Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:55.519> program reduction of the ALS research program reduction of the ALS research
• But, um, I just wonder about the for-profit—and I mean, research is research. It's a good thing.
• we with our grants are funding research we with our grants are funding research at<01:18:08.880>
• <01:29:13.520> for and and settled on cyber security for and and settled on cyber security
• health research health research program.<01:38:10.880> I<01:38:11.119> don't<01:38

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2312 and first adopted the DE1 amendment, after which the amended bill was discussed. Nonpartisan fiscal staff walked through the spreadsheet and explained the bill’s higher education budget changes, including increases for state grants and tribal college assistance, unchanged funding for several existing programs, and reductions or eliminations for items such as state work study, summer academic enrichment, student loan counseling, concurrent enrollment, and the student parent support initiative. Staff also noted transfers to special revenue funds, the cancellation and reappropriation of ALS research funding, and a new licensing/registration revenue item. The committee was told the bill met the committee’s zero target overall, with a net general fund change of zero relative to the February forecast, while also adding some non-general fund expenditures for program licensing and registration. Members asked several questions about the transfers and specific line items, including whether any new special revenue accounts were being created, the foster care wraparound services line, and the treatment of the University of Minnesota and Centric Care partnership. Staff explained that the transfers generally did not create new accounts, that some items were not in the base, and that the U of M/Centric Care partnership was a one-time appropriation in the prior bill but was now being built into the base at a different amount. The University of Minnesota section also included new or continued funding for medical school development, health training restoration, emergency assistance grants, ALS research, and a weather resiliency program, while the Mayo Foundation section eliminated funding for Mayo Medical School and the Mayo family medicine residency program. The policy portion of the DE1 was then introduced. It included a maximum tuition and fee amount for state grants, direct appropriation of emergency assistance grants to Minnesota State, a juvenile justice appropriation for Metropolitan State University, and the ALS research reappropriation to the University of Minnesota. It also contained repealers for unfunded programs, including a delayed repealer for the student parent support initiative. In the higher education policy article, the bill would allow Minnesota State to offer applied doctoral degrees in cybersecurity, make technical changes to hunger-free campus and sexual misconduct procedures, extend pregnant and parenting student protections to private institutions, allow OHE to retain up to 10% of certain competitive grants for administration, consolidate reports, change the state grant formula so negative FAFSA contributions count as zero, and reduce the state grant lifetime credit cap from 180 to 120 credits. The Northstar Promise provisions would limit tuition and fees to resident rates and require MnState, and request the University of Minnesota, to ensure eligible students receive the benefit.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the area of premises liability, specifically negligent security actions, the legislation required
• owners that take certain preventative security measures.
• We have additional information on research in the last section of the annual report.
• First, there's a security remedy. What remedies exist under this law?
• First, there's a security remedy.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and heard several Office of the State Courts Administrator presentations. Judge Mark Mahan discussed the impact of 2023’s HB 837 litigation reforms on court operations, explaining that the law’s changes to comparative negligence, filing deadlines, collateral source evidence, premises liability, bad faith claims, attorney’s fees, and offer-of-judgment rules triggered a major March 2023 civil filing surge. He described how filings tripled statewide, with especially large increases in auto negligence and premises liability cases, and outlined how circuits responded through active case management, added resources, and workflow changes. Members asked whether the bill’s immediate effective date contributed to the surge and whether clearance rates would normalize over time; Judge Mahan said the court system viewed its response as a success and expected rates to settle as the backlog is worked through. The committee then received a presentation on problem-solving courts from Jennifer Grandal and Judge Nina Richardson. Grandal reviewed Florida’s drug courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, dependency and early childhood courts, noting statewide best-practice standards, annual reporting requirements, funding sources, and data collection systems. Judge Richardson gave a local perspective on treatment courts, emphasizing that they address underlying mental health and substance use issues, rely on judicial supervision and sanctions as well as incentives, and help participants achieve recovery and avoid reoffending. She said the programs are accountable, transparent, and effective, and thanked the Legislature for continued support. Finally, Judge Rachel Nordby and Eric McClure outlined the judicial branch’s legislative agenda. Nordby summarized the Supreme Court workgroup’s recommendations to expand Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including broader coverage, fewer qualifying adverse cases, a longer lookback period, and a public records exemption for stricken defamatory or sham material. McClure then highlighted additional agenda items: modernizing the duty-judge statute, expanding senior management retirement eligibility, authorizing additional judgeships based on workload studies, removing the statutory cap on court-ordered nonbinding arbitration compensation, protecting appellate clerks’ personal information, allowing alternative authentication for certain judicial notarizations, and creating a hearsay exception for guardian ad litem reports and testimony. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after member introductions and staff introductions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Breshears is a research fellow in the Heritage Foundation's Grover M.
• The Congressional Research Service found that Section 199A's benefits are skewed.
• Medicaid and Social Security.
• So wouldn't you agree that this is putting our nation's security at risk?
• I think that will boost the amount of research and development that's happening.

Keywords: joint hearing, small business, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, economic recovery, tax relief, job creation

Summary: In this joint hearing of the House Committee on Small Business and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the primary focus was on the importance of making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) permanent. The chair emphasized that small businesses are crucial for the nation's economic recovery, especially in the wake of current federal policies perceived as detrimental. Witnesses shared their experiences and highlighted how the tax cuts facilitated job creation and business expansion, stressing the need for continued support through ongoing tax relief measures. The meeting included discussions about the economic implications of the TCJA's potential expiration, with members voicing their concerns regarding how this could impact small businesses and the broader economy.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of those are working in research rather than clinically.
• It provides a safe, secure campus by requiring public institutions to annually conduct security assessments
• I'm very pleased that it included security assessments of the facility.
• And so we've got to be very dynamic in the ways that we try to secure not only our campus, obviously,
• Next up is House Bill 901 by Representative King Kurt Johnson on diabetes research.

Transcript Highlights:

• cfius to to mitigate National Security cfius to to mitigate National Security concerns<00:34:25.440
• fomenting spurious National Security fomenting spurious National Security anxieties<00:38:55.760
• <01:13:25.239> ing Security asset critical to security ing Security asset critical to security
• <01:47:42.679> issue Department of Homeland Security issue Department of Homeland Security
• And as part of our research as a committee and as part of my personal research into the sorts of things

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The other is all the research grants that come into our, our 3 main research institutions.
• Uh, research dollars coming in.
• to keep that going and attract top researchers that are.
• of an opportunity to build New Mexico's research capacity.
• We typically go to one of the research institutions in the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Research, support for our students, and patient care.
• costs, and the elimination entirely of research funding.
• Entirely of critical research programs.
• Those research impacts will be felt by UC students as well.
• Our graduate student researchers are primarily covered by federal research grants.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:05.360> and new subdivisions called research and new subdivisions called research and
• <00:23:24.480> um appropriation for cannabis research um appropriation for cannabis research
• doctoral degree in cyber security. doctoral degree in cyber security.
• as contributing to important research. as contributing to important research.
• seed promising research across disciplines, often helping our faculty secure federal or industry partnerships

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Step two is market research and pre-solicitation.
• Step two, the market research and pre-solicitation.
• What type of market research is being done?
• With all of these agencies, what type of market research is being done?
• The CIO, the CISO can determine the security requirements around it.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a panel on Florida’s IT procurement process from the Florida Digital Service, the Department of Management Services, and the Department of Financial Services. Witnesses walked through the procurement lifecycle, including planning, market research, solicitation, evaluation, award, implementation, and closeout, and emphasized the role of budget timing, contract managers, and subject matter experts. DMS described the state’s enterprise contracting system, noting more than 1,100 active vendor agreements, over 800 involving IT services, and the statutory requirement to request 25 quotes for certain IT purchases. DFS demonstrated the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System (FACS), explaining how agencies upload contract and payment data and how the public can search contracts and related documents online. Members focused on accountability, transparency, and whether the state is getting the best products and vendors. Questions addressed how contracts are vetted, how technical evaluations are performed, how financial consequences are used for missed deliverables, how public records and confidential information are handled, and how the state screens vendors for foreign-concern or bad-actor issues. Witnesses said agencies rely on technical experts for evaluations, that contract terms should include measurable deliverables and meaningful financial consequences, and that agencies—not procurement staff—generally manage performance, though Florida Digital Service oversees large IT projects of $10 million or more. The committee then shifted to broader policy discussion, including Senate Bill 7026 and proposals to reorganize state IT governance. Several members argued for stronger centralization under a state CIO or similar enterprise authority, while others cautioned against abrupt restructuring and stressed the need for a transition plan. Members also raised concerns about workforce retention, consulting services, recurring project overruns, and the need for better planning and periodic monitoring. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with the chair thanking members and staff and adjourning the subcommittee.

Transcript Highlights:

• How often do you have security? Is it police department or private security?
• Security is a major focus.
• We have a number of security initiatives. We have a security team.
• I've seen the local research survivors. I've run a research center on resilience.
• I do some research for survivors.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting was a special commission hearing on antisemitism held off-site at Kerem Shalom Synagogue in Concord, with commissioners approving prior minutes and noting a quorum, a rescheduled October 27 meeting, and the addition of a new commissioner. The co-chairs and host speakers emphasized the personal and communal significance of holding the hearing in a synagogue and the importance of confronting antisemitism while protecting free speech, academic freedom, and civil discourse. The commission heard from former SJC Justice and current UMass General Counsel David Lowy, who discussed the IHRA definition of antisemitism, said its use as nonbinding guidance does not raise First Amendment concerns, and described UMass’s response to a discriminatory academic conference policy. Commissioners also asked about campus speaker vetting, protest rights, and university practices for addressing antisemitism and protecting students’ access to education. District Attorney Marian Ryan testified about restorative justice as a tool for addressing hate incidents, saying it can help victims be heard, reduce reoffending, and be used in criminal, school, and community settings. She described local programs, online reporting forms, and the need for better statutory tools, including changes to restitution and education requirements in hate-crime cases. Commissioners asked whether restorative justice affects charging decisions, and Ryan said it should not alter whether a hate crime is investigated or charged. She also identified model programs and said the commission’s work aligns with the national strategy it is charged with implementing. Three rabbis then described the rise in antisemitic incidents in schools and communities, the emotional toll on Jewish families, and the need for stronger school responses, clearer language in incident communications, and better training for educators. Rabbi Brad David recounted repeated incidents in Acton-Boxborough and praised the district’s improved partnership and response, while Rabbi Tom Shah described parental anxiety, concerns about classroom materials lacking context, and the need for balanced instruction. The rabbis also discussed synagogue security costs and measures, including volunteer security teams, police support, grants, and physical protections. Commissioners said the testimony would inform forthcoming recommendations, and DESE staff noted they are developing instructional-materials guidance and a rubric for educators. The final witness, Professor Christina Miller, outlined hate-crime prosecution issues in Massachusetts, including mixed-motive cases, the need for clearer statutes and jury instructions, better training for police and clerk magistrates, guidance on sentencing and diversity-awareness programs, and the use of community impact statements.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's a way to securely authenticate the voter. Securely authenticate the voter.
• Securely authenticate the voter.
• At any cost, if it's a secure system, is that what you're saying? It's a secure system.
• It's like we have very secure data. It's 99.97. It's like we have very secure data.
• What security assumptions were relied upon?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , issues around data privacy, security, issues around data privacy, security, risk<00:10:03.040><
• > there,<00:19:26.280> the the policy research is there, the the policy research is there
• <00:23:02.360> and learning, we look at research and learning, we look at research and community
• literacy, research, and infrastructure. literacy, research, and infrastructure.
• ,<01:18:26.760> and leveraging AI um in safe, secure, and leveraging AI um in safe, secure

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Artificial Intelligence Task Force met and adopted the prior minutes before turning to AI in education. Jeff Gagne of the Southern Regional Education Board described SREB’s Commission on AI in Education, which has organized its work into committees on policy, K-12 instruction, postsecondary instruction, and skills development. He highlighted eight commission recommendations covering statewide AI networks, targeted guidance for different user groups, professional development, standards and curricula, local capacity assessments, risk management, procurement, and AI-ready workforce skills. He also emphasized that states need more specific guidance for students, teachers, faculty, administrators, and parents, and that training is essential because many educators have not been prepared to use AI in instruction. Gagne also summarized two recent SREB reports: one on AI-ready workforce skills and one on AI use in K-12 classrooms. The workforce report recommends embedding AI across standards, strengthening computer science and digital learning standards, collaborating with industry and workforce agencies, building AI competencies into training and upskilling, providing educator professional development, and monitoring readiness. He said the report identifies three skill areas: success skills, industry baseline skills, and technical skills. The classroom guidance report promotes responsible AI adoption, with four pillars focused on increasing cognitive demand, streamlining teaching and administrative work, supporting personalized learning, and developing ethical AI users. He also noted that the report includes an AI procurement tool for school districts. Members thanked Gagne for providing outside examples and resources. One member noted JCPS has an introductory AI professional development offering for educators. Gagne said Kentucky’s David Couch serves on the SREB commission and that the commission’s member list and reports are available on SREB’s website. The committee then heard from Travis Powell of the Council on Postsecondary Education, who said CPE had surveyed campuses and found that Kentucky institutions have broadly embraced AI in teaching, research, student services, and administrative operations. He said all institutions have AI-focused degrees, minors, or courses, and many are integrating AI into general education and across disciplines. Powell also said CPE is considering an AI consortium and that campuses are using AI in research partnerships and applied work, while continuing to focus on ethical and effective use.

Transcript Highlights:

• capacity and the expertise to be able to operate in a research-based, research-informed way, Best practices
• Assistance, including rental assistance, housing navigation, security deposits, etc.
• Title II of the Social Security Act.
• A parent who had paid into Social Security.
• I will start with Bringing Families Home, then transition to the Social Security item.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We would have a lot of kids in cyber security, right?
• research?
• labs, Navy research labs. lab, Air Force research labs, but you know when you look at it holistically
• So, agricultural research... becomes a big one. Engineering research becomes a big one.
• . research, because they know that you can handle it.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We did that in line with the Consumer Data Protection Act to ensure that data is appropriately secured
• Well, we tied all the security measures in this substitute to the Consumer Data Protection Act.
• They said actually they would pay the researchers $30 each if it meant that their friends would leave
• And thank you so much for your time. ...which raise serious privacy and security concerns.
• And also his recognizing that we can do more research on this as well.

Keywords: House Committee Room C, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and research, Generation of jobs and economy that would, and then have the research and development
• This is critical for engineering and research.”
• It's enough to fund that research and development to get to that point.
• And we continue to do that research and work.
• And we continue to do that research and work.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides a secure state portal where the DOJ verifies the request once the victim submits ...secure
• Research on L.A.
• There has been research done.
• There are approximately 1.2 million security guards in the country, making the private security industry
• She is a security guard here in California, as well as Sebastian Avalos, who's also a security guard

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First myth: seniors can't be poor because they get Social Security and Medicare.
• We also recommend the legislature consider continuing to monitor EBT security.
• We need big, bold solutions to truly transform our food security system.
• We're the state affiliate of the Economic Security Project.
• We're a nonpartisan research and analysis organization.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked in this field for 30 years and did a lot of research.
• Century is inseparable from energy security.
• But now we're securing American energy dominance.
• Energy security is a critical component of national Security.
• Where we have funded research... ...is related to bats and wind.

Bills: SB458, SB819, SB1238, SB1642, SB1643, SB1644, SB1791, SB1810, SB1824, SB1825, SB758, SB1455, SB1706

Keywords: insurance appraisal, property insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, residential property, disputed loss, loss valuation, appraisal clause, appraiser, umpire, Texas Department of Insurance, TDI, insurance dispute resolution, claims adjustment, total loss, windstorm insurance, FAIR Plan, surplus lines insurance, policyholder, insurer

Transcript Highlights:

• In the area of research, what we realized was that we had disjointed AI research efforts.
• activities. and researchers.
• Right now, those efforts are focused largely on research.
• That's being led by our vice president for research.
• Right now, those efforts are focused largely on research.

Summary: The committee spent much of the meeting hearing presentations on student mental health supports at Central Washington University, Washington State University, the University of Washington, and the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. CWU described high levels of student distress, loneliness, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and basic-needs insecurity, along with a campus-wide holistic well-being model that includes behavioral intervention teams, emergency aid, peer outreach, community partnerships, and a collegiate recovery community. WSU emphasized loneliness, common presenting concerns such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship distress, and the role of housing and residence life, resident advisors, living-learning communities, and coordinated crisis response in identifying and supporting students. UW highlighted prevention and support programs through LiveWell, including alcohol and other drug consultations, confidential advocacy, suicide intervention, student needs navigation, peer health educators, and peer wellness coaches. The community and technical college system reported persistent access barriers, especially for students ages 18 to 24 and those facing housing or food insecurity, and said the legislature-funded mental health pilot at four colleges expanded counseling access, telehealth, and referral pathways, while broader system efforts focus on awareness, telehealth, basic-needs supports, and workforce training in behavioral health fields. Members asked each panel how they gather student feedback, and the institutions said they use surveys, evaluations, and ongoing outreach to students in services. Questions also focused on substance-use and recovery resources, Greek life outreach, and whether colleges have enough licensed mental health staff versus academic advisors; the community college board said not all colleges have licensed mental health providers on staff, and some rely on community contracts or telehealth. The committee also discussed whether counseling services are increasing because of post-pandemic effects or because students are more willing to seek help, with presenters saying both factors likely play a role. The committee then shifted to artificial intelligence in higher education. Washington State University, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and the community and technical college system described campus AI task forces, governance structures, and efforts to set policies for students, faculty, and staff. Presenters said institutions are requiring course-level AI use statements, promoting ethical and transparent use, expanding access to approved tools such as Microsoft Copilot, and using AI for teaching, research, advising, and administrative support while guarding privacy, equity, and academic integrity. Members raised concerns about deepfakes, bias, student monitoring, and whether AI should be used to screen applications or evaluate student work; presenters said human review remains essential and that some institutions prohibit AI use in hiring or admissions screening. The final presentation, from OSPI, described the statewide rollout of the School Links high school and beyond plan platform under 2023 legislation, saying it will standardize career and college planning across K-12, provide better data and student guidance, and connect students to postsecondary pathways and employers; OSPI said the rollout is underway but current funding only extends through June 30, 2026.