Transcript Highlights:

• Guys, if you would, help me give a warm welcome to the Monticello sixth grade class.
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• He's not rated G, so I don't think we can let him go with the sixth grade class. Okay.

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the prior minutes and then took up two Department of Human Services rules. Mary Franklin of DHS’s Division of County Operations presented a Medicaid/CHIP rule that removes the 90-day waiting period for certain ARKids B children who lose other coverage, clarifies child support enforcement procedures for pregnant women, and updates good-cause language to say “rape or incest” rather than “forcible rape.” Members asked about how child support referrals and sanctions work during pregnancy and the postpartum period; Franklin explained that sanctions would not be imposed until after the 60-day postpartum period and that good-cause determinations can prevent sanctions in appropriate cases. The rule had no public comments and a small fiscal impact, and it was reviewed without objection. Elizabeth Pittman of DHS’s Division of Medical Services then presented a medication-assisted treatment rule. She explained that the change simply removes an expired federal end date from the state plan and updates the CMS template, while leaving existing coverage for counseling and lab services tied to substance use disorder treatment unchanged. In response to questions, she said the rule does not add new benefits or costs because the coverage was already required by federal and state law. The committee reviewed the rule without objection. The meeting also included an informational presentation from Jenna Goldman of UAMS about a culinary medicine experience for legislators, scheduled for March 16 for the Senate and March 17 for the House at the Institute on Aging in Little Rock. She described it as a food-is-medicine program where participants would learn about healthy cooking and how to apply it in communities with limited food options. Members discussed its connection to rural health and potential grant opportunities. The meeting ended with a brief visit from a Monticello sixth-grade class, who asked Capitol trivia questions before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Guys, if you would, help me give a warm welcome to the Monticello sixth grade class.
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• I had to question her really hard about her ID because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade
• He's not rated G, so I don't think we can let him go with the sixth grade class. Okay.

Summary: The committee met briefly to approve prior minutes and then reviewed two Department of Human Services rules. The first, from the Division of County Operations, would remove the 90-day waiting period for certain ARKids B children who lose other coverage, clarify child support enforcement procedures for pregnant women and postpartum sanctions, and change the good-cause language from “forcible rape” to “rape or incest.” DHS said there were no public comments and only a small fiscal impact for system changes. The second rule, from the Division of Medical Services, updates the Medicaid state plan for medication-assisted treatment by removing an expired federal end date and adopting a new CMS template; officials said coverage does not change and there is no financial impact. Both rules were reviewed without objection. Members also heard an informational presentation from UAMS about a culinary medicine experience planned for March 16 for the Senate and March 17 for the House at the Institute on Aging in Little Rock. The program is intended to show how food can be used as medicine and to connect with the state’s rural health transformation priorities and possible grant opportunities. Members were encouraged to attend, wear comfortable shoes, and participate in the kitchen-based activity. The meeting ended with special recognition of a Monticello sixth-grade class visiting the Capitol for a scavenger hunt. A student asked several questions about the Capitol building’s materials and architecture, and members responded informally before the committee adjourned with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• complete a nurse-administered vision screening test annually in the first, third, fifth, and seventh grades
• students, as mentioned before, the screenings are conducted in the first, third, fifth, and seventh grades
• Right now, she's in the sixth grade, and she's a remarkable middle school student.
• My son was diagnosed in the third grade. It affected his near vision.

Bills: HB 1178, HB1411, HB1441, HB1773, HB1813, HB2107, HB2598, HB2911, HB2967, HB3672, HB5263, HB3797

Keywords: education, temporary certification, out-of-state educators, teacher shortage, military spouses, personal leave, school holidays, employee compensation, overtime provisions, school safety, peace officers, mental health, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, student trustee, school board, student representation, education policy, nonvoting position, school governance

Transcript Highlights:

• What this bill does is it clarifies that New Hampshire-grown spruce, pine, fir lumber graded as SPFs
• allows the use of Canadian graded SPF. allows the use of Canadian graded SPF.
• values with the metchanically graded values with the metchanically graded lumber<02:54:01.760>
• New Hampshire State Building Code by equating two distinctly different lumber grades.
• New Hampshire State Building Code by equating two distinctly different lumber grades.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite barely having a third-grade education and barely speaking English, yet despite every one of those
• Although he only completed the eighth grade, he was the most educated person I ever knew. Why?
• Our education system should never lose sight of those simple principles. grade, he was the most educated
• he's one grade, he was the most educated he's one of<00:29:31.680> the<00:29:31.800> most<
• And a few weeks later, we'd take a different grade of grit and put it in the can, and it would polish

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The meeting was a Senate retirement recognition session held after adjournment sine die, with the presiding officer relaxing decorum so members could speak, applaud, and interact more freely. The chair explained the order of speakers and noted that retiring members would be recognized from their desks, with a plaque presented by Senate leaders and photos taken afterward. The session was framed as a celebration of service for retiring senators and a tribute to staff, families, and colleagues. Senator Mann spoke first, thanking constituents, family, staff, colleagues, and advocates, and highlighting policy accomplishments such as banning non-compete clauses, wage transparency, breast cancer screening coverage, protections for students, expanded health coverage, pharmacy benefit manager reforms, physician workforce changes, the medication repository program, and paid leave. She also used her remarks to criticize racism, sexism, and broader threats to women’s and people of color’s freedoms, urging civic engagement and warning against erosion of democracy. Senator Tou Xiong followed with a personal farewell centered on his mother’s refugee experience, his family’s sacrifices, and gratitude to mentors and colleagues; he emphasized the value of public service, bipartisan cooperation, and the idea that Minnesota should be a model for the country. Senator Howe gave a faith-centered retirement speech reflecting on his path from humble beginnings, his family, military and public service, and the importance of humility, justice, mercy, and listening to constituents. Senator Klein looked back on a decade in the chamber, including the pandemic and the George Floyd unrest, and said the Senate’s decorum and relationships endured through difficult times; he cited a bill he helped pass for a child needing a prosthetic blade as an example of the legislature’s best work. Senator Draheim began his remarks by thanking his wife and children and joking about his discomfort with speeches, then described being recruited to run for office despite never seeing himself as a politician.

Transcript Highlights:

• , second grade, third grade.
• grade.
• grade, second grade, third grade. grade, second grade, third grade.
• So, um, a grade separated crossing.
• Like for example in second grade grades.

Bills: SB2003

Keywords: Mauna Kea, land management, University of Hawaii, astronomical observatories, leasable lands, natural resource management, stewardship authority, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees on Water, Land, Culture, and the Arts and Education heard testimony and discussed SB 20003, which would require the auditor’s report under Act 255 to include a recommendation on whether the Monarch Stewardship and Oversight Authority is fit to continue managing Monaca lands. Testimony focused on the bill’s reversion language, the role of the auditor, and whether the measure gave the auditor too much discretion without clear criteria. The Office of the Auditor’s position, read into the record, was that it had strong reservations because the bill did not provide standards for assessing fitness and asked that the requirement be held or amended. Other testimony suggested a work group with relevant agencies and Hawaiian practitioners to manage the transition and reduce conflict. Committee members debated whether the bill should simply restore the original reversion language or also require an audit-based fitness determination. Several members questioned the need for a 2031 audit when Act 255 already provides for a performance and financial audit in 2031 and noted that the bill could shift authority away from the legislature. In response, the committee chair explained that the measure was intended to restore language removed during conference and to address the transition back to the University of Hawaii if the authority was not meeting the act’s purpose. The committees ultimately recommended SB 20003 be passed with amendments. The amendments would strike the auditor/audit section, add language addressing timelines by providing a 10-year lease extension and sublease extension, and make technical changes including a defective date. The committees voted to adopt the amended measure and send it forward as an SD1. The transcript also included a separate Education Committee hearing on SB 3286, which would require the University of Hawaii to develop a facilities and student housing master plan and report to the legislature. University of Hawaii testimony said the system supports the intent but that the bill’s requirements are a heavy lift across 10 campuses and should follow development of a broader academic strategy. Members raised concerns about deferred maintenance, shifting priorities, and the lack of a systemwide plan, while the university said it already has a six-year capital improvement plan but acknowledged it does not fully incorporate the broader academic and housing strategy the bill contemplates.

Transcript Highlights:

• This was the last, I think this was a third or fourth grade testing period.
• Introduce yourself and maybe what grade level you're in or what school.
• My name is Jaden Stetson, and I'm in 9th grade. I go to a school where I don't know my clan.
• I'm in 9th grade, and I'm going to Maya Mura. I'm going to be a junior at Wingate High School.
• I go to 9th grade and I'm in Miami. My name is Alani Yahtzee.

Transcript Highlights:

• our Career and Technical Education Department for the purpose of... ...making sure that our eighth grade
• In Lake County, that eighth grade big parent presentation, that's normally when you get the most parents
• So all of our eighth grade presentations that are parent nights, those who attend, which there's that
• In Lake County, that eighth grade big parent presentation, that's normally when you get the most parents
• So all of our eighth grade presentations that are parent nights, again, those who attend, which there's

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee heard a panel discussion focused on how Florida schools and colleges are exposing students to in-demand careers in manufacturing, semiconductors, transportation, and related fields, and how they are building pathways from middle school through postsecondary training. Panelists from Seminole County Public Schools, Lake Technical College/Lake County Schools, and St. Petersburg College described their career academies, dual enrollment options, industry certifications, and partnerships with employers, local governments, and state colleges. They emphasized early career awareness, counseling, and parent outreach as key to helping students understand technical education as a viable and prestigious path. Seminole County highlighted 51 career and professional education academies and new offerings in agricultural biotechnology, global finance, firefighting, and planned aerospace engineering. Lake County described Lake Technical College’s programs, strong completion and placement outcomes, and three partnerships: a flexible-day high school/workforce model at Lincoln Park Education Center, the Lake Works pathway collaboration with Lake Sumter State College, and a Transportation Innovation Hub with the City of Tavares that trains students on municipal vehicles and serves multiple local governments. St. Petersburg College discussed its manufacturing and engineering technology programs, including semiconductor processing, mechatronics, soldering, and clean-room training, along with new grant-funded expansion at its Midtown campus. Members asked about wages, the semiconductor workforce, how to change perceptions of technical education, how parents are engaged, and how Bright Futures CAPE and Gold Seal scholarships are communicated. Witnesses said school counselors, CTE teachers, parent nights, and district communications are used to promote these options, and that many students can earn strong wages through short-term certifications or two-year degrees. Lake Technical College also raised concerns about workforce funding not keeping pace with teacher pay increases and inflation, noting that funding covers only about 80% of what it earns and tuition has remained unchanged for 18 years. The meeting ended with members praising the programs, and the subcommittee adjourned without any vote or formal action beyond rising and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when you cut funding at that<00:15:22.800> scale,<00:15:23.199> you're<00:15:23.440>
• not<00:15:23.600> just<00:15:23.760> hurting that scale, you're not just hurting
• that scale, you're not just hurting patients,<00:15:24.800> you're<00:15:25.040> threatening
• I yield back. ...to minimize the scale and damage caused by these destructive forces of nature.
• <04:00:51.840> of is unworkable for the scale of is unworkable for the scale of prescribed

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In Spring Valley, a sixth-grade teacher at Kingsland Public Schools, with 44 teachers, put it this way
• In Spring Valley, a sixth<00:04:50.240> grade<00:04:50.479> teacher<00:04:50.800> at
• <00:04:50.960> Kingsland<00:04:51.600> Public sixth grade teacher at Kingsland Public
• sixth grade teacher at Kingsland Public Schools<00:04:52.800> with<00:04:53.120> 44<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• students to complete a nurse administered vision screening test annually in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades
• countless hours conducting vision screenings for students as mentioned before, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades
• She received her glasses and right now she's in the 6th grade and she's a remarkable middle school student
• My son was diagnosed in the 3rd grade. It affected his near vision.

Transcript Highlights:

• While Enterprise dramatically understated the scale of the disaster and engaged in no earnest remediation
• It's a sliding scale. Every Rocky Mountain state around us has addressed this. We have not. So, Mr.
• In 11th grade, Miss Bronstein, my government teacher, would ask the class if the ability to freely engage
• They were able to scale quickly.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• protections against rising rents and more support for lower-income Floridians rather than tipping the scales
• A rule requiring child labor law posters to be written at an eighth-grade reading level.
• economic hardship should not be to exhaust our kids, push them to choose between paychecks and passing grades
• Do my grades again.

Bills: HB 118, HB 388, HB 114, HB 205, HB 2789, HB 2791, HB 499, HB 2960, HB 3163, HB 3135, HB 2427, HB 1618, HB 1672, HB 1722, HB 1338, HB 787, HB 2618, HB 879, HB 1126, HB 4134, HB 3513, HB 718, HB 1536, HB 1445, HB 1640, HB 1893, HB 1734, HB 3229, HB 3306, HB 1276, HB 3272, HB 3276, HB 3516, HB 4145, HB 1585, HB 4810, HB 2989, HB 2558, HB 3014, HB 2742, HB 1695, HB 29, HB 125, HB 145, HB 171, HB 255, HB 50, HB 363, HB 116, HB 491, HB 1495, HB 368, HB 1285, HB 1905, HB 2002, HB 917, HB 2723, HB 2067, HB 1238, HB 745, HB 1188, HB 1606, HB 2003, HB 2147, HB 2355, HB 2546, HB 2495, HB 2818, HB 2249, HB 3228, HB 3240, HB 1507, HB 658, HB 1748, HB 1851, HB 1922, HB 2798, HB 107, HB 1587, HB 3684, HB 118, HB 388, HB 114, HB 205, HB 2789, HB 2791, HB 499, HB 2960, HB 3163, HB 3135, HB 2427, HB 1618, HB 1672, HB 1722, HB 1338, HB 787, HB 2618, HB 879, HB 1126, HB 4134, HB 3513, HB 718, HB 1536, HB 1445, HB 1640, HB 1893, HB 1734, HB 3229, HB 3306, HB 1276, HB 3272, HB 3276, HB 3516, HB 4145, HB 1585, HB 4810, HB 2989, HB 2558, HB 3014, HB 2742, HB 1695, HB 609, HB 630, HB 420, HB 767, HB 1708, HB 1404, HB 2457, HB 140, HB 227, HB 913, HB 2198, HB 2763, HB 1261, HB 1135, HB 1318, HB 2358, HB 2765, HB 2735, HB 3307, HB 1242, HB 2842, HB 333, HB 201, HB 694, HB 2415, HB 155, HB 272, HB 405, HB 519, HB 1136, HB 1275, HB 1437, HB 1532, HB 1675, HB 1868, HB 1888, HB 1990, HB 2286, HB 2523, HB 3129, HB 3251, HB 3354, HB 3479, HB 3803, HB 3804, HB 3805, HB 3806, HB 3887, HB 4163, HB 4238, HB 1240, HB 1842, HB 2029, HB 2622, HB 3255, HB 654, HB 4643, HB 4945, HB 3611, HB 3724, HB 3623, HB 3810, HB 4127, HCR 78, HCR 12, SB 767

Keywords: HB 388, HB388, coordination of benefits, COB questionnaire, health benefit plan, health insurance, insurance commissioner, Texas Department of Insurance, uniform form, primary payer, secondary payer, multiple coverage, dual coverage, Medicaid, CHIP, managed care, HMO, small employer health plan, school district health coverage, self-funded plan

Transcript Highlights:

• You could see states perhaps vary tens of millions of dollars year over year depending on how CMS grades
• total time just to write the homework assignment, and then they took 32% of the time at the end to grade
• at<00:10:28.240> the<00:10:28.399> end<00:10:28.480> to<00:10:28.720> grade
• <00:10:28.959> it 32% of the time at the end to grade it 32% of the time at the end to grade

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on November 12, 2025, approved the October 22 minutes, and heard an update from Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Steven Stack and Public Health Commissioner John Langfeld on Kentucky’s application for the federal rural health transformation grant. The presenters described the grant as a $50 billion, five-year program with annual CMS scoring and rescorings, no state appeal rights, and a December 31 deadline for CMS to announce awards. They said Kentucky submitted its application on November 3 and had gathered stakeholder comments earlier in the process. The testimony emphasized that the grant is intended to support new models of rural care rather than replace existing funding or pay for clinical services or lost hospital revenue. Officials said the state had to address at least three of five federal strategic goals, including prevention and chronic disease, sustainable access, workforce development, and care/technology innovation. They also reviewed restrictions such as no new building construction, no payment for monthly broadband costs, and a cap of 5% for electronic medical record-related spending. The presenters said CMS has been clear that funding should focus on innovation in care delivery, rural access, and related policy goals, and that the state’s award could vary year to year based on performance milestones. The meeting was interrupted by a building fire alarm and evacuation announcement before the presentation was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would just allow us to establish a temporary labor grade so that if you created, let's just say
• And if I'm honest, the position that everybody kind of thinks it's going to be the labor grade is 98%
• the labor grade through the JCEC<01:51:40.199> process<01:51:41.199> and<01:51:41.440>
• I can't recall we ever rejected what our consultant tells us the labor grade should be.
• I can't recall we ever rejected what our consultant tells us the labor grade should be.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 74, which would require state agencies, especially the Department of Environmental Services and other permitting agencies, to report more detailed data on permit applications, approvals, denials, pending applications, and permits taking longer than 90 days. The sponsor’s representative and a lawyer who helped draft the bill argued that the legislature needs comprehensive permitting data to evaluate whether current timelines are reasonable and whether regulatory delays are burdening property owners and economic activity. They said the information should already be tracked within existing budgets, despite a fiscal note claiming additional staff would be needed. A Business and Industry Association representative supported the bill, saying better data is needed to understand actual permitting timelines and to help streamline the process, especially in light of housing and development concerns. Members asked whether the bill was simply collecting data without a clear next step, and the response was that the data would allow lawmakers to judge whether existing deadlines, extensions, and exemptions are justified and whether changes to permit timelines are needed. Several members agreed the information would be useful and that agencies should already be tracking it. The committee then voted to pass Senate Bill 74 on a roll call, with the motion approved and the bill placed on consent for further consideration, with a note that it would go to finance for review of the fiscal note. The committee then took up Senate Bill 196, which would raise the threshold for certain in-house construction projects handled by the Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services and two other departments from $500,000 to $1 million, described as an inflationary update. The sponsor said the department’s existing staff can handle these smaller renovation-type projects and that the bill should not require new positions; the deputy adjutant general later confirmed the department does not need additional staff and said the projects are typically roof, boiler, and similar repairs. Members asked about a fiscal note suggesting new positions and about revenue/expenditure impacts, and the sponsor explained that the fiscal note language appeared to reflect an earlier draft and that the budget effect is largely a shift in where the work is performed. The committee recessed briefly for the deputy adjutant general’s arrival, then continued discussion of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• providing for the fact that there might be books that are in a section of the library at a certain grade
• providing for the fact that there might be books that are in a section of the library at a certain grade
• providing for the fact that there might be books that are in a section of the library at a certain grade
• providing for the fact that there might be books that are in a section of the library at a certain grade
• The library at a certain grade level that are age inappropriate or harmful to minors, and providing the

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 749, which would require high schools to provide at least one hour of instruction on the nature and history of communism. The prime sponsor said the bill was prompted by concerns that students lack basic historical knowledge about communism and its effects, and argued that a short, flexible requirement could be embedded in an existing course without creating a new full class. He described communism as a totalitarian ideology and cited historical examples including the Soviet Union, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Cold War, and current events involving Russia, Ukraine, and Taiwan as reasons students should understand the topic. Members asked whether the subject is already covered in current social studies standards, whether one hour is enough, and whether the bill would apply to public, private, parochial, and charter schools. The sponsor said he did not believe communism is specifically required in current standards, that he would prefer a full course but was proposing a minimal requirement, and that he intended the bill to apply broadly to schools under the Department of Education’s umbrella, though he acknowledged the wording may need clarification for charter schools. He also said the proposal was both reactive and proactive, based on anecdotal concerns and his teaching experience. A second supporter testified that he was born in the Soviet Union and favored the bill, but suggested the instruction should emphasize critical thinking and explain both why communism can appeal to some people and why it can have harmful consequences. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• work on West Hall Street itself, the city-owned road, which also included re-lining with reflective-grade
• work on West Hall Street itself, the city-owned road, which also included re-lining with reflective-grade
• work on West Hall Street itself, the city-owned road, which also included re-lining with reflective-grade
• also included rellining<03:48:23.040> with<03:48:23.439> reflective<03:48:24.000> grade
• rellining with reflective grade paint. rellining with reflective grade paint.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• about belongs in a biology class, which is sophomore year biology, not health curriculum in sixth grade
• <01:01:30.160> maybe<01:01:30.319> and can do in the younger grades maybe and can do
• in the younger grades maybe and going<01:01:30.799> forward going forward going forward this<
• <01:16:56.480> and<01:16:56.719> 12th<01:16:57.040> grade.
• <01:16:57.920> U it was sixth grade and 12th grade. U it was sixth grade and 12th grade.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Should we start in first grade? Is that too soon? Should we wait till fifth grade, eighth grade?
• Should we start in first grade?
• ><00:20:48.360> grade?
• <00:20:49.280> But<00:20:49.440> but till fifth grade, eighth grade?
• But but till fifth grade, eighth grade?

Keywords: Meeting Start - 00:00 Roll Call – 00:34 KY Chamber of Commerce KY Business Perspectives – 01:50 COT Update on SB4 – 27:16 Adjournment – 48:18, 958, all

Summary: The 2025 Artificial Intelligence Task Force met for its first meeting of the year and heard updates on federal AI policy, state implementation of Senate Bill 4, and the business community’s perspective on AI regulation. Co-chairs noted that federal legislation could affect the task force’s work later in the year, but said Kentucky still has significant issues to study, including energy, land use, education, social media, and children’s engagement with AI. The task force had quorum and no votes were taken. Kate Shanks of the Kentucky Chamber said the business community supports continued discussion but favors a federal approach over a patchwork of state laws. She described the Trump administration’s new AI executive order as emphasizing innovation over regulation, noted the pending federal AI action plan, and discussed congressional action including the Take It Down Act and industry-specific changes to existing laws. She warned that state-by-state AI rules could increase costs and burden businesses, and said the Chamber would prefer incremental, flexible policy that avoids conflict with existing law and limits private rights of action. Members asked about uniform model legislation, education uses of AI, and civil liability; Shanks said a model approach could help avoid fragmentation and that liability should generally be handled through consumer-protection-style enforcement rather than broad litigation. The Commonwealth Office of Technology then reported on implementation of SB 4, saying it has worked with industry, agencies, other states, and vendors to build an AI policy framework now in final review. Officials said an AI Governance Committee has been established and will meet in July, and a draft RFP is being prepared to meet the bill’s tracking and documentation requirements. They said no major implementation challenges have been identified so far, but the impact of pending federal rules remains uncertain. Members also discussed the need to educate students and teachers about AI, with one member emphasizing that schools should teach both how to use AI and how to think critically about information online.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um if we're going to do a large-scale Um if we're going to do a large-scale I<00:10:02.880> guess
• It would be large-scale agriculture.
• It would be large-scale needle.
• and everything to encourage large-scale and everything to encourage large-scale agriculture<00:42
• The problem is scale and everything.

Keywords: 912, senate, all