Transcript Highlights:

• It amends the workers' compensation law in relation to providing for the enrollment of certain persons
• An act to amend the labor law in relation to liquidated damages for labor law violations.
• An act to amend the labor law in relation to requiring the Commissioner of Labor to prepare an annual
• An act to amend the workers' compensation law in relation to requiring the Workers' Compensation Board
• Please join us at our fourth meeting of the Labor Committee.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Labor met for its third meeting of the 26th Legislative Session and considered six bills. The agenda included workers’ compensation, labor law, minimum wage reporting, and employer training measures. Senators present included Ferdinandis, Jackson, Mayer, Zellner, and Mattera, with Senator Mayer’s bill on direct deposit for workers’ compensation payments opening the meeting. The committee advanced SB 4467, which would allow certain workers’ compensation payments to be made by direct deposit; SB 4473, which concerns liquidated damages for labor law violations; SB 4514A, which would require an annual Department of Labor report on cost of living, poverty rates, and the effectiveness of the state minimum wage; SB 4832, which would require additional annual reporting by the Workers’ Compensation Board; and SB 6912, which would define mental health practitioners with diagnostic authority under workers’ compensation law. It also advanced SB 4593, which would create a voluntary Department of Labor training and certification program for employers called the Neurodiversity Training Pledge. For each bill, a motion was made and the committee voted to report the measure forward, generally by voice vote with no opposition noted in the transcript. Most bills were reported to the calendar, while SB 4593 was reported to the Finance Committee. The chair closed by thanking members for an effective meeting and inviting them to the next Labor Committee meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, there is a substitute amendment to the amendment.
• There is an amendment. Take up amendment 347-946 by Senator Bernard.
• The amendment is adopted. We're back on the bill as amended.
• That is the amendment. There is an amendment to the delete-all amendment.
• The amendment to the amendment is adopted. Okay, back on the delete-all amendment. Forgive me.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice considered and reported favorably a series of criminal justice, corrections, and public safety bills. Among the measures approved were SB 468, increasing penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement and allowing impoundment of involved vehicles; SB 1136, tightening age-related criminal offense provisions and clarifying that ignorance or misrepresentation of a victim’s age is not a defense in covered cases; SB 144, which was described as a broad public safety measure addressing law enforcement tools, AI/body camera use, concealed carry licensing exemptions for law enforcement, blood testing after exposure incidents, and related matters; and SB 1782, creating a dangerous excessive speeding offense for extreme speeding conduct. The committee also approved SB 964 on objective parole guidelines, SB 1450 giving law enforcement discretion on immediate arrest of individuals with significant medical conditions in nursing home or assisted living settings, SB 612 closing a loophole related to charging minors in drug-distribution deaths, SB 1838 protecting court officials from tampering, harassment, and retaliation, SB 776 adding an aggravating factor for assassination or attempted assassination of a head of state, and SB 716 imposing mandatory minimums for certain sexual offenses committed by registered sex offenders or predators. Several bills drew notable testimony and debate. SB 1804, which would make sex trafficking of a child under 12 or a mentally incapacitated person a capital offense, received strong support from the sponsor and some members who argued it was needed to address the most heinous trafficking cases, but it also drew opposition from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and others who argued the death penalty should not be expanded to non-homicide crimes and would be unconstitutional, costly, and retraumatizing to victims. SB 1604 on corrections, which included provisions on inmate litigation, limitations periods, tracking devices, and involuntary mental health treatment, prompted questions about inmate rights, accountability, and possible abuse; the sponsor said the bill was intended to balance access to claims with institutional safety and to continue refining the language. SB 1838 also drew concerns from criminal defense lawyers about possible unintended effects on attorneys, and the sponsor said he would work on clarifying the language. The committee adopted amendments on several bills, including a substitute amendment to SB 144 that removed some provisions for further work, added first responder-related provisions, and adjusted motor vehicle kill-switch language; an amendment to SB 1136 changing the age threshold and refining luring/enticement language; a strike-all amendment to SB 964 limiting retroactivity and focusing on presumptive parolees; and a delete-all amendment to SB 1604 that revised multiple provisions, including tracking devices and consecutive sentencing under 10-20 Life. Most bills were reported favorably by roll call, with SB 776 and SB 1804 passing despite recorded no votes from some members. The chair closed by noting it was the committee’s final meeting of the session and thanked members before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I declare the amendment adopted. Are there further amendments?
• We adopt the title amendment. The question is on the adoption of the title amendment.
• I declare the amendment adopted. Are there further amendments to the bill?
• I'd offer an amendment.
• The amendment is defeated. Are there further amendments to the bill?

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee considered and advanced several bills. House Bill 4995, concerning video cameras in special education classrooms, was explained as requiring parents to be notified of recording interruptions, providing written notice of the law to parents and school employees, shortening the required random review of recordings from every 90 days to every 30 days, and clarifying that school boards must still conduct independent investigations even if DHS or prosecutors do not act. The committee adopted the motion to report the bill to the full Senate. House Bill 5214, dealing with drug testing in child abuse and neglect cases, would allow courts to order testing of parents in certain cases, require laboratory confirmation of positives, and require DHS to notify the court and other parties; the committee adopted the strike-and-insert amendment, then reported the bill as amended and adopted a title amendment. The committee also advanced House Bill 4025 and House Bill 5441, both restructuring state personnel systems. HB 4025 would exempt employees of the Department of Health, health facilities, and human services from classified civil service and grievance procedures beginning July 1, 2026, while preserving status for some current employees and allowing exemptions to comply with federal requirements; the committee adopted a piecemeal amendment and reported it as amended. HB 5441 would eliminate separate civil service systems for Transportation, Revenue, and the Bureau for Social Services and move classifications and compensation structures to the Division of Personnel, with testimony from the governor’s counsel emphasizing faster hiring and more flexibility; the committee adopted the strike-and-insert amendment and reported the bill as amended. House Bill 4602, a child welfare pilot program creating a private community-based system for post-removal services, drew testimony from DHS about concerns over costs, continuity, oversight, and child well-being outcomes, while supporters argued it could reduce caseloads and improve flexibility. The chair amended the bill to remove one of the two pilot regions, leaving only the Berkeley/Jefferson County pilot, and the committee then reported the bill as amended despite opposition from the senator from Marion. House Bill 4106, removing the provisional concealed handgun license requirement for ages 18 to 21, heard testimony from a pediatrician opposing the change and from a gun rights advocate supporting it; an amendment requiring firearms training for under-21 carriers failed by a 1-14 roll call, and the committee then reported the bill as amended. Finally, House Bill 4198, after a subcommittee rewrite, was advanced with a strike-and-insert amendment that refined E-Verify requirements for public and private employers, added exemptions for certain small or new employers and sole proprietors, clarified recordkeeping and notice requirements, and adjusted penalties and enforcement procedures. After a motion for the previous question, the committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 4198 as amended. House Bill 5319 was removed from the agenda, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So again, we would have any new licenses be at the fourth level, and the old levels would eventually
• the third level is diagnostic and therapeutic topical agents for treatment of eye disease and the fourth
• as well as topicals uh for glaucoma as well um so again we would have any new licenses be at the fourth
• We're a fourth generation. I'm here to oppose the same bills. Thank you. facilities.
• We're a fourth generation. I'm here to oppose the same bills.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on a wide range of bills focused on children’s health, tobacco control, newborn screening, pediatric cancer, palliative care, and professional licensure. Early testimony highlighted Senate bills to expand newborn screening for pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency, lysosomal storage disorders, and congenital CMV, with families and clinicians describing severe diagnostic delays, missed treatment windows, and the benefits of early detection. Speakers also supported a bill to improve pediatric cancer research through a dedicated trust fund, and a bill to extend pediatric palliative care services to age 22, with parents and providers emphasizing continuity of care for seriously ill young people. Several witnesses gave personal accounts in support of the newborn screening measures. Families described children who endured years of misdiagnosis before receiving diagnoses such as Gaucher disease, Fabry disease, Pompe disease, Niemann-Pick disease, and CMV, often after irreversible damage had already occurred. Medical and advocacy witnesses said Massachusetts already collects some of the relevant screening data and argued that results should be reported to families, while others urged the committee to add conditions to the state panel because effective treatments already exist. The committee also heard support for a bill to establish a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program and training for providers. On tobacco and youth health, testimony supported bills to ban internet tobacco sales, strengthen youth protections, and reduce lung cancer deaths through point-of-sale information and quit-line access. A student testified about easily purchasing flavored nicotine products online without meaningful age verification, and public health advocates backed measures to keep tobacco out of children’s environments. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to ensure parents have access to their children’s medical records through age 16, with exceptions for sensitive services already protected by law. The committee additionally took testimony on an optometry licensure bill, where ophthalmologists opposed language they said could broaden scope of practice and allow optometrists to use the title “optometric physician,” while optometry educators and students supported the bill as a modernization measure with no scope expansion. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair repeatedly reminded speakers of time limits and noted that written testimony could be submitted for additional comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we move pending an amendment.
• But, the [clears throat] amendment.
• 54.880> the<00:20:55.000> first uh amendment would move the first uh amendment would move
• <00:25:36.240> one we're going to move to the fourth one we're going to move to the fourth
• as an amendment on the floor. as an amendment on the floor.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• what this fourth that's kind<00:22:32.640> of<00:22:32.720> this<00:22:32.880> fourth
• Is that amendment holidays?
• , The recommendation is to amend, The recommendation is to amend, um, amend<01:35:00.120> the<
• <01:35:23.840> Vice with amendments. Chair votes aye. Vice with amendments.
• >> As<01:35:30.600> amended. >> As amended. >> As amended.

Bills: SB3263, SB3261

Keywords: student-athletes, name image likeness, NIL, compensation, transparency, University of Hawaii, Title IX, funding, protections, athlete agents, student athletes, endorsement contracts, professional representation, registration requirements, sports law, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on Senate Bill 3263, which would create a state-supported endowment for University of Hawaii athletics NIL (name, image, and likeness) funding. University of Hawaii Athletics Director Matt Eliott supported the bill, saying NIL requires both immediate funding and a longer-term sustainable solution. He asked for several changes: lowering the initial endowment target from $10 million to $2 million so the fund could start sooner, allowing NIL reporting by team rather than by individual student-athlete, and clarifying that athletes may choose whether to use an agent, while still allowing certified agents or a parent/guardian if desired. Committee members raised concerns about using taxpayer dollars for athlete compensation, the burden on a small-state budget, and whether the university could realistically raise the required matching funds. Several senators questioned whether the university had a concrete fundraising plan and whether the endowment would meaningfully help UH compete with larger programs. Eliott said UH is already fundraising privately for current NIL obligations, had raised more than $1.6 million toward a $3 million annual goal, and would continue fundraising for both short-term needs and the endowment match. He also said the university is not trying to compete with Power Five schools on the same scale, but to be successful at its own conference level. Members also discussed transparency and privacy, with some senators arguing that if state money is used, the public should know how it is spent, while Eliott said individual student-athlete NIL information should remain private and team-level reporting would be preferable. He confirmed international student-athletes are eligible for NIL and said about 60 to 70 UH athletes are currently participating, with more than 100 expected next year. The discussion also touched on UH’s Mountain West media rights and local TV rights, with Eliott explaining that the conference distribution is expected to remain around $3.5 million and that local TV rights would be negotiated separately. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so the first bill on the agenda is House Bill 459 with House Amendment 1, an act to amend Title
• And so the amendment does not, as Ms.
• Well, that then concludes discussion of what was House Bill 459, House Amendment 1. Thank you.
• That's how we have been amended and funded for the current positions that are in there.
• Imagine checking on a fourth grader whose parent is gravely ill and nearing the end of life.

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with enough members present to conduct business and approved the June 17 minutes. It first heard HB 459 with House Amendment 1, which would prohibit the sale of energy drinks on public middle and high school campuses during school hours or school events. The sponsor and Department of Education explained that the bill targets beverages containing caffeine and marketed as energy drinks, not ordinary soft drinks or coffee/tea products. Public testimony from the Medical Society supported the bill on health grounds, while the beverage industry said its companies already voluntarily limit school offerings and that the bill does not reflect current practice. No vote was taken in the transcript. The committee then heard HB 461, a follow-up to prior legislation on New Castle County property reassessment and school tax rates. Senator Cruz said the bill would let New Castle County school districts adjust and reset tax rates to reflect reassessment changes without increasing projected operating revenue, and that it includes a sunset. DSEA supported the measure, saying fair property values are important to public education funding. The committee also heard HB 452, which would require additional background checks and training for DIAA sports officials and strengthen DIAA enforcement procedures. Members questioned how checks would be handled, who would see the results, and who would provide training; the DIAA compliance coordinator said the checks would be maintained through the state process and that associations would verify eligibility. The bill’s sponsor and DIAA said the goal was to align officials with existing child-safety standards. Next, the committee considered HS1 for HB 425, which raises the salary supplement from 6% to 12% for nationally certified school counselors, nurses, and school social workers, and allows DOE to identify additional qualifying positions by regulation. Supporters, including school social workers, nurses, and DSEA, argued the change would improve retention and recognize advanced credentials. Senator Hansen raised concerns that school psychologists were not included; sponsors said a broader study and possible future legislation or budget language would address other nationally certified school-based professionals. The committee then heard HS1 for HB 358 on student elopement notifications, inspired by Ace’s Law, but administrators and the chair raised concerns that the bill may be too prescriptive and difficult to implement in practice, especially when schools may not immediately know a student has left campus. Finally, the committee discussed HB 379 on the comprehensive school discipline improvement program; DOE said the substitute was intended to consolidate prevention and intervention supports and avoid competition for funding, while DASA asked that the bill be paused or tabled. The meeting ended before action on the remaining bill, and HB 443 was deferred to a future executive meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the amendment? Representative Jean is closed for the amendment.
• For the amendment? Representative Jean is closed for the amendment.
• For the amendment? Representative Jean is closed for the amendment.
• For the amendment? Representative Jean is closed for the amendment.
• And this is the amendment, amendment number one.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law in relation to requiring the Office of Addiction Services and
• An act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law in relation to requiring the Office of Addiction Services and
• An act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law in relation to establishing an intensive addiction recovery and
• An act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law in relation to reimbursement for non-medical transportation for
• Our fourth bill is S-513, sponsored by Senator Harckham.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders met on April 29, 2026, with Senators Pete Harckham and Rob Rolison present and a quorum established through submitted vote sheets. The chair noted this could be one of the committee’s final meetings of the year and thanked members for their participation. Nine bills were on the agenda, all of which were moved and approved without recorded opposition. The committee advanced several addiction-treatment and recovery measures, including S-1817 on encouraging and facilitating clinical research into ibogaine for drug treatment, S-4747A creating an intensive addiction recovery and mental health integrated services pilot program, S-4948A providing reimbursement for non-medical transportation to peer support services, and S-59A creating a substance use disorder treatment bill of rights. Members also approved S-83A establishing the Individual Counseling for Integrated Care Rate Enhancement Act and S-7508, which requires health care professionals to prescribe opioids, sending those bills to Finance. The committee also approved education-focused bills: S-513 requiring schools to include instruction on preventing co-occurring disorders, S-5900 directing educational materials on prescription drug misuse in counties with the most prevalent opioid abuse, and S-9272 expanding opioid overdose prevention measures in certain settings. Most bills were reported either to Finance, Education, or the calendar, with no negative votes recorded on any measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, the bill is going to be different after the amendment. Okay, so the amendment...
• Okay, thank you for the amendment.
• Fourth? Yes, it was 2021. Yeah, that's right.
• Okay, do we have a motion on the amendment? ...on the amendment? Okay, Chairman, you have a second?
• Okay, we... as amended. Yes, sir, back to you, so the... ...as amended. Yes, sir, back to you.

Bills: SB39, HB165, HB189, HB44, HB44

Keywords: board governance, occupational licensing, Sunset Law, public accountability, training requirements, state holidays, Juneteenth, Rosa Parks Day, Alabama law, public observance, public works, sealed bids, bidding notice, advertising requirements, newspaper of general circulation, centralized website, electronic mail, U.S. mail, state procurement, county procurement

Transcript Highlights:

• Vice Chair, let's see, let's move the verbal amendment to the amendment. Mr.
• Let's adopt the verbal amendment to the amendment.
• Chairman, I move the Griffin amendment as amended, do pass, be adopted. It is so ordered. Mr.
• Chairman, I move the Griffin amendment as amended, do pass, be adopted.
• ., as amended, be adopted.

Bills: HB2023, HB2100, HB2147, HB2158, HB2159, HB2162, HB2197, HB2497, HB2787, HCM2006

Keywords: land division, property disclosure, real estate, affidavit, Arizona Revised Statutes, small land subdivision, land use, real estate regulation, county ordinance, water supply requirements, property access, civil penalties, wildlife management, deer permits, private land, landowner rights, human-wildlife conflict, predatory animals, hunting regulations, game and fish

Transcript Highlights:

• 1, Senate Amendment 2, Senate Amendment 3, Senate Amendment 4, Senate Amendment 5 as amended, and Senate
• House Amendment 18 as amended, House Amendment 19, House Amendment 1 to House Amendment 20, House Amendment
• 20 as amended, House Amendment 21, House Amendment 22, 23, House Amendment 1 to House Amendment 21 to
• House Amendment 24, House Amendment 2 to House Amendment 24, House Amendment 24, House Amendment 24,
• House Amendment 24, House Amendment 24, House Amendment 24, House Amendment 24, House Amendment 25,

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the House Journal by a 123-0 roll call vote. Members then used points of personal privilege to recognize National Police Week, honor Rep. Prouty, and share personal remarks, followed by numerous introductions of special guests, including school groups, interns, a militia reenactment group, and student teams from the University of Missouri and Hallsville FFA. The chamber then handled Senate messages and committee reports before taking up House Bills 1839, 2921, and 3015. Rep. from Cass explained a Senate amendment as a technical correction to House Bill 1839, which would add age-verification requirements for online pornography; the House concurred 104-30 and then finally passed the package 112-25. The House also adopted and then passed the conference committee report on House Bill 2596, which was described as modernizing pooled health plan language for small businesses and adding a provision expanding contraception insurance coverage from a six-month to a 12-month supply, while removing a Senate-added blood pressure cuff provision. The conference report was adopted 120-26 and the bill was third read and passed 119-27. The final major item was Senate Bill 905, creating the Missouri Ranger training program and allowing school districts to optionally place highly trained rangers on campus with narrow law enforcement powers. Supporters argued it would give districts another local-control option to improve school safety, especially where school resource officers are unavailable, and emphasized that it could be volunteer-based and not require state funding. Opponents argued the bill would add guns to schools, increase trauma and liability, and fail to address underlying mental health and school safety needs. After extended debate and a successful previous-question motion, the House adopted the amendment and continued consideration of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Only a committee member may offer an amendment during executive session for a vote, and amendments may
• , the unapproved amendment, will be sent by OLS to HCS, located on the fourth floor, and they will automatically
• It is the responsibility of the member who will be offering the amendment to go to the fourth floor before
• to offering the amend amendment to go to offering the amend amendment to go to the<00:47:58.520><
• session get those hard copy amendments session get those hard copy amendments and<00:48:04.200><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, there's one amendment I can explain.
• one amendment I can explain please mr. chair the amendment in your name that dated February 2nd 2026
• And the amendment, please. Mr.
• There are some amendments that I would yield to, but... ...are some amendments that I would yield to,
• So I think staff, we're going to tweak that with an amendment, a committee amendment, because the purpose

Bills: HB2163, HB2256, HB2305, HB2367, HB2369, HB2669, HB2772, HB2916, HCM2007, HCR2004, HR2003

Keywords: lighting laws, construction equipment, farm equipment, vehicle safety, Arizona Revised Statutes, salvage vehicles, insurance claims, abandoned vehicles, salvage auction dealers, vehicle title, towing regulation, private towing carriers, vehicle impound, towing rates, preemption, law enforcement, neighborhood electric vehicles, alternative fuel, vehicle license tax, tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• Our fourth bill is Senate Bill S4780 by Senator Skoufis: an act to amend the General Municipal Law in
• Our ninth bill is Bill S990 by Senator Martinez: an act to amend Chapter 581 of the Laws of 2005 amending
• Our eleventh bill is Bill S9902 by Senator Ryan: an act to amend Chapter 629 of the Laws of 2005 amending
• Our twelfth bill is S9903 by Senator Martinez: an act to amend Chapter 307 of the Laws of 2005 amending
• An act to amend chapter 307 of the laws of 2005 amending the public authorities law relating to the special

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The local government committee met for its fifth meeting of the year and considered 15 bills, with the chair noting there may be one more meeting to finish the agenda. Members present included Senators Baskin, Fahy, and Rolison, and the committee moved through the bills with brief motions and seconding throughout. The committee reported several measures, including bills on making housing a state policy, directing a study on real property tax saturation, requiring notice to adjacent municipalities for certain zoning changes, authorizing the Town of Huntington to alienate park land for the Huntington African American Museum, requiring CPR training for 911 dispatchers and call takers, allowing the Johnson City School District to create an insurance reserve fund, incorporating the New Hartford Volunteer, Exempt Firefighters, Benevolent Association, creating a Suffolk County real property tax exemption for certain volunteer auxiliary police officers, and extending various local finance and public authorities provisions. One bill, S4504 by Senator Griffo, which would prohibit unfunded state mandates on municipalities and school districts and create a Mandate Review Council, was reported to the Education Committee, with the chair noting opposition. Several bills extending the effectiveness of local finance-related laws were reported to the Finance Committee, including measures on statutory installment bonds, installment loans, refunding bonds, and Environmental Facilities Corporation powers. The committee also reported a bill on county tribal detention agreements and another on base adjusted proportions in the Real Property Tax Law. During discussion of the 911 CPR training bill, members noted an amendment was being worked on to require the training every four years. Most bills were reported unanimously or with no recorded opposition, and the meeting concluded after the final bill was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• readers and I believe it's the fourth readers and I believe it's the fourth year<00:05:18.240>
• But for me, what I'm concerned about, and I believe we can do an amendment on the floor if we get to
• Uh then maybe an amendment to exclude labor disputes may be helpful in this here.
• Uh then maybe an amendment to exclude labor disputes may be helpful in this here.
• Uh then maybe an amendment to exclude labor disputes may be helpful in this here.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She attends fourth grade at La Union Elementary School. Same thing in Gadsden.
• In the fourth quarter, I was just lucky my teammates started giving me the rock, finally.
• Senate Bill 190, do pass as amended, thence referred to the Finance Committee.
• It's now subject to debate, amendment, or substitution.
• But I was going to smoke you guys in the fourth quarter.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AMENDMENT ADOPTED. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BILL AS AMENDED.
• WE ARE BACK ON THE BILL AS AMENDED. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BILL AS AMENDED?
• THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED. WE ARE BACK ON THE BILL AS AMENDED.
• WE ARE IN DEBATE ON THE AMENDMENT. DEBATE ON THE AMENDMENT?
• FOR FIFTH AMENDMENT, FOURTH AMENDMENT. FLORIDA CONSTITUTION TRACKS THAT.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you don’t call on your own if you want to suggest an amendment to a bill.
• <00:27:38.159> You<00:27:38.320> you<00:27:38.720> come an amendment to a bill
• You you come an amendment to a bill.
• Attorney Grant, would it be possible to call the fourth floor and see if Attorney Canseian could come
• So, we're looking for black smoke or white smoke from the fourth floor. Habas danci. Yes.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Family Court Subcommittee of the Children and Family Law Committee convened under Chairman Mark Pearson to continue work begun by the prior special committee on the family division of circuit court. Pearson emphasized a collaborative, consensus-based approach with the judiciary and said the subcommittee would build on earlier “low-hanging fruit” reforms while tracking how prior changes are actually working. He also explained that the subcommittee would likely form smaller working groups, with informal meetings allowed so long as they stayed within open-meeting limits. The main policy focus was House Bill 652, which was retained by the committee, along with broader questions about what additional changes family court should make. Members divided the work into two broad areas: pre-trial and trial issues. Pre-trial topics included alternative dispute resolution, mediation training and supervision, counseling/therapy for litigants with issues such as PTSD, and improving materials for pro se litigants, including New Hampshire Bar forms and instructions. The committee also discussed whether to use input from prior testimony, former litigants, other states, and legislative researchers, and whether some of the work should be assigned to two-person subgroups to allow flexible research and outreach. For trial-related issues, members identified additional training for family court judges, whether judges should be dedicated solely to family court, and how to handle the overlap between civil and criminal matters, especially domestic violence and divorce cases. Representative Raymond raised concerns about courtroom recordings and whether judges’ behavior and record preservation were adequate; Aaron Kan of the court system responded that circuit court recording practices and staffing had not changed, that circuit court lacks the court monitors used in superior court, and that resource limits prevent similar staffing. Raymond also raised the cost of obtaining trial transcripts for pro se litigants; Kan explained that transcripts are produced by private vendors because the court system no longer employs court reporters, and that the fees reflect that outsourced service rather than a court-imposed markup. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with plans to continue gathering information and assigning subtopics for further study.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to do OTPA, or an amendment off of this amendment.
• your amendment.
• the amendment and the the the amendment the amendment and the the the amendment over<02:17:36.000
• Amendment 0 773 as amended by Amendment 0 714<02:49:20.560> is<02:49:20.720> there<02:49
• <02:56:13.800> by<02:56:14.000> Amendment 739 as amended by Amendment 739 as amended

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The executive session focused primarily on HB 563, which revises the school funding formula, especially the adequate education grant amounts for special education students and the treatment of fiscal capacity disparity aid. Representative Ladd moved OTPA on Amendment 06508, explaining that FY 26 would largely hold the current formula steady, while FY 27 would increase several per-pupil amounts, including base cost, free and reduced-price meals, English language learner aid, and special education differentiated aid. He said the special education change was based on estimated case loads across disability categories and that the amendment also reinstates fiscal capacity disparity aid, using a formula intended to better assist property-poor communities. Several members supported the amendment as a step in the right direction, saying it better recognizes special education costs and separates property wealth from low-income student counts. Others raised concerns about the lack of time and the absence of a printed spreadsheet showing how the fiscal capacity disparity aid would affect each town. In response, sponsors said the spreadsheet existed, that the LBA had copies, and that the amendment would help about 40 target towns, while Manchester would be the main community receiving less under the new formula because of prior shifts in the extraordinary needs grant. Discussion also covered the broader impact of the bill, with members noting that about 200 of the state’s 245 cities and towns would see an increase and 45 a decrease under the proposed FY 27 changes. Supporters argued the bill was a compromise given limited revenues and that it should move forward so it can be considered by the full House and then Finance. No final vote on the amendment or bill was taken in the portion provided, and the chair indicated the committee was still deciding whether it had enough information to proceed.