Transcript Highlights:

• I think she stepped out to provide some assistance, but Anissa Baca with our office is with me today,
• statutes and what it would mean for them to be recognized as a political subdivision, including the steps
• This is the second step.
• This is the third step in the process. Again, there are many acequias that skip step one.
• So for those, this is their second step. It's kind of designed to be a two-year program.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we contacted Senator Campbell's office immediately, and she has stepped forward to include...
• It marks an important first step in safeguarding the well-being of seniors in retirement communities
• There's a huge step forward in addressing the challenges that prior authorization causes for patients
• Members, this bill is just one of many steps in the right direction to improve the gold card program,
• I am here on behalf of the countless Texans who stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bills: SB227, SB269, SB407, SB463, SB527, SB547, SB1283, SB1380, SB1383, SB1511, SB1640, SB1784, SB2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met with several members initially absent, then later established a quorum. The committee heard multiple bills, with most testimony focusing on access to care, insurance practices, senior safety, and health care worker protections. Several bills were laid out with committee substitutes, and public testimony was limited to two minutes per witness. Most bills were left pending after testimony, with no final votes taken in the portion provided. Senate Bill 2069 would create a work group to study the feasibility of a statewide acute psychiatric bed registry; the substitute shifts appointment authority to the Health and Human Services Commissioner and extends reporting and sunset dates. Senate Bill 463 would expand workplace violence protections to additional hospice, home and community support, intermediate care, and state-supported living center settings. Senate Bill 1283 would require background checks and transparency measures for senior retirement communities after testimony about the Dallas-area serial killings of elderly residents. Senate Bill 1784 would require 60 days’ written notice before medical debt is sent to collections. Senate Bill 527 would require medical insurance coverage for general anesthesia for medically necessary pediatric dental procedures for children under 13 with qualifying conditions; pediatric dentists testified that denials delay needed care. A major portion of the meeting centered on prior authorization. Senate Bill 1380 would eliminate prior authorization for a broad list of services, including emergency, primary, mental health, substance use, chemotherapy, preventive, pediatric hospice, and certain chronic-condition care. Physicians and hospice advocates supported the bill, describing delays, administrative burden, and patient harm, while health plans opposed blanket exemptions and argued prior authorization helps prevent unnecessary care and control costs. Relatedly, Senate Bill 547 would require insurers to report gold-card prior authorization exemptions to TDI and create a centralized database and annual report; TMA supported better tracking, while health plans warned of duplicative reporting and administrative cost. Senate Bill 407 would require health care facilities to honor conscience- and religion-based vaccine exemptions for employees, with testimony from a physician and vaccine-choice advocate supporting the bill. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1383, which would regulate senior living referral agencies, allow more flexible compensation structures, and add disclosure and consumer protections; an out-of-state referral company and A Place for Mom supported it. Senate Bill 1511 would allow freestanding emergency centers to provide outpatient services in addition to emergency care, with consumer protections such as estimates, limits on facility fees, and restrictions on balance billing. The chair repeatedly announced that bills were being left pending after testimony, and no final committee action or recorded votes were taken in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<04:11:08.880> a represents an important first step, a represents an important first step
• However, in the early years, the FSOC was given... let's step back and remember why we have let's step
• Lucas's bill is an excellent step in that regard.
• I urge an excellent step in that regard.
• > demonstrate are sensible steps to demonstrate are sensible steps to demonstrate Congress's<04

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Madam Chair. um yeah there there are some more steps. um yeah there there are some more steps
• It's amazing how many first steps.
• I didn't mean to step on the closing statement there.
• I didn't mean to step on the closing statement there.
• We must do better, and this bill is a necessary first step.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fraudsters have gotten more sophisticated, and our job is to stay one step ahead of them.
• job is to stay one step ahead of them. job is to stay one step ahead of them.
• So, we need to step up our game, too.
• <00:24:14.880> We we need to step up our game, too. We we need to step up our game, too.
• <00:52:40.319> in memo stated that the first step in memo stated that the first step in moving

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Backer says they did some good work last year together, with the Senate, but it's a small step
• Senate but um it's it's a small step Senate but um it's it's a small step forward<00:09:07.800><
• Stepping back overall, when you look at substance use disorder in the state of Minnesota, alcohol use
• So I think it's just an extra step. One page gets loaded in, and that's it.
• So I think it's just an extra step. One page gets loaded in, and that's it.

Bills: HF696, HF1429, HF1379

Keywords: HF696, rural EMS, ambulance, emergency medical services, uncompensated care, payment pool, rural health, Office of Emergency Medical Services, public safety answering point, PSAP, nontransport, unpaid ambulance calls, EMS reimbursement, rural ambulance provider, general fund appropriation, Minnesota health finance, specialized life support, metropolitan counties, emergency response funding, HF1429

Transcript Highlights:

• step up? step up?
• And you've got a good first step.
• step, but more work to be done, so. step, but more work to be done, so.
• <00:49:04.520> We're<00:49:04.640> going you for a good first step.
• We're going you for a good first step.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A step in the right direction.
• It's a step in the right direction.
• I think that every journey begins with a small step. This is that small step.
• A little step. I want to take a big step.
• This bill takes it to the next step. With that... This bill takes it to the next step.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is our next steps with respect to this.
• As far as educating in your next step, you say educate healthcare providers With PFAS.
• So we're looking forward to working with the state To get to that next step.
• And I apologize I had to step out for another Zoom meeting.
• And final thoughts and next steps.

Transcript Highlights:

• It happens, whether it's the auto dealer who tried to sell me a truck because it had a disability step
• And this is a very important step to allow law enforcement to prosecute these extreme predators.
• I think that we have to continue to step up.
• I think that we have to continue to step up to the plate.
• Look, I applaud the social media companies for taking some steps to protect the kids.

Summary: The committee took up a series of bills, beginning with SB 1422 on unmanned aircraft systems. The bill increases penalties for flying drones over critical infrastructure, prohibits drones equipped with weapons or explosives, creates a first-degree felony for drones carrying a weapon of mass destruction, and includes a law enforcement exception. A lay-filed amendment by Senator Pizzo warning against the use of force to shoot down drones was debated but failed, and the bill was then reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably on SB 846 addressing notary public fraud in immigration-related services, SB 650 on hazardous walking conditions for school transportation, SB 922 on employment agreements including non-compete and garden leave provisions, and SB 1820 on motor vehicle manufacturer and dealer relations, covering performance measures, retaliation, and franchise termination standards. Several bills focused on education, health care, and disability issues. SB 540, the Evan B. Hartzell Act, would require disability history and awareness instruction across grade levels; it drew emotional testimony from the bill sponsor, family members, and supporters, and was reported favorably. SB 998 would allow advanced practice registered nurses to certify deaths and file death certificates in hospice settings under physician protocol, and SB 1412 would modernize home health agency rules by expanding administrative flexibility and contract service use; both passed. SB 1736 would allow direct support professionals and relatives to administer insulin in group home settings for individuals with developmental disabilities, and it was also reported favorably. The committee also advanced several regulatory and court-related measures. SB 1650 expands Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including allowing designation based on conduct in a single case and extending the look-back period, while SB 1652 creates a public records exemption for certain stricken non-criminal court filings; both were approved. SB 1076 on roofing contractors was amended to require continuing education for roof-to-wall connections and then passed, and SB 1078 on fire prevention was amended with stakeholder-agreed language before being reported favorably. SB 1080 on local government land regulations, after multiple amendments and significant debate over agricultural enclaves and local control, was also approved. Other major measures included SB 818 on utility relocation, which creates a relocation fund funded by a portion of communications services tax revenue and was supported by multiple industry and local-government groups after a compromise amendment; SB 868 on social media use by minors, which would require a decryption mechanism for law enforcement access under subpoena and prohibit disappearing messages for minors, remained under discussion as the transcript ended. The committee also heard SB 96, a claims bill for Jacob Rogers against the City of Gainesville, and reported it favorably after testimony that the city would pay the settlement amount.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is critically important for California to step up and not let this brain drain happen and not allow
• The sergeants will help you, so please feel free to step up to the mic in line.
• Okay, and with that, Senator McNurney, step up to the plate.
• McNorney step up to the plate and you can begin when you're ready. I want to thank the chair.
• Senator Wiener’s SB 895, please feel free to step back up, and we will resume public comment again.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because once you're able to learn English, the next step would really be that you want to take on a job
• Because once you're able to learn English, the next step would really be you want to take on a job.
• opens up, again, a whole world for some people who would never have imagined that they would have stepped
• opens up, again, a whole world for some people who would never have imagined that they would have stepped
• opens up, again, a whole world for some people who would never have imagined that they would have stepped

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee met to discuss using registered apprenticeships to help address workforce shortages in disability services, human services, and other high-need fields. Co-chairs and staff introduced the session as a follow-up to earlier discussions with state labor officials and representatives from developmental disability and behavioral health provider associations. The panel focused on how apprenticeships can create paid, structured pathways into jobs while also supporting credentialing and retention. Amara Ramon of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards explained how Massachusetts apprenticeship programs are registered and supported, including the roles of apprenticeship liaison staff, operations, quality assurance, and grant support. She described the core features of apprenticeships—paid on-the-job training, related technical instruction, wage progression, and industry credentials—and contrasted them with internships or co-ops. Melissa Chabelli of the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board described the intermediary role her board plays in designing programs, registering apprentices, coordinating employers, and handling compliance. She emphasized flexibility, employer investment, tax credits, retention benefits, and the importance of mentors and local workforce partnerships. Lisa Morris of UMass Chan/For Health Consulting described a developing apprenticeship for medical interpreters, built from an existing training foundation and designed to address the gap between classroom preparation and work experience. She said the model would combine pre-apprenticeship training, employer interviews, 2,000 hours of apprenticeship, and related technical instruction tied to national certification. Speakers also discussed examples for nursing, early childhood education, CNC machining, and programs serving neurodivergent learners, including Bridgewater State’s Excel program. In response to audience questions, panelists said state agencies can serve as intermediaries, recruitment can come through career centers, youth programs, community colleges, ESL centers, and incumbent workers, and accommodations or modified curricula can support apprentices with disabilities. No votes were taken; the session ended with encouragement for attendees to contact the presenters and Division of Apprenticeship Standards for help developing programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is his first step?
• So, right now, without this law going into effect, the first step will be to put on administrative leave
• And so this just takes a step back into making sure that we have Corroborated evidence.
• So, I do ask for your yes vote as we take these reasonable steps to modify this language.
• That policy lays out steps on how to deal with any objections.

Bills: HB1937, HB2153, HB3674, HB2978, HB3885, HB3671, HB3261, HB3021, HB3029, HB4274, HB3701, HB3076

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been pretty shocking, and hopefully we would see the federal government step in and do something
• And in that absence of action, we've seen states step up.
• in and do something government step in and do something about<00:01:05.840> this.
• <00:01:10.640> And action, we've seen states step up.
• And action, we've seen states step up.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Senator Erin Maye Quade discussed her package of bipartisan AI-regulation bills, saying consumer-facing AI is largely unregulated and has already caused harm to children, adults, the environment, consumer prices, and privacy. She argued the federal government has not acted, so states are stepping in, and said the issue is drawing support across party lines because the harms are affecting red, purple, and blue states alike. She described a bill aimed at AI chatbots and children, citing reports of self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, harmful behavior, and other unsafe interactions. She said chatbots are designed to maximize engagement, avoid friction, and keep conversations going, which can be especially dangerous for developing brains and can lead to explicit or boundary-pushing content without human oversight. Maye Quade also outlined bills to bar health insurers from using AI in review, evaluation, determination, or appeals processes, saying insurers already deny claims too aggressively and AI speeds up denials. Another bill would prohibit AI-driven surveillance pricing, which she said allows companies to use personal data to charge different customers different prices for the same product. A final bill would require notice when people are interacting with AI and provide access to a human, which she said is important for both routine customer service and high-stakes situations like medical appointments. She acknowledged possible court challenges but said coordinated state action could effectively create a national framework if Congress continues to do nothing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is a critical first step to sustain the gain.
• This bill is a critical first step to sustain the gain.
• This bill is a critical first step to sustain the gain.
• This bill is a critical first step to sustain the gain.
• Um, and we know that it's just the first step in our work, but it's an important one.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I'm really glad that we're taking this step because it's always a good time to do the right thing
• I'm really glad that we're<00:02:38.720> taking<00:02:38.879> this<00:02:39.120> step
• <00:02:39.280> because<00:02:39.519> it's we're taking this step because it's we're
• taking this step because it's always<00:02:39.840> a<00:02:40.000> good<00:02:40.160><
• This bill offers a vital step in protecting women from the devastating consequences of this technology

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I would like to be able to step in and lift them up. But because of this, I'm held back.
• So at the first level, there's just three steps.
• So it's basically three steps, level one. Level two is where the actual development takes place.
• That’s a helpful step.
• That's a helpful step.

Bills: S0002, S0026, S0354, S1112, S1192, S1220, S1352, S1670

Keywords: negligence, settlement, appropriation, highway safety, damages, law enforcement, motorcycle accident, compensation, Department of Transportation, legal claim, land use, development, sustainability, environmental protection, housing policy, labor pool, employment, temporary work, placement fee, Department of Commerce

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development heard several bills and reported most of them favorably. The first major measure, CS/SB 1220, was described as a broad transportation package expanding FDOT authority over trails, seaports, aviation, advanced air mobility, delivery devices, and related technology, while also addressing toll revenue use, autonomous vehicle penalties, digital driver licenses, and an FDOT study on alternative-fuel vehicles. An amendment narrowed some provisions, including local regulation of personal delivery devices and FDOT airport language. Senator Smith and others raised concerns about language involving FDOT assistance to local governments on federal grant applications, but the bill passed unanimously after support from industry and local-government appearance cards. The committee also approved SB 1112, the Labor Pool Act, which would prohibit labor pools from charging placement fees when workers are hired permanently by a third-party employer and require annual registration with the Department of Commerce. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would reduce barriers to full-time employment, improve oversight, and help returning citizens and low-wage workers; multiple witnesses testified in support, including labor advocates and individuals describing high placement fees. Senators from both parties praised the bill’s worker and reentry benefits, and it passed unanimously. The committee then favorably reported SB 2, a claims bill for the estate of Danielle Maudsley arising from a fatal FHP arrest incident and settlement, and SB 26, another claims bill providing relief for the estate of Mark Legata after alleged FDOT negligence. Senate Bill 1352 on motor vehicles also passed without opposition. It would create a secure online portal for license plate seizure processing, allow disabled veterans to retain their DV plate designation upon reissuance or transfer, ban license plate covers and similar devices that obscure plates, and route certain online driver license and ID transactions through county tax collectors. SB 1192, a customer service pilot requiring callback queues for certain calls to the Department of Commerce and Department of Children and Families, was likewise reported favorably to improve response times and reduce hold times. The most extensive debate centered on CS/SB 354, the Blue Ribbon Projects bill, which would create a new process for very large developments on 10,000-acre or larger parcels if the owner sets aside 60% of the land for conservation or reserve uses. Supporters said it was intended to promote long-range planning, preserve land, and provide certainty for infrastructure and services, while opponents from counties, planning groups, and environmental organizations argued it would preempt local land-use authority, weaken public participation, and allow conservation requirements to be too vague. An amendment added more detail, but concerns remained about administrative approval, timelines, and the definition of reserve areas. Despite opposition from some members, the committee reported the bill favorably on a divided vote. SB 1670 was temporarily postponed, and the committee adjourned after recording one member’s vote on SB 1220.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm really grateful for all of those who've stepped up and done a really good job of implementing
• ><00:02:07.840> really sheriff's departments have really sheriff's departments have really stepped
• > and<00:02:08.959> collaborated<00:02:09.520> with<00:02:09.759> our stepped
• up and and collaborated with our stepped up and and collaborated with our local<00:02:11.200> um<
• <00:02:16.480> up<00:02:16.560> and for all of those who've stepped up and for all

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee met for its third meeting of the 2026 session and considered three bills. House Bill 50, relating to the removal of persons unlawfully occupying real property, was presented by Rep. Emily Callaway, who said it built on last session’s House Bill 10 addressing squatter-related criminal trespass and noted positive implementation feedback from law enforcement. The committee took no substantive testimony against the bill and passed it 16-0, reporting it favorably. House Bill 249, relating to involuntary commitment, was introduced by Rep. Mitch Whitaker and would expand current involuntary commitment provisions to include sexual abuse in the first degree. Whitaker and Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steel argued the change was needed because some defendants charged with sexual offenses not currently covered could otherwise be released without treatment or supervision, creating a public safety risk. Rep. Burke passed on the vote to continue the conversation but said he expected to support it on the floor. The committee passed the bill 15-0 with one pass and reported it favorably. House Bill 305, relating to grand jury service, was presented by Rep. Candy Maserone and supported by Sheri Ballard, who described the impact of the Crystal Rogers case and said secretly recorded grand jury testimony had gone unaddressed because the statute of limitations was too short. The committee substitute extended the limitations period for secretly recorded grand jury testimony to 10 years, set a five-year period for unrecorded communications, and added discovery-related language. Jackie Steel supported the bill but asked for an exemption or clarification so prosecutors could perform grand jury duties without risking felony charges; members discussed secrecy, witness safety, and obstruction concerns. The committee adopted the substitute and passed HB 305 17-0, reporting it favorably as the Crystal Rogers Act.

Transcript Highlights:

• same as an ATM for the purposes of regulatory, uh, you know, compliance, and that's a pretty simple step
• If the bank is in, um, uh, facing some challenges, uh, then the regulator can step in and uh keep dividends
• :14.879> simple compliance and that's a pretty simple compliance and that's a pretty simple step
• Now the second part this step we think.
• in and uh keep regulator can step in and uh keep dividends<00:04:05.360> from<00:04:05.519>

Keywords: Business and Financial Institutions - Room 210; 28 January, 2026: 2:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several banking, real estate, and licensing bills. Senate Bill 20007 would remove the repeal date for Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance authority to conduct joint bank exams with the Federal Reserve, after testimony that the program has been successful; it was passed out on a do-pass motion. Senate Bill 2011, extending the repeal date for the Mississippi Debt Management Services Act by three years, was also passed out. Senate Bill 2383, a banking modernization bill, was explained as updating definitions and procedures, including treating ITMs like ATMs, allowing state banks to approve dividends without prior regulatory approval if in good standing, streamlining articles-of-incorporation amendments by making the banking commissioner the final approver, and eliminating parity-request requirements for certain public welfare investments; it was passed out as a committee substitute. The committee then considered Senate Bill 2711, which would update residential mortgage lending recordkeeping and disclosure language under the SAFE Act to remove obsolete federal references and better fit manufactured-home lending; it was passed out as a committee substitute. Senate Bill 2706, a professional engineers and surveyors bill, was described as a reorganization and modernization of licensure statutes, with the main policy change expanding who may recommend board appointments, staggering six-year terms, and barring recent disciplinary offenders from board service; after questions about appointment advice-and-consent and term length, it was passed out as a committee substitute. Senate Bill 2713, supported by the Mississippi Association of Realtors, would codify buyer agency agreements and move the required signing deadline from before a home is shown to before an offer is submitted; it was passed out. Senate Bill 2748 would align real estate statutes with current rules, replace certified-mail renewal notices with email notices, and extend the earnest-money submission deadline from one business day to two; it was passed out as a committee substitute. Senate Bill 2715, from the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, would clarify the new money transmitter law, direct collected fees and penalties to enforcement of the act, add consumer notices and fraud warnings, and create data-security requirements based on a model law; senators questioned the fund balance, annual budget, and the relationship to a separate virtual currency kiosk bill, but the bill was passed out. The final bill on the agenda, 2768, was postponed to the committee’s Monday meeting, and the committee then rose and reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I will echo what Senator Soules has said: we think this is the first step in creating a systematic
• challenges educators face in entering the profession, and I believe that this bill takes a crucial step
• Now I’m trying to catch up in my college algebra classes, but it feels like I’m always a step behind.
• Is it just not getting the point across by some teachers whenever those steps or a little bit harder
• This is really kind of a push and a nudge and a pull to get the others to start stepping up because of

Bills: SB29, SB64

Keywords: SB29, math requirements for teaching license, teacher licensure, teacher endorsement, mathematics methods, elementary education, secondary education, special education, early childhood education, reciprocity, Public Education Department, Mathematics and Science Education Act, mathematics instructional leadership framework, professional learning plan, K-3 screening, mathematics screening assessment, mathematics difficulty, support plan, multilevel support, intervention