Transcript Highlights:

• funds allocated for teacher salaries, classroom materials, transportation, or special education services
• funds withheld under this section may be released to the applicable local board of education upon verification
• funds allocated for teacher salaries, classroom materials, transportation, or special education services
• funds withheld under this section may be released to the applicable local board of education upon verification

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you both for your service and welcome to the Senate. Excellent. Welcome to the Senate.
• Thank you for your service, and thank you for being here today.
• So thank you for your service, and thank you for being here today.
• So thank you for your service, and thank you for being here today.
• President, your Committee on Health and Human Services, having under consideration SB 1368 related to

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• assessment of services follows agency assessment of services and<00:04:03.799> functions<00:04
• , security services, or consulting services.
• Consulting Services Security Services uh Consulting Services Security Services uh Consulting Services
• And it's really a core, fundamental part of the types of things that government verification type services
• in in in verification type services in in in technical<01:26:43.840> terms<01:26:44.159> I

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This came out of your Human Services Committee and your Appropriations Committee with a do not pass.
• This came out of your Human Services Committee and your appropriations, This came out of your Human Services
• And again, when you get your insurance, you're making a contract that you're going to get a service for
• employees; 11,850 of them were estimated to have paid out about $10,850,000 as a cost share for services
• Madam President, I ask for a verification vote. A verification vote is granted. Senator Dever.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened and handled several House messages and conference committee appointments before taking up a series of bills. It appointed conference committees on Senate Bill 2265 and House Bills 1454, 1448, and 1524. The chamber also adopted a Senate amendment to House Bill 1216, delaying its effective date for the copay accumulator prescription drug bill to January 1, 2026, with later renewal timing for non-PERS plans. House Bill 1216 then came up for final passage. Senators debated whether allowing copay accumulator programs to count manufacturer coupons toward deductibles would help patients with expensive drugs or unfairly shift costs to insurers and other policyholders. Supporters said it would help people afford life-saving medications and that the coupon payments go to pharmacies, not insurers; opponents argued it could raise premiums and create perverse incentives for drug pricing. The bill passed 29-18. The Senate also concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 2160, which changes health insurance benefits under the Uniform Group Insurance Program to move from a grandfathered to a non-grandfathered plan, with supporters emphasizing added benefits and flexibility and opponents warning of higher costs and irreversible changes. That bill passed concurrence 33-14 and final passage 39-8. The Senate next concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 2339, the wildfire mitigation bill, which requires utility mitigation plans to be updated every two years, incorporate national electric standards, and creates a rebuttable presumption of reasonable care if the plan is followed. The bill then passed final passage 46-1. The chamber also adopted conference committee reports and passed House Bill 1460 on adult foster care and monitoring devices, House Bill 1440 on cigar lounge tobacco use, and Senate Bill 2374 on insurance-related provisions including property insurance arbitration, managed repair programs, and surplus lines issues; SB 2374 also added a study on towing and recovery coverage. The session ended with announcements of upcoming conference committee meetings and adjournment until April 22, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• goods, digital services, or other apps. goods, digital services, or other apps.
• verification process. verification process.
• your service to uh for our kids. your service to uh for our kids.
• It's also a service to those who do serve in that capacity, and it is a service.
• rural health care in rural service. rural health care in rural service.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Amendment 221, that's the verification of a checklist.
• <01:47:38.239> of Amendment 221 that's the verification of Amendment 221 that's the verification
• Chair, if I may speak to my amendment, so again, this shortens the verification process to a four-year
• of people in our voter verification of people in our voter checklist<01:52:29.960> and<01:52:
• We do check with the Postal Service for permanent change-of-addresses and some other things that we do

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:29.640> or<00:04:29.760> activities program services or activities program services
• The Maryland Department of Labor, the Secretary of Human Services, and the Department of Service and
• The Maryland Department of Labor, the Secretary of Human Services, and the Department of Service and
• This bill authorizes an active service member or an active service member's spouse who relocates the
• should only be used to provide services should only be used to provide services for<02:02:43.280

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened with a quorum present and then proceeded through committee reports, largely adopting favorable reports and amendments without objection. Early measures included SB 530, which funds grants for multigenerational social connection programs for older adults; SB 731, clarifying the legal status of the Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council; SB 809, directing a feasibility study on a caregiver infrastructure program; SB 860, creating an Aging Resilience Fund with reporting and budget protections; SB 910, requiring insurance reimbursement for services provided by graduate-level clinical interns under supervision; and SB 972, making several Baltimore City alcoholic beverages licensing changes. Each of these bills was advanced to third reading after committee amendments were adopted. The Finance Committee also advanced SB 555, establishing a Dementia Services and Brain Health Program and a provider resource toolkit for dementia care; SB 757, creating a Maryland Local Sourcing Portal to connect businesses with local sources for tariff-impacted goods; SB 772, creating an employment training and opportunity database to help people qualify for or maintain Medicaid and SNAP; SB 792, requiring hospitals to adopt and train staff on immigration-enforcement policies consistent with Attorney General guidance; SB 869, establishing a workforce training pilot program through Commerce and community colleges; SB 905, creating an advanced manufacturing grant program through TEDCO; and SB 974, changing who may serve as inspector for the Caroline County Board of License Commissioners. Most of these bills were reported favorably with technical or narrowing amendments and then ordered printed for third reading. Budget and Taxation advanced SB 28, which would create binding arbitration for state employee collective bargaining impasses and include a proposed constitutional amendment requiring funding in the Governor’s budget; SB 466, expanding a physician preceptor tax credit and adjusting training-hour requirements; and later SB 704, concerning estate tax treatment for qualified agricultural property transferred to an LLC. SB 557, a gaming-related bill, was laid over until the end of the evening at the majority leader’s request. In the Education, Energy, and the Environment report, the committee advanced SB 35 on a state natural science museum designation, SB 166 on shellfish aquaculture permit sanctions, SB 189 on municipal drainage inlet safety requirements prompted by a child’s death, SB 242 on civil relief for service members and spouses, SB 266 on local regulation of invasive trees and tree-of-heaven, and SB 267 on a corporate rental-property registry and local housing application review process. SB 267 drew a brief question from the minority leader, who asked whether prior opposition remained and how the amended bill differed; the sponsor said the opposition had gone away and described the bill as now focused on a responsible-owner registry and an administrative review process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Services in this program.
• services.
• setting or service type.
• setting or service type.
• services.

Summary: The hearing began with opening remarks on the Governor’s May Revision for child care and human services, with committee members and advocates stressing that the budget should not be balanced on the backs of low-income families, children, and providers. Legislative members and public witnesses strongly opposed the proposed suspension of the child care COLA, reductions to the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program, and the lack of codified rate reform tied to the alternative methodology. Several speakers also urged more support for providers affected by the Eaton fire and other disasters, and called for child care to be funded at the true cost of care and for additional slots to be restored. Administration, LAO, and Department of Education staff described the child care proposal as maintaining existing funding levels while adding administrative resources to prepare for federally required prospective payment changes and single-rate reform. The administration said the May Revision would suspend the 2025–26 COLA and reduce Bridge Program funding to align with utilization, while the LAO raised questions about the size and purpose of the proposed rate-reform and prospective-payment funding and recommended rejecting a Department of Technology exemption. CDE supported continued early education investments but said it would need additional resources if prospective pay were extended to state preschool, and it objected to a proposed reallocation of preschool funds for inclusive education grants. The committee then moved to the IHSS portion of the May Revision. DSS outlined five major proposals: capping provider work hours at 50 per week, eliminating IHSS for undocumented adults age 19 and older, shifting certain Community First Choice reassessment penalties to counties, reinstating the Medi-Cal asset test as a conforming IHSS reduction, and automating the termination of IHSS when Medi-Cal eligibility ends. DSS also discussed funding to implement a federal HCBS access rule and a separate reassessment of IHSS administrative methodology that found counties would need additional administrative funding. Finance said the proposals were intended to slow program growth and improve sustainability, while the LAO said it was still analyzing the package and raised concerns about implementation, county workload, and the potential loss of services. Committee members and public commenters criticized the IHSS cuts, especially the overtime cap and the elimination of services for undocumented adults and people affected by the asset test. Advocates argued that IHSS workers and recipients depend on these services, that county administration is already underfunded, and that the proposals could destabilize vulnerable consumers. The chair closed by saying the committee would continue to fight for child care and would not pause on child care, and the meeting recessed before moving on to the remaining May Revision items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Services so this um summer food service Services so this um summer food service program<00:11:22.040
• the summer food service the summer food service program<00:17:43.640> we<00:17:43.880>
• is summer food service program we is summer food service program<00:17:45.240> provides<00:17
• <00:36:11.960> of that we go through for verification of that we go through for verification
• is a essentially a schedule of services is a essentially a schedule of services it<01:22:14.480>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee Division II met with the New Hampshire Department of Education to review school nutrition programs and related funding. Department staff Melissa White and Kelly Rambo walked through a packet covering the National School Lunch Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Community Eligibility (CEP), After School Snack Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program, explaining that these are federally funded USDA programs, with some state supplemental funding in certain areas. They also reviewed reimbursement rates for lunch, breakfast, child/adult care, and summer meals, noting that summer rates follow calendar-year timing while most others follow the state fiscal year. Members asked several questions about how the funding works, especially the difference between federal reimbursements and the state match. Staff explained that the state lunch line in the budget is a fixed match amount tied to federal participation, while breakfast funding is broken out by meal type and reimbursement category. They also discussed why FY 2022 federal spending was much higher during COVID, when USDA covered meals at the free rate for all students, and why FY 2023 and FY 2024 dropped as normal income-eligibility rules returned. A committee member also asked about the “severe need lunch” two-cent rate, and staff said they did not know USDA’s formula. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on summer meals and the distinction between the Summer Food Service Program and Summer EBT. Staff explained that SFSP provides meals at approved sites, which can be open or closed sites, while Summer EBT is a separate DHHS-operated benefit program that provides funds to families. They said some schools or sites may not qualify under USDA rules, but eligible children can often use another nearby open site, and the department posts an interactive map and phone line to help families find locations. The committee also discussed the Community Eligibility Provision. Staff said New Hampshire currently has three CEP schools, that the eligibility threshold had recently been lowered from 40% to 25% identified students, and that the program allows participating schools to offer free meals to all students while the local district covers the non-federal share. Members asked whether any districts in the 25% to 40% range had joined; staff said no. The department offered to provide the eligibility report in Excel and noted that the CEP intent is to reduce application burden, though the lower threshold can make the local cost share harder for some districts to absorb.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:21.840> such records for additional verification such records for additional verification
• As far as the verification, we do all of that in-house. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• As far as the verification, we do all of that in-house.
• As far as the verification, we do all of that in-house.
• As far as the verification, we do all of that in-house.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We're talking about adult protective services at the Department of Economic Security and Department of
• Public Safety, and developmentally disabled services.
• federal monies to be deposited into the state general fund for the payment of essential government services
• Representative Livingston, members, House Bill 4147 is the Human Services Budget Bill, which contains
• It outlines evaluation and verification requirements for DES to confirm eligibility for SNAP benefits

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• firing much of the FBI senior leadership, including the head of the criminal, cyber, response and services
• To encourage public-private partnership. corporate security teams, carrier monitoring services, load
• Third party service providers, brokers and carriers are attentive to the issue.
• as an individual who has focused on the criminal justice system, I think the question providing services
• of the work that they're doing to protect the U.S. supply chain and also our customers' goods and services

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:

• national programs of civic outreach initiatives, which accumulate over 1 million hours of community service
• It is adopted. service producing $2.5 million in service producing $2.5 million in scholarships scholarships
• and that the bill does not remove anyone from compliance with any other state law requiring age verification
• ><01:14:41.679> age any other state law requiring age any other state law requiring age verification
• verification. And with that, Mr. verification. And with that, Mr.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So please take that into consideration, but we would like verification of it so that we're dealing with
• So please take that into consideration, but we would like verification of it so that we're dealing with
• So please take that into consideration, but we would like verification of it so that we're dealing with
• So please take that into consideration, but we would like verification of it so that we're dealing with
• So please take that into consideration, but we would like verification of it so that we're dealing with

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the last year, the demand for 988 services has grown by nearly 40%.
• There are also free on-call services to help patients after hours.
• We provide comprehensive pediatric services.
• We provide comprehensive pediatric services. So.
• We remained uncertain about what services had actually been arranged.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our human service zones make a lot of referrals.
• The services are personalized and it's flexible.
• The services are personalized and flexible.
• So they're immediately getting services.
• And he had a menu of sexual services.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our human service zones make a lot of referrals.
• The flexibility and personalization of these services.
• The services are personalized and it's flexible.
• And so we receive a fee-for-service payment there.
• There's three types of age verification methods.

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• He has launched or participated in startups working on analytics, technical services. and artificial
• Thank you for your service, sir. You were a principal leader and military deputy.
• Admiral Papano, again, thank you for your extraordinary service on the submarines.
• Thanks to your families as well for your your long service and you're willing to continue in service
• Additionally, civil service integration is critical for the agency's mission.

Keywords: defense industrial base, small business, workforce development, acquisition processes, national security, cybersecurity, critical minerals

Summary: The meeting of the committee revolved around critical discussions on enhancing the defense industrial base, focusing on small business engagement and the importance of streamlined processes in defense contracting. There was a significant emphasis on the need for more investment in the defense manufacturing sector, particularly in the face of competition from countries like China. Some members expressed frustration over the treatment of small businesses, citing barriers that prevent these innovative companies from effectively participating in defense contracts. The need for a workforce capable of meeting the common challenges posed by evolving technologies and geopolitical threats was also highlighted throughout the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are not reducing services.
• those services for people.
• We think Department of Health Care Services and Social Services is a better model.
• services.
• setting or service type.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He was my first inspiration to enter public service.
• During my service in the previous Trump administration, we did exactly that.
• Well, if confirmed, it would be a great honor to return to public service.
• Thank you for your service. Senator Van Hollen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Thank you for their service and for yours, sir.

Keywords: Senator Flinstone, HB22, SB4, amendments, public testimony, legislation, environmental impact, economic implications

Summary: The meeting featured a thorough examination of various bills, including substantial discussions on HB22 and SB4. Key points included amendments proposed by committee members, particularly from Senator Flinstone, who emphasized the need for clarifications on certain provisions. The committee actively engaged with several witnesses providing public testimony, some in favor of the proposed legislation while others highlighted concerns and potential implications. The discussions were vibrant, showcasing different perspectives, especially on the environmental and economic impacts of the bills in question. The meeting concluded with a consensus to reconvene after a recess to further address the outstanding issues related to the bills.