Transcript Highlights:

• To recommend policy changes and legislative changes, publish reports on the completion of audits or investigations
• determined the best way to do this is through an appointment that essentially set up like the Legislative Audit
• The health care committee, the auditor presented an audit on a sampling of health care expenditures.

Transcript Highlights:

• their county's unique needs by providing versatile services including human resource administration, auditing
• HB number 12 by Bella Kaufman relating to the review and audit of certain state agency operations.
• introducing a mid-cycle limited review specifically targeting regulatory agencies, a third party efficiency audit

Transcript Highlights:

• As your staff member in the legislature, I have no ability to audit that data.
• So one of the challenges we have again is that inability to audit that income data.
• census to hone in on the concentration of poverty in each community, and we do have the ability to audit

Transcript Highlights:

• meetings with the state agency's internal auditor to deliver or receive information about certain auditing
• HB 3508 by Trey Wharton relating to the insurance responsibility to review and audit a third-party administrator

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this would be a risk-based audit regime.
• Pre- and post-deployment audits by independent third parties.
• And so this would be a risk-based audit<01:10:16.000> regime.
• Categorizing all AI audit regime.
• <01:10:26.000> by and post deployment audits by and post deployment audits by independent<01:10

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There would be a system in place to identify them, where they would have their financials audited, and
• There would be a system in place to identify them, where they would have their financials audited, and
• :21:07.039> their<00:21:07.640> uh<00:21:07.840> financials<00:21:08.640> audited
• <00:21:09.640> and have their uh financials audited and have their uh financials audited and
• of Grant applications IT audits of Grant applications IT addresses<00:23:46.520> the<00:23:46.720

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And I believe the last time there was a legislative audit report on prevailing wage was back in 2007.
• way that it is collected right now is so diffuse and so atomized that it becomes very difficult to audit
• auditor, I'm sorry, legislative audit auditor, I'm sorry, legislative audit report<00:42:54.840>
• ><00:43:11.680> difficult<00:43:12.480> to uh very difficult to uh very difficult to audit
• audit audit whether<00:43:15.000> or<00:43:15.080> not<00:43:15.280> there's<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , that the Office of the Auditor is requested to conduct a comprehensive performance and financial audit
• <01:18:22.680> And a financial and performance audit.
• And a financial and performance audit.
• comprehensive performance<01:19:29.960> and<01:19:30.120> financial<01:19:30.680> audit
• and financial audit of the Auhuhu<01:19:32.040> Advisory<01:19:32.520> Committee.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a series of resolutions and a few bills, with testimony largely in support across the agenda. Early measures included HCR 15/HR 17 supporting Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy, and HCR 22/HR 22 urging Congress to pass federal kidney disease legislation; both drew support and no opposition. The committee also heard HCR 146 HD1/HR 138 HD1 on “excited delirium,” with testimony from advocates urging the resolutions be broadened to include related terms such as hyperactive delirium and agitated delirium, and from family members and disability-rights advocates describing the issue as harmful pseudoscience tied to police-custody deaths and calling for a ban on the term and better mental-health responses. The committee then took up HCR 123/HR 115 on creating a coordinated support and stabilization task force for Native Hawaiians experiencing homelessness or extreme low income. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands testified in support, describing its transitional housing work and saying collaboration and data-sharing with the state homelessness office would help beneficiaries and others; members questioned whether existing entities already do similar work and whether the proposal would extend beyond beneficiaries. HCR 32/HR 32, which asks the governor’s senior advisor on mental health and the justice system to develop a plan to increase access to Hawaii State Hospital for certain criminal defendants, drew support from the Department of Health, the governor’s office, and disability-rights advocates, who emphasized coordinated planning, diversion from arrest when appropriate, and matching people to the right level of care. Additional resolutions addressed a range of policy issues: renaming Leeward Community College to Puloulou Community College (with no testimony), creating an ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi pathway under the Niʻihau dialect at UH (UH noted existing courses already cover the dialect but not a degree pathway), moving to a demerit-point driver licensing system (support only), and coordinating transportation infrastructure planning for Hawaiian home lands (DHHL supported the measure and said an expired DOT memorandum of understanding had covered related collaboration). The committee also heard support for expanding DHHL financial literacy and homeownership-preparedness programs, a resolution asking the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to examine algorithmic discrimination, and a resolution urging the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Advisory Committee to follow its rules, comply with the Sunshine Law, review its executive director, and strengthen accountability; the last measure drew 11 written supports and no opposition. No final votes or decisions were taken in the portion provided, as the hearing focused on testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And lastly, I'll say, and I promise lastly, is that the LBA is going to be doing an audit of our special
• But we do have this rather large and comprehensive audit.
• of the spe of our special audit of the spe of our special education<00:28:38.360> systems<00:
• <00:28:53.279> So<00:28:53.520> I<00:28:53.760> would comprehensive audit.
• So I would comprehensive audit.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires the Auditor General to annually conduct an end-of-the-year audit of the scholarship programs
• The Auditor General has just concluded an audit of the scholarship funding organizations and has found
• The Auditor General has just concluded an audit of the scholarship funding organizations and has found
• The Auditor General has just concluded an audit of the scholarship funding organizations and has found
• The Auditor General has just concluded an audit of the scholarship funding organizations and has found

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several gallery introductions before taking up Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 168, the Tristan Murphy Act, on mental health. Senator Bradley explained that the bill is intended to divert clinically appropriate defendants with mental illness from jail to treatment, create pretrial mental health diversion programs, expand grant uses for mental health and substance abuse reinvestment, require evaluations and treatment follow-up in certain probation and prison settings, add Hillsborough County to a forensic hospital diversion pilot, and establish a Florida Behavioral Health Data Repository. Senators from both parties spoke in support, emphasizing treatment over incarceration, public safety, and the Murphy family’s role in the bill. The Senate passed the bill 37-0 and then recorded 37 co-sponsors. The chamber then moved into presentations on SB 2500, the 2025-26 General Appropriations Act. Chair Hooper said the Senate budget totals $117.4 billion, reduces overall spending from the prior year, maintains reserves, keeps employee health contributions level, and includes major investments in water quality, transportation, education infrastructure, and nearly $1 billion in education capital outlay. Committee chairs outlined their portions of the budget, including increased funding for K-12 schools and scholarships, higher education workforce programs, Medicaid and health services, corrections and courts, transportation and housing, and environmental restoration such as Everglades and water quality projects. Members then asked extensive questions, especially about education funding, school choice, AP/IB and accelerated programs, the Family Empowerment Scholarship, and the FEFP calculations. Senator Burgess repeatedly explained that scholarship funding is being moved “below the line” to improve tracking and that the Senate position is to preserve funding while giving districts more flexibility. Senators also questioned the APD wait list for disability services, opioid settlement spending, arts funding, the My Safe Florida Home condo pilot, and proposed IT and agency restructuring. Several chairs said some issues would be resolved in conference, and no final vote on the budget was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I remember several years ago when the Feeding Our Future audit came in and I asked the people from
• the administration that were there for that audit, "How many entities were suspected or committed fraud
• , that were there for that audit, that were there for that audit, "How<01:10:50.400> many<
• And then, a year or two later, when an elderly feeding the elderly people, um, audit came through much
• Because program after program, year after year, repeat offenders have shown up in the audits.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Our auditors bring in an average of 1.2. million dollars in audit adjustments per person each year with
• It will reduce both of those divisions' staff turnover. and will increase the agency's overall audit
• $3.1 million. others for critical workforce support needs, including relocation and expansion. of Audit
• We report a percentage of 901 service available, number of calls, number of local audits, number of GIS
• The SAO also conducted an audit of financial practices at the Commission.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, the vote is now accurate, with the ability to audit the vote in real time prior to the warrant
• is accomplished by enabling every voter to confirm the accurate receipt of their vote in a public audit
• While the audit table is public, each vote remains confidential.
• If voters report discrepancies between the vote they submitted and the vote shown in the public audit
• We have fully described this real-time confidential auditing technique to many legislators, moderators

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills related to open meeting law, municipal meetings, town meetings, and remote participation. Senator Rausch supported S. 2205 and S. 2206, and House companion H. 3382, saying they would make remote participation in public bodies permanent and streamline open meeting law and public records complaint processes to reduce burdens on local officials. Committee members and the senator discussed concerns about complaints being weaponized, the role of the Attorney General, and whether public testimony should be presumed allowed unless a chair limits it with justification. The senator said the bills do not change public records fees and are meant to improve process and transparency. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 3342 and S. 2197, which would modernize municipal meetings, town meetings, and local elections by allowing permanent remote or hybrid participation. Supporters included Wayland officials, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, MAPC, MACC, and others, who argued that hybrid and remote options increase participation, help parents, caregivers, people with disabilities, and residents with travel or work constraints, and have worked well during the pandemic-era extensions. Municipal officials emphasized that a mandate would be costly and difficult for smaller communities because of staffing, technology, room design, cybersecurity, and uneven internet access, especially in western Massachusetts. Committee members asked about equal access, funding, and whether local discretion should remain; the chair said the committee wants a permanent solution beyond emergency rules but must balance access with local capacity. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3328, which would allow remote participation to count toward quorum for statewide appointed bodies such as commissions on women and LGBTQ issues. Supporters argued this would improve regional equity and make it easier for people outside Greater Boston to serve, while committee members noted it is a separate issue from municipal meetings and may be easier to address than broader local-government changes. Another bill, H. 4351, was supported by Rep. Brandy Fluker Reed, who described it as creating an Office of Freedmen Affairs to address longstanding racial wealth disparities affecting descendants of enslaved Americans. The hearing also included testimony on H. 3299 from Common Cause and MASSPIRG in favor of guaranteed hybrid access for public meetings with public participation components, with advocates saying it would improve transparency, accessibility, and civic engagement.

Transcript Highlights:

• oversight and enforcement framework, including through a public incident reporting mechanism, third-party audits
• , the development of auditing standards by the Attorney General, and the inclusion of a private right
• oversight and enforcement framework, including through a public incident reporting mechanism, third-party audits
• The development of auditing standards by the Attorney Thank you. mechanism, third-party audits, the development
• of auditing standards by the Attorney General and the inclusion of a private right of action.

Summary: The committee heard several bills. SB 911, by Senator Becker, would require notification and verification of defensible-space compliance when homes in high wildfire severity zones are transferred, using the preliminary change of ownership report; supporters said it would improve wildfire resilience and insurance availability, while county assessors opposed the use of the PCOR and urged a different recorded document. Members generally supported the bill but raised concerns about the 12-month compliance window and the need to keep working with assessors; the bill was held pending a quorum and later placed on call. SB 1016, by Senator Blakespear, would create a pathway for a higher-level mental health evaluation when a Care Court petition is dismissed because the person is too ill to participate or otherwise needs more intensive care. Supporters, including psychiatrists, family members, and local officials, said Care Court is leaving many severely ill people untreated and that the bill would connect them to existing LPS processes. Opponents, including Disability Rights California, county behavioral health directors, counties, and other advocacy groups, argued it would expand involuntary detention, bypass existing pre-petition screening safeguards, and undermine Care Court’s voluntary nature. The bill passed the committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 1112, by Senator Archuleta, would create a faster court process for victims of illegal or excessive “bandit towing” to recover their vehicles by posting a bond and obtaining a release certificate. Support came from Enterprise Mobility and the author, who said the bill targets bad actors and helps equalize leverage for vehicle owners; the California Auto Body Association sought an amendment to exclude auto repair shops. The committee passed the bill as amended to Appropriations and placed it on call. SB 1119, by Senator Padilla, would impose child-safety requirements on AI chatbots, including risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, parental controls, limits on time and data use, reporting, audits, and a private right of action. The bill was driven by testimony from the mother of a teenager who died by suicide after prolonged chatbot interactions; industry and business groups opposed or sought amendments, citing overlap with recent law, vague standards, and prescriptive design mandates. Members expressed strong support for the bill’s goals while urging tighter definitions, and the bill was moved on a roll call vote and placed on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we saw with our audit, there were some issues.
• And I just want to quickly say, you know, this committee did have an audit done, and we found that, you
• Was there any audit of the effectiveness of services?
• And one of a question is, were those administrative entities, did they go through legislative audits?
• Did legislative audit ever audit any of those administrative entities that you're eliminating?

Summary: The meeting focused on Arkansas’s workforce development reorganization and a set of federal waiver requests intended to consolidate and streamline the state’s WIOA system. Commerce officials said the department has already centralized shared services, split the old workforce agency into reemployment and Arkansas Workforce Connections, and submitted a combined WIOA/Perkins state plan. They described nine waiver requests, including replacing local workforce boards with a single statewide board, creating one planning and accountability structure, allowing more flexible movement of funds across regions, easing the “last-dollar” requirement for training and supportive services, reducing required youth program elements, and allowing affiliate sites instead of mandatory comprehensive centers. Officials said the goal is to reduce administrative costs and redirect more money to training, supportive services, and employer-driven programs. Legislators raised concerns about rural representation, local employer relationships, and whether local offices would close. Commerce officials said local offices would remain open, some current staff could be rehired, and regional business councils would preserve local employer input. They said the current system is fragmented and expensive, with roughly $14 million in federal workforce funds flowing through local boards but only about $1.9 million spent on training and supportive services last year; they argued the reorganization could raise training spending to about $6 million to $7 million annually. Questions also addressed board composition, performance accountability, and how funds could be shifted between regions when needs change. The State Board of Workforce Development had approved the waiver package 11-3 before it was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor. Members also discussed workforce access for people with disabilities, child care and transportation supports, and the role of Arkansas Launch, apprenticeships, and career and technical education. Officials said vocational rehabilitation now has better access to the state job board and that referrals and data-sharing with DHS and other partners still need improvement. Several legislators emphasized the need for training to align more closely with employer demand, especially in manufacturing, technology, health care, and rural areas. The committee also heard a brief overview of Workforce Pell, with staff explaining that the new federal short-term Pell option has narrow eligibility rules and may not fit many existing programs, including some CDL and CNA programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would like to start with the MMB provisions, and specifically the internal controls and internal audit
• and other internal control improvements within their operations, including the implementation of OLA audit
• operations, including the implementation<00:48:16.720> of<00:48:16.960> OLA<00:48:17.440> audit
• implementation of OLA audit implementation of OLA audit recommendations. recommendations. recommendations
• been discussed in this committee recently, and we heard in House File 3642, which addressed the OLA audit

Bills: HF4364, HF4821, HF4543, HF3945

Keywords: Central and Eastern European Affairs, ethnic council, advisory council, Minnesota state government, immigrant communities, refugees, humanitarian parolees, Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Czech Republic, Baltic states, Slovakia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Russia

Summary: The committee first approved the April 7, 2026 minutes and then held an informal hearing on House File 4364, which would establish a Central and Eastern European Ethnic Council in Minnesota. Representative Jordan and testifiers Mykola Mager and Julia Miller described the large Central and Eastern European community in Minnesota, its contributions to the state, and the need for a formal advisory body to help address barriers to government services, support refugees, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and cultural understanding. Members expressed general support and noted the bill’s importance, but no formal action was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then took up House File 4543, a bill to create a centralized payroll reporting portal for prevailing wage projects. Representative Frazier said the bill would reduce administrative burden on project owners, improve transparency and accountability, and help prevent wage theft, misclassification, tax fraud, and insurance fraud. Testifiers from county, city, and contractor groups largely supported the idea of streamlining reporting, but contractor representatives raised concerns about employee data privacy, public access to sensitive payroll information, duplication of existing systems, interoperability with contractor software, and the need for stakeholder engagement. Members echoed both support and caution, and the bill was laid over as amended rather than advanced. Finally, the committee considered House File 4821, described by Chair Klevorn as addressing the “penny problem” and a related change to high-deductible insurance plans. The bill would authorize state agencies to round cash transactions because of the penny shortage and would change MMB’s obligation to offer certain high-deductible health plans from “must” to “may,” producing modest administrative savings. Members questioned the drafting of the rounding language and asked about cash transactions at state agencies and the handling of cannabis tax payments. The chair noted the bill had missed the deadline and would be caught by the chief clerk’s office; the discussion ended with the bill being laid over as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• finally, I want to bring up something in adjacency that people can be aware of, and that is sales tax audits
• Right now, your grocery stores, your independent grocery stores, generally have sales tax audits that
• finally, I want to bring up something in adjacency that people can be aware of, and that is sales tax audits
• Right now, your grocery stores, your independent grocery stores, generally have sales tax audits that
• Right now, your grocery stores, your independent grocery stores, generally have sales tax audits that

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 3603, and Representative Olson first offered and had adopted an A1 author’s amendment. Olson then explained that the bill would direct the Commissioner of Children, Youth and Families to seek a USDA waiver allowing Minnesota to bar SNAP purchases of items subject to state sales tax, such as prepared foods, chips, soft drinks, and candy. He argued the goal was to promote healthier nutrition, noted that other states have similar waivers, and said the change could help Minnesota qualify for significant federal rural health care funding. Public testimony was divided. Patrick Garofalo of the Minnesota Grocers Association opposed the bill, saying SNAP is a supplemental program and that the proposal would be difficult to administer at retail stores, create confusion, and expose retailers to serious penalties for mistakes. He argued the state tax code is not a nutrition standard and pointed out inconsistencies, such as some candy-like products still being taxable or some healthy items being treated as prepared food. Will Hagen of Minnesota Retailers also opposed the bill, warning it would require costly point-of-sale changes, retraining, and would turn store employees into enforcers while creating cross-border shopping problems. Matt Schmidt of the American First Policy Institute supported the concept, saying SNAP should emphasize nutrition and that restricting unhealthy purchases would reduce taxpayer subsidies for junk food and soda. Members then debated the bill’s logic and practicality, including questions about which snacks would or would not be allowed under the tax-based standard. Representative Sencer-Mura offered an H2 amendment, framed as applying the same restrictions to legislators’ own per diem spending; Representative Hansen responded that the comparison was not equivalent and raised concerns about household circumstances and accessibility. The H2 amendment was put to a vote and did not prevail. The committee then continued member discussion on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um I provided our audited<00:36:40.280> financials<00:36:41.040> and<00:36:41.400> audit
• <00:36:41.680> with<00:36:41.840> the audited financials and audit with the audited
• financials and audit with the last<00:36:42.920> uh<00:36:43.560> hearing.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I think this is going to save a lot of manufacturer co-ops some money with audit requirements.
• I think by um I believe I think I asked during the public hearing, it's like $10,000 per audit.
• We clarified the audit-compliant process, referring engineers and architects potentially to our licensing
• ,<01:39:00.320> we<01:39:00.560> clarified<01:39:01.040> the<01:39:01.280> audit
• <01:39:01.600> compliant Um, we clarified the audit compliant Um, we clarified the audit compliant

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It will provide us with automation efficiencies and also position us well for more comprehensive audits
• So we are also getting ready for our own audits.
• Our own audits will be more comprehensive as opposed to just a component of a...
• Our own audits will be more comprehensive as opposed to just a component of a DMR audit.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee received a compliance and status update on Industrial Commission programs and the Bank of North Dakota. Staff reviewed appropriations and spending for several Industrial Commission funds and grant programs, including lignite research, oil and gas research, clean sustainable energy, grid resiliency, salt cavern analysis, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members discussed the timing of reimbursements, uncommitted balances, and the structure of the pipeline capacity and enhanced oil recovery funding. The Industrial Commission also reported on its administrative budget, grant management system project, and recent leadership transitions across several agencies. Karen Tyler of the Industrial Commission described active grant rounds and the status of major projects. She said the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority approved three projects in its sixth round, with remaining uncommitted cash and loan capacity still available, though no new funding was appropriated this session. She also said the Oil and Gas Research Council approved six enhanced oil recovery projects and expects additional funding after a federal Department of Energy award replaces one project’s state funding. For grid resiliency grants, she said some projects have been funded, some commitments were returned or reallocated, and some DOE funds remain pending. She also updated the committee on the salt cavern business case study, which replaced an earlier larger development proposal, and on the NDSU research park grant, where the nonmatching portion was paid and the matching portion has moved slowly because the match must be in cash. Ron Ness then gave an extended presentation on enhanced oil recovery and North Dakota oil and gas trends. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on infrastructure, especially gas takeaway and projects like the Bakken East pipeline. He argued that enhanced oil recovery using CO2, natural gas, surfactants, and other methods could extend Bakken production for decades, but that the state needs more CO2 supply, better storage, and updated tax and regulatory incentives. Members asked about lateral lengths, CO2 availability, pipeline impacts, and the role of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and Ness emphasized that the projects are intended to share technical learning across operators and attract follow-on investment. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and strategic update. President Don Morgan said the bank’s mission remains to support North Dakota agriculture, commerce, and industry while cooperating with the state’s financial sector. He reviewed the bank’s main business lines: participation lending with community institutions, student loans, disaster lending, mission-based programs, and a new fintech-focused effort. Morgan said deposits are flattening, so the bank is managing balance sheet growth carefully, while still reporting improved net income and strong efficiency. He also introduced Rough Rider Coin as a bank-to-bank payment rail, not a public cryptocurrency, intended to speed and modernize payments within North Dakota’s banking and credit union system. Committee members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster program use, and how credit lines and liquidity would be affected if deposits shrink.