Transcript Highlights:

• continue<01:09:57.679> in<01:09:57.800> my<01:09:57.920> Soap<01:09:58.239> Box
• <01:09:58.960> uh<01:09:59.080> we're<01:09:59.199> making continue in my Soap Box
• uh we're making continue in my Soap Box uh we're making it<01:09:59.640> harder<01:09:59.960>
• continue<01:10:40.280> in<01:10:40.400> my<01:10:40.520> soap<01:10:40.880> box
• so I'm going to continue in my soap box so I'm going to continue in my soap box I<01:10:41.320><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate File 75, a pilot project to test autonomous or semi-autonomous mowing and vegetation management along state highways. Senator Jasinski said the bill is intended to reduce traffic delays caused by ditch mowing and improve worker safety by moving crews out of active traffic. An A1 amendment was adopted to shift the funding source from the general fund to trunk highway funds. Testifiers from Bot Crew described robotic mowing technology, including remote piloting, autonomous navigation using LiDAR, cameras, GIS data, and obstacle detection, and said the machines could work at night and potentially reduce labor needs while improving safety. Members asked about mowing around guardrails, bridge features, and sensitive plants; the company said the system could be programmed to identify and avoid certain vegetation and could also be used for seeding. The committee then approved the bill, as amended, and re-referred it to finance. The committee next received the Department of Public Safety’s presentation on the governor’s budget request. Commissioner Bob Jacobson outlined an operating adjustment for DPS divisions, a request for grant administration authority to allow a portion of grant funds to cover oversight costs, and then turned to division-specific items. State Patrol Colonel Christina Bovich presented a request for $48.5 million in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for a new metro headquarters, plus a recruitment proposal that would provide $1 million in each of 2026 and 2027 and $10 million in later years to expand recruiting, advertising, and academy capacity. She also proposed a change to the excessive-speed penalty so that driving more than 35 miles per hour over the limit would trigger a six-month license revocation, regardless of the posted speed zone. Members questioned the headquarters funding source, the cost of recruitment efforts, and academy expenses; Bovich said the academy costs about $350,000 per person and that the recruitment request would support broader outreach, including nationwide recruiting. Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hansen then presented a request for an additional $485,000 per year in trunk highway funds for planning and administration. He said the money is needed to cover rising operating costs, maintain the federal match for traffic safety grants, and support new federal public participation and engagement requirements tied to traffic safety funding. No votes were taken on the DPS budget items during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas Florida voters deserve the right to decide at the ballot box in 2026 on whether they continue

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, we helped one of our member cities leverage transit supportive funds to attract a big box

Bills: HB483, HB3345, HB3643, HB3821, HB3849, HB4472, HB4523, HB4524, HB5346, HB5347, HB5376

Keywords: high-speed rail, Texas Department of Transportation, TxDOT, public-private partnership, comprehensive development agreement, CDA, Interstate 35, I-35 corridor, Dallas, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, intercity passenger rail, rail infrastructure, private entity, transportation infrastructure, rail corridor, passenger rail, infrastructure finance, vehicle registration

Transcript Highlights:

• I just, I had those things to just kind of check the little boxes and get those answered.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are in the five boxes you see at the bottom of the presentation.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uh, the judge in Milwaukee who, uh, who aided and embedded an illegal immigrant, uh, out of the jury box
• tighten up that line, add the judiciary in so there's no, you know, sneaking people out through the jury box
• tighten up that line, add the judiciary in so there's no, you know, sneaking people out through the jury box
• :06:45.199> know, Judiciary in so there's no, you know, sneaking people out through the jury box
• When I was in the box, we called it a box. No, I felt the box right there. Anyways, let's see.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Check that box off.
• sir we're good with that check that box sir we're good with that check that box off<03:07:11.279
• Let's check that box off, Mr. Shay.
• Let's check that box off, Mr. Shay.
• Let's check that box off, Mr. Shay.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing and work session on House Bill 25/25A, the capital improvements budget. Representative David Mills introduced HB 25A, which makes appropriations for capital improvements for the biennium and extends certain lapses from prior appropriations, noting it is based on Governor Ayotte’s budget. The hearing then focused on requests to add or restore funding for several projects, including community college capital needs, Veterans Home ADA and safety upgrades, career and technical education renovations in Milford, and airport infrastructure funding. Shannon Reed of the Community College System of New Hampshire asked for an additional $2.6 million for IT infrastructure, critical maintenance, and energy management systems, citing failing boilers, roof work, cybersecurity needs, and a recent costly water damage incident at Lakes Region Community College. John Graham, representing the New Hampshire Veterans Home, requested $1.5 million for ADA compliance and safety improvements such as floor replacement and wider doors, saying the work would help the home before an upcoming VA inspection and protect federal funding. Lance Whitehead testified for Milford CTE, asking the committee to keep $9.9 million in the budget for a scaled-down renovation; members discussed the town’s failed vote, the need for local matching funds, and the possibility of another vote next year. Tim Thompson of Concord and Margaret Burns of NHMA urged restoration of airport matching funds, arguing that about $3.6 million in state money would leverage roughly $62 million to $65 million in federal FAA funds for safety and infrastructure projects. Trisha Lambert and Andrew Pomroy of the Bureau of Aeronautics and airport management association explained the airport program, the 12 federally funded airports, and how projects are selected through airport master plans and a capital improvement program. After public testimony, the committee closed the hearing on HB 25A. In the work session that followed, staff distributed supporting documents, including cost breakdowns and comparison sheets. The chair indicated the committee would work from the governor’s $143 million capital budget as a baseline and proposed reducing it by about $10 million, largely by removing the Milford CTE item because both towns had voted it down and would not have another vote for a year. The chair said the goal was to bring the overall budget to about $133 million and then repurpose the remaining funds through straw polls and further committee action.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the state and I don't know is this per precinct or per box that you're this per precinct or per box
• that you're this per precinct or per box that you're going to do this?
• precinct pre Tell me the definition of a precinct pre Tell me the definition of a precinct versus a box
• Well, a box. Well, a precinct is where you go to vote. So if you call the box the same vote.
• So if you call the box the same thing. Okay. That's what I thought. I thing. Okay.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• despite being parked in the handicapped parking spaces for over 30 minutes and unloading over 100 boxes
• I was putting forward several years ago on why you shouldn't text and drive and thinking out of the box
• and drive and thinking out of the box and drive and thinking out of the box for<00:39:43.760>
• Would there be, I don’t even know if this is appropriate, I try to think out of the box a little, would
• Would there be, I don’t even know if this is appropriate, I try to think out of the box a little, would

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't have it in front of me, but they can check a box about different trainings they've had.
• I don't believe that, I think Glenn had told, which cab, Giggle Box to, he gave them instructions on,
• As I stated earlier, I'm not interested in check boxes; I'm interested in changing the culture of the
• In other words, if they check all the boxes and you look at your evacuation plan and it looks like it
• Even if they are actually successful in checking the boxes.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• go outside the box or down lower for certain sign language that they use.
• <00:16:40.959> and<00:16:41.120> their or it's too small of a box and their or it's
• too small of a box and their hands<00:16:41.519> go<00:16:41.759> outside<00:16:42.399
• > the<00:16:42.720> box<00:16:43.199> or<00:16:43.519> down<00:16:43.839>
• lower hands go outside the box or down lower hands go outside the box or down lower for<00:16

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1531, HD1, which would require the governor or county mayors to provide American Sign Language interpreters during official emergency announcements broadcast on television or the internet, ensure the interpreter is visible, and provide a primary pool feed with picture-in-picture so rebroadcasters would not need to add the feature themselves. Testimony from the Disability and Communication Access Board and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities strongly supported the bill, emphasizing effective communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing residents and noting that interpreter placement and size can make broadcasts inaccessible. The council requested an effective date of July 1, 2027 to allow implementation time. Members raised concerns about interpreter availability and emergency logistics on Hawaiʻi Island, but the chair moved to pass the bill with amendments reflecting the picture-in-picture recommendation and the later effective date. The committee adopted the motion, with several members voting aye and others voting with reservations. The committee then heard House Bill 1880, HD2, which would prohibit, beginning January 1, 2027, the use or application of pesticides containing 1,3-dichloropropene, such as Telone. The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity explained that pesticides are already regulated at both the federal and state levels, with EPA risk assessments and state enforcement of label restrictions, reporting, and school-buffer requirements. The Hawaii Public Health Institute supported the bill, citing cancer and respiratory risks and arguing that safer alternatives exist. In opposition, Dole Food and the Hawaii Farm Bureau said Telone is important for controlling nematodes in pineapple production, that it is applied underground under EPA conditions, and that no comparable registered alternative exists for pineapple; they also said the bill’s 2027 start date is too short for growers to adjust. A representative from the Y Alliance for Progressive Action and Support supported the measure, citing statewide usage data and concerns about drift and chronic health impacts. Committee members questioned both sides about drift monitoring, groundwater impacts, alternative methods, and whether a transition period or research into resistant varieties could reduce reliance on the chemical.

Transcript Highlights:

• You send a proof of insurance coverage to your bank once a year, and they check the box to say that you're
• with the ABC to sell wine, spirits, or malt beverages, when you apply for that license, you check a box
• license,<00:19:52.000> you<00:19:52.240> check<00:19:52.400> a<00:19:52.559> box
• that you are a license, you check a box that you are a tobacco<00:19:55.120> license<00:19:55.520
• understanding that there is a check box understanding that there is a check box for<00:53:49.040

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then recognized a staff member’s birthday and a guest shadowing Senator Adams. It then moved into informational review of Education and Labor Cabinet, Department of Education regulation 702 KAR 3:30, which sets insurance coverage requirements for school district buildings and structures. Department of Education officials explained that districts are expected to carry coverage at replacement cost and said they understand some districts participate in self-insurance pools with backup policies, but they deferred detailed insurance questions to the Department of Insurance. Senators raised concerns that pooled coverage could leave districts exposed if claims exceed pool limits, and the chair asked KDE to follow up with DOI to confirm districts are adequately covered, especially for bondholders. No vote was taken on the informational review. The committee then reviewed emergency ABC regulations 804 KAR 130:01 through 130:04 implementing Senate Bill 100’s new licensing requirements for tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product businesses. ABC and Public Protection Cabinet representatives outlined the emergency rules governing enforcement, license applications, denial criteria, and transitional licenses. Retail industry witnesses Shannon Stiglet and Brian Clark said they support licensure in principle but argued the rules add duplicative requirements borrowed from alcohol licensing, create confusion about transitional licenses, and may be too burdensome for the roughly 7,000 affected businesses to meet by the January 1 deadline. They also said guidance has been inconsistent and requested the agency revise the regulations, remove requirements not grounded in law, and provide clearer, separate processes for new and existing businesses. Committee members asked whether the industry had worked directly with ABC and noted the public comment period was still open. Witnesses said they had communicated with ABC and the Public Protection Cabinet, but responses had been uneven and they wanted written guidance. Members expressed concern about the short timeline and the need to avoid disruption so businesses can operate legally on January 1. Representative Marzian asked for clarification that the discussion concerned emergency regulations already in effect while ordinary regulations remain in process. No formal action was taken beyond receiving the informational testimony and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, banker boxes in length.
• Right now, I will personally ensure that we beat you at the ballot box.
• The outcome feels predetermined, and you're just checking boxes.
• Belong at the ballot box. Let the people decide.
• So, we received the information, and as I said, every box was checked off.

Bills: HB4

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• around the fmap acronym have to um boxes around the fmap acronym have to be<01:42:15.239> fulfilled
• You know, there isn't enough time today, but if each of us wanted to get to understand these boxes that
• You know, there isn't enough time today, but if each of us wanted to get to understand these boxes that
• You know, there isn't enough time today, but if each of us wanted to get to understand these boxes that
• You know, there isn't enough time today, but if each of us wanted to get to understand these boxes that

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Division III held an informational hearing on Medicaid, Medicare, Choices for Independence, and related financing, while postponing nursing facility financing and the county cap discussion to a later date. DHHS officials Ann Landry, Jonathan Ballard, and Medicaid Director Henry Litman provided an overview of Medicaid’s role, noting it is a federal-state partnership with state-specific eligibility and benefits, and emphasizing that Medicaid is a major funding and programmatic support for other DHHS initiatives. They also distinguished Medicaid from Medicare and explained that Medicaid funding is not the same as grant funding, though some providers may also receive federal grants through other channels. The presentation focused on New Hampshire’s relatively small Medicaid program and why it differs from national averages. Officials said about 184,000 residents are covered, roughly one in seven Granite Staters compared with one in five nationally, and attributed the difference largely to the state’s higher per-capita income and older population. They highlighted that about 65% of Medicaid-enrolled adults in New Hampshire are working, that only 22% of births are covered by Medicaid versus 42% nationally, and that the state’s uninsured rate is lower than the national rate. Members asked about covered services, income limits, federal matching rates, and the names of optional eligibility groups; staff explained that New Hampshire offers the optional groups discussed, with matching rates varying by category, including 90% for Granite Advantage and certain other groups, and 65% for children above the required level. A substantial portion of the hearing covered eligibility rules and recent policy changes. Officials reviewed the history of Medicaid, including HCBS waivers, the CFI program, Katie Beckett, the Olmstead decision, the ACA, and the end of continuous enrollment after the public health emergency. They also discussed the 2023 legislative expansion of postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months and child eligibility changes. In response to questions, DHHS said it is tracking utilization and costs for the postpartum expansion and reported that many maternal deaths occur after the prior 60-day coverage period, often involving substance use disorder or suicide; they said the longer coverage is intended to improve access to treatment and prevention. The committee also walked through household-income examples, clarified that Medicaid eligibility is based on household income and categorical rules, and confirmed that Granite Advantage ends at 138% of the federal poverty level unless another categorical basis applies. No votes were taken, and the hearing remained informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• Never mind. 1492 just, uh, dispose of it in the cylinder file box.
• Oh, that means they got to take them out of the box and put stamps on them.
• So, the machines are stamping thousands... >> put in the cardboard box.
• No, they come in a box. No, not all of them.
• And they're not boxed when you buy them? Not always. Or probably blown plastic.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, we are providing food boxes for older adults.
• In addition, we are providing food boxes for older adults.
• In addition, we are providing food boxes for older adults.
• In addition, we are providing food<02:53:39.920> boxes<02:53:40.319> for<02:53:40.560><
• <02:53:42.000> These food boxes for older adults. These food boxes for older adults.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• democratic approach is to allow our residents in our city to decide this question directly on the ballot box
• democratic approach is to allow our residents in our city to decide this question directly on the ballot box
• I want to commend them for thinking outside the box and trying to work a deal with the Wild to make sure
• <01:06:43.039> it<01:06:43.200> even<01:06:43.440> was<01:06:43.680> 10 box
• it's different than it even was 10 box it's different than it even was 10 years<01:06:44.160> ago

Transcript Highlights:

• uh<00:21:52.799> this<00:21:53.039> the<00:21:53.600> uh<00:21:53.919> box
• The chair thanked him and said she had actually pulled this out of her little box of file folders and
• <02:09:04.000> of<02:09:04.239> file this out of my little uh box of file this out
• of my little uh box of file file<02:09:05.199> folders.
• It's also something that I believe OPLC could say, okay, do they check this box, this box, fill out the

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a cost to the box. It's just the box.
• There is a cost to the box. It's just the box.
• :11.840> box.
• is the box.
• It's just the the the box is the box.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through a side-by-side of the budget. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre testified that lottery revenues are outperforming prior estimates, projecting a $27 million return to the state this year, up $7 million, and $200 million per year in the next biennium, up $6.5 million per year. He attributed the increase to stronger scratch ticket sales, no negative impact from Massachusetts sports betting, and overall better performance. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher numbers, including the proposed $50 scratch tickets, the effect of inflation, and whether the projections were conservative enough. McIntyre said the $50 ticket could produce modest growth and that the estimates were intentionally cautious. The discussion also covered gaming revenue assumptions for historical horse racing and video lottery terminals, with McIntyre saying the state market is not yet saturated and that future conversions from HHR to VLTs should be net positive for the state. Members also discussed differences between House and Senate revenue numbers for gaming, including machine counts, daily revenue assumptions, and the tax split. The Senate version used higher machine counts and a 31.25% tax rate, with a quarter-point reserved for responsible gaming and the remainder split between charities and the state. The House had used a 30% rate with a different distribution. McIntyre and committee members also reviewed House Bill 2 items affecting Kino hours and local option games of chance, with McIntyre explaining that the bill would expand playing hours and shift towns to an opt-out model. No votes were taken during the lottery discussion, but the committee indicated it would continue refining the revenue model and circulate the spreadsheet used for the estimates. The committee then moved through the HB 1 detail change sheet, accepting several Senate positions and holding others for later. It agreed to a zero-cost realignment in the Department of Safety moving the international fuel tax agreement function from administration to motor vehicles, and it restored eight passenger motor vehicle inspection positions for later discussion in HB 2. The Department of Corrections reorganization was set aside for a later, more detailed discussion. The committee also accepted no-change positions for the Department of Employment Security and agreed to a technical footnote fix in the Judicial Council section. It discussed a new HB 2 item moving contract counsel for involuntary mental health admissions from the judicial branch to the Judicial Council, funded at $100,000 per year, and noted that the public defender funding issue would be revisited when the overall budget picture is clearer. The meeting ended with the committee continuing its review of the remaining pages of the detail change sheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• research and we see this may be or we want to find out if we can do a better job by changing the way the box
• research and we see this may be or we want to find out if we can do a better job by changing the way the box
• research and we see this may be or we want to find out if we can do a better job by changing the way the box
• research and we see this may be or we want to find out if we can do a better job by changing the way the box
• better job by changing the way the box better job by changing the way the box is is is built<00:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education to require objective, science-based evidence for pedagogical methods. The prime sponsor said the bill is a verbatim reintroduction from the prior session and argued that current federal definitions are too vague, allowing subjective surveys and other weak evidence to justify teaching methods. He said the bill is limited to pedagogy, not subject matter, and is intended to improve student outcomes, reduce fad-driven practices, and potentially save money by limiting unnecessary retraining and new materials. Members asked repeatedly about the bill’s scope, including whether it would affect classroom teachers, curriculum content, and existing instructional approaches such as phonics versus whole language or queuing. The sponsor said the bill applies to state and local education bodies and educator training policies, not individual teachers in their classrooms, and that teachers would retain flexibility. He also said standardized testing could be part of a scientific study but is not itself a study, and that textbook providers could be asked to furnish the studies supporting instructional guidance included in their materials. Several members raised concerns about the fiscal note and possible cost shifts to local districts and taxpayers. The sponsor disputed the idea that the bill would necessarily create major new costs or require additional staff, saying any costs would likely be limited and that the department is already applying federal evidence-based rules. He also said if some current methods are not science-based, updating them would be justified even if there were some initial expense. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.