Transcript Highlights:

• It's compassion and caring, human interaction, intuition, and application.
• We have an online version and a more paper-based version. Thank you for that, Dr. Moss. Mr.
• We absolutely need more applicants.
• All right, next: how many applicants do you normally get a year for each class?
• Because in Clovis, there are zero applicants and zero students in our corrections program.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it also includes our workforce benefit applicants.
• I don't think we saw a great decrease in the number of applications.
• Near the start of the school year, they have to provide paper applications or make paper applications
• The application process... The application process does require only one form per household.
• And we have since then opened up another round of applications, which I believe there’s already 103 applications

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These threats are both in person and especially online.
• Like I said, it takes about 20, 30 seconds to get my information still online.
• And I see Senator Liz Miranda has also joined us online. Go ahead. Okay, thank you.
• Online, we have Raina Ramirez of Ramirez and Sonnenberg.
• I don't believe there are any other people who signed up who are here or online.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on bills in the Civil Actions 2 and Court Administration areas, with testimony spanning judicial security, judicial compensation, civil process fees, bar advocate compensation, interstate discovery, defamation protections for sexual assault survivors, and related criminal procedure changes. Chairs Edwards and Day opened with housekeeping rules on testimony limits and written submissions, then called witnesses on each bill in turn. On H. 1766, judicial officers and the Massachusetts Bar Association strongly supported a judicial security bill that would protect judges’ personal information, citing threats, online harassment, swatting, and violence against judges and their families. On H. 1819, judges and the Massachusetts Judges Conference asked for higher compensation, saying Massachusetts judges rank low nationally after cost-of-living adjustment and that pay affects recruitment and retention. The committee also heard support for H. 1582/S. 1183 to raise civil process service fees, with sheriffs saying the fees have been unchanged since 2003 and are needed to cover rising costs, safety equipment, and operations funded by those fees. The committee heard from prosecutors on H. 1604 and H. 1846, which would give district courts concurrent jurisdiction over certain school-threat and leaving-the-scene offenses, allowing prosecutors to handle less serious or panic-driven cases more efficiently while preserving mandatory penalties. CPCS and bar advocates supported H. 1876 on bar advocate compensation, describing a continuing shortage and crisis in indigent defense despite recent pay increases and staffing investments. The Boston Bar Association supported H. 1857, a Massachusetts version of the Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act, saying it would simplify out-of-state discovery and reduce cost and delay. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 1974/S. 1143, which would protect survivors of sexual assault and harassment from retaliatory defamation suits unless the plaintiff proves actual malice, and would allow fee shifting and damages against abusive suits. Survivors, advocates, and attorneys described threats, legal costs, and chilling effects that silence reporting, while supporters said the bill would protect truthful speech and improve access to counsel. The committee also heard insurance-industry testimony on S. 1101, which would change personal injury protection payment rules to require insurers to tender disputed amounts within 30 days to avoid attorney’s fees; insurers said the bill would curb a growing volume of provider lawsuits and reduce abuse of the no-fault system. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair closed after all scheduled testimony was complete.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our last accomplishment is our administration of online written tests.
• This year, we implemented online written testing.
• We looked at best practices in other states and how to offer secure online exams that require you to
• So, we want to go live with something like an airline application on your phone.
• Would be somewhere like an airline application on your phone, like your American Airlines app.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Richard Hilton, are you online? I am. Okay, thank you.
• Lewis Schwarzkopf, please, if you're online, identify yourself and proceed with your testimony.
• The next testifier is online. It is Jenna Vanden Boom.
• After Ashley Grimm, the final testifier will be Nathan Ryan, who is online.
• If you are online, Nathan Ryan, please identify yourself and proceed with your testimony.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But keeping kids safe online isn't just about blocking predators.
• Section 2 of the bill titles it the Nevada Youth Online Safety Act.
• and that does not... content, in-game purchases, and I've even gone online and seen there's online parental
• Mark Krueger, for the record: On online gaming, they have the ability to talk.
• should not be up for debate: a parent's right to protect their child online.

Bills: AB52, AB76, AB163, AB388, AB483

Keywords: health insurance, claims process, insurance regulation, admin penalties, healthcare access, cannabis, cannabis establishment, medical cannabis, adult-use cannabis, advertising regulations, packaging requirements, unlicensed cannabis activities, state prosecution, confidentiality, Cannabis Compliance Board, disciplinary proceedings, mental health, counseling, interstate practice, telehealth

Transcript Highlights:

• During that one year, that's when they put in their applications.
• There were 10 people who signed up online all in support.
• There were 10 people who signed up online all in support.
• There were 10 people who signed up online all in support.
• So this simply removes tutoring.com and says online tutoring.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first document that's linked to the agenda online and also can be found on our website is our compliance
• budget, you should have hopefully a paper copy at your spots, and again, it's linked electronically online
• Anything that comes in on a new application that is formed today on any phone that you have...
• So what most people will do is they will put that in, they'll go online, look at disk.
• The other part is parents and family are not watching their children online.

Summary: The committee met to review the Attorney General’s budget and related agency operations, beginning with Legislative Council staff walking members through compliance reports and a blue-sheet base budget document. Staff highlighted current-biennium items such as FTE changes, one-time appropriations, litigation funding, opioid settlement receipts, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked for clarification on items including the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then gave an overview of the office’s structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal services to state and local government, and concerns about attorney pay lagging behind other agencies. Members discussed whether attorney compensation should be benchmarked more consistently across state government and whether some legal work could be consolidated within the AG’s office. Ness also addressed questions about AG opinion turnaround times, boards-and-commissions training, the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, office leases, and the state’s criminal justice information systems. The crime lab presentation drew significant attention. Director Jennifer Penner described severe space, safety, and infrastructure problems at the current lab, including cramped work areas, glycol leaks, outdated fire and burglar alarms, air-handling limits, and equipment failures that have delayed toxicology work. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that the preferred location would be near the current health department site, but in a new building. Members asked about possible evidence risks, backlog status, and whether the proposed building would solve the current problems; Penner said it would and noted backlogs have improved overall, though some delays remain. The committee also heard from the new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director, who described the unit’s civil and criminal work, federal-state funding split, and examples of fraud such as billing for services not provided or upcoding. The gaming division reported continued growth in charitable gaming and e-tabs, with members expressing concern about large trust-account balances, site competition, and possible misuse of proceeds. Finally, BCI outlined its caseload, cybercrime work, missing Indigenous persons task force, and the surge in CSAM cyber tips; members asked about AI-generated CSAM, and the AG’s office noted that last session’s law increased penalties and expressly allowed AI-generated CSAM to be prosecuted like other CSAM. No formal votes or actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I’ve represented both public and private clients with zoning and land use applications throughout my
• Where I struggle, though, is the practical application and the history of what we've seen.
• as we're thinking about what is going to get units online.
• And then with 40Y, as Ali mentioned, just coming online now, or last Friday...
• Just coming online now, or last Friday, I mean, there's a reason why knowing Ms.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 25-03, House Bill 5000, which would allow single-family homes on small lots in areas with adequate infrastructure. Committee chairs outlined the Article 48 process and the hearing format, then heard first from two subject-matter experts. Under Secretary Chris Clutchman of Housing and Livable Communities explained that the proposal would amend Chapter 40A’s Section 3 (the Dover Amendment) to require most municipalities, except Boston, to allow single-family homes on residentially zoned lots of at least 5,000 square feet with 50 feet of frontage and access to public water and sewer, while still allowing reasonable local regulations on setbacks, height, bulk, and short-term rentals. He distinguished the proposal from Chapter 40Y starter-home zoning, said implementation would likely require regulations to address issues such as wetlands, infrastructure capacity, and nonconforming lots, and answered committee questions about lot subdivision, MBTA Communities, and the relationship to existing zoning tools. Attorney Susan Murphy testified that the petition would significantly override local zoning and could create conflicts with existing statutes, including Chapter 40A Section 6 protections for certain nonconforming lots, subdivision control law, and other residential zoning districts. She raised concerns about how “access” to water and sewer would be defined, whether the measure could apply in business or industrial districts where residential uses are allowed, and whether the proposal could allow large homes on small lots without any affordability limits. She also warned that the measure could have significant infrastructure impacts and argued that the Legislature should consider broader, more comprehensive housing legislation rather than expanding exceptions to the zoning framework. Committee members asked both experts about frontage, lot size, infrastructure capacity, and how the proposal would interact with 40Y and MBTA Communities. The proponents, led by Andrew McCulla of the Legalized Starter Homes Coalition, argued that Massachusetts faces a severe housing shortage and affordability crisis, citing high home prices, high rents, declining listings, and outmigration of younger residents. They said the measure would legalize modest single-family homes on smaller lots, increase housing supply, and help first-time buyers and downsizing seniors, while leaving most other local rules in place. Other proponents, including representatives from Abundant Housing Massachusetts, the Charles River Regional Chamber, and individual residents, emphasized workforce retention, the need for more starter homes, and the view that large minimum lot sizes are a major barrier to production. Committee members pressed the panel on the lack of any home-size or affordability requirement, possible effects on 40B compliance, the number of new lots and homes that might result, and the fact that the ballot initiative would not be amendable by the Legislature. The hearing then turned to opponents from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, who urged the committee to take no action. MMA leaders said zoning should remain a local decision made by residents and elected local officials, and argued that the proposal would preempt local control with a one-size-fits-all mandate. They also said the measure is impractical because many communities with water and sewer are already at or near capacity, so infrastructure availability does not necessarily mean development capacity. The hearing ended during the MMA’s testimony, with no vote or final committee action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• A copy of today's agenda has been made available online on the hearings and events page.
• Every year, Old Colony receives approximately 300 applications for only 150 seats.
• Is Senator Feeney online? Or, put another way, Senator Feeney, if you are online. Okay. All right.
• Okay, she is here and available, or maybe online. She doesn't—he said she's out. She's out?
• She is online with us.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a lengthy hearing on a large slate of bills focused primarily on charter school policy and vocational technical education. Committee members opened with ground rules for testimony, including a two-minute limit, written testimony acceptance, and a live-streamed format. The committee then heard testimony on bills to expand collective bargaining rights in Horace Mann and Innovation Schools, reform charter school funding and reimbursement, allow enrollment preferences for high-need students in charter lotteries, and require BESE to consider district impacts when approving new or expanded charters. Several witnesses, including union leaders, parents, educators, and legislators, argued that charter growth has strained district budgets and that funding formulas should be reworked to better protect public schools; charter advocates and alumni countered that charter schools serve high-need students well and should not be penalized for their success. A major portion of the hearing focused on vocational technical education bills, including proposals to expand access and capacity, create a large grant program, and increase MSBA reimbursement rates for vocational school construction. Supporters described long waitlists, strong labor-market demand, and the higher cost of building and maintaining vocational schools, while municipal officials emphasized the tax burden on local communities. The committee also heard testimony on charter school reimbursement bills that would extend the state’s reimbursement schedule, with witnesses from districts such as Boston, Worcester, Fall River, and New Bedford describing large net losses to charter tuition and arguing for longer reimbursement periods and structural reform. The committee took no final votes during the hearing. In one instance, the chair said a bill would be held open until a missing senator could testify. Members asked several detailed questions about charter admissions lotteries, special education placements, funding formulas, and the practical effects of proposed charter caps and reimbursement changes. The hearing remained informational, with witnesses and committee members presenting sharply different views on whether the bills would improve equity and opportunity or harm existing public school systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also remember coming across the social media page where a lady was openly selling drugs online.
• But you shouldn't have to be a legislator to flag obviously dangerous activity online.
• It would also end the practice of public agencies asking housing development applicants to indemnify
• It would also end the practice of public agencies asking housing development applicants to indemnify
• In my district, a project application was submitted that allowed the development to exceed the city's

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and opened with an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month ceremony. Members adopted House Resolution 35 recognizing May as AAPI Heritage Month, with extensive floor remarks from caucus leaders and members highlighting AAPI history, contributions, and solidarity with other communities. The chamber then honored 14 AAPI honorees from across the state, including public servants, advocates, artists, health professionals, and community leaders, before moving to the regular file. On the floor, the Assembly passed a series of bills on social media harms to minors, labor privilege, foster care family-finding, low-impact camping areas, student body association governance, drink-spiking prevention at music festivals, behavioral health access, greenhouse gas recapture, physical therapy access, housing enforcement, insurance licensing, density bonus clarification, water district proxy voting, park district updates, secured transactions, and property tax relief during emergencies. Most measures passed with broad or unanimous support; notable votes included AB 2 on social media platform accountability passing 59-0, AB 1109 on union communications privilege passing 45-4, AB 409 on student body association open meetings passing 55-6, AB 518 on low-impact camping passing 55-0, AB 668 on drink-spiking protections passing 72-0, AB 348 on behavioral health access passing 69-0, AB 663 on HFC recapture passing 71-0, AB 574 on physical therapy access passing 68-0, AB 712 on housing enforcement passing 57-1, AB 943 on insurance pre-licensing reform passing 63-0, AB 87 on density bonus law clarification passing 63-0, AB 523 on Metropolitan Water District proxy voting passing 62-1, AB 769 on park district code cleanup passing 68-0, AB 771 on secured transactions passing 69-0, and AB 1416 on property tax installment deferrals passing 66-0. The Assembly also took up AB 446, the Surveillance Pricing Protection Act, which would prohibit businesses from using personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service. Supporters described the practice as predatory and discriminatory, while noting ongoing concerns about preserving legitimate discounts and loyalty programs. The bill was presented as a consumer protection measure aimed at preventing hidden price discrimination and reducing cost-of-living pressures. The transcript ends amid repeated and partially duplicated readings of AB 446, without a final vote shown for that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's go online. Anyone online in support of the committee substitute for House Bill 27?
• We have three people online. Now we have 12 people online. Okay.
• Before we go to the next person, for those of you that are joining us online and those that have made
• So we'll continue this, but for those of you that are online, that are lobbyists, or maybe work for the
• Anybody online? In opposition?

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One is just when a data center is coming online, um, requiring a payment to reserve capacity.
• One is just when a data center is coming online, um, requiring a payment to reserve capacity.
• We don't expect that much to come online.
• <01:15:32.679> by projects to have the pilots online by projects to have the pilots online
• <01:16:03.880> by same intent have those units online by same intent have those units online

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you just write it on your application.
• you just write it on your application. you just write it on your application.
• the blue sheet both in favor and online the blue sheet both in favor and online there<01:41:05.520
• Online was four in support, one opposed. Online was four in support, one opposed.
• And online, you can rejoin the committee.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Online platforms also have to be verified by the seller's identity. Just some steps.
• Online platforms also have to be verified by the seller's identity. Just some steps.
• Online platforms also have to be verified by the seller's identity. Just some steps.
• But then there's one little applicable.
• So, in most cases, it's not going to be applicable.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The application and justice nor answers.
• We understand Senator Westrom may be online. We'll wait a moment.
• It cuts across, you know, online spaces.
• <03:19:35.200> and this chapter shall be applicable and this chapter shall be applicable and
• Okay, we have online Dr. Derek Lumbard from Hennepin Healthcare.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a result, there was about an 85% drop in solar applications statewide, per PG&E and state data based
• on new applications.
• Navigating and understanding the online registration system was impossible.
• She also requested information directly from PG&E on pending commercial solar applications.
• That online system is where public works projects, my understanding, should be now uploading certified

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with AB 1424, AB 1340, AB 288, and AB 746 all advancing on due-pass motions to Appropriations after testimony and roll calls. AB 1424 would require climate resiliency and extreme-heat protections in CDCR facilities; supporters described dangerous heat conditions for incarcerated workers and staff, while no opposition testified. AB 1340 would allow rideshare drivers to unionize and collectively bargain; drivers, labor groups, and researchers testified that app-based work is low-paid and unstable, while TechNet, Uber, Lyft, and other business groups argued the bill conflicts with Proposition 22 and could raise costs. AB 288 would let PERB step in when federal labor remedies are unavailable; supporters said it is needed because of NLRB dysfunction, while the Chamber of Commerce raised preemption and enforcement concerns. AB 746 would create an inmate cooperative program and a green reentry reserve; supporters framed it as a recidivism-reduction and reentry strategy, and there was no opposition testimony. The committee also heard AB 858, which would extend hotel and hospitality worker recall rights after declared emergencies and extend existing COVID-era protections. Hospitality workers and unions supported the bill as a way to protect jobs after pandemics, wildfires, and other disasters, while hotel, chamber, retail, restaurant, trucking, travel, and attractions groups opposed it, saying the current recall rules were meant to sunset and that the bill would create broad liabilities and hiring complications. The bill was moved to Appropriations but remained on call after the roll. AB 291, creating a credentialed educator apprenticeship program to address teacher shortages and improve diversity, drew support from education groups and stakeholders who said apprenticeships could lower preparation costs and provide better support; it was also moved to Appropriations and placed on call. Later, the committee took up AB 1104, a solar-energy bill intended to clarify that private solar customers are not “awarding bodies” and to ease certain business-to-business solar transactions while preserving prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements for contractors. Supporters said the current interpretation has chilled commercial solar adoption and harmed jobs, while opponents from electrical workers, PG&E, and others warned about expanded “over-the-fence” power sales and the need for clearer limits. Members questioned the lack of a definition of “small,” and the bill was held without a second. The committee also heard AB 338, which seeks $50 million for Los Angeles and Ventura wildfire workforce recovery; the author and county officials described major job loss and business destruction and said the funds would support displaced workers and rebuilding, with the testimony continuing beyond the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It says it'll impose the maximum civil fines, sanctuary applicable is authorized.
• Did we make that applicable to, like, reports filed on or after January 1, 2027?
• Should we make this applicable, like this new language that we're adding in here?
• And then you do have the online stuff, like the IDX websites. Was this a point of discussion?”
• And then you do have the online stuff, like the IDX websites. Was this a point of discussion?

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The court order that's required under this bill would compel FDLE to allow online reporting of in-state
• The Federal Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act prohibits online reporting of out-of-state
• Where is it if I have a problem with the application of your bill? There you are.
• Senators, as you know, there are bad actors online targeting minors.
• But they do make social media applications strictly for kids. Senator Jones. Thank you so much, Mr.

Summary: The Senate convened with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and others. Senators also observed a moment of silence for Pope Francis. After routine announcements, the chamber moved to the special order calendar and took up a long series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills before final passage. Among the measures approved were bills creating an expedited DNA testing grant program for local law enforcement, adding aggravating factors in capital cases involving gatherings for religious, school, or government activities, requiring state health coverage for fertility preservation services for cancer patients, authorizing indemnification for commuter rail providers, prohibiting abandonment of migrant vessels in Florida waters, and creating new specialty license plates. The Senate also passed bills on Alzheimer’s awareness, relocating the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University, charter schools, sex offender registration, utility worker protections, juvenile justice, student mental health reporting, foster home licensure transfers, water access facilities, Florida Virtual School, school readiness, sexual images involving children, tampering with electronic monitoring devices, certified recovery residences, the FSU Election Law Center, the Office of Faith and Community, and bonuses for county property appraiser employees. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, officers injured in the line of duty, school social workers, and Brownfields. Debate was especially extensive on the Office of Faith and Community bill, where an amendment to bar political activity by office staff was offered but failed 13-23 after arguments over election-related communications and the scope of existing law. The certified recovery residences bill also drew notable debate, with supporters emphasizing housing as essential to recovery and opponents raising concerns about implementation and local control. Most other bills passed with little or no opposition, though a few drew dissenting votes, including the capital aggravating factors bill, charter schools, and the Office of Faith and Community measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• When health information exchanges started to really come online in the period between 2005 and 2012,
• When health information exchanges started to really come online in the period between 2005 and 2012,
• Um, we had to write the application, as every state did, for $200 million.
• So, we were awarded $213 million based on the strength of the application. So this is a huge win.
• <00:42:06.000> to process um actually the applications to process um actually the applications

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:20 CRISP Shared Services 00:01:39 Rural Health Transformation Plan 00:30:55, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services opened its first meeting of the 2026 interim session, took roll, and moved directly into presentations. The main presentation was from Ryan Bramble of Crisp Shared Services, who described the organization’s health information exchange and health data utility model in Kentucky and other states. He emphasized that Crisp is a nonprofit, that data ownership remains with providers, and that governance is local. He also outlined the technical infrastructure, including a master patient index, cloud-based data lake, support for modern standards like FHIR and USCDI as well as older formats, and data quality tools used to normalize and standardize information. Bramble said the model is intended to reduce duplication, lower costs, and support rural providers and future use cases such as reporting, analytics, and AI-enabled decision support. Members asked how the state can ensure the data is actually used and who should drive priorities for health care improvement. Bramble said Crisp can provide tools, expertise, and examples from other states, but local teams such as KHI and state stakeholders must tailor and lead utilization efforts. In response to questions about ownership and coordination, he stressed that successful HIE governance requires a multistakeholder body that includes hospitals, health plans, government, and other interests, with a unified approach rather than multiple competing directives. He also said the Commonwealth has an opportunity to convene those stakeholders and set clear priorities. A senator raised concerns that responsibility for Medicaid and broader health policy has become fragmented and suggested a stronger central role for the state, possibly through the Department of Public Health, to coordinate health priorities. Bramble agreed that a single convening authority and multistakeholder governance are important, and noted that local governance should determine what data is shared and how it is used. No votes or formal actions were taken during this portion of the meeting. After Bramble’s presentation and questions, the committee was told that Secretary Stack from the cabinet would testify next on the rural health transformation plan.