Transcript Highlights:

• These two studies will run concurrently. Here's what we know.
• The cattle study is going to be the longest end of that.
• But we are very close on the deer based on our phase two study. There's a phase one study.
• So we have been conducting studies... That's correct.
• We did a study with the FDA's protocol.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fleshman's part to get the study considered.
• Fleshman's part to get the study considered.
• I yield back the balance of my time. study will come up with the right study will come up with the right
• Studies have with environmental laws.
• <04:08:55.359> public previously disturbed or studied public previously disturbed or studied

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I look forward to seeing the results of this study because I believe they will shine a light on just
• I look forward to seeing the results of this study because I believe they will shine a light on just
• There's actually a study that's going to be kicked off by the Longwood Collective, Dave Sweeney, who
• And I hope somebody's going to do a study on the transit. ...that's impacting everybody else.
• And I hope somebody's going to do a study on the transit. that's impacting everybody else.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on H. 3599, a bill concerning access to historic Indian lands and easements for landlocked tribal parcels in Massachusetts. Witnesses, including members of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Herring Pond communities, said the bill would restore access to family lands that have long been treated as landlocked and had been denied easements by necessity in prior court rulings. They described heavy tax burdens, prior litigation, and support from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, with conditional support from the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe pending language changes. Committee members asked about the tax assessments and the status of tribal support, and the chair said the committee would follow up on possible amendments. The committee then took up S. 2922, which would authorize an underground easement at Magazine Beach in Cambridge for the Greater Cambridge Energy Project. Eversource representatives said the easement is needed for a transmission line connecting the Brighton and Kendall Square substations, supporting grid reliability and the Commonwealth’s clean energy transition. They said DCR would receive fair market value and replacement land in Wendell to satisfy Article 97 requirements. No objections were raised, and the panel’s testimony concluded without a vote recorded in the transcript. Most of the hearing focused on H. 5047, which would authorize the Commonwealth to take the Norwood Hospital site by eminent domain so the hospital can be restored. Sponsors, local officials, hospital task force members, EMS and fire representatives, a chamber of commerce leader, and a former hospital administrator all argued that the 2020 flood and Steward’s bankruptcy left the region without adequate care, causing longer ambulance transports, emergency room boarding, staffing strain, and economic losses. They said the site remains a partially completed shell, that the state should be able to acquire it and bring in a nonprofit operator, and that the taking would not require state funding because an operator would pay the acquisition costs. Committee members from both chambers expressed support and asked about costs, timing, infrastructure, and whether a nonprofit operator is being pursued. The chair took the bill under advisement after extensive testimony; no vote was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• This past summer, I released a study where we took a deeper dive into how road safety policies differ
• In a study that we did at IIHS, we saw that for every five-mile-an-hour increase in a state's maximum
• And we also studied Washington, Seattle, which did the same thing in 2016.
• And we studied how well... More easily. Next slide.
• And we studied how well this worked in Washington, D.C., and we saw that it did work.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met on October 16, 2025, for a budget and revenue overview, a traffic safety presentation, and a discussion of potential transit and active transportation grant programs. Committee staff reviewed the adopted 2025-27 transportation budget, noting $15.5 billion in expenditures, the large share for WSDOT, and the mix of revenue sources including fuel tax, vehicle-related fees, federal funds, Climate Commitment Act revenue, and new 2025 revenues from SB 5801 and SB 5802. Staff said the 2025 session produced a balanced four-year plan, preserved major project schedules, maintained highway preservation funding, and added money for culverts, local preservation, and other priorities. They also described a September forecast showing lower motor fuel consumption than previously expected, but still enough revenue growth to keep the transportation plan balanced. For the 2026 supplemental, staff said agency requests were relatively modest overall, with most capital requests reflecting reappropriations and timing shifts rather than new projects, while WSDOT’s addendum identified much larger future needs for maintenance, preservation, paving, culverts, and safety work. Senators asked for more detail on how revenues are distributed by fund type and geography, how much of the maintenance and preservation request is actual maintenance versus equipment, whether paving needs could be supported through bonding, and how electric vehicle sales trends might affect forecasts. The committee then heard a remote presentation from Dr. Jessica Chikino of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on traffic safety trends and countermeasures. She said U.S. traffic fatalities have risen sharply over the past decade, with especially large increases for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, and argued that the U.S. lags other high-income countries in roadway safety. Her presentation highlighted IIHS’s “30 by 30” goal to reduce fatalities 30% by 2030 through safer speeds, stronger impaired-driving countermeasures, better pedestrian protection, and safer commercial vehicles. She discussed research linking higher speed limits to higher fatality risk, the benefits of lower urban speed limits, speed safety cameras, traffic calming, lighting, pedestrian beacons, and safer intersection design. She also described ongoing work with Bellevue on smart signal technology and pedestrian safety pilots. Committee members thanked her for the presentation and said they would share the materials with others. In the final work session, the committee revisited transit and active transportation grant concepts that had been included in the Senate budget proposal but did not advance in 2025. Barb Chamberlain of WSDOT’s Active Transportation Division explained how grant programs need runway, staff capacity, applicant readiness, and clear criteria, and compared program design to getting a plane off the ground. She discussed the proposed Senior Transportation Emphasis Program and regional trails/cycle highways concepts, noting that some projects could be structured as funding-first programs while others would work better as project-line or project-first models. She said regional trail projects are already eligible under existing programs but often score lower because current criteria emphasize safety and population served. Justin Leighton of the Washington State Transit Association then reviewed transit grant programs and argued that transit safety and security needs remain underfunded, including operator barriers, lighting, shelters, behavioral health coordination, and non-uniformed security staff. He said many transit capital programs are oversubscribed, that operator barrier retrofits alone could cost $20 million to $30 million, and that agencies face uncertainty about how recent sales tax changes apply to security-related contracts. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've been working to bring that back to life and get some more studies done.
• We've got the study being done now; this is the one for Columbus.
• Again, we just finished an RSA study.
• We have not done an engineering cost study on that yet.
• Two years ago, I sent a Request for a safety study to be done on Highway 26.

Transcript Highlights:

• So to date, it's been a combination of studies.
• We do soil analysis, hydrology studies, and natural resource studies, such as all the various species
• You mentioned studies had to be redone.
• Are those studies beyond what is prepared in an EIR, typically?
• Those studies would be included in...

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• whether uh a benefit that we're studying whether uh a benefit that we're studying exceeds<00:03:
• design may not reflect the of the study design may not reflect the latest<00:13:37.399> version
• You know, I think last year we studied GLP-1s for obesity treatment, and I think that's, you know, a
• As you can see, we've listed the mandates that we studied, whether they required defrayal or not.
• <00:46:07.079> of the research falls into so um studies of the research falls into so um studies

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Skin and kidney cancer mortality have been observed in other long-term follow-up studies.
• Furthermore, according to a 2021 cost analysis study of... ...comprehensive for all ages.
• He's studying a dual major in public health and microbiology and is headed to medical school.
• is now 20, is in her third year at Bentley, studying economics.
• He's studying a dual major in public health and microbiology and is headed to medical school.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a public hearing on a wide range of bills, with testimony first focused on H. 1315/S. 824, which would require insurance coverage for pain management options during IUD insertion. Representative Sabadosa, Planned Parenthood clinicians, and policy advocates said sedation can reduce fear and trauma, improve access to effective contraception, and should be reimbursed so providers can continue offering it. A Tufts OB-GYN resident also testified that pain control should be standard care for intrauterine procedures. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee then heard extensive testimony on firefighter health bills, especially H. 1230/S. 690 requiring insurance coverage for cancer screenings for firefighters. Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts leaders, a Dana-Farber oncologist, and firefighters themselves described occupational exposure to carcinogens and personal stories of late-stage cancer detection, arguing that early screening can save lives and reduce long-term costs. Representative Crichton and Representative Howitt also spoke in support, and Representative Ayers testified for H. 4012, which would require neurological disorder screenings for firefighters. Committee members expressed support and sympathy, but no action was taken. The hearing also covered H. 3946/S. 756 on hearing aid coverage, with testimony from students, adults with hearing loss, disability advocates, and HLAA representatives describing the educational, social, and financial barriers caused by lack of coverage and urging broader insurance mandates. Later, Representative Donahue and Representative Vargas testified for H. 1337 to expand insurance coverage for opioid antagonists and related medications, including naloxone dispensed at discharge. The committee additionally heard testimony on H. 1134 to improve chronic pain care coordination and non-opioid access, and H. 4162 to improve ostomy supply coverage and access to certified ostomy care, with patients and clinicians describing denials, quantity limits, and non-medical switching. The transcript ends while testimony on H. 1315/S. 824 is still ongoing; no votes or formal committee actions are recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Since the RAM study concluded in 2022, we have seen liability projections grow by over Since the RAM
• study concluded in 2022, we have seen liability projections grow by over 280%.
• So the RAND study that was conducted utilized actuarial analysis and had a full team of researchers,
• I want to continue studying.
• And so I did look back at the studies at LAO and the conversations we had.

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on State Administration heard presentations on the Department of Industrial Relations’ labor-related budget items, with the main focus on proposed trailer bill language to reform the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) and a related budget change proposal for staffing. DIR said SIBTF has grown far beyond its original purpose, citing the 2020 Todd decision, expanded eligibility based on chronic or asymptomatic conditions, and a backlog that has grown to more than 30,000 pending cases. The administration argued the reforms would restore guardrails, reduce liabilities and employer assessments, and speed processing for severely injured workers; the LAO said the proposal was largely consistent with its prior recommendations. Members raised concerns about using trailer bill language for major policy changes, the retroactive application to open cases, and the impact on workers already in the queue, while supporters from employer groups and public agencies backed the proposal as necessary to control costs and restore sustainability. Public comment was split, with injured-worker advocates opposing the retroactive changes and business/public employer representatives supporting the reforms. The committee then heard the SIBTF workload request, which would phase in 177 positions over five years at a cost of $36.5 million, including staff for the Division of Workers’ Compensation, the Office of the Director Legal Unit, and administrative support. DIR said the additional staffing is intended to address very high caseloads and reduce processing times, but emphasized that the request assumes the reform package is adopted; LAO agreed the staffing increase made sense if paired with reforms. Members asked about vacancy rates, current staffing, and whether the workload request would become the new normal, and DIR said it would monitor caseload trends and adjust future requests as needed. Finally, the committee received an update on the California Workplace Outreach Program (CWOP), which DIR described as a partnership with community-based organizations to educate workers and help employers comply with labor laws. DIR reported that CWOP has reached 1.75 million workers and employers and made 8 million touchpoints since 2020, with the current round awarding $50.7 million to 87 partners for a two-year period through June 2027. Members and public commenters highlighted the program’s role in reaching immigrant, farmworker, janitorial, nail salon, and other vulnerable communities, and several speakers urged continued funding at $30 million per year for five years. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, George Washington University has a behavioral health workforce study.
• Well, if you look at this study. Many of the things on here involve shared decision-making.
• This was a study that we published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011.
• This was a really seminal study for us.
• We have a few studies that examined cost-effectiveness.

Transcript Highlights:

• Interim study would come back in the future. markets are critical to the markets are critical to the
• All in favor of interim study. >> Any opposed?
• in favor of interim study. in favor of interim study.
• <00:30:27.760> um up to uh Maine really studying um up to uh Maine really studying um migration
• Uh there's been one study electric bill.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll go on to the next item: 10:30, fixed route city transportation network study.
• And maybe that's a study parameter.
• And maybe that's a study parameter. I'm not asking for any changes in the bill.
• So how much are you—did you do a study on how much land you could sell?
• So the committee was created and the study was assigned.

Summary: The committee first received a general fund and revenue update from the Office of Management and Budget. Staff reported that the state started the biennium about $176 million above prior estimates, but year-to-date revenues were now running below legislative forecast, mainly due to lower individual income tax and sales tax collections. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap, the legacy fund continued to grow, and oil revenues were slightly above forecast overall. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing variability, and OMB said agencies would be asked to address potential federal reductions case by case during budget preparation. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analysis materials, followed by a bill draft for a fixed-route city transportation grant program. Testimony from transit officials in Fargo and Minot supported the proposal, saying state aid would help match federal transit funds and support operations, but members raised questions about the funding source, fare structures, and whether the program should be limited to the current four fixed-route cities or allow future eligible cities. Several members asked for more time to study the formula and possible funding options before moving the bill forward. Next, the committee approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to a proposed North Dakota-South Dakota bi-state authority. Staff explained the provision had been unused for about 30 years and that existing law likely already allowed joint powers agreements without the specific language. The committee voted to adopt the repeal bill draft. The Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site then provided an update on uncrewed aircraft system initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and future revenue models. Officials said North Dakota had received FAA approval to operate the radar data pathfinder, had begun replacing non-compliant drones from restricted foreign sources, and was working on phased procurement and cost-recovery plans. Members asked about deadlines, funding, supply-chain issues, and how the system would be used; staff said the federal restrictions were already in effect and that Vantis was being positioned as infrastructure for future beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Finally, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and on a reentry housing task force. The new facility is planned for the penitentiary grounds, with a reduced estimated cost of about $263 million, 600 beds initially, possible expansion to 732 beds, and completion projected around 2031 if funded in 2027. The reentry housing task force described a data-driven effort to identify housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with the goal of reducing homelessness and recidivism through targeted housing support and possible subsidies. Members asked about staffing, site selection, housing duration, and whether employment and transportation needs would be included in the assessment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So those rebates add to the rate, to the cause of the growth of our budget. 1915C waiver rate study.
• Uh, so it's going to increase the budget. the waiver rate study being implemented the waiver rate study
• So those rebates add to the rate, to the cause of the growth of our budget. 1915C waiver rate study.
• So those rebates add to the rate, to the cause of the growth of our budget. 1915C waiver rate study.
• I mentioned that just waiver rate study.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services heard a presentation on Kentucky personal care homes from representatives of the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities, Management Systems of Kentucky, and Elder Care Partners. Witnesses described personal care homes as a lower-cost, 24/7 residential option for adults with serious mental illness who do not qualify for nursing home care but need structured support, medication assistance, meals, housekeeping, transportation, and supervision. They said the homes are regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, are not Medicaid-funded, and rely on a state supplementation rate of about $50.70 per day, which they argued no longer covers operating costs because of rising food, labor, insurance, and maintenance expenses. The presenters said the sector has shrunk significantly over time, citing a drop from 64 homes in 2002 to 34 today among the homes serving this population, with 30 closures over 23 years and two more closures since August. They argued that the closures have contributed to homelessness, hospital overcrowding, and longer stays in psychiatric hospitals, and they gave examples of residents who had spent many months in hospitals before stabilizing in a personal care home. One provider also described spending more than $800,000 on capital improvements after acquiring Kentucky facilities and said reimbursement is too low to sustain safe operations. They asked for an incremental reimbursement increase over two years and said they have also proposed an assisted-living model for people with mental illness. Members asked about staffing, reimbursement, and the number of people still needing placement. The presenters said there is no requirement for licensed or certified staff in these facilities, though some homes use medication technicians and occasional LPNs. They estimated they are currently serving about 2,000 residents and said they receive roughly 30 referrals for every one person admitted, with many referrals involving people whose needs exceed the personal care home level. Senator Meredith and Representative Fleming said any funding request would need documentation of savings and corresponding budget offsets, while Representative Duval expressed support and asked about possible staffing and program improvements. The witnesses also compared Kentucky’s flat-rate reimbursement to a more individualized reimbursement model in Minnesota, saying a needs-based system would better match staffing and reduce hospitalizations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Another study is, you know, possibly useful, but it takes time.
• I know AON is looking at another study.
• Um, another study withheld.
• We want to study it, but I think the cap is a huge first step.
• We want to study it, but I think the cap is a huge first step.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While some canabonoids have been studied While some canabonoids have been studied for<01:13:44.719
• Laboratory studies like opioids.
• Um, there are people who said that it's not studied. There's been over 450 scientific studies.
• There's been over 450 studied. There's been over 450 scientific<02:55:27.600> studies.
• <03:06:17.520> in semiynthetic products for studying in semiynthetic products for studying

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from even studying a digital dollar. from even studying a digital dollar.
• Currency Study Act. Chairman Hill also Currency Study Act.
• Please read the study. Even if you don't like studies, read it anyway. Thank you very much.
• Please read the study. Even if payments. Please read the study.
• you don't like studies, read it anyway. you don't like studies, read it anyway.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, July 17, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• social studies consultant. social studies consultant.
• today with social studies standards. today with social studies standards.
• academic studies?
• And we had a study done. Dr.
• And we had a study done. Dr.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sponsor has asked us to interrupt study? sponsor has asked us to interrupt study?
• don't think we were doing interim study. don't think we were doing interim study.
• actually requested that we interim study actually requested that we interim study it<05:49:33.920
• <05:49:58.240> Uh, motion of uh interim study. Uh, motion of uh interim study.
• But it's interum study. on to it. But it's interum study.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And you're study on Senate Bill 637.
• conversation, you know, um when we study conversation, you know, um when we study the<02:34:16.080
• <02:34:31.680> helping I don't think we need to study helping I don't think we need to study
• So I'm against the interim<02:34:48.800> studies. interim studies. interim studies.
• study. >> All those in favor of interim study say I. >> I. >> All those opposed say nay. >> Nay. >>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the faculty hired can be on a plan of study.
• So our intent with this study, and we have Representative Richter as a lead on that study as well, is
• So our research study is going on. It's a mixed-methods study.
• I haven't even seen this on national studies.
• Dual credit seems to be the big... ...study.

Keywords: 908, all