Transcript Highlights:

• And of course, this expansion of the data center is really driven by the increasing need for digital
• really driven by the ex. of the data center is really driven by the it's potentially need on the digital
• So this co-location study will really create new opportunities to connect North Dakota's digital economy
• Yeah, this is Applied Digital. Thank you. Thank you.
• Representative Chris Wisensky with Applied Digital. Yeah, we are Applied Digital.

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And of course, this expansion of the data center is really driven by the increasing need for digital
• So this co-location study will really create new opportunities to connect North Dakota's digital economy
• Yeah, this is Applied Digital. Thank you.
• Thank you, Representative Chris Wisensky with Applied Digital. Yeah, we are Applied Digital.
• Digital. Thank you. Thank you. Further questions for the professor. Wonderful.

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Summary: The committee met in Fargo and approved the minutes from the March 31 meeting before hearing a series of informational presentations focused on North Dakota agriculture, water, and research. NDSU President David Cook opened with remarks about NDSU’s land-grant mission, emphasizing statewide service through research, teaching, and extension, and highlighting examples such as the Lilac Agriculture startup and the university’s role in applying research to real-world problems. He said he intends to spend time listening across the state to better understand local needs. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study projected significant potential for expanded irrigation acreage, especially in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau, and estimated major economic gains from irrigation, including higher farm returns and support for value-added agriculture. Members discussed water permits, surface water versus aquifers, infrastructure, drought resilience, and the role of legal drains in improving productivity and generating economic activity. The presenters also noted that the full report is available online. Dr. Greg Lardy followed with NDSU’s required interim report, outlining the university’s agricultural research and extension system, including the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, seven research-extension centers, and the economic importance of agriculture to the state. He highlighted recent research impacts such as new crop varieties, potato breeding successes, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, weather-network tools, and 4-H programming. He also described NDSU’s budget priorities: restoring the governor’s proposed 10% cuts, additional operating support, and deferred maintenance funding. Committee members asked about the new agricultural field lab, storage sheds, and NDSU’s partnership with Grand Farm. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor presenting water-related research, including data center cooling, water reuse, smart irrigation, and a feasibility study on co-locating data centers with greenhouse and aquaculture production. Members asked about water use, ownership, and whether the concepts were operational or still speculative. Finally, North Dakota AgTech presented its NSF-funded innovation engine work, describing startup commercialization, on-farm trials, workforce development, and partnerships with NDSU, UND, tribal colleges, and other land-grant institutions. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know many of these are elderly, these are folks that have a digital divide, these are folks who, you
• We know many of these are elderly, these are folks that have digital divide, these are folks who, you
• we have mandated this, that they engage in this activity, and now, for our benefit, we've made it digital
• that they wouldn't otherwise do in CEQA, require that they do it entirely under our terms, and then digitize
• funding through HAP is the primary source of homeless response for youth and has led to sustain double-digit

Transcript Highlights:

• We know many of these are elderly; these are folks that have a digital divide; these are folks who, you
• We know many of these are elderly, these are folks that have digital divide, these are folks who, you
• we have mandated this, that they engage in this activity, and now, for our benefit, we've made it digital
• that they wouldn't otherwise do in CEQA, require that they do it entirely under our terms, and then digitize
• funding through HAP is the primary source of homeless response for youth and has led to sustain double-digit

Summary: The subcommittee heard several May Revision proposals related to the state’s housing and homelessness reorganization. On the first item, administration and Finance staff described technical adjustments to move administrative positions and resources between the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, HCD, and Cal ICH, plus authority for a chief deputy director at the new Housing Development Finance Committee. The LAO recommended approval but asked for clarification on funding for the chief deputy position. Several senators questioned whether the staffing shifts would reduce Cal ICH’s capacity and whether adding communications support and a new executive position was appropriate absent new housing funding; the item was held open. The second item proposed a new $100 million CalHFA Disaster Rebuilding Fund, with $56 million General Fund and $44 million in existing National Mortgage Settlement funds, to help disaster-impacted homeowners access construction financing through tools such as a loan loss guarantee and interest rate buy-downs. CalHFA said the fund would help close the gap between insurance proceeds and rebuilding costs and would work through approved lenders. The LAO raised concerns about the lack of alternatives analysis, the broad delegation in the trailer bill, and the General Fund cost. Senators pressed for more detail on the estimated number of homeowners served, lender and homeowner eligibility, equity safeguards, and the role of the Legislature in program design; the item was held open. The third item was trailer bill language for HAP Round 7, including accountability metrics, pro-housing designation requirements for certain large cities and counties, local match requirements, and a mechanism to recapture unspent funds. HCD said the proposal would streamline reporting by using one consistent set of system performance measures and would phase in the new requirements. The LAO questioned the timing, the burden of pro-housing designation, the size and source of the local match, and whether the proposal conflicted with the Legislature’s prior goal of getting funds out quickly. Several senators criticized the added requirements and the lack of new funding, while others said the proposal could improve accountability and reduce administrative burden by reusing existing plans. The item was also held open. The fourth item began a proposal to reduce local development impact fees on state-funded affordable housing projects, framed as a condition on competitive multifamily funding rather than a statewide mandate. The presentation started but the transcript cuts off before questions or action on that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• House, the Senate, and the governor's office, to put us in such a good spot to be recognized for the digital
• in 2020, where we were really focusing on making sure the foundation was good, and we started our digital
• And that's a whole web of systems, and that's that idea of central digital government.
• These tools that are actually coming... ...of systems, and that's that idea of central digital government
• hosted this again, and thank you for you and your team's efforts to help move us forward in this digital

Committee: House Subcommittee on Appropriations - General Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm worried about the definition of digital depiction, a realistic visual depiction of an individual
• that has been created or altered using digital manipulation.
• the section for any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of digital
• It alternates in use of digital depiction versus intimate digital depiction.
• And I worry about the ramifications of that if the word intimate isn't included in that, because digital

Committee: House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted House Committee Substitutes, then passed several bills by roll call vote. HCS for House Bills 1746 and 1769 was adopted and then voted do pass by 10-0. HCS for House Bill 3005 was adopted and passed 10-0 after the sponsor explained it removed a sentence requiring specific local review boards in library appeals processes. HCS for House Bills 1717 and 1643, dealing with alternative therapies, passed 7-2 with two present. HCS for House Bills 2817 and 2961 passed 8-1 with two present. HCS for House Bills 2035 and 2350 passed 10-0 with one present after a brief question about statutory citations. HCS for House Bills 1887, 2361, 1913, 2862, and 2321, a combined bill package, also passed 10-0 after members discussed digital depiction language and written victim request provisions. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1914, which would change Missouri’s franchise law on warranty and recall reimbursement for auto dealers. Rep. David Castile presented the bill as a fairness measure, arguing manufacturers should pay dealers market-rate labor and parts reimbursement and that current warranty work often loses money for dealers and hurts service access. Supporters, including several dealers and technicians, said manufacturer time guides underpay warranty work, that the bill would help retain technicians, and that current appeal processes are cumbersome and time-consuming. They described large gaps between warranty and customer-pay labor times and said technicians often invest heavily in tools and training. Opponents, including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Toyota, General Motors, Ford, and business groups, argued the bill would raise costs for consumers, amount to a large increase in dealer compensation, and interfere with existing contracts. They said manufacturers already provide a process for requesting additional time, that most requests are approved, and that warranty work remains a profitable captive source of business for dealers. Several witnesses also argued the bill would not directly raise technician wages because technicians are employed by dealers, not manufacturers, and suggested broader competition or allowing independent repair shops instead. The hearing featured extensive questioning about recall versus warranty work, labor time guides, documentation requirements, and whether the legislature should be involved in these franchise disputes.

Transcript Highlights:

• apply to artificial intelligence, and giving celebrities and their families more control of their digital
• What they found was that when you took the same video and digitally altered the background so that it
• contained a bookshelf, When you took the same video and digitally altered the background so that it
• What they found was that when you took the same video and digitally altered the background so that it
• contained a bookshelf, when you took the same video and digitally altered the background so that it

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks. On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation. Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• that charges are different from convictions, the fact is, year after year, we've been in the single digits
• and the double digits.
• Members, this bill aims to expand law enforcement asset forfeiture capabilities. to encompass digital
• Digital currency has become the preferred method.
• stolen funds, the bill seeks to... establish clear definitions and procedure for the forfeiture of digital

Keywords: HCR65, HCR19, Senate resolutions, memorial, community impact, legislative proceedings

Summary: The recent Senate meeting primarily covered two resolutions, HCR65 and HCR19, both of which were passed unanimously with little to no opposition. HCR65 was introduced in memory of Tracy Lee Vincent of Longview, while HCR19 was presented to honor the late Terrell Lynn Roberts of Angleton. The meeting included brief addresses from several senators, who shared personal reflections on the impacts of the individuals being honored and expressed gratitude for their contributions to the community. This collaborative atmosphere showcased the members' capacity for camaraderie and respect, emphasizing the importance of human connection in legislative proceedings.

Transcript Highlights:

• forensic examiner who does complete forensic examinations<00:35:26.280><c> on</c><00:35:26.560><c> digital
• on digital evidence you think<00:35:28.400><c> cell</c><00:35:28.680><c> phones</c><00:35:29.160><c>
• 41.160><c> the</c> purchased computer hardware vital to the purchased computer hardware vital to the digital
• 42.880><c> lab</c><00:35:43.880><c> with</c><00:35:44.040><c> the</c><00:35:44.280><c> remaining</c> digital
• forensics lab with the remaining digital forensics lab with the remaining funds<00:35:44.960><c> the

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met for its first meeting and heard budget-related presentations from the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Secretary of State, with the Treasurer beginning a presentation at the end of the transcript. Auditor Allison Ball reviewed her office’s 2024 and early 2025 work, including hundreds of county and state audits, several special examinations, and ongoing reviews such as the kinship care funding issue, the Kentucky Department of Education audit, and the Jefferson County Public Schools audit. She said her office is focused on waste, fraud, abuse, and legal compliance, and asked the committee to consider future budget changes, including aligning her appropriation with restricted funding and restoring a stronger performance-audit function. She also highlighted audits that exposed serious problems, including the Department of Juvenile Justice review, and said those reports are intended to serve as models for other entities to avoid similar failures. Secretary of State Michael Adams said his office is self-sustaining through fees and does not need tax dollars, but asked for greater access to its own revenues and more flexibility in using them. He highlighted the Safe at Home address confidentiality program, saying recent changes expanded protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and that the program has grown rapidly while remaining funded by offender fines. Adams also urged lawmakers to again adjust county election funding for inflation, noting the current per-voter and per-precinct amounts were set decades ago. In questioning, Representative Hart asked whether the Safe at Home program was self-funding; Adams replied that it covers only about 10% of its operating cost and said the best solution would be to let the office use more of the revenue it already collects rather than rely on tax dollars. Treasurer Martin Medcafe, introduced with staff member Russell Weber, praised the General Assembly’s fiscal discipline and described the Treasury’s work in managing state funds. He reported strong results from the Unclaimed Property Fund, saying the office returned $35.5 million to Kentuckians in its first year and $3.8 million in the first month of the current year, and said the State Investments Commission generated $682 million in returns last year. He also highlighted financial literacy efforts through the Kentucky Financial Empowerment Commission and said the Treasury is helping manage opioid settlement funds, which are now earning up to $200,000 per month through investment. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we've just implemented our digital navigator program, which has digital navigator four hours twice
• </c> services around digital equity. services around digital equity.
• </c> to learn how to use um all the digital to learn how to use um all the digital tools<00:41:29.520
• </c><00:41:39.119><c> literacy</c> across the state, digital literacy across the state, digital literacy
• :41:43.920><c> which</c><00:41:44.160><c> has</c> digital navigator program which has digital navigator

Transcript Highlights:

• extensive federal policy and infrastructure expertise to his leadership role leading New Mexico's digital
• And for my generation and below, digital privacy is the new frontier of civil rights.
• And for my generation and below, digital privacy is the new frontier of civil rights.
• So I assume the longer that law enforcement has to store all these digital images and videos, the higher
• you even just said it's going to cost a lot of money to store, for law enforcement to store these digital

Transcript Highlights:

• when Nisa had two police officers going on duty disability, they had to raise property taxes double digit
• when Nisa had two police officers going on duty disability, they had to raise property taxes double digit
• when Nisa had two police officers going on duty disability, they had to raise property taxes double digit
• when Nisa had two police officers going on duty disability, they had to raise property taxes double digit
• when Nisa had two police officers going on duty disability, they had to raise property taxes double digit

Transcript Highlights:

• It defines in an image and digitally forged in an image.
• Then an image or digitally for agenda.
• This does not prohibit the creation of digitally Ford's and and images only their dissemination.
• Additionally provides a sexually in this sexually explicit images included digitally forge and that image
• so that the crime of sexual cyber harassment applies to dissemination of digitally forge images and

Transcript Highlights:

• :38.760><c> Information</c><01:04:39.440><c> Officer</c><01:04:39.880><c> of</c><01:04:40.000><c> Digital
• </c> Chief Information Officer of Digital Chief Information Officer of Digital Services<01:04:41.120>
• Madam Speaker, just wanted to let members of House Energy and Digital Infrastructure know that we have
• <01:34:12.480><c> House</c><01:34:12.720><c> Energy</c><01:34:13.120><c> and</c><01:34:13.240><c> Digital
• </c> members of House Energy and Digital members of House Energy and Digital Infrastructure<01:34:14.280

Transcript Highlights:

• And is there any way you could tell me one of you about what this digital system will do?
• And so what that does is allow us to very securely, digitally transfer evidence.
• And is there any way you could tell me one of you about what this digital system will do?
• I mean, I'm assuming it involves hiring a computer programmer. this digital system will do?
• And so what that does is allow us to very securely, digitally transfer evidence.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several budget requests tied to health and human services. Louisiana Children’s Advocacy Centers asked for continued support and a supplemental appropriation of $1.173 million for infrastructure and standardization, explaining that the money would expand use of the Guardify digital evidence system, improve chain of custody, and reduce reliance on DVDs. Baton Rouge and statewide CAC leaders said prior funding helped eliminate a therapy wait list and speed services for abused children. Members asked detailed questions about the digital system, MDT coordination, and how the request related to SB 237, which would strengthen multidisciplinary review of child abuse cases. The Alzheimer’s Association sought $824,000 to sustain the dementia care specialist program, saying it helps families navigate services, keep loved ones at home longer, and reduce Medicaid costs. AARP and the Live at Home Coalition also testified for 750 additional Community Choice waiver slots at a state cost of $3.3 million, arguing that home- and community-based care is cheaper than nursing homes and that the current wait list is more than 11,000 people. Legislators discussed the size of the need, the state’s long-term care spending mix, and whether more support should go to family caregivers and community-based options. Testimony also focused on disability support services, substance use treatment, and developmental disability provider rates. A parent and direct support worker described the Children’s Choice waiver’s 20-hour cap and low pay, saying it makes it hard to retain caregivers and meet the needs of medically fragile children. Odyssey House and O’Brien House asked for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates under ASAM 4, warned that removal of room-and-board payments and weak Medicaid eligibility pathways are reducing access, and called for more oversight of sober living homes; members questioned outcomes data, length of stay, and links to homelessness. Finally, the Arc of Louisiana said the LDH rate study confirmed underfunding and supported a $53.6 million increase in state general funds, with local ARC leaders describing the services they provide and the need for higher direct support professional wages.

Transcript Highlights:

• And is there any way you could tell me one of you about what this digital system will do?
• And so what that does is allow us to very securely, digitally transfer evidence.
• And is there any way you could tell me one of you about what this digital system will do?
• I mean, I'm assuming it involves hiring a computer programmer. this digital system will do?
• And so what that does is allow us to very securely, digitally transfer evidence.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> have high demand for digital evidence. have high demand for digital evidence.
• c> When this building was built, including our headquarters location as well, there was no really digital
• I'll show you a picture in a bit, but we have our digital evidence lab in a closet right now, a true
• Some of the ideas I've already touched on: digital evidence.
• This is an example where you see that TV monitor; that's the closet, that's our digital evidence location

Bills: HF3599 , HF3761 , HF3523 , HF3515 , HF573

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: water treatment, infrastructure, municipal funding, bond issuance, Becker, sewer improvements, sanitation, Hibbing, state bonds, infrastructure funding, capital investment, safety improvements, mobility, U.S. Highway 12, bonds, transportation funding, trails, Prior Lake, bond funding, recreational improvements

Transcript Highlights:

• There would be broad sweeping repercussions for minors' access to information and digital privacy across
• And so for me, and I understand, I mean, I grew up in the digital age where social media was coming out
• And so for me, and I understand, I mean, I grew up in the digital age where social media was coming out
• And so for me, and I understand, I mean, I grew up in the age digital where social media was coming out
• AB 325 stands for a simple proposition that you can't use digital tools to break the rules.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 2, which would create enhanced civil penalties for large social media companies when negligence proven in court causes harm to children and teens. The author and supporters argued the bill is needed to address addictive algorithms and harmful content, while opponents warned it was vague, could chill speech, and might be preempted by federal law. Members largely focused on whether the bill changed the standard of care or burden of proof; the bill passed out of committee on a roll call vote, with some members noting concerns but supporting it to continue the discussion. AB 282, dealing with housing vouchers and source-of-income discrimination, would clarify that housing providers may prioritize applicants who qualify for rental assistance without violating fair housing law. Supporters from housing authorities, local governments, and advocacy groups said it would help voucher holders find units and improve use of housing funds. There was no opposition, and the bill passed to Appropriations on a roll call vote, with two no votes. The committee also considered AB 882 on court reporter availability and electronic recording in certain cases when a court reporter is unavailable. Supporters said the bill is a temporary, narrowly tailored response to a shortage of reporters and would preserve access to accurate records, while opponents argued it was too narrow, raised access-to-justice concerns, and should be broadened. Members from both sides emphasized the importance of court reporters and electronic recording as a backup; the bill passed with an urgency clause and was sent to Appropriations. The committee then heard AB 325 on algorithmic price fixing, AB 935 on civil rights data clarity, AB 1414 on tenant choice of internet service provider, and AB 67 on Attorney General enforcement of the Reproductive Privacy Act; each drew support from sponsors and advocacy groups, opposition centered on overbreadth or policy concerns, and each advanced on committee votes, with several members requesting further amendments or clarification.

Transcript Highlights:

• Each one of us represents communities that are facing double-digit increases in health care costs that
• Each one of us represents communities that are facing double-digit increases in health care costs that
• in the nation but every municipality each one of us represents communities that are facing double-digit
• We need to figure out how to sustain them, but absent action, I would be here describing a double-digit
• Because if we continue to grow at double digits every year, then I or someone like me is going to have

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'll draw your specific attention to the O&R grant on the first one, last four digits, 2730.
• O&R grant on the first one, last four digits, 2730.
• Chair, MVD is currently sharing the digital signatures with the Secretary's Office, and the recorders
• So the original problem was MVD is sending digital signatures.
• You can't get an exemplar or a good exemplar from a digital signature.

Bills: SB1003 , SB1060 , SB1134 , SB1275 , SB1327 , SB1429 , SB1618 , SB1634 , SB1654 , SB1803 , SCR1002 , SCR1005 , SCR1023 , SCR1027

Committees: House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections , House House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee of Reference

Keywords: election, canvass, certification, ballot tabulation, write-in candidates, registration, voting procedures, voter registration, temporary absence, absentee voting, residency, military voters, overseas voters, election law, Arizona Revised Statutes, political signs, campaign materials, public safety, municipal regulation, foreign relations