Transcript Highlights:

• My family has lived off the land grant for generations.
• I applaud the Attorney General and the RIC in particular.
• Unfortunately, 25% of the general fund is legislatively directed, while 75% is self-generated.
• We need your support with the general fund.
• And then I guess I worry about the next generation, as Toby talked about, getting the next generation

Transcript Highlights:

• Section one is a general fund allocation.
• </c> additional money to the state uh general additional money to the state uh general fund<00:08:27.280
• It strikes general fund allocation.
• It can't just be generally repurposed.
• It's not a general exemption. Okay.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , can alleviate and prevent the national public of all levels of government, employers, and the general
• And when it defines addictive social media feed, it focuses on content generated by users.
• That's not user content, user-generated content, but it is a highly addictive platform.
• This bill allows the Attorney General to consider an age signal...
• Tarr, Attorney General reporting requirements. Senator Tarr. Thank you, Mr.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You're adding the Attorney General that wasn't in code before.
• carve-out for generic drugs.
• carve-out for generic drugs.
• That's the general gist.
• Consumers are generally happy with the transaction that may have occurred, generally happy with the product

Summary: The committee heard several bills, but much of the meeting focused on House Bill 306, which would require disclosure when a consumer is interacting with a chatbot rather than a human. Sponsor Senator Townsend described it as a consumer protection measure and said the bill is meant to keep pace with rapidly changing AI technology. Committee members and witnesses raised concerns about the bill’s enforcement structure, especially private rights of action and penalties that could apply even without actual consumer harm. The Department of Justice said the bill would apply where the conduct has a Delaware nexus, and that the disclosure requirement is the key consumer protection. Industry witnesses and chambers of commerce opposed the bill as drafted, arguing it would create broad compliance burdens and expose businesses to excessive litigation risk without a harm requirement or clearer safe harbor language. Earlier in the meeting, the committee discussed House Bill 429, which would update Delaware’s step therapy exception process to include biosimilars and interchangeable biologics. Senator Poore and supporters from Highmark and the Department of Insurance said the bill would modernize insurance law, improve access to effective treatments, and reduce costs; they cited national savings from biosimilars and said the bill has agency support. Members asked about Delaware-specific savings, patient switching, and how the process would work, but no vote was taken during the discussion. The committee also heard House Bill 310, which would exclude large data centers from Blue Collar Jobs Act tax credits; the sponsor said the bill is intended to ensure large energy users contribute more to state and local revenues, while supporters and opponents debated competitiveness and community impacts. House Bill 406, on allowing insureds to choose their auto repair shop, and Senate Bill 347, a cleanup bill related to medical debt collection and personal property levies, were also presented without opposition in the hearing. House Bill 253, concerning who may receive letters testamentary or of administration, was described as a cleanup to align statute with existing practice. The committee approved the meeting minutes, but the transcript does not show final votes on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Non-emitting electricity generation is generation of electricity without the production of greenhouse
• For example, nuclear power is a non-emitting electricity generator.
• Now, renewable resources... ...power is a non-emitting electricity generator.
• Otherwise, they're generally overlapping.
• This is a false and dangerous generalization.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several local government bills. HB 2006 would extend the deadline for certain rural counties that collect a sales and use tax for economic development to designate industrial land banks under the Growth Management Act. Supporters, including the sponsor and Kittitas County representatives, said the bill would help counties identify industrial land for job growth and economic development; Futurewise opposed it, citing concerns about large industrial land banks and impacts to agricultural lands. HB 2244 would let a city that forms a fire protection district after July 1, 2026, keep its levy rate without reducing it by the district’s levy, and would also allow online notice and interlocal contracting for fire services. City and fire officials supported it as a practical tool to fund fire service, while one witness opposed the broader trend of appointed taxing authorities. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 2316, which would limit shrub-step vegetation inside urban growth areas from being treated as wildlife habitat, critical area, or conservation area, and would bar related mitigation or replacement requirements. Tri-Cities officials, builders, housing advocates, and the sponsor argued the bill would reduce delays and costs for housing and development on already designated urban land, while conservation groups, tribal representatives, and some individuals opposed it as a broad rollback of habitat protections and a harmful precedent for ecosystems and wildlife. No vote was taken on the bills during the hearing. HB 2103 would expand public utility contracting authority so cities, utilities, and joint operating agencies could enter “capability” contracts for renewable or non-emitting generation projects, including nuclear, renewable hydrogen, and fusion, and repeal certain price-limit restrictions. Supporters said it would align older contracting law with the Clean Energy Transformation Act and help utilities plan for future power needs; opponents warned it would shift risk to ratepayers and revive concerns tied to the WPPSS nuclear debacle. The committee also heard HB 2388, which would classify pivot-corner solar and agrovoltaic facilities on agricultural land as distributed energy resources and accessory uses; the sponsor and supporters said it would help meet energy needs without harming productive farmland, while Futurewise asked for clarification to avoid unintended loss of agricultural land. The hearing then returned to HB 2103 for additional testimony, with the same basic split between utility and clean-energy supporters and ratepayer or anti-nuclear opponents.

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee generally takes the lure of two general fund budget recommendations, whether that's the
• We leave 100,000 in general fund. It for us turns into 470,000 of federal dollars.
• The difference is almost entirely general fund.
• general fund 343,000 or roughly 22%.
• The LFC recommended no increase in general fund revenue.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's taxpayers, and it's coming out of the general fund, and... ...it is coming out of the general fund
• I do not think we have general fund dollars to keep this alive.
• So, without a non-general source fund, I cannot vote for this bill.
• Yeah, the amendment eliminates general funds and uses non-general funds, and I'm willing in a COB amendment
• funds, as long as it stays non-general funds.

Bills: SB1112, SB1517, SB1537, SB1584, SB1673, SB1776

Keywords: mental health, hearings, acquaintance witnesses, patient rights, treatment evaluation, barbering, cosmetology, appropriation, funding, licensing, board operations, peace officer, training, public safety, traffic offenses, judicial system, corrections, recruitment, state budget, crime victims

Transcript Highlights:

• And is it such that it's owner-generated that it would rebut a presumption of abandonment?
• fund, making it revenue-generating.
• A portion of funds can flow to the general fund.
• Second, a cost-neutral, revenue-generating structure with no taxpayer dollars at risk.
• But in general, the mindset needs to be long term.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And with me today is the newest deputy attorney general in our office, Lionel Greaves, who has recently
• Since the Attorney General took office in January, he's made enforcing state laws regarding payment of
• I'm the Deputy Attorney General.
• The first one being general contractor liability for wages and benefits.
• I'm here to represent the Office of the Attorney General.

Summary: The committee first received an update from the Attorney General’s office on a new workers’ rights unit and two request bills. The office said the unit will focus on wage theft and civil rights enforcement, using existing resources for a small staff. It also described a bill to expand civil investigative demand authority for labor, wage theft, prevailing wage, and discrimination investigations, and an Immigrant Worker Protection Act that would require employer notice when federal immigration authorities request employee records, limit access to nonpublic work areas without a warrant, and restrict disclosure of employee data without proper legal process. Senators asked about costs, funding sources, and the scope of the proposed authority, and the office said it would follow up with more detail. The committee then heard a detailed presentation on Washington’s workers’ compensation system from Labor and Industries, including how claims are filed, how the medical provider network works, and how treatment authorizations and utilization review are handled. L&I said the network was created to improve care quality and return workers to work, and explained that most routine care is automatically authorized while certain procedures require prior approval or review. A question from Senator Conway focused on the role of the medical director and the appeals process; L&I said decisions can be protested and reconsidered, with exceptions reviewed through a complex treatment unit and medical staff. An experience panel followed with testimony from labor representatives, physicians, and an injured-worker attorney, who argued that the medical provider network and treatment guidelines can delay or deny needed care, especially in complex cases such as PTSD, brain injuries, and serious orthopedic injuries. They described long appeals, utilization review barriers, provider shortages, and the impact on injured workers and families, while L&I’s presentation emphasized the system’s structure and review safeguards. The committee then heard a report from the Underground Economy Task Force in the construction industry. L&I summarized the task force’s findings on worker misclassification, unregistered contractors, and unpaid taxes and premiums, and outlined consensus and majority recommendations, including better interagency communication, stronger penalties for repeat offenders, more authority to address successorship, possible contractor notice requirements, and further study of cash payments. The Attorney General’s office, labor, and business representatives generally supported the report’s goals but differed on some recommendations, especially those affecting independent contractors, contractor liability, and administrative burdens. The chair and Senator Conway thanked participants and said the report would inform future legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the General Counsel for DriveTime and Bridge Crest.
• Duke Ho, and I'm a general dentist from Katy, Texas.
• So this generation...
• Like nuclear, geothermal generation assets, including generation facilities and conservation wells, provide
• Firm power for the next generation of military installations.

Bills: HB111

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the next—and that's for $99,96 out of the general fund.
• General fund is $8,922. Other funds is $3,426.
• That's the $4,200 from the general fund.
• That is from the general fund, and I believe that was From the general fund.
• How many interns do you generally have?

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 2025, the Veterans Home/Veterans Affairs budget, and worked through the long sheet line by line. Members discussed base payroll, salary and health insurance increases, FTE pool adjustments, IT rate increases, operating expenses, transportation grants, the PTSD service dog program, salary equity requests, temporary help/intern funding, a Veterans Benefit Specialist FTE, accrued leave, and several one-time or carryover items including the Fisher House, document scanning, and veterans medical transportation. The committee also reviewed proposed policy language that would shift governance authority for the Veterans Home and Department of Veterans Affairs from the Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs to the governor, and would remove board authority over salary-setting and related hiring powers. A major portion of the meeting focused on clarifying the commissioner salary equity line and how the agency had shifted operating dollars to fund the commissioner’s current salary increase. After discussion with agency staff and Lonnie, the committee voted to remove the separate commissioner salary equity increase line and instead restore operating funding, ultimately setting the operating line at $50,000 above the prior amount rather than fully funding the executive request. The committee also approved funding for the Veterans Benefit Specialist FTE, approved a carryforward/exemption for accrued leave, approved authority to accept $200,000 in federal transportation grant funds, approved the $500,000 transfers related to veterans homelessness, and approved the exemption language for certain federal/state fiscal recovery funds after discussing whether the funds were properly obligated. On the governance amendment, members expressed concern about making a major policy change in an appropriations bill, but also frustration over the board’s salary actions. After debate, the committee adopted the amendment transferring governance authority to the governor by a 7-1 vote. The committee also approved a smaller amount for veteran service officer salary equity than requested, and rejected funding for temporary salaries and an intern. The chair then directed staff to prepare the amended bill for further action, with the committee planning to revisit it once the revised version was ready.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our general rate cases are the main tool for scrutinizing and evaluating costs.
• They were dominated by diesel backup generators.
• We have a cycle of general rate cases.
• Yeah, general data center, yeah.
• Generation.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The college system receives a direct appropriation from the state for its general...
• Some only have adult general education.
• Some only have adult general education.
• On an annual basis, we actually only have 14.6 for general release.
• Generates about $1.6 million, and it's kind of in arrears.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met to review funding models for the Florida College System and district workforce education programs, with an emphasis on how new dollars are allocated in the program fund and how performance and targeted funding are incorporated. Chancellor Hebda explained the Florida College System model, including base program funding, student success and pipeline funds, performance incentives for industry certifications, and the 2022 president-developed formula that weights enrollment, workforce enrollment, completions, small-college factors, and regional cost differences, plus a targeted funding floor for colleges below a minimum per-FTE level. Vice Chancellor Goodman then outlined the district workforce model, which uses lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local revenue offsets, small-district adjustments, and unmet-need calculations to distribute lump-sum appropriations to school districts offering workforce education. The department also provided updates on several grant programs and funding delays. Goodman said the Workforce Development Incentive Grant, Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant, Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education Startup Grant, and teacher apprenticeship/mentor bonus programs all involve multi-year awards and often require reversions and reappropriations because projects are delayed, extended, or not fully obligated by year-end. She said the department is moving toward an electronic grants system and had already adjusted internal deadlines to speed awards, while acknowledging some reimbursement delays and explaining that mentor bonuses for teacher apprentices will not be paid until the first cohort reaches the statutory timing requirement. Members asked about tracking whether CTE students work in their trained fields, how Xello is used to inform students about career pathways, how FTE is calculated, whether the funding formulas could encourage growth over quality, and how students with disabilities are counted in workforce funding. Questions also focused on tuition, enrollment trends, and the gap between college and university funding. The committee heard that tuition has remained flat for more than a decade, enrollment has rebounded from COVID and is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, and the college system’s funding per FTE varies widely. Valencia College President Kathleen Plinsky testified in support of the proposed formula and an additional $200 million for the Florida College System, saying Valencia is the second-largest college in the state but ranks last in per-FTE funding, which has made it difficult to recruit and retain faculty and admit qualified students in high-demand programs like nursing. The committee took no vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The commissioner hires the Inspector General. The Inspector General reports to the commissioner.
• Thank you. of Inspector General from um making of Inspector General from um making those<02:00:49.159
• Madam Chair, do you mean leading the Office of Inspector General or as an interim Inspector General?
• As the Inspector General or the interim Inspector General, how many people have held that position?
• Senator M Madam chair as the General Senator M Madam chair as the Inspector<02:04:20.119><c> General

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Labeling AI-generated performers is the logical next step.
• Concurrently, if there is a subcontractor for a general contractor, not any sub, the general contractor
• Currently, if there is a subcontractor for a general contractor, not an ESOP, the general contractor
• So the general contractors are in opposition because they generally have an opposition to any bid preferences
• First, it is a neutral and generally applicable law.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 16, which would require county behavioral health directors to create clear pathways for clinicians to be authorized to initiate 5150 involuntary holds. The author and supporters argued the bill would reduce reliance on law enforcement and create more consistent crisis response standards statewide, while county behavioral health directors opposed it as an unfunded mandate that could increase law enforcement involvement and create implementation burdens. Members raised questions about county costs and funding, but the author emphasized the bill’s role in building a more clinical response system. SB 561 would require public guardians to acknowledge conservatorship referrals, make determinations within a reasonable time, and provide status updates on request. Supporters said the bill would reduce delays that leave vulnerable adults in limbo, while the opposition from public guardian representatives was removed after amendments. SB 381 drew extensive public testimony in support; it would allow California-born adoptees, and descendants of deceased adoptees, access to original birth certificates, with a nonbinding contact preference form for birth parents. Supporters framed the bill as a matter of dignity, identity, and health, and there was no formal opposition on the record. The committee also discussed SB 880, which would give tenants and prospective owner-occupants notice and a first opportunity to make an offer when institutional investors sell certain homes. Supporters said it would expand homeownership opportunities and preserve neighborhood stability, while opponents warned about conflicts with federal law, bundled-sale restrictions, and impacts on build-to-rent and affordable housing projects. Members and the author discussed possible amendments to address those concerns. SB 1238 would impose a duty of care and additional transparency requirements on HOA managers and boards; supporters said it would protect homeowners from mismanagement, while the main opposition argued the duty should remain contractual and could increase litigation. Finally, SB 423 would require disclosure of emergency-service records related to private detention facilities, and SB 28 would make changes to the CARE Court process, including a statewide ombudsperson and expanded oversight; both drew support and opposition, with concerns focused on transparency, privacy, implementation, and the balance between treatment and coercion. SB 574, discussed at the end, would require disclosure and human oversight for AI use in courts and legal practice and create a complaint process for ADR providers, with the State Bar noting requested amendments related to complaint handling and confidentiality.

Transcript Highlights:

• Libby, Attorney General Office, waiving in support. Thank you for being here.
• This bill simply authorizes the Attorney General to initiate legal proceedings...
• And why is the Attorney General investigating instead of the local committees?
• spent and wouldn't hurt people and generally would help our communities.
• The Attorney General is the state law enforcement officer of Florida.

Transcript Highlights:

• on site where they can generate electricity, which can offset their own power use.
• Those farms generate food products or silage for animal use.
• Energy generation is regulated by CalRecycle and by CARB and by your local air district.
• So that really puts a cap on what can be generated at a wastewater treatment plant.
• But in the process, they generate a lot of toxic byproducts themselves.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology held an informational hearing on the role of biotechnology industries in wastewater treatment, hosted at Bakar Labs on the UC Berkeley campus. Opening remarks emphasized California’s water scarcity, the rising cost of wastewater infrastructure, and the need to reuse and clean contaminated water. Committee members framed the hearing as a look at both current treatment challenges and emerging technologies that could improve water quality, affordability, and resilience over time. The first panel focused on statewide wastewater challenges. BACWA Executive Director Laurie Fono described wastewater plants as part of a broader circular economy, noting their roles in recycled water, environmental enhancement, biosolids management, carbon sequestration, and renewable energy generation. She highlighted major challenges including aging 1970s-era infrastructure, nutrient reduction mandates, sea level rise, evolving regulations, and PFAS source control. She said Bay Area agencies face about $11 billion in nutrient reduction costs, with rate increases, state revolving funds, WIFIA loans, and bonds as the main financing tools. Members asked about regional differences, energy revenue opportunities, smaller decentralized plants, and agricultural collaboration. The second panel featured researchers and lab experts discussing biotechnology solutions. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s Dr. Romine Chakarvati described using microbial communities and machine learning to help break down PFAS and treat produced water. CEL Analytical’s Dr. Yigi Dearborn explained pathogen testing for direct potable reuse, wastewater monitoring, and the need for larger sample volumes and more funding to validate methods for viruses and protozoa. Stanford’s Dr. Chunhung-Shin presented an anaerobic membrane system that turns domestic wastewater into clean water and energy with less biosolids and lower operating costs. Committee members asked about AI, assay development, scaling technologies, and funding priorities. Public comment from the California Association of Sanitation Agencies stressed the need to balance scalability, reliability, and affordability, and the hearing adjourned without any formal vote or action.

Transcript Highlights:

• The General Fund not so much.
• The General Fund not so much.
• The General Fund not so much.
• The General Fund not so much.
• The General Fund not so much.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met with Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre and Charitable Gaming Chief Compliance Officer Kulie Aoyo to review proposed changes in HB 2 and related amendments affecting video lottery terminals, historic horse racing, charitable gaming, and scratch tickets. McIntyre said the late-arriving amendment made revenue estimates difficult, especially because the bill would allow operators to decide when to convert from HHR to VLTs and would change the floor-space rules. He explained that the existing 70/30 floor-space split between machines and table games was negotiated to protect charity revenue, and warned that moving to a 90/10 split could reduce charity revenue, potentially by as much as $17 million, while also changing the character of the facilities. Committee members discussed whether to keep the 70/30 split, and McIntyre said he could provide updated estimates later that day, including net impacts after any offsetting gains or losses under current law. Members also asked about the governor’s proposed operator share versus the Sweeney amendment’s higher operator share. McIntyre said the governor’s 45% figure was based on his own estimate and on comparable rates in other states, and he supported it as a way to maximize revenue for the state and charities. He also described a change to high-stakes tournaments: after speaking with Rep. Sweeney, he said the amendment was clarified to apply only to those tournaments and would lower the house take from 10% to 5% to encourage participation in rare, high-buy-in events. The committee also discussed a separate proposal to raise the maximum scratch ticket price from $30 to $50; McIntyre said the change would take time to implement, would likely increase net state revenue by about $1 million in year two, and was consistent with pricing in neighboring states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut. Additional questions covered sports betting and a separate Kino-related estimate. McIntyre said March Madness is the busiest period for sports betting and that the state’s sports betting revenue has exceeded initial expectations. He also said he had estimated that removing a municipal-vote restriction for Kino could cost about $12 million total, with $2 million in the first year and $10 million thereafter. No formal votes were taken during the discussion; the chair indicated the committee would revisit the VLT amendment and other sections later, and McIntyre agreed to send updated revenue estimates to committee members.

Transcript Highlights:

• The majority of the funds that come to the general fund.
• This is a non-general fund revenue agency.
• general funds.
• Typically, it generates around $600,000 to $650,000.
• generate enough from wagering in the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are we talking about generators?
• Are we talking about generators?
• But roughly 90% fossil fuel generation for electricity in upstate, and roughly 90% zero-emissions generation
• BUT ROUGHLY 90% FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION FOR ELECTRICITY IN AN UPSTATE ROUGHLY 90% GENERAL Roughly 90%
• generation.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions, including students from Brooklyn and St. John’s University, followed by adoption of the resolution calendar with exceptions for two items. The chamber then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, Workplace Violence Prevention Month, the one-year anniversary of the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, New York Constitution Day, and the Month of the Military Child. Senators speaking on the maternal health resolution emphasized racial disparities in maternal mortality and the need for culturally competent care; the workplace violence resolution highlighted hospital safety programs; the Jet Set resolution was adopted in memory of the victims; and the Constitution Day speech reviewed New York’s delayed but eventual support for independence in 1776. The military child resolution stressed the sacrifices of military families and support for children of service members. All of these resolutions were adopted, and the resolutions were opened to co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the third reading calendar, passing several bills and laying others aside. Measures passed included bills on public health, environmental conservation, executive law, public authorities, and consumer protection. One notable debate involved a bill to require transparency from private arbitration organizations handling consumer cases; supporters argued it would provide basic public data and guard against conflicts of interest, while opponents said it would burden a useful dispute-resolution process and intrude on privacy. The bill passed after debate. Another debated bill would phase out number 4 heating oil statewide; supporters said cleaner alternatives exist and the fuel is harmful to public health, while opponents raised cost and transition concerns, especially for colder regions. That bill also passed. The chamber also considered a bill to create a rebate program for battery-powered landscaping equipment, funded through utility-related mechanisms administered by NYSERDA. Supporters said it would reduce air and noise pollution and help companies transition, while opponents argued ratepayers should not subsidize landscaping equipment. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. Finally, the Senate began discussion of a housing-related bill aimed at preserving manufactured home parks by enabling nonprofits or municipalities to acquire development rights and keep the land dedicated to that use, with the sponsor explaining that the goal is to protect affordable housing and help residents remain in their homes.