Transcript Highlights:

• that you have this period of time, especially in the onset of a disaster, where you have like this safe
• period where this Safe Harbor period where individuals<00:21:15.080> can<00:21:15.279> come
• harbor period, and that safe harbor period basically, you know, there you can come in and you can get
• harbor period, and that safe harbor period basically, you know, there you can come in and you can get
• That safe harbor period basically, you know, there you can come in and you can get assistance, but then

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety heard testimony on several bills. HB 628 HD1, relating to education, would reinstate a prior law allowing veterans whose high school education was interrupted by wartime to receive a diploma. Testimony was generally supportive from the Office of Veterans Services, the Department of Education, the Hawaii Military Affairs Council, and an individual testifier, with one person in opposition. The committee later recommended passage of HB 628 HD1 as is, and the motion was adopted. The committee also heard HB 1158 HD1 and HB 1159 HD1, both relating to commercial harbors. HB 1158 HD1 concerns firefighting at commercial harbors and drew support from the Department of Transportation; the committee recommended passage as is and adopted the recommendation. HB 1159 HD1 would require masters or persons in charge of vessels to comply with a Harbor Master’s order to evacuate a commercial harbor during emergencies. Testimony included support from Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Transportation, and comments from the Hawaii Harbor Users Group. Members raised concerns about small boat operators and safety, and the committee passed the bill with reservations. The committee then discussed HB 1262, relating to the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund, and HB 1296, relating to the major disaster fund. Supporters of HB 1262 included the Climate Advisory Team and AARP Hawaii, while the Department of Budget and Finance cautioned about duplication of benefits with federal disaster aid and the need to preserve the fund’s primary purpose. Members questioned how the bill would interact with federal assistance and whether the fund could be used more broadly; no vote was taken, and the bill was deferred to decision-making. On HB 1296, HEMA and Budget and Finance opposed the measure, citing the need for flexibility in emergencies and concerns that added reporting requirements could hinder response efforts, while the Tax Foundation of Hawaii noted the major disaster fund is much smaller than the EBF. The committee likewise deferred HB 1296 to decision-making, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We encourage you to support this to strengthen our workforce, ensure safe and skilled labor on public
• I encourage you to support this to strengthen our workforce, ensure safe and skilled labor on public
• It really does hinder our ability to design safe and usable spaces for the communities that we serve.
• safe and usable spaces for the communities that we serve.
• Moreover, science consistently shows that synthetic turf fields are safe.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight heard testimony on several procurement-related bills. Senator Lovely and steel industry witnesses supported S. 2167/H. 3411, which would require preference for U.S. manufacturers on public construction projects using steel and other materials. They argued that Canadian and other foreign fabricators underbid Massachusetts firms because of exchange rates, subsidies, and different labor-cost structures, causing local job losses and economic leakage. Committee members asked about tariffs, market share, and whether the bill should be folded into broader municipal legislation; the witnesses said public work should stay in Massachusetts and that the bill would help preserve local industry and jobs. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2107, a bill to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities in state and municipal contracting. Work Inc. testified that a preference for contractors employing people with disabilities would expand competitive employment, reduce reliance on public assistance, and generate net savings for taxpayers. Members asked about the estimated savings and whether recent federal changes to benefits would affect the numbers; the witness said the figures may need updating but that the underlying employment opportunity remains important. Another bill, H. 3339/S. 2187, would prohibit state and municipal contracts for new artificial turf fields containing zinc, plastic, or intentionally added PFAS. Sponsors and supporters cited health risks, heat retention, injuries, and PFAS contamination, while committee members discussed local bans, disposal problems, and whether indoor facilities or alternative materials could be used. Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro testified in favor of H. 12 and H. 13, which would update Chapter 30B procurement thresholds and allow municipalities to bundle snow hauling and removal with plowing contracts. He said the changes would give local governments more flexibility, reduce confusion between school and municipal procurement rules, and make snow contracts more attractive to vendors. Members questioned whether quasi-public agencies and state entities should also be subject to 30B, and Shapiro said many public entities have their own procedures but that transparency and fairness should apply across the board. The committee also heard support for S. 2150, a software licensing bill aimed at preventing vendor lock-in by ensuring state agencies can run purchased software in the infrastructure that best fits their needs; the witness said restrictive licensing can drive up costs and create cybersecurity and modernization problems, and that similar laws have already passed in several other states.

Transcript Highlights:

• records or conducting a site visit to ensure that kids were fed and that the food was nutritious and safe
• Department<00:21:35.159> of<00:21:35.360> Justice<00:21:36.120> later safe
• the US Department of Justice later safe the US Department of Justice later charged<00:21:36.919>
• uh<00:32:17.200> and<00:32:17.440> kind<00:32:17.559> of<00:32:17.720> dig
• <00:32:17.960> deep sample of um uh and kind of dig deep sample of um uh and kind of dig deep

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee met to hear a delayed presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on MDE’s oversight of Feeding Our Future, a report released in June 2024. The chair framed the hearing as an oversight review of how the Minnesota Department of Education handled the nonprofit’s participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program, emphasizing that the hearing was not about criminal charges against agency staff. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall and Director of Special Reviews Katherine Tyson explained that their review focused on state oversight, not the underlying federal fraud case, which involved an alleged $250 million scheme and ongoing criminal proceedings. The auditors concluded that MDE’s oversight was inadequate and created opportunities for fraud. They said MDE failed to act on warning signs before the pandemic, did not effectively use its authority to hold Feeding Our Future accountable, and was ill prepared to respond to problems. Examples included approving applications despite concerns about internal controls and staffing, failing to follow up on earlier review findings, not adequately investigating at least 30 complaints, and in one case referring a complaint back to Feeding Our Future for resolution rather than conducting an independent investigation. They also said MDE deferred serious deficiencies without enough evidence that problems had been fully corrected and approved meal claims despite records showing major inconsistencies. Tyson said MDE had made progress on all eight recommendations in the report, though one recommendation to the legislature had not yet been addressed because the session had not convened since the report’s release. The auditors recommended that the legislature establish clearer statutory criteria or give MDE rulemaking authority for sponsor applications, and that MDE strengthen verification of sponsor information, focus more on high-risk sponsors, improve complaint procedures, and emphasize program integrity if waivers reduce oversight in the future. In response to member questions, the auditors said MDE’s reported progress was partial in some areas and that further review would be needed to fully confirm implementation. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a woman, should I be considered intolerant because I'm a woman and I want to be safe?
• I thank you that Texas women should be safe, and girls especially, in schools because it's not safe.
• We must keep students safe.
• My friends and I keep each other safe.
• My trans friends have kept me in safe. from, have kept me safe from cis men in public.

Bills: SB240, SB1183, SB1184, SB1577, SB2043, SB2051, SCR42, SJR68

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm asking the school and the state of Texas to protect me in safe spaces and provide me with a safe.
• I thank you that Texas women should be safe, and girls especially, in schools because it's not safe.
• We must keep students safe.
• My friends and I keep each other safe.
• My trans friends have kept me in safe. have kept me safe from cis men in public.

Bills: SB240, SB1183, SB1184, SB1577, SB2043, SB2051, SCR42, SJR68

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• just<00:22:08.520> to<00:22:08.640> kind<00:22:08.800> of<00:22:08.880> dig
• <00:22:09.080> out<00:22:09.200> of bigger ones just to kind of dig out of bigger ones
• just to kind of dig out of the<00:22:09.360> hole<00:22:09.640> they're<00:22:09.840><
• <01:10:44.440> into will want to kind of further um dig into will want to kind of further
• um dig into how<01:10:45.160> we<01:10:45.360> better<01:10:46.240> um<01:10:46.400

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you have any questions about any of this and you want to dig in for yourself, they're all there
• And speaking of digging in yourself, members, you probably know that we have $30,000 in our own LCPR
• So if you have any questions about any of this and you want to dig in for yourself, they're all there
• And speaking of digging in yourself, members, you probably know that we have $30,000 in our own LCPR
• Um, our overall report card can dig into kind of the history, how we got here.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And before I really dig into the broader work that's underway in academic affairs, I do want to build
• So, like you said, this morning I woke up, went to class, and right now we're really digging deep into
• Digging a little more into artificial intelligence, I think it's so important to continue to use it,
• This is not me opining, but I wanted to dig in on most of these.
• That was their proposal to come into North Dakota and dig through the lists of people that have... ..

Summary: The Higher Education Institutions Committee met at NDSU and heard an extensive presentation from President David Cook/President Stewart and NDSU leadership on the university’s priorities, including enrollment, student success, research growth, and use of New Horizons funding. Leaders emphasized NDSU’s land-grant mission, its role in workforce development, and its goal of becoming more distinctive through strategic planning, recruitment and retention, commercialization, and partnerships. They highlighted that NDSU awarded 2,370 degrees in 2025, produces a large share of the state’s engineering, nursing, and agriculture graduates, and reported strong outcomes for graduates staying and working in North Dakota. They also noted enrollment headwinds, competition from other institutions, and the need to manage tuition waivers more carefully through a scholarship optimization effort. Provost Sherry Vale outlined academic stewardship efforts, including review or consolidation of low-producing programs, strategic hiring tied to institutional priorities, faculty workload policy changes, and expanded online and regional offerings. She said the university is using New Horizons dollars to strengthen advising, student support, and programs in engineering, agriculture, and health. NDSU leaders also described new or expanded academic offerings such as robotics and automation, artificial intelligence, material science and engineering, nuclear engineering certificates, accelerated nursing, nurse practitioner certificates, a Master of Health Administration, and a clinical research master’s program with Sanford Health. They stressed that these investments are intended to improve student completion, meet workforce needs, and increase return on public investment. The committee also heard testimony from students and recent graduates who described the value of NDSU’s education, mentorship, internships, research opportunities, and support services. Alyssa Hodges spoke about pharmacy education, public health work, and campus support as a parent and student; Ethan Blessy described engineering coursework, internships with Marvin, and career preparation; and Aiden Freolic discussed neuroscience research, federally funded projects, and plans for graduate study. Their testimony was followed by presentations on partnerships with Gateway to Science for K-12 STEM outreach and with Sanford Research on biomedical research, clinical trials, obesity research, and a joint biostatistics hire. NDSU also highlighted systemwide shared services, Governor’s School programming, and research growth, including a reported 8% increase in research expenditures from $199 million to $215 million. No bill votes were taken; the meeting was informational and featured presentations, testimony, and discussion of future planning and partnerships.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I would say it's the higher ceiling of what we can safely expand it to today. decisions when we're
• of what we can safely expand it to<00:16:49.360> today.
• amount to put this this is just the safe amount to put this cap<00:17:54.960> on<00:17:55.600
• Will we have a work session as a full committee to dig into this one deeper? Whatever it takes.
• work session as a full committee to dig work session as a full committee to dig into<01:07:26.480

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• until a later date, perhaps fall, to consider this one in order to have enough data for us to really dig
• until a later date, perhaps fall, to consider this one in order to have enough data for us to really dig
• us<00:30:49.600> to<00:30:50.440> to<00:30:50.680> really<00:30:50.960> dig
• 00:30:51.240> into<00:30:51.600> the<00:30:51.760> issues, for us to to really dig
• into the issues, for us to to really dig into the issues, but<00:30:52.960> again,<00:30:53.240

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met on May 8, 2026, to narrow 12 proposed Legislative Audit Commission evaluation topics down to 8-10 semi-finalists for a legislative survey. Deputy Legislative Auditor Jodi Munson Rodriguez reviewed the selection criteria and explained which topics were promising now, which might be better deferred to fall because of timing or data limitations, and which were less promising because OLA would have limited ability to add value. She identified the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy, DHS Adult Day Services Licensing, DHS county service approvals and provision, MDH mortuary science program, MPCA feedlot permitting, Minnesota paid leave, the Office of Cannabis Management, and several other DHS-related items as candidates, while recommending that DHS system modernization be shifted to an IT audit and that corporate concentration be narrowed substantially if pursued. Members discussed several topics in detail. Representative Lee asked how a broad DHS county services topic could be narrowed and suggested providing legislators with an addendum listing possible subprograms so they would know what they were ranking; Munson Rodriguez said OLA could add a few suggested subtopics and tailor the survey materials. Representative Hansen urged that the MPCA feedlot permitting review focus on effectiveness and environmental and health impacts, not just speed, and Munson Rodriguez said those kinds of questions could be added. The Office of Cannabis Management was viewed as promising but probably too new to evaluate immediately, and the MDH mortuary science program was also seen as worthwhile but potentially delayed because of overlap with other MDH licensing work. The Minnesota research tax credit drew the most extended discussion. Munson Rodriguez said it remained a weak fit for OLA because of limited data and unclear program goals, and Senator Rest argued it would be better handled by the Department of Revenue’s research staff or possibly the Legislative Budget Office’s tax expenditure research section. Representative Lee asked whether OLA’s financial audit division could review whether the credit “pays for itself,” but Munson Rodriguez said that would require econometric analysis outside the financial audit division’s normal work. The committee did not take a formal vote in the portion provided, but the chair indicated the tax credit issue should be brought to the full commission agenda, and the meeting continued with additional topic review, including the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which staff said was heavily federally controlled and already reviewed by federal OIG, limiting OLA’s likely impact.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm just going to dig through it; it's going to happen.
• So this is your opportunity to really dig in a little deeper if you want to learn more.
• So this is your opportunity to really dig in a little deeper if you want to learn more.
• um this is your opportunity to really so um this is your opportunity to really um<00:17:45.880> dig
• :17:46.880> if<00:17:46.960> you<00:17:47.080> want<00:17:47.160> to um dig

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a lot harder to get to yes than to dig in and believe you're right and the other side has nothing
• to<00:23:12.640> yes<00:23:12.880> than<00:23:13.120> to<00:23:13.280> dig
• a lot harder to get to yes than to dig a lot harder to get to yes than to dig in<00:23:13.679>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a lot harder to get to yes than to dig in and believe you're right, the other side has nothing to
• to<00:07:43.199> yes<00:07:43.440> than<00:07:43.680> to<00:07:43.840> dig
• a lot harder to get to yes than to dig a lot harder to get to yes than to dig in<00:07:44.240>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you're interested in digging into this more, I'd encourage you all to have a look at that.
• There are countless policy suggestions in their perspectives and probably leads on digging in deeper
• There are countless policy suggestions in their perspectives and probably leads on digging in deeper
• I don't normally go digging that deep into them, but I was very interested myself.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you turn with me to page seven, we will dig a little deeper into what's happening on a case-by-case
• That's, I think, something we can probably dig into using the operating budget management system that
• definitions of the various types of education choice, look at the recent state legislative activity, dig
• So, moving beyond definitions and after taking a glance at the state policy landscape, I'll be digging

Transcript Highlights:

• But one of the things I did was I looked at that $3 billion, and I had my staff dig into where that money
• And so I think that that's something that the board of trustees could really dive into and dig into.
• And so I think that that's something that the board of trustees could really dive into and dig into.
• So I think each of the boards of trustees are going to want to dig into this and say what makes sense

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on higher education funding, focusing on how Florida’s university system should be financed and whether a new funding model is needed. University system financial officers and Chancellor Ray Rodriguez discussed major cost drivers, including wages and benefits, utilities, maintenance, financial aid, research, and the effects of geography, institutional mission, and student mix. UF highlighted the cost of research and graduate programs; UCF and FAU pointed to growth, location, and cost of living; FAMU emphasized recruiting top-tier talent while relying on other revenue sources; and UNF noted the challenges of growth and long-term planning. Members also discussed the role of internal controls and audits in addressing excessive spending and questioned whether out-of-state tuition should be adjusted to help offset costs. On revenue sources beyond state appropriations and tuition, the panel described auxiliaries, restricted funds, capital projects, and component units such as foundations and health systems. Several universities noted that some revenues are restricted to specific purposes and cannot be used for general operations. FAMU explained that a large share of its capital project funding reflected active campus construction, while UF said its component-unit revenue is largely tied to UF Health. The Chancellor emphasized that the system’s low tuition and strong state support are central to Florida’s national standing, but also noted that some auxiliary revenues are pledged to debt and must be managed carefully. When discussing the current funding process, witnesses praised Florida’s performance-based funding model for aligning incentives with student success, transparency, and accountability. They also raised concerns about non-recurring appropriations, rising employee benefit costs, unfunded mandates, deferred maintenance, and the difficulty of multi-year planning. Suggestions for improvement included more recurring funding, better coverage of mandated costs, greater flexibility in fee-setting, and possible weighting for mission, geography, and institutional type. The Chancellor said the Board of Governors is considering a “version 3.0” of performance-based funding that would benchmark institutions against peers and Carnegie classifications, but any changes would require legislative action. On out-of-state tuition, most universities said they would prefer local board flexibility, while the Chancellor cautioned that increasing out-of-state enrollment or fees could affect future state support and should be balanced carefully.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I decided to start digging a bit more.
• I want to know that I've done everything I can within my grasp of life to at least dig deeper.
• I can within my grasp of life to at least dig deeper, have people like you, you know, Ms.
• farmers, the food supply, to really have a positive impact on saying we care enough and we're going to dig

Summary: The committee first heard SB 200, which would implement recommendations from DEP’s 2020 Recycling Goal Final Report by creating a technical assistance group to develop a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan by 2026. The bill focuses on recycling education and outreach, evaluating the former recycling grant program, and developing markets for recyclable materials. Supporters from the waste and recycling industry and counties said the bill would finally create a real plan to help Florida move toward its recycling goals. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered SB 50 on nature-based coastal resilience, which would promote green, gray, and hybrid infrastructure, direct USF’s Flood Hub to develop guidelines, require DEP rulemaking on erosion and mangrove protection, and study whether nature-based flood reduction could help lower insurance costs. Supporters appeared in favor, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 7000 as a committee bill to continue a public records exemption protecting site-specific location information for threatened and endangered species. Members next took up SB 56 on weather modification activities. The bill would prohibit the release of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere to affect weather or sunlight, define geoengineering, increase penalties through an amendment, and create a DEP reporting hotline with possible referral to DOH or emergency management. The sponsor and several supporters argued the bill was needed to address public concerns and lack of oversight, while several senators questioned the evidence, the role of state agencies, and whether the bill was ready for passage. Despite opposition from some members, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also approved CS for SB 62 creating a resilient building tax credit program, after amending it to shift agency references from DEP to DBPR and add university advisory members, and CS for SB 80 to clarify state park management as conservation-based, require public notice and advisory input for plan changes, and improve reporting on park repairs; both bills were reported favorably after testimony from supporters and conservation groups who sought tighter language to prevent incompatible uses. Finally, the committee received presentations from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on gopher tortoise relocation, wildlife disease surveillance, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. FWC described tortoise relocation and recipient-site programs, ongoing monitoring of wildlife diseases such as chronic wasting disease and feline leukomyelopathy, and efforts to address fish die-offs and update sanctuary agreements amid state-federal jurisdiction issues. No votes were taken on the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Aside from the fact that it allowed me to use in a more safe manner and to have access to those safer
• So that's 10 needles they need in order to be safe. diminish credibility of programs.
• And since then, as you heard, hundreds of thousands have been performed safely.
• with what's safe for the general<03:01:59.520> public.
• that's in discussion here SLT was safe that's in discussion here SLT was safe and<03:18:34.399><

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:22:11.840> the u the boating, you know, the safe the u the boating, you know, the safe
• 14.400> test<00:22:14.799> online safe boater uh certificate test online safe boater uh
• We all have different safe passage laws. We have 150-foot safe passage. Other states have 50 feet.
• The responsibility is to provide customers with safe vehicles.
• The safety mechanisms are in place to make sure that these vehicles are safe.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing began with SB 12, which would let certain veterans who already qualify for a disabled veteran license plate use that VA disability determination to obtain a walking disability placard without having to undergo a second physical or submit additional proof. Senator Waters, the prime sponsor, said the bill was prompted by a constituent and would reduce redundant paperwork. Melinda Sims of United Spinal and Leo Pacquin of the State Veterans Advisory Committee both supported the bill, saying veterans already go through an extensive VA certification process and should not have to repeat it for the state. A DMV representative said the department had no known objection and explained that the change would let the placard travel with the veteran in another vehicle. The hearing on SB 12 was then closed. The committee then took up SB 40, which would allow safe boater education certificates to be completed and tested online, rather than requiring an in-person final exam. Representative Coker and Senator Tim Lang described the bill as a cleanup measure to make a COVID-era online process permanent and said it would improve convenience and keep more revenue in New Hampshire. Tom Praol, representing the vendor, said the state lost significant revenue when the online option ended and argued that online proctoring can verify identity and prevent cheating. The New Hampshire Marine Trades Association supported the bill, saying it would help boaters learn New Hampshire-specific laws and keep dollars in-state. The Department of Safety Marine Patrol was neutral: Captain Tim Dunlvy said the current system includes classroom and online coursework followed by an in-person proctored final exam, and he raised concerns about safety, exam integrity, and lower scores in computer-only testing, while noting New Hampshire’s strong boating safety record. Committee members asked about reciprocity, proctoring methods, costs, and crash data, but no vote was taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But is it safe to assume that there have probably been teachers that have moved to different districts
• I'm going to bet our school members aren't aware of the program, how it works, or how to kind of dig
• think any of us have the tools or knowledge to know, or where the tools even existed, to know how to dig
• You feel like we've either got adequate abilities to respond to these sites safely, or we can develop

Keywords: 1204, all