Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, it would never be zero.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Housing Committee opened with a public hearing on HB 196, which would repeal the Housing Champion program. Representative Matt Drew, the prime sponsor, argued the program is an unnecessary and poorly targeted subsidy, saying it rewards municipalities after projects are completed and may not be limited to new housing production. He questioned the transparency of the program, cited difficulty finding required annual reports, and noted a fiscal note suggesting the state could recover up to $3 million if obligations are terminated. Committee members and witnesses debated whether the program’s criteria amount to political favoritism or a standard grant process; supporters said the rubric is specific and that municipalities are evaluated against objective requirements. Representative Priest, Nick Taylor of Housing Action New Hampshire, and Karen Benfield of Stay Work Play New Hampshire all opposed repeal, saying the program encourages local zoning and regulatory changes, helps smaller communities participate, and supports housing supply and young people’s ability to stay in the state. The hearing on HB 196 was then closed. The committee then opened a hearing on HB 1405, a bill establishing an affordable housing guarantee program within the Housing Finance Authority. Prime sponsor Representative Chris Muns said the bill would reduce lender risk by guaranteeing up to 80% of principal on qualifying loans for affordable housing, with a cap of $30 million per lender per year and $300 million outstanding at any time. He described the measure as a low-cost public-private partnership backed by the full faith and credit of the state, and said it was identical to a prior Senate bill that had received unanimous bipartisan committee support before dying later in the process. He framed the bill as one part of a broader housing package aimed at financing, infrastructure, workforce, zoning reform, and other housing-related issues. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided. The only formal actions were opening and closing the public hearing on HB 196 and opening the public hearing on HB 1405, with testimony continuing on HB 1405 at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 19 in determination, and vision.
• Representative Tatone is excused with a $1 fine. 60-63, I zero no and two excused.
• with60 63 I zero no and two excused. with60 63 I zero no and two excused.
• And if we drove a fiscal note, the fiscal note wouldn't be magically zero. Let's see. Zero.
• And if we drove a fiscal note, the fiscal note wouldn't be magically zero. Let's see. Zero.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a color guard presentation by Colorado Military Academy cadets and the pledge led by Olivia and Owen Curry. After roll call established a quorum, members approved the journal of Friday, March 6, 2026, as corrected. Several committees then announced upcoming hearings, including Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources; State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs; and Finance. The chamber then took up House Joint Resolution 1020, designating March 8, 2026, as International Women’s Day in Colorado. The resolution praised women’s contributions across history and society, highlighted Colorado’s early adoption of women’s suffrage, and recognized trailblazing women in the General Assembly. Sponsors and supporters spoke at length about women’s leadership, economic and civic contributions, and the need to continue advancing equality. The resolution also drew recognition of women and advocacy organizations present in the chamber. Representative Bradley and other Republican members criticized the resolution as partisan and said Republican women were not included in drafting or sponsoring it. They argued the measure should have been more inclusive and should have better reflected women’s roles in the home and the broader bipartisan history of women’s history observances. Bradley announced she would vote no. In response, Representative Ricks said an amendment would be accepted from the minority caucus to address concerns about traditional roles of women, and he moved Amendment L002 for consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill supports that vision not by replacing our financial institutions, but by complementing them
• Our vision is to ensure entrepreneurs can access capital regardless of who they are or where they live
• Our<00:02:52.319> vision<00:02:52.560> is<00:02:52.800> to<00:02:52.959> ensure
• <00:02:53.360> entrepreneurs Our vision is to ensure entrepreneurs Our vision is to ensure

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 2581 was presented as a request for a $1 million state investment in Fortis Capital, a Minnesota nonprofit economic development lender. The bill was described as supporting entrepreneurship and wealth-building by expanding access to capital for businesses that are underserved by traditional lending, especially in rural areas, communities of color, immigrant communities, and low-wealth areas. Testifiers argued that conventional underwriting standards leave viable businesses without financing and that Fortis provides flexible gap financing to help deals close, complementing rather than replacing banks and CDFIs. Brian Smith, co-founder and CEO of Fortis Capital, said the organization was established in 2019 and has deployed 37 loans totaling over $4 million since 2021, leveraging an additional $29.5 million through partnerships. He said Fortis seeks to increase lending capacity, reduce risk in innovative capital structures, expand statewide partnerships, and accelerate small business growth and job creation. In response to questions, he said Fortis typically charges about 6.12% on average, has had two defaults, and operates as a revolving loan fund. He also explained that Fortis already participates in some Department of Employment and Economic Development programs, but is not eligible for certain grant programs because those grants go directly to borrowers. Committee members asked how the proposal fits with existing state economic development efforts and whether competitive grant programs exist for this kind of work. A DED representative said he would need more detail to compare the proposal to agency programs, though he mentioned the emerging entrepreneur loan program as a possible fit. Members also discussed broader concerns about direct appropriations versus competitive grants. No public testimony was offered. Chair Frasier closed by saying the bill addresses a real need and laid House File 2581 over for possible inclusion in a budget bill.

Bills: HB2139, HB1892, HB1893, HB1890, HB2335, HB2468, HB2091, HB2092, HB1878, HB2297, HB2127, HB1785, HB2345, HB2344, HB1780, HB1891, HB2398, HB1764, HB2564, HB1783, HB2567, HB1934, HB1778, HB1781, HB2621, HB2019, HB1803, HB2454, HB1811, HB1943, HB1589, HB1607, HB1851, HB2490, HB2546, HB2568, HB1972, HB2391, HB2575, HB1896, HB2399, HB2004, HB1894, HB2397, HB2498, HB2560, HB2310, HB2214, HB2167, HB2197, HB2116, HB1879, HB1596, HB2096, HB2298, HB2343, HB2566, HB1518, HB2044, HB2336, HB1603, HB1718, HB1740, HB1616, HB2171, HB2022, HB2347, HB1882, HB1708, HB2086, HB2154, HB2027, HB2179, HB1620, HB1913, HB2159, HB1597, HB2121, HB1864, HB2305, HB2576, HB1713, HB1729, HB1756, HB2122, HB2559, HB1743, HB1733, HB1868, HB1723, HB1711, HB1812, HB2515, HB1724, HB1604, HB2270, HB1722, HB1727, HB1920, HB1593

Keywords: invasive species, Queensland longhorn beetle, agriculture, environmental impact, University of Hawaii, Board of Education, Hawaii public schools, teacher representative, nonvoting member, bargaining unit 5, HSTA, teachers union, education governance, school board, executive session, collective bargaining, public school teacher, policy-making body, student representative, military representative

Transcript Highlights:

• WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO FIT THE GOVERNOR WHO APPOINTED YOU HIS VISION OF WHAT THEY SHOULD LOOK LIKE
• WHAT ARE THE CHANGES YOU ARE LOOKING TO MAKE AS FAR AS POLICY GOES THAT THE BOARD WOULD SET IN YOUR VISION
• I THINK ABOUT THE VISION I SHARE FOR UWF AND I COME FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD SO I AM NOT IN THE WORLD
• CERTAINLY EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR VISION AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT GAETZ'S
• BUT LARGELY AGREED ON EDUCATION POLICY I THINK SO WHAT IS IN THERE IS THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT'S VISION

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• laws serve as a safeguard, the law does not separate routine non-invasive screenings like dental, vision
• You just mentioned vision, dental, you know, and hearing.
• current law, Section 381.0056 of the Florida Statutes, already makes screenings mandatory in schools: vision
• and sixth-graders; scoliosis screening for sixth-graders; hearing for first- and sixth-grade; and vision
• to include the things we've talked about: the nutrition assessment, a preventive dental program, vision

Summary: The Pre-K-12 Education Committee took up a series of education, school safety, health, and student access bills. SB 754 on International Baccalaureate bonus funds was amended to clarify the theory of knowledge course and then reported favorably. SB 370 would allow routine non-invasive school health screenings, such as vision, hearing, and dental checks, to proceed with written notice and an opt-out process rather than active parental consent; supporters said it would improve participation and access, while opponents argued it was too broad and weakened parental rights. After debate over scope, funding, and consent, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also advanced SB 1070, which would require ECG screenings for student athletes under a phased rollout beginning in 2026, with religious and medical opt-outs. The bill was renamed the Second Chance Act in honor of Chance Gainer. Supporters described it as a life-saving measure to detect hidden cardiac conditions, while some members raised cost and implementation concerns. SB 508, the Family Empowerment Scholarship bill, would require private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations and services they will provide to students with IEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment; it was supported by parents, advocacy groups, and some school representatives and was reported favorably. School safety measures were also considered. SB 1470 would refine campus locking and supervision rules, create clearer exceptions, expand training and security options for school safety personnel, and allow district-employed law enforcement officers to use canines for threat detection. Witnesses from school safety and Parkland-related advocacy groups supported the bill but urged caution on exemptions and implementation details. SB 1472 would extend a public records exemption to certified school security guards, matching the protection already given to school guardians, and it was reported favorably. Finally, SB 248 would expand participation in FHSAA sports for private school and home education students at public schools when their own schools do not offer the sport, and SB 1618 made broad changes to VPK through grade 12 policy, including reading instruction, financial literacy, school funds restrictions, teacher certification, and advisory council rules; both bills were reported favorably. Several members later recorded votes in support of specific tabs before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I get into those issues, though, I would like us to give you, for you to give us your vision of where
• And what do you think will be your vision for the future as you try and preserve and protect the habitat
• With respect to my vision, it's no different than what it's been, and it's we're going to have the best
• One of the visions I had in which I announced, it was about 10, 12 years ago, was the youth conservation

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources met to consider confirmation appointments, beginning with Rodney Barreto’s reappointment to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Barreto described his background and defended his record, saying the commission has expanded public access, conserved land, supported youth conservation programs, and maintained strong law enforcement and wildlife management. Senators questioned him about public opposition to his confirmation, his role in supporting Amendment 2, a proposed use of submerged land near Singer Island, the Split Oak land swap, and whether FWC may reopen a bear hunt. Barreto said he saw no conflict in his Amendment 2 involvement, denied that any condo application existed for the Singer Island property, defended the Split Oak deal as a conservation and land-acquisition tradeoff, and said bear-hunt options would be presented later by staff and biologists. Several members of the public spoke against Barreto’s reconfirmation, arguing that FWC needs reform, term limits, and more scientific leadership, and criticizing his real estate and lobbying ties as conflicts of interest. Speakers also objected to his positions on development, habitat protection, trap use, herbicide spraying, and the handling of bear management and public notice at FWC meetings. Senator Avila spoke in strong support of Barreto, citing FWC’s role in Biscayne Bay restoration, juvenile redfish releases, invasive species control, and community involvement. The committee then voted to recommend Barreto’s confirmation favorably, with Senator Smith voting no. The committee next considered tabs 2 and 3, the reappointments of Kathy Chapman and Michael Kennedy to the Florida Inland Navigation District. With no separate vote requested and no public opposition, the committee recommended both confirmations favorably by voice roll call. The meeting concluded with thanks to staff and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• What these facilities do is they process ones and zeros. That's all they fundamentally do.
• That's all they fundamentally and zeros.
• I'm not saying there is zero risk. I'm not making that argument.
• <04:58:24.718> I'm I'm not saying there is zero risk.
• I'm I'm not saying there is zero risk.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 1281, which would establish standards and voluntary certification for agency-owned “facility comfort dogs” used by police and other public safety agencies. Representative Morton, the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to create a consistent statewide framework because different departments currently use different policies. He emphasized that the bill is meant to distinguish comfort dogs from service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, and noted that a small amendment may be needed to make that distinction clearer. He also said the bill is timely under the ADA because comfort dogs fall outside service-animal protections, but still need training standards for public safety and consistency. Committee members questioned whether the bill was too detailed and whether the legislature should be setting rules on matters like training methods, diet, and breeding. Laura Barker of Hero Pups, who helped train New Hampshire’s first police comfort dog, supported the idea of a minimum standard but said the bill should be less prescriptive and should not interfere with therapy dogs or private handlers. She explained that comfort dogs vary in temperament and deployment needs, that raw diets raise zoonotic disease concerns, and that the program should remain voluntary and not cost the state money. Detective Michelle Jones of Portsmouth Police opposed the bill as written, saying the term “facility comfort dog” is confusing, the bill is overly restrictive, and some provisions go beyond what should be mandated by statute; she suggested a more flexible, guideline-based approach and noted that departments already have their own SOPs and can enforce them internally. Justin Brassen of the Manchester Police Department also testified, describing the history of comfort dog programs in New Hampshire and the work of a prior subcommittee formed through the governor’s commission on PTSD among first responders. He said there are currently no statewide standards and that the earlier study involved police, fire, EMS, dispatch, corrections, and NAMI New Hampshire, with the goal of creating a thoughtful work product. He agreed the bill needs work and answered questions about how departments handle training and public access. By the end of the hearing, members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, and one committee member suggested the bill may be better handled through interim study because of the amount of work still needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 620 by Assemblymember Jackson, an act relating to zero emission vehicles.
• I have no zero, the measure passes.
• This has been a bipartisan bill with zero no votes, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.
• Clerk will close the roll, tally the vote size 58, no zero. The measure passes.
• Rudy's vision made him a source of inspiration.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• General Harter possesses the strategic vision of a commander in the heart of a veteran.
• 00:08:23.120> the<00:08:23.280> heart<00:08:23.680> of<00:08:23.840> a vision
• of a commander in the heart of a vision of a commander in the heart of a Verter.
• At a time when Vermont depends on capability, coordination, and trust, his vision and integrity will
• and integrity will trust, his vision and integrity will ensure<00:18:01.120> the<00:18:01.440

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are guidelines and suggestions with zero accountability.
• Parents do with zero accountability.
• <05:37:43.520> Senator pass by a vote of five to zero.
• Senator pass by a vote of five to zero.
• Senator Pearl by a vote of five to zero.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So Blue Origin was founded in the year 2000 with the vision of millions of people living and working
• And if I can real quick to kind of talk about that vision a little bit more.
• And our goal, from a vision standpoint, is all that commerce is going to flow right through here to the
• And our goal, from a vision standpoint, is all that commerce is going to flow right through here to the
• state at Florida when we're talking about. from a vision standpoint, is all that commerce is going to

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard first from Space Florida President and CEO Robert Long, who described the agency’s role as the state’s aerospace finance and business development authority and spaceport authority. He reported a pipeline of about 187 projects, nearly $7 billion in potential private investment, and roughly 8,000 potential jobs, with 161 projects in the fiscal-year pipeline, up about 30% from the prior year. Long said Space Florida is focusing on workforce development through its Space Florida Academy with 23 school districts, and on target markets including advanced air mobility/eVTOL, flight simulation, and satellite manufacturing. Members asked about infrastructure, federal-state coordination, LNG planning, environmental mitigation, workforce, and how the Legislature’s recent $5 million recurring increase is being used; Long said the funds are mainly supporting staffing, contracted services, and IT improvements to handle growth and move projects through faster. The panel then heard from Blue Origin, Leonardo (through LSN Partners), and Lone Star Data Holdings. Blue Origin said its Florida manufacturing and launch operations have grown far beyond initial commitments, with more than $3 billion invested and over 3,000 employees in the state, and emphasized the need for roads, water, wastewater, and other launch-site infrastructure as launch cadence increases. Leonardo highlighted its TH-73A Navy helicopter program in Milton and a new 70,000-square-foot maintenance facility at Whiting Aviation Park, crediting state, local, and federal partners and noting future potential for its AW-609 tiltrotor aircraft. Lone Star Data Holdings described its satellite-based data storage and disaster-recovery business, said Florida was its first customer, and urged the state to use Florida as a pilot project for protecting data and expanding space-based data infrastructure. Members repeatedly focused on what the state should do next, and the panel’s main answer was continued investment in infrastructure and long-term planning. Specific needs mentioned included road widening, traffic signals, fire suppression, water pressure, wastewater capacity, power, transportation links, environmental mitigation, and LNG-related planning at the spaceport. No formal votes or bills were taken up in the meeting, and the session ended after member questions and comments with a motion to rise and adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• The estimate that's provided is based off of the catalyst sites and the vision we have from our comprehensive
• based off of the catalyst sites<00:43:37.359> and<00:43:37.599> the<00:43:37.839> vision
• we<00:43:38.560> have<00:43:38.800> from<00:43:39.040> our sites and the vision
• we have from our sites and the vision we have from our comprehensive<00:43:40.520> plan.
• The revenue estimate shows zero.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that type of multi-use, where we have both agriculture and some conservation and recreation, is the vision
• some conservation and Recreation is and some conservation and Recreation is the<00:29:43.559> vision
• 44.159> have<00:29:44.279> for<00:29:44.440> some<00:29:44.559> of the vision
• that we have for some of the vision that we have for some of these<00:29:44.840> Parcels<00:29
• Well, right now we have zero positions, except for one inspector that does devices as well as lab labeling

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The goal is to define a three- to five-year vision for the fishery and the actions that are needed to
• achieve that vision.
• what were the most pressing issues considered by the fishing industry through several different visioning
• And there have been expressions through that visioning process where the overall fleet is in worse financial
• Yeah, just on that point, you know, the fact that this issue was such a critical part of those visioning

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, with particular attention to Massachusetts ports, federal scallop management, the proposed reopening of the Northern Edge on Georges Bank, and permit stacking/consolidation. The chair opened by noting the hearing would take written and oral testimony, that time was limited, and that the discussion was intended to inform legislative engagement with federal regulators rather than decide the issue directly. Dan McCarron of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council outlined the federal management structure under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the role of annual catch limits and rotational closures, and the economic importance of scallops to New Bedford, Gloucester, and other Massachusetts ports. O’Keefe said the council’s current scallop framework is based on annual management, research surveys, and public input, and that recent environmental changes and uncertainty are affecting catch advice and biomass. Dr. O’Keefe and later Dr. Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the fishery’s recent condition: abundance has increased in some areas, but biomass has fallen because many scallops are still too small to harvest, and changing ocean conditions and natural mortality are affecting the stock. They said the Northern Edge action was considered as a joint scallop/habitat framework but was discontinued in 2024 because the council could not reconcile competing objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and impacts on other species such as cod, lobster, and herring. Stokesbury emphasized the long-running collaborative survey work with industry, said the fishery remains highly productive, and argued that the science supports careful rotational management and that the Northern Edge could be highly productive for scallops, though he acknowledged habitat tradeoffs. Committee members pressed both witnesses on why the issue had remained unresolved for so long and whether the council could revisit it through a future framework. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund, including attorney Drew Kavage, John Lees, Sam Blasley, and Tony Alvernes, urged support for reopening the Northern Edge and for permit stacking, which would allow more than one scallop permit on a vessel while keeping ownership caps in place. They argued the fishery is a major economic driver, that industry-funded research has supported sustainable management, and that stacking would help family-owned operators reduce costs, improve safety, and avoid financial distress. They also stressed the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure in New Bedford and other ports. The chair said he was not opposed to stacking in principle but wanted to avoid a slippery slope toward excessive consolidation or private equity control; he noted that any stacking change would require an amendment to the fishery management plan or federal action. No votes were taken, and the hearing concluded with an invitation for continued engagement and future updates on the council process.

Transcript Highlights:

• They do vision and hearing screening, immunization compliance, communicable disease surveillance, all
• open 2 days a week, but they want to see if they can be open 3 days a week, or they're not providing vision
• is what they got this planning grant for to try to expand their services to provide vision care services
• This is the mission, vision, and goals of the Healthcare Authority.
• So bringing together a number of these health coverage programs is an attempt to meet the vision of the

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:27:00.440> had<00:27:00.720> this<00:27:01.159> fabulous<00:27:01.880> vision
• <00:27:02.880> black the top I had this fabulous vision black the top I had this fabulous
• vision black and<00:27:03.399> white<00:27:03.720> movie<00:27:04.200> clips<00:
• So first, I say, Senator Rosenwald, I love your vision. I'm old enough to remember those days.
• c> I'm<00:27:51.519> old<00:27:51.760> enough<00:27:51.960> to love your vision

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean it would never be zero.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and so the hundred jobs is better than the zero jobs, right?
• jobs is better and so the the hundred jobs is better than<01:11:02.000> the<01:11:02.159> zero
• <01:11:03.600> Um,<01:11:03.920> and<01:11:04.239> so than the zero jobs, right
• Um, and so than the zero jobs, right?
• He pointed to a student project involving machine learning computer vision that identifies grass toxic

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Intelligence Task Force met with a quorum present and approved the minutes from the August 14 meeting. The first presentation was from the National Retail Federation on artificial intelligence in the retail sector. NRF described AI use cases in three areas: consumer-facing tools such as chatbots, product descriptions, and marketing; employee-facing tools such as company-specific apps trained on employee manuals; and internal uses such as supply chain forecasting, inventory planning, fraud detection, cybersecurity, and coding support. The presenters said retail has been among the top deployers of AI and emphasized that the goal is to improve both customer and employee experience. NRF also outlined its principles for responsible AI use, organized around governance and risk management, customer engagement and trust, workforce applications, and business partner accountability. The group said retailers should maintain strong internal oversight, be transparent with customers, ensure compliance with existing laws, closely review workforce-related uses because they can be high-risk, and clearly define responsibilities between retailers and third-party developers. In policy discussion, NRF urged a tiered approach focused first on high-risk uses such as hiring, health care, financial, mortgage, and rental decisions, warned against fragmented rules that could favor only the largest firms, and encouraged voluntary standards and worker upskilling incentives. In response to a question about dynamic pricing, NRF said its members do not target consumers based on pricing and offered to follow up with more information. The committee then moved to a follow-up discussion on energy policy and data centers, hearing from Bartley Cleland of NetChoice. He explained that AI runs largely in data centers and that cloud computing shifts processing and storage away from individual devices, which he argued improves efficiency and can reduce costs. He said electricity demand has been rising over time and that AI will increase compute-related electricity use, but framed electricity as a normal input to economic growth. No votes or formal actions were taken after these presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you go down to line 10, you'll see the committee's target and below that a zero.
• <00:04:12.560> That<00:04:12.720> is target and below that a zero.
• That is target and below that a zero.
• DCT's new vision, a Minnesota where everyone receives the behavioral health services they need.
• DCT's new vision, a Minnesota where everyone receives the behavioral health services they need.

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house