Transcript Highlights:

• Farmers and ranchers have limited options for managing wolves due to their protected status under federal
• We talked about it quite a bit with the Department about what the right and left limits of what that
• <00:53:13.839> of on on what the right and left limits of on on what the right and left limits
• for our Farmers as new limit for our Farmers as new collaborative<00:56:37.280> relationships
• It's now fiber. interesting uh weight to it have to yeah interesting uh weight to it have to yeah that

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If the language is too broad, those tools could be limited or chilled.
• So, Senate File 4168 will retain the 5% limit on finance lender fees and the limit of prepayment penalties
• So, Senate File 4168 will retain the 5% limit on finance lender fees and the limit of prepayment penalties
• <00:53:23.440> liabilities like limited liabilities like limited liabilities that<00:53:25.440
• <01:05:26.559> the<01:05:27.200> uh um the proposal limits the uh um the proposal limits

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're having limited responses, you probably know Alan Peterson very well.
• If you're getting limited responses, you probably know Alan Peterson very well.
• For Model 1, the weighted point system allows... ...that could be served.
• However, because the state owns the land, it's an extremely limiting factor.
• It's very limiting in what the community could do.

Summary: The committee first approved the February 11, 2026 minutes and then received an update from the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency on the interagency council on homelessness and continuum of care funding. Testimony described rising homelessness tied to tight housing markets, low incomes, aging homelessness, barriers to rental assistance and public benefits, and limited shelter and case-management capacity. Members discussed the need for more affordable housing, continued one-time funding for the North Dakota Homeless Grant and Housing Incentive Fund, better coordination with Health and Human Services on economic assistance and human service zones, landlord engagement, recovery housing, and reentry housing. The committee also heard that federal continuum of care funding remains uncertain, with possible shifts away from permanent supportive housing and housing-first models; members asked for a future update on the impact if federal rules reduce the share available for permanent housing. The committee then took testimony on accessibility of government services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Paul Olson of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind described current screening and service delivery, including infant referrals, regional staff, short-term programs, and collaboration with vocational rehabilitation. He said the targeted screening system is working, recommended maintaining the current model, and noted ongoing challenges with staffing, public awareness, and accessible state websites and documents. Public testimony from a visually impaired resident and a deaf resident emphasized barriers such as CAPTCHAs, inaccessible PDFs, employment forms that screen out applicants based on driver’s license status, shortages of interpreters, and the need for video remote interpreting and video relay services, along with training for users and agencies. Finally, the committee heard a final report on the study of child care provider licensing from HHS Early Childhood Director Kay Larson. The report summarized provider input and committee discussion on simplifying North Dakota’s child care licensing structure, reducing administrative burden, and balancing that with health and safety standards. Key topics included licensing categories, child care assistance eligibility, food program sponsorship, staff qualifications, training requirements, ratios and group size, age bands, and preschool exemptions. The committee’s recommendations included streamlining to three provider types plus a preschool designation, revising ratio and age-band rules, and carrying forward certain preschool outdoor-space exemptions. Larson noted that any changes would require statutory changes, rulemaking, and a transition period before new licensing rules could take effect.

Transcript Highlights:

• For model one, the weighted point system allows, It easier to calculate.
• However, because the state owns the land, it's an extremely limiting factor.
• It's very limiting in what the community could do.
• However, because the state owns the land, it's an extremely limiting factor.
• It's very limiting in what the community could do.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have limits at the federal level.
• I'm not necessarily opposed to a co-pay that has some limits on it.
• They'll know their limitations.
• So speaking of the income limits, you note that 33% had income levels below 400%.
• Very high level, it puts some limits on reauthorizations and some limits on eligibility for capital outlay

Summary: The committee heard first from LFC staff on a brief about New Mexico’s universal child care expansion. Staff said child care assistance has clear benefits for parents and families, but LFC has not found evidence in New Mexico that it improves children’s educational outcomes; they argued pre-K is the better tool for that goal. The brief highlighted four concerns with universal access: an estimated annual cost of about $849.7 million, a sharp decline in registered homes, possible crowding out of lower-income families, and reduced access for children under age two. Staff also suggested possible mitigations such as prioritizing slots for low-income and at-risk families, reinstating sliding-scale co-pays, and tying quality improvements to workforce wages. Members raised questions about the cost estimate, funding sources, provider quality, and whether the data showed actual crowding out. Several lawmakers expressed support for child care generally but concern about the fiscal impact and whether universal access would divert resources from the families most in need. Others emphasized the importance of child care for workforce participation, rural communities, and family stability, and questioned how registered homes are counted and regulated. LFC staff clarified that the cost estimate was for child care assistance only, not the entire ECECD budget, and that the data showed declines in the share of lowest-income children and infants/toddlers served, though not causation. The ECECD secretary then presented the department’s response, saying universal child care is intended to complete a cradle-to-career system and that the department has already seen strong uptake, increased capacity, and rising workforce participation. She said 6,206 families were found eligible in the first month, the share of infants and toddlers served rose, and new provider applications and licensed slots increased after the November rollout. The department also emphasized wage increases, quality improvements, and a new wage scale/career lattice, while projecting a lower near-term cost than LFC’s estimate and requesting additional funding for child care, early pre-K, home visiting, workforce systems, and capacity-building. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and focused on questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So provides very uh limited information.
• So what we did was we limited of stuff.
• But the main reason for this limit.
• There has been uh limited<02:15:45.599> limited<02:15:46.079> research<02:15:46.960>
• allowed<02:15:47.360> the limited limited research allowed the limited limited research allowed

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a minimum weight requirement.
• It says that cities cannot regulate the industry, which limit it.
• Like all of these good protections y'all talk about, aren't those limits?
• And that limits property tax revenue growth, not expenditure.
• limit, spending limit or in cases, uh, of, uh, governor declared disasters.

Transcript Highlights:

• Testimony today will be limited to three minutes per testimony.
• These ratios are especially limiting for smaller firms that don't employ large numbers of journey persons
• service receivers, are using in their contracts with us where they control the scope of work that limits
• So then there's going to be limited options for contractors to sign on to insurance.
• So again, I just think for us it's important to understand the ratio sets the limit of apprentices to

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on a large group of bills carried over from the previous session, with Chair Jake Oliveira and House Co-Chair Paul McMurtry outlining the process and limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee heard testimony on several labor and workplace proposals, including bills to harmonize employee definitions to address misclassification (SB 1338/HB 2141), expand bereavement leave (including H. 2189/S. 1354 and related bills), protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative employees (HB 268/SB 1306), expand commuter transit benefits (HB 2153/SB 1345), regulate employer use of credit reports (S. 1286), and require apprenticeship participation or OSHA-related workplace safety measures on public projects. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read into the record additional bills that did not receive testimony that day. Supporters of the misclassification bill, including Greater Boston Legal Services and the AFL-CIO, said aligning the employee-status tests across wage, unemployment, and PFML laws would reduce confusion, improve enforcement, and help workers wrongly treated as independent contractors or managers recover benefits and bargaining rights. NAGE and its representative argued that public-sector employees have been improperly reclassified into management titles to weaken unions, and that the bill would force the Division of Labor Relations to review those titles. On bereavement leave, advocates including the Louis E. Brown Peace Institute, a state representative, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and individual survivors described the impact of sudden loss and homicide on families, saying guaranteed leave would help workers grieve, make arrangements, and avoid losing jobs or custody-related stability. The committee also heard support for commuter benefits as a low-cost way to reduce emissions and increase transit use, and for restricting employer credit checks because of inaccuracies and discriminatory effects. There was opposition to some construction-related bills. The Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association supported apprenticeship training in principle but said current apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios are outdated or misunderstood, and that the bills should be amended or clarified before advancing. The Massachusetts landscape and snow-removal industry strongly supported a snow-liability limitation bill, arguing that hold-harmless clauses and broad indemnification requirements force contractors to assume liability for conditions they cannot control, drive up insurance costs, and threaten business viability. The committee did not take any votes during the hearing, and the session ended with the chairs thanking members, staff, and the public before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Generally, a person's income must be less than or equal to the appropriate income limit.
• Income limits vary based on a person's basis of eligibility.
• Income limits are based on federal poverty guidelines and are updated annually.
• There is an asset limit for people who are 65 or older, and people who are disabled.
• The AG's office only has a limited number of prosecutors, and OIG has a limited number of investigators

Transcript Highlights:

• There<00:32:34.320> is<00:32:34.480> no<00:32:34.720> current<00:32:35.039> weight
• <00:32:35.360> list, >> There is no current weight list, >> There is no current
• weight list, >> right?
• <00:54:23.280> list<00:54:23.599> report going to review the weight list report going
• to review the weight list report like<00:54:24.160> we<00:54:24.319> usually<00:54:24.559

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting opened without a quorum, so approval of the prior draft minutes was deferred until later. The committee then heard a DHS update from Commissioner Lori Weaver and COO David Weers, who described the recent flood at the Brown building and the relocation of nearly 400 DHS staff while operations are restored. They also outlined New Hampshire Care Connections, a privacy- and consent-focused closed-loop referral platform intended to improve referrals among providers, reduce duplication, and support continuity of care, with an Upper Valley implementation partnered with Dartmouth Health and an Epic integration already underway. Members asked whether the system would merge medical records or simply track referrals. DHS said it is not intended to store or transmit full medical records, but to integrate with providers’ electronic health record systems so referrals can be sent, received, and tracked, with consent controls limiting what information can be shared. Officials said the project will be tested over the coming months, with metrics, governance, and advisory committee oversight, and that it is tied to broader rural health transformation efforts and statewide implementation after the regional pilot. The committee also received the annual report from the Child Care Advisory Council. Maryanne Barter and Jessica Carver said the council worked with licensing to streamline the child care licensing rules, reducing the handbook by about 30%, and is now helping develop an informal dispute resolution process, revising the Granite Steps for Quality system, and creating a clearer handbook for providers handling state scholarship audits. They reported ongoing concern about child care closures and workforce shortages, said there is currently no wait list for child care assistance, and discussed questions about federal CCDF immunization requirements, which DHS said it would follow up on with federal technical assistance partners. After quorum was established, the committee moved to approve the minutes from the prior meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• solar panel and I think best suited to Minnesota's environment, glass is the number one material by weight
• The other number two material by weight is typically the aluminum frame, and that also has a lot of value
• 40.319> by the other the number two um material by the other the number two um material by weight
• > typically<00:44:42.000> the<00:44:42.160> aluminum<00:44:42.680> frame weight
• is typically the aluminum frame weight is typically the aluminum frame and<00:44:43.839> that

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I have limited testifiers today because a bunch of them got stuck in the weather, but I would like to
• I have limited testifiers today because a bunch of them got stuck in the weather, but I would like to
• , teeth, and many other my sight, weight, teeth, and many other things. things. things.
• Madam Chair, you gave everyone else no time limits whatsoever.
• I did list out a 2-minute time limit. He's gone over 2 minutes.

Bills: HF3665, HF3002, HF4217, HF4125, HF4174

Keywords: foster care, early childhood education, child care programs, placement plan, social services, extended foster care, kinship care, relative custody, permanent legal and physical custody, Northstar kinship assistance, independent living plan, transition services, youth aging out of care, medical assistance, Medicaid, child welfare, children youth and families, out-of-home placement, case plan, relative placement

Transcript Highlights:

• It's already helping limit the market presence of bad out-of-state actors, which we've heard from one
• the market presence of bad out limit the market presence of bad out ofate<00:34:40.440> actors
• <01:15:27.280> cattle Hogs bottle Cavs to Market weight cattle Hogs bottle Cavs to Market
• We have had a very limited time in the minority here.
• We have had a very limited time in the minority here.

Bills: HF47, HF434, HF1503, HF1702

Keywords: telecommunications, installation, certification, safety, underground utilities, HF434, cervidae, deer, elk, moose, chronic wasting disease, CWD, wildlife importation, animal health, biosecurity, zoo, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA, USDA exhibitor, species survival plan

Transcript Highlights:

• Webb County is we have a county road that is kind of sandwiched between municipal, uh, municipal limits
• , corporate limits.
• On the northern side, there is a residential subdivision wholly within the corporate limits of the city
• Weight is what we're going to be creating, and it's going to be the width of each individual lot.
• So we're seeing these issues where the, the city limit abuts the county road.

Bills: HB 341, HB 469, HB 971, HB 1624, HB 2721, HB 2959, HB 3365, HB 3731, HB 3793, HB 3861, HB 3946, HB 3966, HB 4348, HB 4401, HB 4402, HB 4924, HB 4966, HB 5563

Keywords: affordable housing, zoning, development, community support, local regulations, bicycle lanes, traffic collisions, Texas Department of Transportation, study, public safety, bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, road safety, transportation study, commercial vehicle, safety standards, enforcement, Texas counties, transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• For hearing House Bill 865, this is a bill that limits civil liability which I'm sure is not something
• Houston City Council District C and yourself testifying for House Bill 865 Okay, and we're going to limit
• Time limit doesn't apply to this bill. Thank you. Take your time.
• So this bill only affects this bill is not relating to statutes of limitations.
• When I was abused in 2005, the statute of limitations in Texas was that I had until the age of 23 to

Bills: HB170, HB865, HB748, HJR112, HB 1110, HB1495, HB786, HB 1130, HB170

Keywords: civil liability, self-defense, force, deadly force, legal immunity, attorney's fees, criminal justice, firearms, liability, veterans, gun ownership, immunity, firearm hold agreement, sexual abuse, nondisclosure, confidentiality, public policy, Trey's Law, parental rights, child upbringing

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Koster, does this bill remove the long-standing one-time limit on sealing criminal records
• One, I believe it's already expressed, removing the one-time limitation.
• The third thing for me is age limit.
• I'm open to a conversation in terms of limiting the sealing of adjudication withholds.
• There is no clarity or meaningful limits, just fear and intimidation.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill only limits parental rights when there is a significantly raised bar than what is currently
• This bill only limits parental rights when there is a significantly raised bar than what is currently
• This bill only limits parental rights when there is a significantly raised bar than what is currently
• <00:59:35.760> parental lgbtq this bill only limits parental lgbtq this bill only limits parental
• address concerns like height caps weight address concerns like height caps weight caps<01:34:30.560

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our limited tax base, coupled with high utilization, limits our ability to cover costs associated with
• Our limited tax base, coupled with high utilization, limits our ability to cover costs associated with
• Both areas with limited ability fund.
• This severely limits our ability to generate revenue.
• :41.519> to<00:08:41.760> generate severely limits our ability to generate severely limits

Bills: HF4421, HF1937, HF4675, HF4715, HF4684

Keywords: county cost share, economically distressed county, human services finance, substance use disorder treatment, SUD services, civil commitment, state aid, county levy, poverty threshold, tax-exempt acreage, property tax exemption, Minnesota human services, county fiscal relief, local government finance, chemical dependency, behavioral health, PACE, elderly, Medicaid, health services

Transcript Highlights:

• So no limit per site. Okay.
• So no limit per site. Okay. Thank you. are there Place. Okay, so no limit per site.
• So we've actually found an example where they had to put trip limits.
• The drawback of these programs is the limited number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
• Again, this study was very limited in the scope that, The better it is.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met, took roll, and heard introductory remarks from members about their districts and transportation priorities, with several senators noting congestion and mobility challenges in their regions. The committee then received a presentation from the Florida Transportation Commission on its oversight role for FDOT, including annual and quarterly performance reviews, review of the five-year work program, and monitoring of tolling and transit authorities. Members asked whether the commission gets involved in project prioritization; the answer was no, because it is statutorily limited to high-level oversight rather than day-to-day project decisions. The committee next heard two reports related to transportation disadvantaged and paratransit services. FDOT’s Melissa Smith described the statewide Transportation Disadvantaged program, its governance structure, service models, and challenges such as fragmented administration, cost, inconsistent reporting, and rural service limitations. She outlined recommendations including better use of technology, regional partnerships, improved training, and alternative delivery models like microtransit and TNC partnerships. A University of South Florida researcher, Martin Katala, discussed best practices for paratransit and demand-response service, emphasizing route optimization software, dynamic dispatching, service standards, vendor accountability, and the use of TNCs and mobility management to improve efficiency and reduce travel times. A later presentation from UF’s I-Street program focused on emerging technologies for transit, including in-cabin monitoring, automatic restraints, accessible booking and tracking tools, and the need for statewide safety standards and better driver interfaces. Finally, FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue and District 5 Secretary John Tyler provided an update on the transition of SunRail local entities. They explained the differences among commuter rail, intercity rail, and light rail, and said SunRail’s financial transition to local partners was completed on January 1, with operational transition to follow over up to three years. They contrasted that with Tri-Rail, where FDOT still funds operations and discussions about a future transition are ongoing. Members asked about the differences between SunRail, Tri-Rail, Amtrak, and Brightline, and the presenters explained that commuter rail serves regional daily commuters while intercity rail connects regions. The committee concluded without taking any formal votes or other legislative action.

Transcript Highlights:

• transactions every day and averages that out across the state, versus EIA takes a sampling and does volume-weighted
• I just want to note this is volume-weighted market share; in terms of number of gas stations, hypermarts
• While some of the major brands are shown a slight decline, I just want to note this is volume-weighted

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing on managing the transportation fuels transition, with a focus on gasoline prices, supply reliability, refinery closures, and the implementation of recent transparency and market oversight laws. Chair Allen opened by citing SB 1322 and special session measures that expanded reporting to the California Energy Commission (CEC), authorized possible refining margin caps, and required minimum inventory and resupply planning. He framed the hearing around rising fuel costs, refinery shutdowns, global supply disruptions, and the need to ensure affordable and reliable fuel during the transition to cleaner transportation. CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda described California’s growing dependence on imports as in-state refining declines, noting that gasoline production has fallen and imports now supply a large share of the market. He said the state has substantial marine import capacity and that the proposed Gateway Pipeline could improve connectivity to the Gulf Coast, but emphasized that distribution and storage remain key constraints. Gunda also said the CEC’s new “days of supply” metric suggests inventories remain within historical ranges, and he attributed recent price increases largely to global crude oil shocks, refinery outages, and the war in Iran. He said taxes and environmental costs have remained relatively stable, while crude costs and industry margins have risen. CDTFA Chief Deputy Director Gentian Droboniku focused on retail pricing, saying widening retail margins and growing price dispersion indicate that retail business models and pricing strategies are increasingly driving pump prices. He highlighted the growth of hypermarts and unbranded stations, the widening gap between branded and unbranded prices, and future work on ownership concentration and algorithmic pricing. Ty Milder of the Department of Petroleum Market Oversight said the Iran conflict is the largest global oil supply disruption in history and that California’s recent price increases largely track national and crude price movements, unlike earlier localized spikes that lacked input-cost justification. He said branded stations, especially major brands, have charged substantially more than nearby competitors, and that the “mystery gasoline surcharge” that appeared after the Torrance refinery fire is still under investigation. Milder also pointed to high diesel spreads, limited market liquidity, and the need for more transparency in spot pricing. Matthew Boutill of CARB said the state’s long-term goals remain deep greenhouse gas reductions and carbon neutrality by 2045, with transportation fuel transition strategies aimed at cleaner fuels, zero-emission vehicles, and support for workers and communities. In questioning, Senators Caballero and Richardson pressed agency witnesses for clearer, more concrete explanations of what the transition will look like in practice, how many refineries California will still need, and what the impacts of increased imports will be on ports, trucking, storage, and local communities. No votes or formal actions were taken.