Transcript Highlights:

• So, a 9-month delay on the reporting of PFAS and a number of other things.
• :02:41.959> to<00:02:42.080> start reporting that was going to start reporting that was
• <00:02:59.600> school We were also able to secure school We were also able to secure school
• improvements to the capital security improvements to the capital security around<00:03:30.959>
• <00:10:33.600> What's as regards capital security." What's as regards capital security."

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House Republican leaders held a brief end-of-session update describing a negotiated agreement with the governor and legislative leaders that they said would make Minnesota more affordable and improve fraud prevention. They highlighted passage of an independent Office of Inspector General, which they said was a top priority to combat fraud and waste in state government, along with county IT modernization as another fraud-prevention measure. They also said the deal includes $125 million in property tax cuts, $250 million in car tab fee reductions, and no extension of the Hennepin County ballpark tax, which they said allowed help for HCMC without raising taxes. The leaders also described additional spending and policy items in the agreement, including $30 million for distressed hospitals statewide, higher MA rates for HCMC, a nine-month delay in PFAS reporting requirements for businesses, and school safety funding. The school safety package was said to include anonymous threat reporting, school-linked mental health, mobile crisis teams, and security improvements for public officials and the Capitol campus. They said a $1.2 billion bonding bill remained part of the broader negotiations and would support infrastructure projects. In response to questions, the leaders said the House would continue to follow a single-topic committee process and would not take up broad omnibus bills. They said gun-violence-related bills had already been heard in committee and on the floor, where they failed on party-line votes, and argued that the school safety measures moving forward were bipartisan and did not include gun bans. They also said the car tab fee relief was only secured for one year, and expressed hope that future elections would give Republicans more leverage to continue the affordability agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• We released this report one year ago this month.
• These are only the publicly reported cases.
• the secure storage resolution that they had passed.
• the Secure Storage resolution that they had passed.
• House Bill 753, an act relative to school security.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was happy to be back with Border Security.
• serving in border security.
• Border Patrol had reported 883 migrant deaths.
• I supplied you with our BOSA report.
• here, our national security.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security held its first hearing of the 89th legislative session, established a quorum, welcomed new and returning members, and adopted the committee rules without objection. The chair said the hearing would be limited to invited state agency witnesses and was intended as a status update for new members on current border operations, especially in light of the change in federal administration. Testimony came from the Office of the Attorney General, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Military Department. The Attorney General’s representative said border-related litigation is largely in a holding pattern while the new U.S. Department of Justice awaits additional leadership, and noted prior cases involving concertina wire, buoys, and the CBP One app. DPS described Operation Lone Star’s evolution from filling gaps when Border Patrol was overwhelmed to current operations focused on interdiction, criminal arrests, fentanyl and meth seizures, and national security concerns, while also noting improved morale and more voluntary deployments as border pressure has eased. The Texas Military Department reported more than 5,000 personnel on state active duty, extensive use of barriers, drones, boats, and rapid-response forces, and said Operation Lone Star has resulted in more than 531,000 apprehensions and a 90% reduction in illegal crossings. Members and witnesses discussed whether the state should maintain its current border-security footprint while federal policy settles, with the chair emphasizing preserving institutional knowledge and leaving tactical decisions to the governor. Questions also covered trooper fatigue, Border Patrol training under SB 602, and concerns about cartel-driven commercial trucking and fuel depots near the border. The committee heard that Border Patrol training with DPS has resumed, and the chair asked agencies to keep the Legislature informed as legal and operational circumstances change. No bills were heard and no votes were taken beyond adopting the committee rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• And by your vote, CS for SB 536 is reported favorably.
• And by your vote, CS for SB 1742 is reported favorably.
• the tools to act quickly while keeping records secure.
• I believe it would be the Chief of Domestic Security.
• By your vote, CS for SB 1634 is reported favorably.

Summary: The committee first considered CS/SB 536, which updates Florida’s criminal gang statutes to reflect modern gang recruitment and communication methods, including social media and encrypted messaging. Senator Martin said the bill does not criminalize gang membership, but clarifies definitions used for gang-related enhancements and law enforcement investigations. Members raised concerns about the meaning of “observed in the company” of gang members and possible impacts on businesses and bikers; Martin said the language was not intended to reach ordinary business customers and that the bill still requires other criteria. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably after debate, with some members supporting it and others warning it was still too broad. The committee also approved CS/SB 762, allowing cross-jurisdictional assignment of conflict capital cases with cost and reporting requirements, after an amendment emphasizing judicial economy and geographic proximity; the bill was described as a cost-saving measure and was reported favorably. CS/SB 1742, creating a new offense for indecent exposure or sexual acts directed at minors under 16, was amended to align with the House version and to cover observing a child for sexual gratification, then reported favorably. CS/SB 1750, increasing penalties and mandatory minimums for serious sex crimes and child sexual abuse material offenses, was amended to restore some current-law provisions and limit reclassification to offenders who were 18 or older at the time of the offense, then reported favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 1582 on statewide data sharing for secondhand dealer and pawnbroker transactions, along with its companion public-records bill SB 1792, both described as theft-prevention and law-enforcement tools with confidentiality protections and stakeholder support. CS/SB 500, providing FDLE protective security for major-party nominees for statewide constitutional offices, was also reported favorably after a technical amendment. The longest and most contentious discussion was on CS/SB 1632, which would create a process for Florida to designate foreign and domestic terrorist organizations, restrict courts from enforcing foreign or religious law when it conflicts with state or federal law, and bar public funds from supporting designated organizations. Senator Graal said the bill targets conduct, not belief, and creates due-process protections through written findings, public notice, cabinet action, and judicial review. Senator Smith and Senator Polsky repeatedly questioned whether the bill’s use of terms like “promotion” could chill protected speech, academic debate, protest activity, or legal representation, and whether the designation process could be used politically or against religious and advocacy groups. Graal said promotion was meant to cover support for illegal acts, not mere disagreement or academic speech, and said she was open to clarifying language. Numerous speakers opposed the bill, arguing it was vague, unconstitutional, and likely to be used against Muslim communities, students, nonprofits, and dissenting political speech; a few supporters argued it was needed for public safety and to prevent state support for terrorism. The committee did not take a final vote on CS/SB 1632 in the portion provided, and the transcript ends during public testimony on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of them are report-only claims.
• So it's self-reporting then?
• They report for year one, they report for year two, they report for year three.
• They fail to report for year four. They don't report for year five.
• The senior security engineer’s job is data security.

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, then returned to its ongoing budget workshop with the Department of Management Services. DFS’s Division of Risk Management described its role as the state self-insurance fund, covering about 200,000 employees and 27,000 vehicles, paying roughly $150 million in claims last year, and managing a pilot ETS treatment program for veterans and first responders that had 49 patients and 804 treatments as of the latest report. The Division of State Fire Marshal outlined its fire prevention, training, emergency response, and grant programs, including hurricane deployments, the Florida State Fire College, and several capital and grant requests for roof, courtyard, memorial, and equipment needs. The Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation explained how it handles insolvent insurers under Chapter 631, currently administering 14 estates with $1.2 billion in assets and $3.7 billion in liabilities, and said no new receiverships had been opened since February 2023. Members asked about grant backlogs, fire truck procurement delays, memorial repairs, and whether affiliate transfers were occurring in insurer liquidations. Secretary Griffin then updated the committee on DBPR’s implementation of House Bill 1021 on community associations. He said the department had used the new authority to expand education, complaint handling, and ombudsman services, including 10 free standardized courses, a new condo website, and a four-hour board certification course that had already drawn more than 12,000 attendees. He reported that outreach to condominium communities had increased by more than 60%, that complaint filings were up 39% while jurisdictional dismissals dropped to 11%, and that about 81% to 82% of the 65 new positions had been filled. Members pressed him on whether the department had enough authority and funding, how condominium counts are determined, how self-reported structural integrity reserve study data is verified, and whether more public-facing complaint tracking and better reporting from local governments or developers would improve the system. The committee then resumed questioning Secretary Allende of DMS about outstanding budget and operations issues. Members focused on the delayed People First contract extension required by statute, with the secretary saying the delay involved technical and contractual complexity in moving a legacy hard-coded system to the cloud. They also revisited the state data team and data catalog project, asking why a statutory 2022 deadline had not been met, how the four-person team and broader data staff were organized, how many applicants were considered for key positions, and what each role was doing. The secretary said the catalog work was being simplified into six metadata fields and supported by a broader community of practice, but no firm completion date was given during the exchange.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we need to make changes to the draft report?
• included in the report.
• , hear the presentation of the report.
• , it's a spiral bound report.
• Um, I wanna start out not on the report cards exactly, but on a new, a new feature of report cards that

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 1064 relating to the provision of a private security service.
• Security refer to the committee on public education.
• For the Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs. HB 1151 by Hull.
• Refer to the Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Veterans Affairs.
• Refer to the Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety. and Veterans Affairs.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To implement security technology to protect their assets and ensure employee safety, the monitored security
• The security technology has secured businesses here in New Mexico since 1998.
• And prevention security solutions.
• We are waiting for this report. It's a very comprehensive report looking at six years.
• For the report, Madam Chair and representatives, for the actual report that we are presenting today,

Transcript Highlights:

• love when we have pretty clean reports love when we have pretty clean reports to<00:01:32.360>
• reports.
• on that report.
• I did see that in the report.
• It's a good status report.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• today, you have to go through security today, you have to go through security checks. checks. checks
• , the capital security, the capital security, and<00:10:26.200> it<00:10:26.320> says,<
• > personal<00:10:29.320> protective "and security and personal protective "and security
• to do a job that that risks the security to do a job that that risks the security of<00:19:08.880
• member's home than our capital security member's home than our capital security unit<00:47:47.760

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 3791 was laid over for possible inclusion later, with Rep. Green and Rep. Noor presenting it as a response to rising threats against Minnesota elected officials and public officers. They cited increased threat reports, the June 2025 killings of Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband, the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, and other recent threats as evidence that current protective resources are insufficient. The bill would create a state officials protective services unit within the State Patrol, provide security and threat-assessment services for principal state officials, and require reporting on credible threats. Rep. Noor said the proposal would be triggered by leadership when there is a credible threat, would include legislators and constitutional officers, and would be funded at about $3.98 million in FY 2027 with an ongoing base of $3.25 million, with some ability to contract with local law enforcement for support in official-capacity situations. Members raised concerns about scope, jurisdiction, and cost. Rep. Olsen argued the bill was not narrow enough and worried it could allow Capitol Security to provide home or event security too broadly, rather than limiting the work to the Capitol and catastrophic incidents. Rep. Joy offered an A1 amendment to use existing funds instead of adding new spending, saying local sheriffs and police already handle many situations. That amendment failed on a voice vote. Rep. Olson then moved an A2 amendment focused on clarifying who should be in charge of protection at home and how local law enforcement would be involved; discussion centered on whether Capitol Security, State Patrol, or local agencies should lead response and how credible threats would be determined. Supporters of the bill, including Rep. Green and Rep. Muir, said the events of June 14 showed the need for a dedicated, coordinated protective service and that local responses were uneven across jurisdictions. Rep. Muir described delayed or inconsistent police responses after the attacks and said lawmakers need a more reliable system to keep members and their families safe. Rep. Keagle also testified about personal threats and harassment at home, including a prank pizza delivery that made her fear someone knew when she was home. The committee did not take final action on the bill beyond laying it over, and the A1 amendment failed; discussion on the A2 amendment and the bill’s details continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, concerns about security and fraud.
• And that is not safe and it's not secure.
• We offer a, a secure digital wallet.
• Number 2 provides better security. So I think we just talked a little bit about security.
• OK, so this is really a reporting bill, really, so they'll have to report as to how they're using them

Transcript Highlights:

• the commodity groups report, which includes the Ag Commissioner.
• It just seems very out of step with all the other reports that we read.
• , we would only have reports and we'd never do anything else.
• on Wednesday the 13th and the Ag report on Thursday, January 14th.
• alerts you receive, comply with the information in the security alert.

Summary: The committee met to organize upcoming legislative session arrangements and staffing, and to review several rule and security-related items. It first approved a Joint Rule 211 change, recommended by the Employee Benefits Committee, that clarifies the deadline and statutory references for introducing health insurance mandate bills so required cost-benefit materials can be completed in time. Members noted the change would streamline the process, though it would not solve all timing and mandate-determination issues. The committee then discussed a draft bill on confidentiality protections for certain public officials and candidates, but members raised concerns about the statute’s complexity, the practical difficulty of administering it, and whether it would meaningfully improve safety; no action was taken and the topic was set aside for further discussion. The committee received an update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is in process to apply for grant funding that could reimburse up to about $200 per legislator for personal security-related expenses such as home cameras, locks, lighting, or monitoring services, with reimbursement handled through Legislative Council and subject to Emergency Commission approval. Members asked about eligible expenses, timing, and whether new legislators would be included, and staff said the program would likely cover current legislators only for this round. The committee also approved the 2027 joint session schedule for the State of the State, tribal-state message, and State of the Judiciary on January 5, with the tribal and judiciary addresses in the morning and the governor’s address later in the day. The committee next approved the statutory reporting schedule for the Commerce Commissioner and agricultural commodity groups, setting the Commerce report for January 13, 2027, and the agriculture reports and pesticide container disposal update for January 14, 2027. Members questioned the usefulness of some of these recurring reports, but agreed to follow the existing statutory requirements. The largest discussion centered on Legislative Council staffing for the 2027 session: the committee approved reducing session staff to 36 Senate and 41 House employees, eliminating procedural clerk positions in standing committees in favor of permanent policy analysts, while retaining quality assurance clerks and adding a House parking lot attendant. It also approved a 3% salary increase for those staff positions, matching the increase given to state employees. Finally, the committee reviewed a revised organizational session and new legislator training agenda. Staff proposed moving some orientation content into a separate pre-session training day for new legislators on November 30, including laptop setup, mock committee and floor sessions, parliamentary procedure, and HR/benefits training, while adding more security and budgeting instruction. Members strongly supported earlier and more practical training, including follow-up reinforcement during the first week of session, and suggested using experienced or term-limited former legislators as mentors. Staff also described efforts to expand training materials into podcasts, flowcharts, and other formats, and Legislative Council leadership outlined the office’s remaining vacancies and a proposed expansion of policy analysts, program evaluators, legal staff, and training support to better serve the legislature and improve oversight of state programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• troopers or capital security officers. troopers or capital security officers.
• Screening is a everyone feels secure.
• security staff instructions. security staff instructions.
• Weapons screening is a common security Weapons screening is a common security tool<00:07:50.319>
• <00:10:25.760> or process again you'll alert security or process again you'll alert security

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson and State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogey announced that weapon screening will begin Tuesday at the Minnesota State Capitol at the start of the 2026 legislative session. They said the change is based on an independent security assessment and the Axtell report’s top recommendation, and framed it as an added layer of protection rather than a weapons ban or a change in state law. Both emphasized that the Capitol will remain open, accessible, and welcoming while reducing preventable risks, citing heightened threats to public officials and the recent murders and shootings involving Minnesota lawmakers and their families. Bogey outlined the screening plan: visitors will use four public access points, with the south ground-level entrance as the primary entry, while other exterior doors will not be open for public entry. She said the process should take only seconds for most people, with bags going through separate scanners and additional screening only if needed. The Capitol will close to the general public at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, though accommodations will be made when hearings or floor sessions run later. She also said the entrances and screening areas are ADA accessible and that staff will be available to help guide visitors. In questions, officials said prohibited items are defined by statute and administrative rules and referred reporters to the State Patrol website for the full list. They confirmed that lawful permit-to-carry holders may still bring firearms, but must declare the permit, show government ID, and go through screening; elected officials are exempt, while staff are not. They also said the State Patrol will fund the rollout from its own budget, with costs to be evaluated over time, and that tunnel key-card access will be restricted to everyone. The briefing ended with a plan to demonstrate the screening equipment upstairs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Take a look at the Social Security actuary report of the suppression of working people's wages because
• <02:49:53.279> report<02:49:53.760> of the Social Security actuary report of the Social
• Security actuary report of the<02:49:54.319> suppression<02:49:54.720> of<02:49:54.960
• Border security, our national security, should not be partisan.
• The American people deserve a secure border. They want a secure border.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the commodity groups report, which includes the Ag Commissioner.
• It just seems very out of step with all the other reports that we receive.
• It just seems very out of step with all the other reports that we receive.
• , we would only have reports and we'd never do anything else.
• on Wednesday the 13th and the Ag report on Thursday, January 14th.

Summary: The Legislative Procedures and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The committee first considered and adopted a Joint Rule 211 change clarifying the deadline and statutory references for bill drafts involving health insurance mandates, after discussion that the process is still somewhat cumbersome but improved by the clarification. The committee then reviewed a revised draft addressing confidentiality protections for certain legislators and candidates, but members expressed concerns about the breadth, enforceability, and transparency implications of the proposal, and the committee chose not to advance it at this time. The committee received an informational update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is applying for the grant, which could provide about $200 per legislator for home security or related safety expenses, subject to Emergency Commission approval and reimbursement procedures. Members asked about eligible expenses, administrative burden, and whether new legislators would be covered; staff said guidance would be provided if funding is approved. The committee also approved the 2027 timing for the State of the Judiciary, tribal-state relationship message, and State of the State address on January 5, and set the Commerce Department and agricultural commodity reports for January 13 and 14, respectively, as required by statute. A major portion of the meeting focused on legislative staffing and organizational planning. The committee approved a recommendation for 36 Senate staff positions and 41 House staff positions, along with a 3% compensation increase for session staff. Discussion centered on replacing some procedural clerk duties with permanent policy analyst staff, retaining quality assurance roles for now, and adding or repurposing positions in IT, program evaluation, legal, and administration. Members also discussed expanding program evaluation capacity and the need for clearer oversight of new programs, with staff noting upcoming training and model-sharing with other states. Finally, the committee reviewed a proposed new legislator orientation day on November 30 and broader organizational session training changes, including mock committee and floor sessions, security training, and more robust budget/appropriations instruction, but took no final action on the agenda items and adjourned after completing the budget-related recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We talk about housing and security. We talk about homelessness.
• But also security—having a very secure implementation, tested and really well understood, is absolutely
• So that's names, addresses, social security numbers, emails.
• I'm the Information Security Manager for Spokane County.
• ; second, an interim report due by December 1 of this year; and a final report due by July 1, 2026.

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on technology in government, AI, broadband, and digital equity. Seattle CTO Rob Lloyd described the city’s AI strategy, emphasizing responsible use, privacy, security, community input, and data strategy. He said Seattle is using small pilots and partnerships to test AI for tasks such as public records processing, infrastructure inspection, and permitting, while keeping humans as the final decision-makers. Members asked about bias, liability, training on best practices, labor involvement, and public records; Lloyd said AI should remain an assistant tool, not a replacement for human judgment, and that Seattle is still testing solutions for records requests and permitting. WATech CTO Nick Stow and Deputy Director Mark Quimby discussed the state’s broader AI policy, the generative AI executive order, a sandbox with more than 15 agencies, and use cases including a resident portal, cybersecurity, and wildfire detection. They stressed consent, closed systems, human-centered design, and the need to govern all forms of AI, not just generative AI. Committee members raised concerns about federal data access, labor issues, and wildfire detection effectiveness. Spokane County IT staff described a more restrictive approach to AI, citing privacy, bias, and cyber risks. The county standardized on Microsoft Copilot as its only approved chat-style AI tool, blocked other AI chat platforms, and requires human review of all AI-generated content. They said AI is also being used by criminals for phishing and deepfakes, underscoring the need for strong policy and security controls. The committee also received an update from the Attorney General’s AI Task Force. Yuki Ishizuka said the task force has 19 members and eight subcommittees covering ethics, consumer protection, labor, health care, public safety, education, government efficiency, cybersecurity, and industry/energy. The task force is working toward an interim report due December 1, 2025 and a final report due July 1, 2026, and is reviewing recommendations through public forums and advisory committees. Ishizuka warned that a federal budget reconciliation provision could bar states from enforcing AI regulations for 10 years, and several members voiced support for state authority and asked about possible 2026 legislation. The committee then heard updates on broadband and digital equity. Commerce’s Dave Pringle said the BEAD broadband program is being reshaped by new NTIA guidance, which removed or reduced emphasis on several prior priorities, and Washington is now working under an expedited process to submit its state application by September 4. He noted that no projects have been built yet, that four counties did not receive applications in round two, and that the state is trying to keep applicants engaged through office hours and a shortened review window. The Office of Equity and the Digital Equity Forum reported increased participation, new members, and ongoing outreach to tribal, rural, and underserved communities, while previewing recommendations such as creating an interdepartmental digital equity team and improving data use. Finally, Lumen’s Robert Thoms described private-sector broadband deployment challenges, including permitting, regulation, and the economics of extending fiber, while noting continued investment in overbuild projects, a $30 low-cost service option tied to the former ACP, and work with the state, tribes, and libraries. No votes were taken; the meeting consisted of presentations and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The FBI does a report every year; the 2024 report, because 2025 isn't out yet, estimates $16 billion
• Arkansas, let's talk about Arkansas from the FBI report. 4,238 fraud incidents were reported in 2024,
• That report does have those numbers, and I can get you the full report.
• That report does have those numbers, and I can get you the full report.
• was reported last year.

Summary: A joint House-Senate Insurance and Commerce meeting focused on the growing threat of financial fraud in Arkansas, with members hearing from bankers, regulators, law enforcement, AARP, and mortgage and insurance industry representatives. Witnesses described a wide range of scams, including spoofed bank calls and texts, fake websites and social media impersonation, romance and investment scams, business email compromise, gift card fraud, check fraud, wire fraud, reverse mortgage scams, and crypto kiosk schemes. Several speakers emphasized that fraud is increasingly organized, technology-driven, and amplified by artificial intelligence, and that seniors are disproportionately targeted and often suffer the largest losses. Testimony highlighted both prevention and recovery efforts. Bankers said institutions spend heavily on training, customer education, and fraud detection, but often cannot stop losses once customers have been convinced to authorize transfers. The Attorney General’s office described its Consumer Protection Division, a new Financial Fraud Task Force, and examples of recovering funds quickly from crypto kiosk and wire fraud cases. The State Bank Department and Securities Department said Arkansas’s 2025 crypto ATM legislation and related education requirements have helped, and they urged continued public education. The Insurance Department reported major insurance-fraud trends, including fake insurance cards, forged policies, premium-finance schemes, and staged auto accidents, and said it prosecutes these cases aggressively. Members asked about reporting scams, the security of tap payments, how fraud losses are tracked, the role of crypto kiosks, and whether Arkansas should pursue model legislation or stronger action against telecom and social media companies. Witnesses said tap payments are generally safer than chip or swipe, that crypto transfers are often unrecoverable, and that spoofed caller ID and impersonation ads remain major problems. Paul Benda of the American Bankers Association urged state and federal action against telecom and social media platforms and supported national scam legislation. No new bills were voted on at the meeting, but members approved the November 3, 2025 minutes and several witnesses offered to share model legislation, consumer education materials, and state-by-state fraud data with the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• that report.
• This links to the audit report. This links to the audit report. All right.
• So this is a two-page report.
• Where were the reports?
• So you're reporting in there.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion is agreed to and the nomination is ordered to be reported favorably.
• As did Indiana, that we need to secure our border.
• This would allow for improved prosecution and reporting efforts.
• It can also be reflected in increased costs for more secure transportation.
• The Department of Homeland Security met with us, but refused to investigate.

Keywords: Committee, Transportation, aviation safety, confirmation, Lieutenant Commander, Deputy Secretary, Bradbury, Hafensteiner, aircraft incidents

Summary: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation convened to consider the promotion of Coast Guard Lieutenant Samuel Hafensteiner to Lieutenant Commander and the nomination of Stephen Bradbury as Deputy Secretary of Transportation. The meeting highlighted ongoing concerns regarding aviation safety, especially in light of recent aircraft incidents. Members discussed the critical need for knowledgeable leadership within the Department of Transportation to address these safety challenges effectively. Mr. Bradbury's background as a former General Counsel of the Department was presented as a strong asset for the role he seeks.

Transcript Highlights:

• report report on<00:20:31.640> and<00:20:31.840> that<00:20:32.280> concludes<00
• five years holders of property report five years holders of property report that<00:25:49.919>
• <00:25:57.440> stocks and cash checks Securities stocks and cash checks Securities stocks
• Okay, report will be from Shaur. Is there going to be a minority report? Yeah.
• If anyone who's doing reports could get the reports, Representative Shamberg, if I could get reports

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting featured presentations from the Department of Administrative Services and the Treasury Department on state revenue reporting and unclaimed property. State Comptroller Dana Call explained DAS’s role in compiling statewide revenue reports, including the annual revenue plan set through the budget process and the monthly revenue focus reports that track cash receipts. She noted that unrestricted general fund revenue is about $2 billion annually, while miscellaneous other revenue is a much smaller and less predictable category, averaging roughly $30 million to $32 million a year. She also described two more material internal revenue lines: statewide indirect cost recoveries and post-retirement benefit recoveries, which are billed to agencies and often tied to federal reimbursement rules. Members asked about the interest line in the revenue charts and about how the figures were presented, and Call clarified that the totals were in millions and that the interest item would be explained by the Treasurer. She also explained that the indirect cost and post-retirement recoveries are internal cost allocations that flow back into the unrestricted revenue pool and are reflected in agency budgets as interagency costs. Treasurer Monica Meissner then outlined Treasury Department functions, including bank deposits, statewide disbursements, banking relationships, investments, debt management, compliance, the FONA College Savings Program, the ABLE Plan, scholarship programs, and the abandoned property program. In discussing unclaimed property, she said holders report property after a five-year dormancy period, the state uses automated systems and outreach to locate owners, and claim activity has increased. In fiscal year 2024, the state returned about $12.2 million to citizens through roughly 12,000 claims; over the last 10 years, about $72.6 million has been returned. She also said the state escheated $19.9 million to the general fund and $1.8 million to counties last year, and explained that securities-related proceeds are harder to estimate because they depend on market conditions. No votes or formal actions were taken.