Transcript Highlights:

• The CERC is structured so that there is a contract that is executed with the Industrial Commission.
• We expect that to be fully paid out, and then estimating contract payments of about $7.7 million for
• Now that contract ends in '27. Yeah, Basin can just store it all underneath the ground.
• We're finalizing contracts. We're doing the deep vendor due diligence.
• We're finalizing contracts. We're doing the deep vendor due diligence.

Summary: The committee received a compliance and budget update on Industrial Commission agencies and programs, including the Industrial Commission administrative office, the Oil and Gas Research Program, the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, the State Energy Research Center, the Research Technology Park grant program, and related funds. Staff reviewed spending and balances for items such as electric grid resiliency grants, lignite research, enhanced oil recovery, the salt cavern business case study, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members also discussed timing, carryover balances, matching requirements, and how some programs are structured to reimburse projects over several years rather than spend funds immediately. Karen Tyler of the Industrial Commission described the agency’s administrative budget, the grant management system nearing completion, and the transition to standalone audits and staffing after separating from other agencies. She also outlined the status of active grant rounds across lignite, oil and gas, renewable energy, outdoor heritage, and clean sustainable energy programs. Members asked about the length of active grants, demand for clean energy funding, and the possibility of future grant rounds. Tyler and members also discussed the salt cavern study, the need to better define its commercial value, and the research technology park grant’s cash-match requirement. Ron Ness then testified on enhanced oil recovery and broader oil and gas market conditions. He said North Dakota production remained steady, but future growth depends on infrastructure, longer laterals, and better use of natural gas and carbon dioxide for EOR. He described the state’s EOR grant round, the use of federal DOE funding to replace part of a state-funded project, and the expectation of additional grant rounds. Members asked about CO2 supply, storage, and the economics of using legacy fields and pipelines to extend oil production and support agriculture and industrial uses. The committee also heard from Bank of North Dakota President Don Morgan, who reviewed the bank’s mission, governance, lending verticals, disaster programs, and new initiatives. He said the bank is seeing deposit growth flatten and is responding to fintech competition by focusing on liquidity, risk management, and a new payment infrastructure initiative called Rough Rider Coin, which he emphasized is not crypto and not a public coin, but a banking payment rail for North Dakota institutions. Members asked about student loan rates, disaster lending, and how the bank’s lines of credit and balance sheet capacity are affected by deposit trends. Morgan said the bank remains profitable and continues to support agriculture, commerce, and industry through participation loans, student lending, and state-directed programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, when a school board decides to end a superintendent's contract, there are currently no limits
• superintendents that exceed six months' salary and benefits as outlined in the terminated superintendent's contract
• So this same... ...had been asked to resign by Fort Bend ISD before the end of his contract in the 2022
• The bill prohibits the university from entering into a contract with a private entity to construct student
• Merit and qualification are what determine who is admitted and hired. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires AAAs to competitively procure any contract in excess of $35,000.
• It requires AAAs to competitively procure any contract in excess of $35,000.
• It requires AAAs to competitively procure any contract in excess of $35,000.
• They contract... Right. ...ambiguous. The city of Fort Lauderdale has contacted me.
• They contract with FPL for electricity and Microsoft for software license.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and included several member introductions recognizing guests, interns, firefighters, and a doctor of the day. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and began taking up a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate measures before final passage. The first major bill, health care patient protection, required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, a pediatric emergency care coordinator, and readiness assessments; it passed 36-0. A public records bill protecting victim identities and temporarily exempting the name of a law enforcement officer who is a victim also passed after questions about access for victims of police misconduct, with a 33-4 vote. The Senate next approved a local government cybersecurity bill creating a state-administered program through Florida Digital Service to help counties and cities strengthen cyber defenses, with priority for rural and fiscally constrained governments; after amendments, it passed 37-0. A clerks of court bill allowing clerks to retain all revenue above projections and, through a House amendment, revising legal notice and traffic citation distribution provisions, passed 38-0 despite debate over impacts on municipalities and law enforcement. The chamber also passed a trademark modernization bill and a septic system permit bill intended to reduce delays for builders; the septic bill was amended to align the House and Senate versions and passed 38-0. The longest and most contested item was the elections bill, which updated citizenship verification procedures using REAL ID and state databases, changed candidate qualification rules, and altered election administration provisions. Numerous amendments were offered and rejected, including proposals to exempt certain seniors, preserve student and retirement-center IDs, allow attestations in place of documentary proof of citizenship, and require human review over automated systems. One amendment to delay implementation until July 1, 2027, was also debated. The transcript ends while debate is still underway on the elections measure, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• A camp operator, as defined in Section 268.2, shall require by lease or contract that an organization
• Individuals and firms who wish to appear on the registry shall submit relevant qualifications, experience

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The meeting included a Senate recognition ceremony honoring the Winona High School boys basketball team for winning the 2026 Alabama High School Athletic Association 5A state championship. A resolution was read commending the team for its 101-40 victory over Silicag, noting the team’s record-setting performance, Brendan Davis’s MVP honor, the contributions of other players, and Coach Cedric Lane’s leadership. Senators and the lieutenant governor praised the players’ sportsmanship, the school community, and the team’s historic season, and copies of the resolution were presented to the team, coaches, and administrators. Several guests and school representatives also spoke briefly, including the coach and principal, who thanked the Senate and noted the team’s success and the principal’s retirement after 35 years. After the recognition, the Senate returned to session and adopted the Committee on Rules report setting the special order calendar. The calendar included Senate Bill 99 on the Ten Commandments, Senate Bill 298 on Class 3 municipalities, House Bill 381 on camp safety, Senate Bill 370 on tax increment districts, Senate Bill 363 on the Department of Economic and Community Affairs, House Bill 466 on firefighters, House Bill 95 on elections, House Bill 259 on stablecoin, and Senate Bill 342 on education. The chamber then took up SB 99, sponsored by Senators Kelly and Sessions. Senator Kelly described the bill as requiring local school boards to display the Ten Commandments, together with founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Alabama Constitution preamble, in certain history classrooms and common areas for grades five through 12, using donated displays and funds when available. He said the bill was intended as a historical and educational measure, not religious instruction, and emphasized the inclusion of a disclaimer stating Alabama is not establishing a religion. After extended debate and a petition to close debate from the Rules Committee, the Senate voted on the bill by long roll and passed SB 99, with the recorded vote announced as 30 yeas and 4 nays.

Transcript Highlights:

• That means some qualifications.
• do that through our existing contract. do that through our existing contract.
• contracts and expend. contracts and expend.
• helped approve the contracts?
• , you helped approve the contracts, you helped approve the contracts. contracts. contracts.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a year- or two- and a five-year contract with Centurion Health, and this was the funding we've
• put in the last couple of years to support that contract.
• There will be some additional discussions next session about additional funding for that contract.
• And we focus a lot on contracted staff pay increases.
• Those programs are independently procured and contracted for specific treatment services.

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs. Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing. The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted. Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s their contract.
• He added that many of those contracts do not contain a provision for reviewing exemptions and credits
• Many<00:36:09.119> of<00:36:09.280> those<00:36:09.520> contracts<00:36:10.400><
• a Many of those contracts don't contain a provision<00:36:11.359> for<00:36:11.520> them
• So, our contract was to continue the same way and operate the same way. Well, in 2022, reputation.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate File 832 does not debate the qualifications or scope of practice for midwives in Minnesota, but
• This bill does not debate post-training qualifications, but rather creates a new entry pathway to training
• Senate File 832 does not debate the qualifications or scope of practice for midwives in Minnesota, but
• This bill does not debate post-training qualifications, but rather creates a new entry pathway to training
• Senate File 832 does not debate the qualifications or scope of practice for midwives in Minnesota, but

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• grant funding altering teacher poverty grant funding altering teacher licensure<00:39:51.360> qualifications
• <00:39:52.720> altering<00:39:53.160> the licensure qualifications altering the licensure
• qualifications altering the date<00:39:53.520> by<00:39:53.680> which<00:39:53.880>
• specifically have it where people who have been incarcerated before that run some sort of entity can now contract
• c> Hayes<02:08:13.160> State Senate Bill 818, Senator Hayes, State Center Development Contract

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened with a quorum present and then proceeded through committee reports, largely adopting favorable reports and amendments without objection. Early measures included SB 530, which funds grants for multigenerational social connection programs for older adults; SB 731, clarifying the legal status of the Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council; SB 809, directing a feasibility study on a caregiver infrastructure program; SB 860, creating an Aging Resilience Fund with reporting and budget protections; SB 910, requiring insurance reimbursement for services provided by graduate-level clinical interns under supervision; and SB 972, making several Baltimore City alcoholic beverages licensing changes. Each of these bills was advanced to third reading after committee amendments were adopted. The Finance Committee also advanced SB 555, establishing a Dementia Services and Brain Health Program and a provider resource toolkit for dementia care; SB 757, creating a Maryland Local Sourcing Portal to connect businesses with local sources for tariff-impacted goods; SB 772, creating an employment training and opportunity database to help people qualify for or maintain Medicaid and SNAP; SB 792, requiring hospitals to adopt and train staff on immigration-enforcement policies consistent with Attorney General guidance; SB 869, establishing a workforce training pilot program through Commerce and community colleges; SB 905, creating an advanced manufacturing grant program through TEDCO; and SB 974, changing who may serve as inspector for the Caroline County Board of License Commissioners. Most of these bills were reported favorably with technical or narrowing amendments and then ordered printed for third reading. Budget and Taxation advanced SB 28, which would create binding arbitration for state employee collective bargaining impasses and include a proposed constitutional amendment requiring funding in the Governor’s budget; SB 466, expanding a physician preceptor tax credit and adjusting training-hour requirements; and later SB 704, concerning estate tax treatment for qualified agricultural property transferred to an LLC. SB 557, a gaming-related bill, was laid over until the end of the evening at the majority leader’s request. In the Education, Energy, and the Environment report, the committee advanced SB 35 on a state natural science museum designation, SB 166 on shellfish aquaculture permit sanctions, SB 189 on municipal drainage inlet safety requirements prompted by a child’s death, SB 242 on civil relief for service members and spouses, SB 266 on local regulation of invasive trees and tree-of-heaven, and SB 267 on a corporate rental-property registry and local housing application review process. SB 267 drew a brief question from the minority leader, who asked whether prior opposition remained and how the amended bill differed; the sponsor said the opposition had gone away and described the bill as now focused on a responsible-owner registry and an administrative review process.

Transcript Highlights:

• , which is one thing, or whether they need to up the pay rate so they can get people with the qualifications
• people up the pay rate so they can get people with<01:09:49.520> the<01:09:49.679> qualifications
• with the qualifications. with the qualifications.
• <01:11:10.480> may<01:11:10.640> need<01:11:10.719> to<01:11:10.880> contract
• certification, they may need to contract certification, they may need to contract out<01:11:11.600

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee began a work session on House Bill 1600, concerning access to the centralized voter registration database on election days. Secretary of State David Scanlan testified that the state already has a new statewide voter registration system connected to town clerks and supervisors of the checklist, and that the bill was probably unnecessary but acceptable if the legislature wanted it. He raised concern about language that could require direct electronic access in every polling place, noting that some polling locations lack reliable internet or cell service and that municipalities can change polling locations, which could make a rigid requirement expensive and impractical. Members discussed whether the bill should be clarified to allow direct or indirect access, including use of a phone-based workaround, and the secretary said that would address his concern. The committee then voted on HB 1600. Representative Maguire moved ought to pass with an amendment adding “direct or indirect access” on page one, line seven, and the motion was seconded. The amendment was adopted 9-0 by voice vote, and the committee then voted 9-0 to OTP the bill. The chair stated that HB 1600 would be placed on consent. The committee next took up House Bill 1197F FN, a technical correction to insurance laws. Members noted it had already passed the House with amendment and that the fiscal note was effectively indeterminate but would not affect the general fund because the insurance agency is self-funded. The committee voted 9-0 to OTP the bill; the chair said consent calendar placement would be decided by the full committee. Finally, the committee opened a work session on House Bill 11:30 FN regarding judicial performance evaluations. Representative Lynn, the bill’s sponsor, argued that the fiscal note overstated the immediate cost and said the judicial branch could likely manage through the current biennium while implementing the new system. He also supported making judges’ names public and said the bill’s anonymity provisions were aimed at protecting the identities of questionnaire respondents, not the judges being evaluated. Members asked about public disclosure, internal access to evaluation materials, and the removal of language allowing the governor and executive council to receive evaluations on request; discussion continued on those points, but no final vote on HB 11:30 FN was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• to again develop more professors and individuals who could teach those students and meet the qualifications
• <00:10:25.519> and<00:10:25.640> meet<00:10:25.839> the<00:10:26.040> qualifications
• students and meet the qualifications students and meet the qualifications with<00:10:27.120>
• In 2021, my entire family contracted COVID-19.
• covid-19 we lost my contracted covid-19 we lost my grandmother<01:51:35.560> during<01:51:35.800

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• there that um you know um qualification there that um you know somebody<01:05:42.520> was<01:
• I think it applies to everything except for private schools, but private schools have their own contracts
• or indirectly receives state funds for education. their<01:37:25.760> own<01:37:26.000> contracts
• with<01:37:26.560> parents<01:37:27.480> so<01:37:28.360> so their own contracts
• with parents so so their own contracts with parents so so on<01:37:28.960> uh<01:37:29.159>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He could not be the academic director because he did not have the requisite minimum qualifications in
• minimum requisite um U desired qual in minimum requisite um U desired qual in minimum qualifications
• in terms of academic qualifications in terms of academic credentials<00:04:32.320> uh<00:04:32.560
• c><00:41:23.319> Grants<00:41:23.880> we<00:41:24.000> can<00:41:24.319> contract
• <00:41:24.920> people like for Grants we can contract people like for Grants we can contract

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The other part is in our contracts. It's contracts. It's all. Contracts, contractual. So if okay.
• But if there's contract oversight, the agency and the OIG go after the CEO's on that contract oversight
• And that's part of our model is to have that contract provide that contract oversight.
• We do oversee the managed care contracts.
• So we split one big contract into two. We're really three. We had to cancel a contract.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services convened to discuss interim charges regarding fraud, waste, and abuse in Texas human services, particularly focusing on Medicaid and childcare programs. The meeting highlighted the importance of preventing misuse of taxpayer funds, with testimony from various stakeholders emphasizing the need for increased oversight and accountability in these programs. Key points included the alarming rise in healthcare fraud in other states, the necessity for Texas to enhance its fraud prevention measures, and the potential financial repercussions of failing to meet federal compliance standards. Several committee members expressed concerns about the impact of fraud on vulnerable populations, particularly those relying on Medicaid services. Testimonies from experts underscored the effectiveness of Texas's Office of Inspector General (OIG) in combating fraud, yet pointed out existing vulnerabilities, such as inconsistent enforcement and the need for better data sharing among agencies. The discussion also touched on the challenges faced by hospice care providers, with a significant increase in the number of hospices in Texas raising concerns about quality and oversight. The committee heard from various witnesses, including representatives from health plans and advocacy organizations, who provided insights into the complexities of managing Medicaid and the importance of maintaining program integrity. The meeting concluded with a commitment to further explore legislative solutions to enhance oversight and ensure that resources are directed to those in genuine need.

Transcript Highlights:

• for those programs from qualification for those programs from information<00:02:29.040> and<00
• It's providing definitions for qualification for programs that exist in Minnesota already.
• It's providing definitions for qualification for programs that exist in Minnesota already.
• Under the current language, some folks already under contract to build a solar system who base their
• Under the current language, some folks already under contract to build a solar system who base their

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :22.320> historically<01:26:23.360> would<01:26:23.840> not<01:26:24.639> qualif
• <01:26:25.600> that that historically would not qualif that that historically would not qualif
• Conservation Districts, Contracting, and Supervisors. >> Representative Davis, two minutes, please. >
• Members, you're voting on House Bill 133, Conservation Districts, Contracting, and Supervisors.
• <02:30:23.920> with into commercial contracts with into commercial contracts with non-utility

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky qualification system is something that Dr.
• Kentucky qualification system is something that Dr.
• Kentucky qualification system is things.
• Kentucky qualification system is something<00:22:08.960> that<00:22:09.200> Dr.
• And we also do not do contracted work with the state or federal government.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The first meeting of the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force focused on the task force’s mission and on recent Kentucky flooding disasters. The co-chairs described the need to better prepare for increasingly frequent and costly natural disasters, including flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, and ice storms, and emphasized coordination among local, state, federal, and interstate partners. The discussion also stressed the importance of budgeting for mitigation, infrastructure resilience, housing, insurance, and recovery planning, with several members sharing personal experiences with disaster impacts in their districts. Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson gave the main presentation, responding to questions about the February and April flooding events. He said the February event affected the entire state, with 11,825 individuals registering for assistance and 1,194 public-assistance projects written so far; he also reported 134 households still sheltered, 190 households moved to permanent housing, and three disaster recovery centers still open after a regional consolidation. For the April event, he said 37 counties had individual assistance, 83 counties were still pending public assistance, and no hazard mitigation had yet been declared; 5,893 people had registered for individual assistance, and 144 households were sheltered, with 83 families already moved to permanent solutions. He noted that counties without public assistance would have to cover expenses locally unless state or federal aid is approved. Gibson also outlined Kentucky Emergency Management’s tools and resources, including a 24/7 state operations center and warning point, embedded National Weather Service meteorologists, five regional warehouses stocked with water, MREs, blankets, and kits, a statewide web-based damage reporting system, laundry trailers, generators, a disaster needs hotline that has received 6,972 calls, and a mutual aid system used to deploy resources such as water tankers. He highlighted ongoing work on urban search and rescue, qualification systems for emergency operations personnel, and aerial documentation of storm damage. No votes or formal actions were taken at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• 60th Oklahoma Legislature have examined the above-named communication, election returns, and qualifications
• And qualifications of the person named therein and find that said person has been duly elected to the
• 670-1, wear and appearance of military uniform, height and weight standards, PT tests, weapon qualifications

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They may even have qualifications and students with disabilities, et cetera, that can provide, says service
• if the teacher and which is providing that the actual summer bridge program doesn't have the qualifications
• definitely would require additional funding right for a particular teacher that may have those qualifications

Transcript Highlights:

• we were trying to figure out, you know, what is the opportunity to advance a bridge replacement contract
• And so what that looks like is getting a request for qualifications out on the street.
• , later this year, which will support us selecting a contract or getting into that contract award and
• So you had a company that has a big contract with ODOT being asked to do the management review of its
• So you had a company that has a big contract with ODOT being asked to do this.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee first received an informational update on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project from Carly Francis and Travis Brower. They described the project’s purpose as improving seismic resilience, safety, freight movement, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian access across the Columbia River, and said the updated cost estimate is $13.2 billion to $14.4 billion for the full corridor. They explained the increase from the 2022 estimate as driven by construction inflation, a more conservative inflation curve, schedule delays, more detailed engineering, and risk modeling. They also outlined the funding plan, including $2.1 billion in federal funds, $1 billion each from Oregon and Washington, and $1.5 billion in projected toll revenue, and said they are working to obligate federal funds by the end of September. The panel described a first funded phase that would include the bridge, highway connections, tolling infrastructure, bridge removal, and transit design, with light rail to Vancouver still intended but dependent on additional funding. Members questioned the risk of losing federal transit funds, whether bridge design decisions were being made with legislative input, and whether the space reserved for light rail could be used for buses if transit funding does not materialize. The committee then heard testimony on maintaining Oregon’s existing roads and bridges from representatives of Knife River, the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon, and CRH. Witnesses said pavement and bridge preservation is severely underfunded, with ODOT needing about $400 million per year for pavement preservation but receiving roughly $100 million annually. They showed examples of deteriorating highways such as U.S. 97 and I-84 and argued that delaying maintenance leads to much higher reconstruction costs, more safety risks, and higher user costs. Knife River described layoffs and reduced work in Oregon because of limited preservation funding, while witnesses also said rising wages, equipment costs, fuel, and permitting delays are increasing project costs. Committee members asked about the role of prevailing wage, diesel equipment, hauling distances, and whether preservation work could be prioritized more effectively. Finally, economist Joe Cortright presented on recent ODOT megaproject cost overruns. He said Oregon has experienced persistent overruns driven by overly optimistic revenue forecasts, heavy reliance on debt, consultant costs, inflation above forecast, and projects that have become much larger in scope than originally presented. He cited major increases in the Interstate Bridge, Rose Quarter, and Abernathy Bridge projects and argued that some designs are far wider and more expensive than necessary. Cortright said better accountability, clearer priorities, and more disciplined project sizing are needed, and committee members pressed him on why agencies proceed with larger designs even when consultants recommend narrower, less expensive alternatives.