Transcript Highlights:

• Evolving to meet today's threats, we have recently repowered these vessels and made other modifications
• We're doing other modifications to make them safer for our agents during high-risk pursuits.

Keywords: Coast Guard, maritime drug enforcement, illegal drugs, fentanyl crisis, legislative reforms, public testimony

Summary: The meeting of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation addressed critical issues surrounding maritime drug enforcement and the Coast Guard's role in stopping the influx of illegal drugs. The chairman highlighted the alarming consequences of current policies allowing drugs to cross borders, emphasizing the need for legislative reforms, such as the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025. There was an intense discussion regarding the operational challenges faced by the Coast Guard, which has recently made significant drug seizures, indicating progress but also revealing gaps that need addressing. Several witnesses, including victims of the drug crisis, shared their compelling testimonies, which underscored the urgency for stricter controls and comprehensive support for law enforcement agencies involved in drug interdiction efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't know if this is a modification, but we're just keeping it the same, correct?

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1137, underground facilities evacuations modifications.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All new rules and rule modifications must be in full compliance with Texas law.

Bills: HB668, HB677, HB766, HB3133, SB3070

Keywords: HB 668, Texas, handgun license, license to carry, LTC, concealed carry, open carry, firearm permit, gun license renewal, public safety, Department of Public Safety, DPS, Government Code Section 411.185, renewal fee, handgun permit, Second Amendment, carry permit, firearms regulation, HB 677, Texas Election Code

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, in here, it just said drawings and specifications of exterior modifications for use, but it doesn't

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• STUDENTS CAN THEN DEVELOP WHAT IS CALLED AN INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME MODIFICATIONS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If your answer is the men's rooms based upon the genitalia and/or genetics I was born with, your answer
• answer is the men's rooms based upon the genitalia<02:31:31.120> and/or<02:31:31.520> genetics
• <02:31:31.920> I<02:31:32.160> was<02:31:32.240> born genitalia and/or genetics
• I was born genitalia and/or genetics I was born with,<02:31:33.120> your<02:31:33.359> answer

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 141, which would create a narrow exception to New Hampshire’s three-year deadline for motions for a new trial when a petitioner has newly discovered evidence, new forensic testing, or new scientific understanding. The prime sponsor’s representative and advocates from the Innocence Project and New England Innocence Project argued the bill is needed to help wrongfully convicted people access the courts, noting that exonerations often take many years and that outdated forensic science has contributed to wrongful convictions. The chair also said he had drafted a proposed amendment for committee review, but it had not yet been formally submitted. Witnesses supporting the bill emphasized that the measure would not guarantee relief, only allow a petition to be filed and reviewed under existing standards. They discussed examples such as arson science, explaining that some convictions were based on forensic methods later shown to be unreliable. Committee members asked about the scope of habeas corpus, whether the bill would create a new cause of action, and whether additional screening or pleading requirements should be added. The supporters said they would be open to requiring a petitioner to plead innocence, but opposed adding more burdensome preliminary procedures or counsel requirements at the filing stage. Thomas Farardi, from the Attorney General’s Office, testified in opposition or with caution, saying the bill was a “solution looking for a problem” because existing habeas corpus and coram nobis procedures already provide avenues for relief, and prosecutors can act when credible new evidence arises. He argued the current draft could invite additional litigation and create a new cause of action, and said he favored more screening before cases proceed. The discussion also touched on whether the statute applies in criminal cases, the current three-year limitation in RSA 526:4, and questions about posthumous petitions and petitions by deported individuals. No vote or executive action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• that the child may not share, you know, kids don’t necessarily say, ‘Oh, by the way, I have this genetic
• > necessarily say oh by the way I have necessarily say oh by the way I have this<06:00:57.760> genetic
• 58.760> my<06:00:59.040> family<06:01:00.040> thank<06:01:00.160> you this genetic
• flaw in my family thank you this genetic flaw in my family thank you very<06:01:00.440> much<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with House Bill 184, which would create a committee to study changing school start times. Members discussed Amendment 0394, which made the study committee’s duties more investigative and adjusted reporting recipients, including the Governor. Several members raised questions about whether the committee should review evidence-based studies, local district decisions, and existing district reports; supporters said the amendment would better allow the committee to gather information and recognize local control. The amendment passed 17-0, and the bill as amended also passed 17-0. Representative Litchfield noted that no one had testified in opposition and encouraged the future study committee to review an Oyster River School District report on school start times. The committee then took up House Bill 394, concerning cooperative school district budget committees and board member representatives. Amendment 0476 was adopted 17-0 after discussion that it clarified the bill’s language and reflected work with the School Boards Association. The committee then voted OTPA on the bill, which also passed 17-0. House Bill 738, requiring background checks for employees and volunteers at certain non-public schools or education service providers receiving public funds, was moved inexpedient to legislate. Supporters said the bill would create practical and legal problems for private citizens and homeschooling families, and the motion passed 15-2 with no minority report, placing the bill on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 235, which would amend the educator code of ethics and conduct to add responsibilities to parents. Supporters argued parents should be explicitly included in the code, while opponents said parents were already covered in existing ethics language and statute. The bill passed narrowly, 9-8. The committee then returned to House Bill 532 on alternate dispute resolution and individualized education plan team meeting facilitation. Amendment 0480H clarified that different rules would apply separately to neutral conference, mediation, and IEP facilitation; it passed 17-0, and the bill as amended also passed 17-0. Finally, the committee moved to House Bill 564, concerning adoption of school administrative unit budgets, and voted to retain the bill for further review because members said there was still confusion about how it would apply to single-district and multi-district SAUs.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1341 by Representative Johnson and Senator Pelton R., concerning a modification to the service
• 01:58:11.280> R<01:58:11.599> concerning<01:58:12.000> a<01:58:12.159> modification
• <01:58:12.560> to Pelton R concerning a modification to Pelton R concerning a modification
• tweaks to the penalties that were aligning with the Department of Labor that asked us to put some modifications

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 2025, the legislature specifically asked us to include in our review the need for any further modifications
• 2025, the legislature specifically asked us to include in our review the need for any further modifications
• in our review the need for any include in our review the need for any further<01:14:16.560> modifications
• > of<01:14:17.280> the<01:14:17.440> 48<01:14:17.920> hour further modifications
• of the 48 hour further modifications of the 48 hour rule.<01:14:19.280> Included<01:14:19.760

Bills: HF333, HF2712, HF1064, HF1069, HF1113, HF2207, HF204, HF2867, HF2924, HF746, HF1530, HF2587, HF1078

Keywords: HF333, Duluth, Lot D, redevelopment, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, bond proceeds, public infrastructure, seawall repair, utility connections, demolition, debris removal, transportation improvements, site preparation, soil correction, economic development, DEED, capital appropriation, general obligation bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• As I understand it, the substitute would be a modification and ultimate replacement of the program that
• This issue can be looked at in the future for modification, but it would create a default position.
• 00:57:29.599> for can be looked at in the future for can be looked at in the future for modification
• 31.440> would<00:57:32.440> um<00:57:32.720> create<00:57:33.160> a modification
• but it would um create a modification but it would um create a default default default position<00:57

Keywords: Meeting start 00:06:05 Roll Call 00:06:33 HB 152 Discussion 00:07:55 HB 152 PHS 2 Vote 00:10:12 HB 545 Discussion HB 545 PHS 1 Vote 00:13:47 HB 606 Discussion 00:15:15 HB 606 Vote 00:16:32 HJR 30 Discussion HJR Vote 00:19:07 HJR 32 Discussion 00:20:25 HJR 32 PHS 1 Vote 00:23:11 HJR 34 Discussion 00:25:04 HJR 34 PHS 1 Vote 00:28:50 HJR 46 Discussion 00:30:09 HJR 46 Vote 00:34:15 HJR 53 Discussion 00:35:40 HJR 53 Vote 00:38:55 HJR 54 Discussion 00:40:15 HJR 54 Vote 00:40:50 HB 546 Discussion 00:42:15 HB 546 PHS 1 Vote 00:46:15 HB 605 Discussion 00:47:38 HB 605 PHS 1 Vote 00:52:10 HB 694 Discussion 00:53:46 HB 694 Vote 01:07:47 HB 695 Discussion Only 01:10:20, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Appropriations and Revenue met on February 25 and considered a series of bills and joint resolutions, mostly involving appropriations, capital projects, and local infrastructure funding. The committee first adopted PHS 2 and passed House Bill 152, which creates a Medicaid supplemental payment program for public ground ambulance providers; the sponsor said the substitute ensures no state general fund dollars will be used and that local agencies must identify a funding source for any required match. HB 152 was reported favorably on a 20-0 vote. The committee also passed House Bill 545, the annual claims bill, after members confirmed all executive-branch claims were included; it was reported favorably on a 21-0 vote. House Bill 606, requiring reporting for general obligation bonds, also passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee then took up several joint resolutions tied to capital and infrastructure spending. House Joint Resolution 30, concerning water projects, was described as implementing ranked projects under the Waters program administered by KIA and was reported favorably on a 21-0 vote. House Joint Resolution 32, concerning school facilities construction, was amended by PHS 1 and advanced after discussion referencing the Auditor’s report and questions about a Johnson County Schools expenditure; it also passed 21-0. House Joint Resolution 34, relating to contingent appropriations for KCTCS, was amended by PHS 1 and advanced after testimony outlining three projects in Somerset, Jefferson Community and Technical College, and Glasgow; it passed 21-0. House Joint Resolution 46, for local road projects, was described as funding the highest-scoring local road requests from a larger pool of applications and passed 21-0. The committee also advanced House Joint Resolution 53, authorizing release of funds for KSU’s Health Sciences Center project, after KSU officials said the building is needed for nursing and allied health programs and promised a business plan report by November 1, 2025; it passed 21-0. House Joint Resolution 54, authorizing funds related to the State Fair Board, also passed unanimously. Later, the committee considered House Bill 546, which revises the local roads and streets program by adding a DOT-developed scoring system, monthly reporting, a match requirement, and a $500,000 project cap; members asked about the cap and were told larger projects should be handled through other mechanisms. HB 546 was reported favorably on a 21-0 vote. Finally, House Bill 605, a technical corrections and update bill for the local economic relief grant program, was amended by PHS 1 and discussed as expanding eligibility, including to the Delta Regional Authority and certain local-affiliated applicants; the transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 605.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there could be modifications, obviously, to this agenda depending upon the availability of the necessary
• through Senator Rest's... recently requested uh there could be recently requested uh there could be modifications
• c> obviously<01:33:47.880> to<01:33:48.239> this<01:33:48.520> agenda modifications
• obviously to this agenda modifications obviously to this agenda depending<01:33:49.600> upon<
• > rest's<01:33:59.199> Turk through Senator rest's Turk through Senator rest's Turk modifications

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At that time, there were also a number of modifications to the SAVE system that made this a more feasible
• It could require modifications to the way that results are reported or the manner in which voters are
• Finally, the bill provided some modifications to the deadlines associated with the risk limiting audits
• this committee to direct the Secretary of State to provide a complete public accounting of every modification
• Every modification made to election day voter counts after election day. And I welcome questions.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:18:58.040> Modification program is a bit unclear.
• Modification program is a bit unclear.
• Modification of<01:18:58.800> this<01:18:59.040> language<01:18:59.400> as<01:18
• The language modification proposed by House File 2109 helps clarify that forest land that is entered
• The language modification proposed by House File 2109 helps clarify that forest land that is entered

Bills: HF4906, HF3971, HF4777, HF2109, HF2988

Keywords: property tax, tax refund, taxpayer relief, Minnesota taxation, one-time payment, taxation, property valuation, Tax Court, evidentiary standards, Minnesota Statutes, disparity reduction, aid payments, local government, funding, Fillmore County, education funding, managed forest land, classification, forest management plan, agricultural land

Summary: The committee first approved the April 9 minutes, then took up House File 2988, which would extend for eight more years a sales tax exemption tied to Minnesota State High School League tournament ticket revenue that is funneled into the league’s foundation and returned to schools as grants. Chair Youakim and Executive Director Eric Martins said the program sends more than $1.1 million annually back to schools for activity fee reductions, scholarships, coaching and training, AEDs, late buses, and other school needs, with over 98% of funds going directly to schools. Representative Huot and others spoke in support, while Representative Robinson questioned the structure and suggested the state could instead simply reduce ticket prices and not tax the tickets. The committee laid HF 2988 over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill. The committee then heard House File 4906, as amended, which would create a one-time property tax refund in calendar year 2026 for owners of residential homesteads and the homestead portion of agricultural property, funded by a $4 billion appropriation in fiscal year 2027. The bill includes a clawback for delinquent taxpayers and offsets to ensure no one receives more in property tax refunds than they paid. A House Research staffer said the Department of Revenue viewed the refund as potentially taxable, while House Research said it likely should be treated as a recovery of prior taxes, and the two would follow up. The bill was introduced with testimony from Eric Bernstein of We Make Minnesota and Nan Madden of the Minnesota Budget Project, both of whom opposed it, arguing it would create a large budget hole, force future cuts, and disproportionately benefit homeowners while excluding renters and lower-income Minnesotans. Several members also raised concerns. Representative Hewitt said the state should prioritize public safety, rural EMS, and safety-net hospitals rather than a large rebate, and Representative Youakim argued the money would be better spent on longer-term property tax relief and education funding. Representative Hollins said the proposal would worsen racial and wealth inequities because homeownership is lower among communities of color and renters would get nothing. In response, the author and supporters said the bill is meant to put money back into people’s budgets and that individuals should be able to decide how to use their own money. The discussion continued with questions about the bill’s size and fiscal impact, but no final action on HF 4906 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• With services, equipment, and household modifications from the CADI waiver, Sherry is able to stay in
• With services, equipment, and household modifications from the CADI waiver, Sherry is able to stay in
• With services, equipment, and<01:26:30.880> household<01:26:31.280> modifications<01:26
• :32.080> from<01:26:32.200> the and household modifications from the and household modifications
• He has services through the VA but needed home modifications after falling in his shower and breaking

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• than a one-half-mile buffer zone around residences, schools, and hospitals for the construction, modification
• 56.080> construction hospitals uh for the construction hospitals uh for the construction modification
• expansion<00:08:58.240> of<00:08:58.360> a<00:08:58.519> landfill modification
• or expansion of a landfill modification or expansion of a landfill so<00:08:59.519> basically
• A traffic study is also necessary because it's very likely that some modifications would be needed on

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before the Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Chair Nicole Lowen and other legislators opened the meeting by framing the issue as important statewide and encouraging recycling, composting, and proper use of the curbside bins. The city’s Department of Environmental Services, led by Director Roger Babcock and Deputy Director Mike O’Keefe, then presented the background and siting process. ENV explained the legal and technical constraints that shaped the search, including the 2019 Land Use Commission decision requiring closure of Waimanalo Gulch by March 2, 2028, and the 2020 Act 73 restrictions on landfill siting near residences, schools, hospitals, conservation districts, airports, and tsunami inundation areas. They said a landfill advisory committee reviewed six candidate sites in 2021-2022 and rejected them because they fell within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. After further evaluation and an extension of the naming deadline, the city selected a site in central Oahu near Wahiawa, on agricultural land currently used as a Dole pineapple field. City officials said the selected site was chosen as the best of the evaluated options and, in their view, could be permitted under state and federal law. They described planned environmental protections, including a modern sanitary landfill design with double liners, leachate collection systems, monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring, and said the existing Waimanalo Gulch landfill has operated for 35 years without leachate leaks. They also emphasized that the site would still require a special use permit, Department of Health approvals, an environmental impact statement, and other public permitting processes, and that public engagement would continue over the next several years.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does a little bit of modification of the non-point source project to include Arizona non-point source

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• President, I'm going to ask you to make a modification to your budget request.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So members, this is a bill; it's a simple modification to Transportation safety training that school

Transcript Highlights:

• What it does, there's two different places, three actually, where it does make some modifications on

Bills: HB1404

Keywords: HB 1404, North Dakota scholarship, scholarship eligibility, student aid, high school graduation, college readiness, career readiness, career and technical education, CTE, dual credit, advanced placement, AP exam, International Baccalaureate, IB exam, ACT, SAT, WorkKeys, ASVAB, JROTC, Civil Air Patrol

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with six members present and first took up House Bill 1404, which would update North Dakota scholarship eligibility language by allowing the NDA Plus assessment to be used in place of ACT scores in certain pathways. The Department of Public Instruction explained that the bill does not eliminate the ACT entirely, but removes outdated references tied to ACT accountability testing that will no longer apply after this year’s seniors graduate. Members discussed how the change affects public and nonpublic schools, then voted 6-0 to give HB 1404 a do pass recommendation. The committee then returned to House Bill 1363, a bill dealing with school emergency response planning and automatic external defibrillators. Members adopted an amendment clarifying that the requirements apply to school-owned facilities and grounds, replacing language about school events and venues, and revising the planning language for school-based events not held on school-owned property. The committee also debated whether the bill should be mandatory or permissive; a motion to change “shall” to “may” failed, with members noting the bill’s liability protections. The committee then voted 5-1 to pass HB 1363 as amended, with Senator Gerhardt carrying the bill. Before recessing, the chair noted that House Bill 1533 would be taken up later in the day after additional information from DPI was received.