Massachusetts fly the Honor and Remember flag for Gold Star families and fallen service members. A major portion of the hearing centered on H. 3871 and S. 2467, which would update the Commonwealth’s definition of “veteran.” Testimony came from the Office of Veterans Services, veterans organizations, Public Health Service and NOAA representatives, National Guard and Reserve veterans, and Gold Star advocates. Witnesses argued the current state definition is inconsistent with federal law and excludes some service members who should be recognized, especially members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, reservists, and some National Guard members. Supporters said the bills would improve fairness, consistency, and access to benefits and services, while several speakers emphasized that service in uniform should be honored regardless of branch. Some testimony also urged a broader moral recognition of all who raised their right hand, while others focused on aligning state law with federal definitions and closing gaps in eligibility. Committee members asked questions about the practical and fiscal effects of broadening the definition, including how the proposed language would interact with existing federal standards and state benefit programs. Witnesses explained that the bills would remove the current 180-day and 90-day active-service calculations and instead recognize certain active service and six-year reserve or Guard commitments, though some members noted that this could create a broader state standard than the federal one. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing, and the committee concluded after hearing from the final witness and adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• eligibility and compliance checks that will be coming, allowing for a higher volume of on-site screenings
• I've been also doing a lot of reading, and that's also what I've sort of determined.
• taxpayers are not liable for for any fraudulent claims that are paid, which is consistent with all of the reading
• You know, this is a blue screen, and it's ancient—back from the late 80s, I believe, or maybe early 90s
• I visited counties and tribal nations, and I got to see the very same green screens that you're talking

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to make sure I understand what I was reading.
• Am I reading that wrong?
• Did you read that?
• I actually read, right before I learned about your bill on this, I read a New York Times article about
• Just some light reading for your summer break, Senator.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the gasification plant takes the chunk coal, we deliver it over there, and then we run it over some screens
• And then we run it over some screens, and the finer coal falls through, and that gets transferred over
• This is the Leland Olds Station, and you can kind of see on the right-hand side of the screen, way at
• The other thing that you see on the screen here, this is the bottom ash conveyor.
• And then once we go out to the back, we go to our next screen, to the scrubber.

Summary: The committee met at the Coteau Freedom Mine in Mercer County, approved the June 2 minutes, and heard an overview of the mine from Coteau Properties president Andrew Hawbaker. He described the Freedom Mine as the largest lignite mine in the United States, supplying coal to Dakota Gasification, Antelope Valley Station, and Leland Olds Station. He emphasized the mine’s scale, safety record, reclamation work, workforce needs, community involvement, and economic impact, including payroll, taxes, royalties, scholarships, and local hiring. Members asked about how long land stays in production, how quickly it returns to agriculture after reclamation, labor shortages, and how mining affects groundwater and water wells. Hawbaker said most tracts are mined for about three to five years, reclamation is coordinated with landowners, and the company continues to struggle to find electricians, welders, mechanics, operators, and engineers. The committee then heard from Public Service Commission Chairman Randy Christman on coal mining reclamation and permitting. He reviewed North Dakota’s coal mining history, the state’s reclamation laws, federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act primacy, bonding, permit renewals and revisions, prohibited mining areas, inspection and enforcement, and contemporaneous reclamation requirements. Christman stressed that North Dakota’s program is professional and thorough, with frequent inspections, financial assurance, and a 10-year revegetation monitoring period before bond release. He also discussed federal coal ownership issues that can delay mine plans, the treatment of prime farmland, and how reclamation differs for wind and pipelines. In response to questions, he said one challenge is sometimes releasing land too soon before long-term compaction issues are fully understood, and he noted that data centers do not currently have a comparable reclamation model because they typically own the land. In the afternoon, the committee received an update from Lignite Energy Council president Jonathan Fortner on the lignite industry. He said North Dakota’s lignite sector supports five commercial power plants, four mines, about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs, and more than $5.5 billion in economic activity, while helping keep the state’s electricity rates among the lowest in the nation. Fortner reviewed coal severance and conversion tax revenues, the lignite research fund, federal regulatory rollbacks, carbon capture policy, and the industry’s legal costs fighting federal rules. He also highlighted a study on large-load development, saying new data centers and critical mineral processing facilities could create major local tax revenue and help justify new baseload generation. Members asked whether new gas pipelines would crowd out coal plant development and whether the economic study included jobs and broader local impacts; Fortner said the industry sees room for both and that the study did include construction, operations, jobs, and tax effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll ask our committee clerk to read the charges.
• Of course, at the nucleus, what you're seeing on the next screen is illegal cell phones.
• We currently are working across teams to tighten screening and proven verification and find solutions
• That's something that takes a little bit more time in the screening of our cases.
• We read the 10R. Around stoned all the time, right? Because they're not all dying. Right.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, I read a story about a meeting that happened right before Christmas, and it's one of our major
• Such as cancer screenings and chronic disease management and help achieve cost savings and better health
• We completed 34 audits and we screened over 76. 6,000 provider applications.
• I'll read the chart. Yes, sir. It's a little less than 10%. there.
• tests on our newborn screening panel, as well as. incorporating PFAS testing into our standard water

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Of this, we have substantiated or screened in close to 700 consumers, with 12% of these individuals being
• Many others who work at Latter Care are immigrants, and we couldn't even read our pay stubs, even if
• Many others who work at Latter Care are immigrants, and we couldn't even read our pay stubs, even if
• I won't read all the things that define the PACE model of care, but I do want to touch on the reasons
• I am so impressed with your professional behavior, and we will read your testimony with care.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several aging-related bills, with most speakers focusing on housing stability, home-based services, and care transitions. Representative Badger and a commissioner testified in support of H4039, which would create a universal breakfast and lunch program at senior centers funded through a new Senior Breakfast and Lunch Fund, arguing it would reduce food insecurity and social isolation among older adults. Representative Lipper-Garabedian and multiple providers then supported H780/S495, the hospital-to-home partnership program, describing how embedded aging-services liaisons help older patients transition safely from hospitals to home, reduce readmissions, and avoid nursing facility placement; witnesses from Mystic Valley Elder Services and Mass Aging Access cited pilot results, including hundreds of patients served and examples of substantial cost savings and successful discharge planning. The committee also took testimony on S478, which would require continuing care retirement communities to disclose entrance-fee refund policies more clearly at enrollment. Senator Lovely and LeadingAge Massachusetts said the bill would improve transparency for residents and families, while a consumer witness said her family experienced delays and confusion in getting a refund after her mother left a CCRC. Members noted the issue is also being examined by a special commission on CCRCs. A large portion of the hearing focused on S475, a statewide bridge subsidy program for older adults facing housing instability. Advocates from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, Western Massachusetts, Somerville, Northampton, East Hampton, Old Colony Elder Services, and Somerville’s Office of Housing Stability described rising senior homelessness, long waitlists for subsidized housing, and cases where short-term rental assistance kept older adults housed while they waited for permanent housing. Somerville witnesses said the pilot program helped nine households remain housed and that some participants have since moved into permanent housing. Members asked about wait times, program design, and how to prioritize applicants; witnesses emphasized flexibility, emergency risk, and the need for a statewide expansion. The hearing also included testimony on S465, an ALS bill that would expand home care access regardless of age and bar the use of quality-adjusted life-year metrics in coverage decisions, with the sponsor and ALS Association arguing the measure would reduce discriminatory treatment and better center patient care. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You have this in your packets, the slides as well, and they're up on the screens on either side of the
• You have this in your packets, the slides as well, and they're up on the screens on either side of the
• I'll go through some more specific ones as we go on. they're up on the the screens on either they're
• up on the the screens on either side<00:13:04.480> of<00:13:04.600> the<00:13:04.800>
• Act and provide district supports to do their part in implementing the literacy—I'm sorry, the READ

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee met for its first hearing of 2025 and began with member and staff introductions, along with opening remarks from Chair Peggy Bennett about her first time chairing the committee. Members briefly described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair also reviewed committee rules and procedures, including deadlines for bill requests, amendments, testifiers, and handouts. Nonpartisan House Research then provided an extensive overview of the committee’s jurisdiction and the education code. The presentation covered the Department of Education’s duties, including supervision of public schools, rulemaking under legislative authority, state and federal education funding and compliance, standards and assessments, accountability systems, student discipline, and model policies. It also discussed related entities such as PELSB, the Board of School Administrators, the Perpich Center, regional centers of excellence, Compass, MTSS, and the READ Act. The committee asked questions about zoning for school sites and about teacher licensure changes, including the tiered licensure system and recent adjustments affecting special education teachers and standards of effective practice. No bills were heard and no votes were taken. The meeting was primarily organizational and informational, focused on orienting members to the committee’s work and the structure of Minnesota’s education policy system.