Transcript Highlights:

• And this isn't taken into account the minimum 400-foot setback from neighboring property lines and any
• The tech industry is continuing to expand and grow because we're all utilizing more power.
• And you will probably hear from these data centers, from these tech giants, as we go forward...
• And you will probably hear from these data centers, from these tech giants, as we go forward.

Summary: The Committee on Utilities held an informational hearing on data centers in Missouri, with the chair explaining that the goal was to hear from three speakers with different perspectives and allow committee questions, but no public testimony. The first witness, Matt Edelow of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Columbia-Jefferson City Area Building Trades Council, spoke in support of data center development for its construction jobs, long-term employment, tax revenue, and local economic benefits. He said the Montgomery County projects had already put about 200 Missourians to work, described the facilities as using closed-loop water systems and generator noise levels that he said would be limited by setbacks and acoustics, and urged local hire and apprenticeship requirements. Committee members asked about water use, noise, cybersecurity, labor, and tax revenue, and he said one project could generate about $13.1 million annually at full buildout. The second witness, Rob Dixon of Ameren Missouri, testified that Senate Bill 4 and the Public Service Commission’s large-load tariff provide strong protections for existing customers. He said large data center customers must sign long-term contracts, pay 100% of interconnection costs, post collateral, pay at least 80% of contracted demand, and face exit and reduction fees, with load-shedding rules applying to them like other customers. Dixon said Ameren’s planning process includes engineering reviews and MISO review before projects proceed, and that the utility’s integrated resource plan calls for 5.3 gigawatts of new generation by 2030, with 2.2 gigawatts of signed large-load agreements already in place. He also said large customers can help spread fixed grid costs and put downward pressure on rates, and noted that the protections apply to investor-owned utilities, not co-ops or municipal utilities. The final witness, John Kaufman of the Consumers Council of Missouri, argued that the current protections are not strong enough and that data centers could raise rates through construction work in progress, stranded generation costs, and other risks if projects change or technology shifts. He urged greater consumer protections, including more upfront financial security from data centers, reconsideration of construction work in progress policies, and possibly requiring data centers to bring their own power in some cases. Committee members debated his claims about SB 4, QIP, and rate impacts, with some members saying the law already contains clawbacks and consumer-benefit requirements, while others echoed concerns about transparency and public understanding. The hearing ended without any votes or formal action, and the chair said the committee would continue the discussion in future meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• To prepare for, um, the kind of tech guidance and planning assistance and financial systems that we've
• Chapter 141, which is our statutory framework from which our rules, uh, Texas's Administrative Code Tech
• We were able to notify our families that all the campers were safe and accounted for.
• It is the only place they're tech-free and happy.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because what I'm getting at is just basic accountability.
• Reporting requirements, accounting requirements, bookkeeping, etc.
• Tetra Tech, the city is spending the money on that. That is not the state money.
• No, that is a city contract with Tetra Tech, and that is their money.
• Thank you. ...contracted with Tetra Tech, and that is their money. Thank you.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the money for this program goes to the department to fund the program, training, materials, all the tech
• These materials that are transcribed in our prison Braille system account for about 75% of all Braille

Bills: HB2207

Keywords: braille, disability access, education funding, state corrections, inclusion, 1182, all

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety approved the February 18, 2026 minutes and then heard House Bill 2207, which would appropriate $300,000 from the state general fund in fiscal year 2027 to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry for the Braille transcription program. The bill also requires annual reporting on the number of in-state and out-of-state students served and states the funding is intended to be ongoing. Members asked whether the program generates revenue for the department and requested follow-up information on that point. A representative from the Foundation for Blind Children testified in support, explaining that the prison Braille program partners with the department to train incarcerated people to transcribe Braille and has become the largest prison Braille program in the nation. She said the sale of transcribed materials does not go back to the department, and that the program serves mostly K-12 students with visual impairments or blindness, including textbooks and library materials. She also said the program has expanded beyond expectations and that the additional appropriation is needed to keep up with growth, while still providing materials at a lower cost than the open market. After discussion, the committee moved HB 2207 for a do pass recommendation. The motion passed 7-0, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• clarifies that existing law applies to artificial intelligence and makes sure a human is always accountable
• We have consulted attorneys that have litigated tech cases nationwide, and the bottom line is simple.
• It is accountability, transparency, and keeping powerful tools under human control.
• Second, the bill protects accountability and licensed professions.
• I think that, you know, AFP's position on this is that accountability should remain with the person using

Summary: The committee met without a quorum at first, but proceeded with public hearings on two Senate bills. Senate Bill 944, sponsored by Sen. Carla May, would update the statutory salary range for the City of St. Louis sheriff’s attorney, which she said has been unchanged since 1990 and no longer reflects inflation, modern legal demands, or comparable compensation in other jurisdictions. Rep. Fuchs offered supportive remarks, and there was no opposition or informational testimony. No vote was taken on SB 944 during the hearing. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1012, sponsored by Sen. Nicola, a broad artificial intelligence bill intended to clarify that AI is not a legal person, that humans remain responsible for AI-assisted decisions, and that licensed professionals must retain independent judgment. The bill also addressed companion chatbots, election-related AI disclosures, and other consumer protections. Supporters of the bill’s general accountability approach were not present in testimony, but opponents from Americans for Prosperity and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry argued the bill was overly broad, could chill innovation, and contained numerous drafting and cross-reference errors, including unused definitions and inconsistent metadata requirements. Members questioned how liability would apply to end users and noted the need for clearer drafting. After public testimony, the committee moved into executive session on SB 1012. A motion was made for do pass, but the roll call resulted in zero ayes and 11 noes, and the bill was voted failed. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then she asked her second question: would tech companies be able to access personal data with digital
• Is that a possibility for tech companies to have any access at all to personal data?
• Representative Green asked whether tech companies would be able to access personal data with digital
• ID, and whether that is a possibility for tech companies to have any access at all to personal data.
• This also creates a more accountable variance process.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Ten animal control officers, two veterinarians, and a registered vet tech worked until 11 p.m. carrying
• Our members fully support compliance and accountability.
• Your constituents can't afford to continue to have these massive tech platforms and their industrial
• some cases, they actually let the bots in, or they know that someone has signed up with multiple accounts
• I had a conversation with them just last week on how to appropriately account for training that may not

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, you can see on the left there the application methods, with MEF accounting for a little more
• So I'm doing it via my local accountant. Maybe I don't know I have the credit.
• Is that how it's being diverted, or is accountant. Maybe I don't know I have the credit.
• Well, I mean, obviously T-Mobile enjoys the technical expertise of the tech community.
• The increase is largely in the digital advertising tax that accounts for about $360,000, with software

Summary: The House Finance Committee held a work session that began with welcoming new member Rep. Janice Zahn, who introduced herself as representing the 41st Legislative District. The Department of Revenue then gave an update on the Antio-related legislation following the Washington Supreme Court decision and the 2025 session changes. DOR explained its voluntary disclosure program and the new expanded voluntary disclosure agreement for taxpayers with unreported investment income, including broader eligibility and interest/penalty relief, but said utilization has been minimal so far because additional implementation questions remain unresolved. The committee next received the annual update on the Working Families Tax Credit. DOR reported record participation in 2025, with about $205 million refunded through October and a major increase in applications after TurboTax added the credit to its filing software. Officials said most dollars went to households with children, outreach efforts remained important, and community partners and state agencies helped increase uptake. Members focused heavily on fraud concerns, especially tax preparers allegedly filing claims without applicants’ knowledge or diverting refunds; DOR said it is using fraud detection tools, training preparers, and trying to make applicants whole, but current law does not provide direct penalties against preparers. The final portion covered implementation of engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5814, which expanded sales tax to certain services. DOR described the new tax framework, its guidance process, and the large volume of ruling requests and outreach since the law took effect October 1. Committee members asked about fiscal assumptions, the scope of taxable services, and whether the department had revised its implementation estimates; DOR said the fiscal note assumed broad application absent explicit exemptions and that no expenditure revision had been made. In stakeholder testimony, Expedia and T-Mobile argued the law creates complexity and competitive disadvantages for Washington businesses, while a construction training provider said the tax raises tuition for workers seeking required certifications. School and nonprofit representatives said the tax will increase costs for special education services, arts programming, and other public-facing activities, and urged exemptions or further legislative fixes. The chair closed by noting the committee would revisit 5814 in the next session and then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you are a very large rural school district, or a rural school district, that factor takes into account
• I mean, how do you account for all the little changes that could be?
• What about a career and tech center?
• So they do not get to count that career and tech center in their buildings.
• the per-pupil payment, you know, rather than just one-time items that, you know, that we have to account

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear and discuss three education bills and related budget items. House Bill 1214 would revise K-12 transportation funding by replacing the current rider-based formula with a new formula tied more closely to district size, square mileage, building counts, and the weighted student payment. Sponsors and DPI said the change would better reflect actual transportation costs, hold districts harmless overall, and likely increase funding by about $4 million beyond current spending; they also said parent-provided transportation and open-enrollment mileage rules would remain largely unchanged. No opposition was heard, and the committee closed discussion without taking final action in the transcript. The committee then reviewed House Bill 1013, the education appropriations bill, and walked through proposed adjustments to program and pass-through grants. The chair proposed keeping or reducing some items, eliminating others, and moving one-time items to the stabilization fund; examples included leaving free meals at $4.5 million for now, keeping the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, reducing some grant lines, and removing several new or one-time grants. DPI also explained that the student information system would remain a flow-through grant for this biennium but would move in-house after July 1, 2026. The committee also discussed adding an FTE for the School for the Blind and making a small equipment swap at the Center for Distance Education. House Bill 1369 was discussed as the main school aid bill, including a proposed 2 percent and 2 percent per-pupil payment increase, higher construction bidding thresholds, elimination of the 12 percent cap, and a transfer of $75 million from Foundation Aid to the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund, with the chair suggesting $100 million instead. DPI explained that the bill also included a policy change returning placement decisions for students with disabilities in congregate care to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with support from the governor’s office. The committee heard testimony from school officials seeking gap funding for Title I losses caused by a switch from free-and-reduced-lunch to census-based allocations, saying districts with many open-enrolled students could lose substantial funding and staff positions. Later, the governor’s office presented a proposed $1.5 million one-time appropriation to help schools buy secure storage for student cell phones if a statewide device policy is adopted; members raised concerns about cost, local control, and whether the money would be enough. The committee also heard student testimony and then recessed without voting on the amendment in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• But there's more to this tech companies.
• can often be more agile than bigger tech can often be more agile than bigger tech companies<00:29
• ,<05:57:27.560> providing interest-bearing account, providing interest-bearing account, providing
• <05:59:58.920> By a non-interest-bearing account. By a non-interest-bearing account.
• , authorizing an interest-bearing account, authorizing an interest-bearing account, H.R.<06:00:01.440

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 16, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, my question is related directly to the fiscal accountability that we have, but now, if you will,
• And so the bottom line is we place money in that account, but it is an account that it's this body and
• Some of the problems associated with the accounting workforce: We have many CPAs that are going to be
• And so we have a serious pipeline of talent accounting talent issue.
• Treasury slugs account.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• PDM is actually a salary expense in the state accounting system.
• And so when you state accounting system.
• So there's a cost associated with the tech, not just the technology and the equipment, but there's also
• <00:49:17.359> with<00:49:17.680> with<00:49:18.079> the<00:49:18.319> tech
• <00:49:19.200> not cost associated with with the tech not cost associated with with the tech

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 409, 28 January, 2026; 1:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy and the Mississippi State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, followed by the physical therapy board. The Pharmacy Board said it licenses pharmacists, technicians, students, and many facilities and supply-chain entities, including wholesalers, manufacturers, 3PLs, PBMs, and nonresident compounders. Its main requests were a 3% salary increase for specialized staff, about $118,000 for contract help to evaluate pharmacists with substance abuse or mental health issues under a recently passed public health bill, and additional IT spending authority for system upgrades and cloud migration. Members discussed the board’s role in protecting the public, vetting out-of-state facilities, and the need to keep sensitive data secure; no vote was taken. The Chiropractic Examiners board described itself as a small, contract-staffed agency with about 700 active licenses and a database system that is no longer supported by Microsoft. It said it had requested about $173,000, but the legislative budget recommendation was $134,000, and it needs roughly $40,000 more to upgrade or rebuild the system, including security fixes and online renewal capability. Members focused on the cybersecurity risk of using unsupported software and the need to protect personal information; the board also noted that its licensing data does not include banking information because payments are handled through the state portal. The Physical Therapy Board said it regulates physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, with 4,242 licenses and 252 complaints in the last fiscal year, and that demand for the profession continues to grow. Its requests included $6,000 in salary progression for long-serving staff, about $360 more in PDM salary authority, and roughly $38,610 for a one-time upgrade to its LMS licensing system, plus related cloud-migration costs. Senators noted the board’s strong reputation, discussed the burden of annual or biennial renewals, and supported the technology upgrade because the current system is no longer supported and could create liability risks if not addressed.

Transcript Highlights:

• That came from the TMPO-900, the trust fund account.
• Account to what would then be spendable, essentially? Yes, sir.
• But if you don't, there's no accountability for that.
• And you prepare it and you present it to us, because then you're accountable.
• Is there any accountability on this? Was this successful?

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sure status, ensuring consistent accountability across the system.
• committee substitute provides this committee substitute improves consistency enforcement, fiscal accountability
• Tech. Yes. >> So the bill reported favorably. Congratulations, members.

Transcript Highlights:

• that user account.
• and take other factors into account.
• And other measures that take grades into account, take other factors into account, and kind of display
• Mock mentioned putting a new tech on top of an old process.
• That's not the tech.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, today the Senate is pleased to join the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and Women in Tech in organizing
• Tech Ecosystem, this afternoon from 1 to 3 on the fourth floor.
• Uh, these are two new events that highlight women leaders, Hawaii's rising stars in the tech community
• The Women in Tech panel, we have Margaret Shin of Hawaii Women in Tech. Okay.
• Tech. Okay. We also have Sandra uh Van Tech. Okay.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While the federal government accounts for a small minority of the funding, it is responsible for the
• Mann, I believe that our nation's students, families, and taxpayers do want true accountability.
• They are not held accountable.
• So if I have the opportunity to have an educational savings account.
• Yes, the programs have to have accountability. All the programs do.

Keywords: educational reform, federal grants, bureaucracy, wealth disparity, public testimony

Summary: The committee meeting engaged in discussions focused primarily on educational reform, the influence of federal grants on local education systems, and the growing disparities in wealth and access to quality education. Members expressed concerns about the bureaucracy surrounding federal funding that hampers schools' ability to obtain necessary resources for improvement. Several members highlighted personal anecdotes from constituents, emphasizing the urgent need for reform to help students succeed in both K-12 and higher education environments. The meeting included public testimonies that provided insights into various community perspectives on these pressing issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• The tech system that was built to allow for this is live in one call center.
• There is sick time to account for.
• That accounts for a significant piece of why our projection is so high, because it accounts for us responding
• That accounts for like a significant piece of why our projection is so high is because it accounts for
• That's what these tech systems do.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The joint oversight hearing focused on AB 988 implementation and suicide prevention in California Indian communities. Members and the chairs emphasized that 988 was intended to create a behavioral health crisis system with “someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go,” and then turned to the disproportionate suicide burden facing Native youth and the need for culturally responsive outreach and services. Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, the bill’s author, said the law has already saved lives but argued that key parts of the system—especially interoperability between 911 and 988, mobile crisis dispatch, and adequate funding—are not yet working as intended. The first panel of stakeholders and call center leaders largely said California’s 988 network is underfunded and not fully integrated. Speakers from the Steinberg Institute and 988 California said call, text, and chat demand has grown sharply, but staffing and funding have not kept pace, leaving text/chat answer rates far below the state’s goals and sending many contacts to out-of-state backup centers. They also said mobile crisis teams are not being dispatched through 988 statewide, and that the state’s current governance and funding structure is too fragmented. WellSpace Health and other providers described 988 as the “front door” to crisis care, urged more stable funding, and recommended broader use of the CCBHC model to support mobile crisis and behavioral health infrastructure. San Joaquin County offered a local success story, describing a countywide crisis continuum that links 988, mobile crisis, behavioral health access lines, and follow-up services through warm handoffs and coordinated outreach. County officials said the model has reduced reliance on emergency departments and involuntary holds, and they noted that local partnerships and repeated community meetings were key to implementation. Members asked about staffing, tribal outreach, and how to make the system more measurable and interoperable; panelists said staffing projections should be based on actual call volume and contact length, and that tribal-specific outreach has often depended on temporary grant funding. State officials from CalHHS and DHCS then described the five-year implementation plan, the roles of multiple agencies, and current performance data. They said California’s 988 system has handled more than 74,000 contacts in a recent month, with in-state answer rates of 87% for calls and lower rates for chats and texts, and that unanswered contacts are routed to backup centers. They highlighted training efforts, LGBTQ+ competency work after the end of the federal “Press 3” option, and efforts to improve reimbursement for mobile crisis services. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're now accounting for under votes and over votes.
• We're now accounting for under votes and over votes.
• We're now accounting for under votes and over votes.
• We're now accounting<04:56:38.160> for<04:56:38.400> under<04:56:38.638> votes<04
• :56:38.958> and<04:56:39.200> over accounting for under votes and over accounting for under

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I was a practicing accountant when I came into the legislature.
• I was the accountant for the first cash-only clinic in Lubbock, Texas, and part of the management team
• provider that saved jobs up in Plainview, Texas, from the XL meatpacking. ...plant, and I was the accountant
• In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, SB1964 positions Texas as a leader in responsible AI governance
• It promotes robust transparency and accountability in government.

Bills: HCR141, SB438, SB1495, SB1964, HB 1225

Keywords: HCR 141, House Concurrent Resolution, NASA, Houston, Space City, Johnson Space Center, Mission Control, Apollo 11, moon landing, aerospace, commercial space, space exploration, Texas Space Commission, space policy, federal resolution, memorial resolution, Congress, Washington D.C., headquarters relocation, space industry