Transcript Highlights:

• which is great opportunity for the people there, but you also hope you have some sort of an applicant pool
• also hope you have some sort of an you also hope you have some sort of an applicant<01:21:49.400><c> pool
• > a</c><01:21:50.199><c> business</c><01:21:50.480><c> owner</c><01:21:51.320><c> uh</c> applicant pool
• as a business owner uh applicant pool as a business owner uh and<01:21:51.520><c> you</c><01:21:51.600
• Intensive mental health services are things like children's residential facilities and psychiatric residential

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We remain committed to a vibrant residential campus while expanding opportunities through our partners
• But just a quick overview: it's a four-week residential program.
• We do not sell residential paint.
• And so we should be able to coordinate better from the system office on identifying where those pools
• So look for a $75 million deferred maintenance pool that would be administered by the State Board of

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:

• They've had a lot of discretion in forecasting residential and small commercial load growth, but they
• This bill is good for residential and small commercial customers because it will allow us on an annual
• If we get downgraded, number one, the pool of potential purchasers of our debt shrinks because people—you
• And so unless you adjust that on a more frequent basis, it is inevitable that residential customers will

Bills: HB 106, HB144, HB145, HB252, HB1732, HB2221, HB2467, HB2468, HB2517, HB2518, HB2963, HB3016, HB3689, HB3960, HB4386, HB4490, HB4751, HB5247, HJR175, HB2213

Keywords: HB 106, oil and gas, Railroad Commission of Texas, overhead electrical lines, electrical distribution system, power line maintenance, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas lease, well operator, energy safety, utility infrastructure, regulatory compliance, cleanup fund, oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund, production safety, leasehold operations, electric utility, distribution poles, inspection

Summary: The committee first handled pending business, including reconsidering a failed vote on SB 715 and then reporting several measures favorably. SB 1978 was reported from committee on a committee substitute, and a series of House bills — including HB 431, HB 1522, HB 1922, HB 3228, HB 3229, HB 3803, HB 3804, HB 3805, HB 3806, HB 4219, HB 4238, HB 434, HB 1584, and HB 4739 — were moved out of committee, most to the local and uncontested calendar. The votes on these items were overwhelmingly or unanimously in favor, with committee substitutes adopted where applicable. The committee then heard HB 2963, a right-to-repair bill for consumer electronics. The author said the bill would require manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and documentation on fair and reasonable terms while preserving trade secrets and excluding certain categories such as medical devices, motor vehicles covered by an MOU, critical infrastructure, and commercial-only transactions. Supporters from the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Environment Texas argued it would strengthen property rights, help small businesses, and reduce e-waste. Opponents, including representatives of SafeLight Auto Glass and LKQ, said they supported right-to-repair in principle but objected to the bill’s automotive MOU exemption and broader scope, warning it could create uncertainty and leave some manufacturers and repair shops outside the framework. The bill was left pending after testimony. Members also heard HB 2467 on salary parity for State Fire Marshal investigators, HB 252 on allowing some state agencies to pay certain employees twice monthly, HB 2468 on public improvement district notice and a buyer’s right to terminate, HB 4386 on annuity contract exchanges and surrender timelines, HB 4751 creating a Texas Quantum Initiative and related fund, and HJR 175 proposing a constitutional amendment protecting Texans’ ability to use mutually agreed-upon mediums of exchange, including cash, bullion, and digital currency. Testimony on HB 4751 was largely supportive but included questions about whether the state needs a new coordinating structure and funding mechanism for quantum research and commercialization. HJR 175 drew discussion about barter, taxes, and concerns over central bank digital currency. Each of these items was left pending after hearing testimony. The committee also heard HB 2221, which would update insurance anti-rebating laws to allow more wellness and value-added services in life and health insurance, with supporters saying it would encourage healthier behavior without requiring data monitoring. Finally, the committee took up a package of utility and wildfire-related bills from Chairman King’s portfolio: HB 106, requiring oil and gas operators to maintain certain overhead electrical lines; HB 144, requiring utilities to submit pole inspection and management plans to the PUC; and HB 145, requiring wildfire mitigation plans and allowing utilities to self-insure under certain conditions. Utility, co-op, and insurance representatives generally supported the safety and resiliency goals of HB 144, while asking for clarifications and less frequent reporting; HB 145 was introduced as a broader wildfire-risk and liability measure. These bills were also left pending after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Development to use for non residential purposes allows live local applicants to the local governments
• Does it allow them to reduce to more than one space per residential unit?
• consideration was 100 units, would that mean that the developer could bill less than one spot per residential
• established by the Florida Supreme Court tells lawyers what parameters they need in the accounts were pooled

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve a young man who lives in a community residential setting.
• <01:29:47.800><c> facilities</c><01:29:48.320><c> are</c><01:29:48.560><c> navigating</c> residential
• facilities are navigating residential facilities are navigating homelessness<01:29:50.280><c> the</c
• <01:38:37.560><c> settings</c><01:38:38.000><c> and</c><01:38:38.199><c> individuals</c> residential
• We are a statewide association of rural residential and outpatient substance use disorder programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, in Irving, every property tax dollar ...by the city from both commercial and residential
• We can't close the libraries on Friday, and we can't close the pools for a month.
• So we're not even talking apples and oranges; we're talking like apples and like pool floaties.
• I don't even—there is no—I, and that was just off the top of my head, apples and pool floaties.

Bills: HB17, HB23, SB 10

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice, property tax exemption, ad valorem tax, Texas Tax Code, nonprofit corporation, charitable organization, educational nonprofit, scientific nonprofit, agriculture support, youth programs, community education, county population threshold, large county, local government revenue, leasehold interest, possessory interest

Transcript Highlights:

• We found him through an application for a permit for a solar heater for a pool.
• members, Senate Bill 1259 allows a person to provide an alternate mailing address and attest to their residential

Summary: The Committee on Federal and Military Affairs and Elections met with all members present and began with an extended presentation on an investigative referral packet concerning alleged voter registration anomalies from March 2023 to the present. The presenter described multiple examples of registrations tied to out-of-state residents, deceased individuals, temporary residents, and registrations allegedly generated through Service Arizona, MVD, Access, county recorders, and third-party/NGO channels. The committee also discussed a Secretary of State email about party-preference changes, discrepancies between county and state counts, and a proposed criminal referral to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. Members asked questions about whether the issues were glitches or intentional, and several members said the examples reflected serious problems with voter-roll maintenance and automatic voter registration. A roll call was taken on whether members wished to sign onto the referral; some declined, while others agreed, and the committee said the referral would be transmitted after the meeting. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1259, which would allow certain protected individuals to use an alternate mailing address when filing candidate and financial disclosure paperwork. The sponsor said it closes a confidentiality loophole for people whose addresses are protected for safety reasons. Members raised concerns about how the bill interacts with in-district residency requirements, but the bill passed on a 6-1 vote. Senate Bill 1281, dealing with state land procedures for covered federal designations and notification of legislative leaders about land takings, drew opposition from the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, which argued the bill was unnecessary, unfunded, and insufficiently protective of tribal consultation; it passed 4-3. Senate Bill 1037, concerning election equipment security and internet connectivity, prompted debate over whether the bill could be read to permit internet-connected election equipment and over a hostile strike-everything amendment that would have expanded voter-registration and election-administration programs, including ERIC participation and new funding. The amendment failed, and the underlying bill also failed on a 3-3-1 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1040, which would require county recorders to provide public online access to voter registration rolls and prohibit fees for downloading them. Staff explained that the bill would replace the current chairperson-request process with public access, while still excluding sensitive information such as Social Security numbers. Members debated how much information would be public and whether the bill adequately defined “voter registration rolls.” The bill passed on a 4-3 vote. The chair closed by asking members to look into school app data-sharing contracts and offered to show unredacted materials privately, then noted that dinner had been provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We found him through an application for a permit for a solar heater for a pool.
• members, Senate Bill 1259 allows a person to provide an alternate mailing address and attest to their residential

Bills: SB1037, SB1040, SB1259, SB1281

Keywords: elections, voting systems, vote tabulation, election security, internet connectivity, offline voting, chain of custody, polling place equipment, counting center, central counting center, election management system, EMS gateway, tabulation equipment, secretary of state, certification, decertification, HAVA, Help America Vote Act, ballot images, audit logs

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here today on behalf of the Washington Counties Risk Pool.
• In Spokane, we use these funds to maintain critical residential and industrial local access streets.

Bills: SB6253, SB6311, SB6262, SB6335

Keywords: public transportation, governing bodies, transit authorities, local government, community planning, pedestrian safety, construction, accessibility, public safety, urban planning, vehicle weight, transportation, fees, public infrastructure, funding, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, 904

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here today on behalf of the Washington counties risk pool.
• In Spokane, we use these funds to maintain critical residential and industrial local access streets.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held public hearings on several bills. Substitute Senate Bill 6066 would authorize counties, cities, towns, and WSDOT to designate crash prevention zones on roads with repeated serious or fatal collisions, require public hearings and engineering/traffic studies, increase enforcement, add a $73 penalty for certain infractions in signed zones, and dedicate those funds to zone-related safety work. The prime sponsor and Pasco officials cited repeated crashes on U.S. 395 and U.S. 12; supporters said the bill would help address dangerous corridors, while one member of the public argued it was unnecessary and duplicative. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6253, which would make labor-recommended seats on public transportation benefit area boards voting members while limiting participation in executive sessions on labor and personnel matters. Labor representatives and transit workers supported the change as giving frontline employees a meaningful voice, while Washington Policy Center opposed it, warning of conflicts of interest and reduced accountability. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6311, which would require continuous, accessible pedestrian passage during certain construction projects near hospitals, parks, and school zones, authorize inspections and stop-work orders, and direct WSDOT to adopt rules for reroutes and detours. Cities and counties said they support the safety goal but want more flexibility and less risk of added cost or liability; disability and transit advocates strongly supported the bill. Senate Bill 6262 would raise the transportation benefit district vehicle-fee exemption from 6,000 pounds to 9,000 pounds for certain trucks, allowing local districts to charge heavier vehicles a flat fee; Spokane, Spokane Valley, Port Orchard, and AWC supported it as a fairness and pavement-preservation measure, while several members of the public opposed it as another tax increase. Finally, Senate Bill 6335 would narrow and revise the statutory responsibilities of the State Transportation Commission, removing some planning and outreach duties while retaining toll, ferry fare, and other functions. Local governments, ports, and commission members opposed the bill, arguing the commission provides independent statewide planning, public input, and coordination; the sponsor said the goal was to eliminate duplication and focus the commission’s role. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after the hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• The 80 students that we admit each fall will have emerged from an applicant pool of nearly 1,700, and
• amount equal to or greater than the cost of a current full academic year's tuition and fees for one residential

Bills: SB6251, SB6259, SB6325, SB5978, SB6209, SB6217, SB6227, SB6235

Keywords: medical school, medical education, letter grades, grading system, pass/fail, tiered grading, student assessment, curriculum, University of Washington, Washington State University, School of Medicine, physician training, academic standards, coursework evaluation, RCW 28B, SB 6259, Washington, state financial aid, higher education, public college

Transcript Highlights:

• process because we wanna make sure that these facilities that have been located way too close to residential
• to impact you know waters within the Central Valley which include large numbers of isolated vernal pool

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• recurring cuts would not have to be necessary in these kinds of scenarios, but that non-recurring pool
• , one that Senator Worth has put here, which is the incentives to stimulate construction of new residential

Transcript Highlights:

• How many Olympic-sized swimming pools? You know what they said? Here's a better one.
• of containers, each previously holding hazardous chemicals, were stockpiled in the middle of a residential

Bills: SB3074, HB49, HB2440, HB3556, HB3619, HB3866, HB4042, HB4112, HB4271, HB4413, HB4426, HB5033, HB49

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Transcript Highlights:

• Continuing care retirement communities are residential facilities designed specifically for older adults
• </c><01:36:47.080><c> facilities</c><01:36:48.080><c> designed</c> are residential facilities designed
• are residential facilities designed specifically<01:36:49.199><c> for</c><01:36:49.440><c> older</c>
• we were dropped from our insurance, our workman's comp insurance, and we had to go into a high-risk pool
• we were dropped from our insurance, our workman's comp insurance, and we had to go into a high-risk pool

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill before you is Substitute Senate Bill 6026 relating to residential development and commercial
• bill, cities and counties planning under the GMA that have populations above 30,000 must allow residential
• housing, with exceptions, and a city or county may ...of residential housing, with exceptions, and a
• Counties can allow for certain exemptions for utility sales to businesses, but not a broad residential
• For the record, I'm Brad Tower here on behalf of the Washington Counties Risk Pool.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on multiple bills, beginning with a motion to suspend the five-day notice rule for a long list of Senate bills, which passed on a voice vote. The committee first heard Substitute Senate Bill 6026, a governor-request housing bill that would require cities and counties over 30,000 population to allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones, limit mixed-use/ground-floor commercial requirements in some areas, and allow added height where such requirements are imposed. The lieutenant governor testified strongly in support, arguing the bill would add needed housing capacity without requiring ground-floor retail burdens. The hearing on SB 6026 was then suspended so the committee could move through the agenda. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6294, a broad local government finance measure with eight parts, including expanded uses for certain REET revenues, a new county public utility tax, a new local sales tax for children and family services, expanded housing-related tax uses, changes to county levy structure, longer lid lift periods, and expanded use of rental car tax revenue. Local government, housing, and public health witnesses largely supported the bill, emphasizing flexibility for affordable housing, rental assistance, children’s services, and county fiscal stability. Opponents, including wireless industry, water/sewer district, auto dealer, realtors, energy, and cannabis representatives, objected to specific tax provisions as regressive, costly, or likely to raise consumer prices. Several witnesses requested amendments, including adding public health clinic funding and flood recovery language from House bills. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5400 on local news sustainability, which would create a state grant program funded by a surcharge on large search engines and social media platforms to support journalism jobs and the Murrow Fellowship program. News organizations, the League of Women Voters, open government advocates, and local journalism supporters testified in favor, saying local news is essential to civic life and that the bill would help sustain reporting without using general fund dollars. Technology industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing it unfairly singles out tech companies and could face legal challenges. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6211, which would let opt-in GMA jurisdictions impose REET-2 without voter approval; cities and counties supported it as a parity and infrastructure funding measure, while Realtors opposed the loss of voter approval. Senate Bill 5650, authorizing local cannabis excise taxes, drew support from some local officials but strong opposition from cannabis businesses, which argued Washington’s cannabis taxes are already too high and drive sales to the illicit market. Senate Bill 6033, waiving penalties and interest for taxpayers who failed to collect new sales tax on certain services, was supported by NFIB as a compliance and fairness measure. Senate Bill 6297, exempting temporary staffing services for nonprofit behavioral health providers from sales tax, drew strong support from behavioral health organizations citing workforce shortages and unsustainable costs. Finally, Senate Bill 6343, extending and expanding tax relief for disaster-damaged property and repairs, was presented as aid for flood recovery; local officials testified in support. No final committee votes on the bills were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• then there's less maintenance<00:35:33.079><c> blading</c><00:35:34.079><c> uh</c><00:35:34.240><c> Poole
• blading uh Poole repair Etc so<00:35:36.200><c> all</c><00:35:36.320><c> of</c><00:35:36.480><c> those
• noted the high growth rates anticipated for the area, both commercially, industrially, and also residential
• 47:19.359><c> one</c><00:47:19.480><c> of</c><00:47:19.599><c> my</c><00:47:19.720><c> last</c> residential
• on my one one of my last residential on my one one of my last trips<00:47:20.160><c> down</c><00:47:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But if there's natural residential.
• Um, this— get a a car pool with somebody." I'm 82 get a a car pool with somebody."
• So those are the residential builders. So those are the<02:08:39.040><c> homes.
• So it's referenced in the building code, it's referenced in the international residential code.
• </c><02:11:20.800><c> It</c> international residential code. It international residential code.

Bills: HB1846, HB2205, HB1802, HB1571, HB2047, HB2434, HB2426, HB2361, HB2395, HB1712, HB2544, HB1619

Keywords: coastal erosion, shoreline properties, regional planning, mitigation districts, sediment management, environmental impact, public access, community financing, shoreline erosion, emergency permits, coastal management, erosion control, Hawaii Revised Statutes, HB1802, conservation banking, conservation bank, mitigation banking, compensatory mitigation, incidental take permit, incidental take license

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1846, relating to shoreline mitigation districts. DLNR and the Office of Planning opposed the bill, arguing it would improperly shift regulatory roles between the agencies and prioritize private land interests over public trust and natural and historic resources. Supporters, including the Shoreline Preservation Coalition, Kahana Bay residents, and Hawaii Realtors, said regional planning is needed to address severe erosion, especially in Kahana, and that better coordination between state and county agencies could help move stalled projects forward. Testifiers emphasized that shoreline conditions vary by area and that science-based, region-specific solutions are needed. Members asked questions about whether existing law already allows regional planning and emergency shoreline responses. DLNR said it already has authority to process regional projects and cited an existing draft EIS for Kahana Bay that would proceed through normal permitting and public hearing channels. Supporters responded that the bill would provide a clearer regional planning framework and help communities facing urgent erosion impacts. No vote was taken on HB 1846 in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 2205, relating to emergency erosion mitigation. DLNR opposed the bill, saying it already has authority to issue emergency permits and had recently done so quickly for a collapsed sidewalk at Queen Surf Beach, and warning that the bill’s language could weaken Act 16 by changing a prohibition on shoreline hardening to a requirement to merely minimize it. Kahana Bay representatives and other supporters argued the bill would create a limited, regulated short-term pathway for emergency shoreline solutions while long-term plans are developed, and said current permits have expired or stalled, leaving dangerous sandbags and no practical relief. Additional testimony from a private homeowner stressed that erosion is threatening homes and that private owners are often bearing the cost of protecting public shoreline access. The discussion remained focused on balancing emergency protection, public access, and long-term shoreline management, and no final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• bank later, the Industrial Commission one, like all the agencies, you'll have the new and vacant FTE pool
• Student loans continue to really hold pretty flat, and we discontinued providing residential home loans
• quite some time ago, and that red bar portfolio continues to just shrink. ...providing residential home

Summary: The committee took roll, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a compliance-report update on the Industrial Commission and related funds and programs. Staff reviewed the status of one-time appropriations and grant programs, including electric grid resiliency, lignite research, enhanced oil recovery, the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, the salt cavern business-case study, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members asked about funding balances, reimbursement timing, matching requirements, and how some commitments would affect the State Investment Fund and future biennia. Industrial Commission staff then gave a broader update on the agency’s administrative office, grant management system, leadership transitions at several commission agencies, and active grant rounds. They reported that the grant management system is nearing completion, that several agency leadership searches have concluded, and that the commission’s grant programs currently have 108 active grants totaling more than $165 million. They also described the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority round, the oil and gas research program’s enhanced oil recovery awards, the grid resiliency grants, the salt cavern study, and the research technology park program, noting that some projects are awaiting federal funds or additional matching cash. Ron Ness, speaking for the Oil and Gas Research Council, focused on the state of the oil industry and the enhanced oil recovery “Bakken 2.0” effort. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on better infrastructure, longer laterals, and new EOR methods such as CO2, natural gas, and surfactants. He emphasized the importance of the Bakkeneast pipeline and related gas-utilization projects, the recent DOE funding that will return some money to the research council, and the need to modernize tax and incentive rules for CO2-based recovery. Members discussed the potential economic benefits for oil, agriculture, and manufacturing. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and a broader strategic update. Bank leadership reviewed the bank’s mission, governance, participation lending, student lending, disaster programs, and legislatively directed programs, and said the bank is managing for a flatter deposit base and stronger liquidity because of fintech competition and changing market conditions. They reported improved earnings, with net income rising to about $231 million, and described Rough Rider Coin as a new internal payment rail for North Dakota banks and credit unions, not a public cryptocurrency. Members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster lending, and the bank’s capacity to support state programs while maintaining its balance-sheet and liquidity requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I was working with one of the girls from the pool administration the other day because they've moved
• And these include our residential care facilities for the elderly, which serve adults 60 and older.
• And our adult residential facilities, which serve adults 19 to 59, and a lot of smaller facility types

Keywords: 987, senate, all