Transcript Highlights:

• State Disaster Relief Fund, of which $5.7 million is for costs related to previous state disasters. $2
• The committee voted 4-2, and so hope for a green vote. Is there any discussion?
• It cost me another $75 for her to take a special class.
• C penalty to a Class B penalty.
• It came out of the chamber 45 to 2 at that time.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the pledge, and a quorum call, then took up House amendments to Senate Bills 2009, 2147, and 2113. On motion, the Senate refused to concur in the House amendments and appointed conference committees for each bill. The chamber then considered several House bills, adopting amendments and passing House Bill 1556, which creates a Children's Cabinet work group to study out-of-home placement and treatment for children with behavioral health issues, and House Bill 1363, which directs development of a customizable cardiac emergency response plan template for schools and athletic events. House Bill 1533, requiring students to complete a half-unit of financial literacy for graduation, also passed after amendment. House Bill 1226, dealing with masks in public places and protest-related identification concerns, passed after the Judiciary Committee removed language about complying with law enforcement requests to unmask.

Transcript Highlights:

• That bill is out 5 to 2, but we'll keep the roll open for absent members.
• I'm sorry, 5 to 2. And we'll keep the roll open for our absent member.
• The current vote is 3 to 2 with the chair voting aye. Secretary, please call the absent members.
• So that is out 5 to 2, but we'll continue to keep it open for our absent member.
• The current vote is 3 to 2, with the chair voting aye. Secretary, please... Senator Reyes.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are they leading classes? Are they putting on seminars?
• be able to pass her classes be able to pass her classes my<00:18:30.520> concern<00:18:30.960
• were students everywhere around at 2: were students everywhere around at 2: a.m.<00:42:59.440>
• This is two years ago, February 2, 2023.
• This is two years ago, February 2, 2023.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Amber Cameron of the University of Minnesota’s Office for Public Engagement about the University’s Outstanding Community Service Awards and, specifically, the community partner award given to Communities United Against Police Brutality in 2021 and 2024. Cameron explained that the awards program recognizes faculty, staff, students, and community partners, that nominations are reviewed by University selection committees using criteria such as positive societal impact, innovation, extraordinary results, and overall impression, and that the committee evaluates only the application materials. She said the nomination for Communities United Against Police Brutality described a long-standing partnership with the University through student learning, including work through the Center for Community-Engaged Learning and a student white paper connected to the passage of Travis’s Law. Committee members raised concerns about the organization’s history, its public messaging, and whether it was appropriate for the University to honor it. One member argued that the group’s IRS records showed it was formally organized in 2020, questioned claims that it had existed for 25 years, and objected to the organization’s letterhead and activism. Cameron responded that the award does not require formal tax status and that the selection process relies on the nomination packet rather than outside information. She also said the award nomination documented work with 130 course offerings across 17 academic departments and about 1,000 students over 24 years. Cameron further said the award program was being phased out and retooled into a new internal Engaged Scholar Awards program focused on community-engaged scholarship rather than volunteer service. No vote or formal action was taken during the exchange, and the discussion ended with questions about the nomination materials and how the University defines the organization’s work with students and faculty.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, the measure would provide those individuals in the 2.5% class, when they are appointed at the
• A to match parity with the other Class A positions.
• A to achieve parity with the other Class A positions.
• very much needed for our working-class very much needed for our working-class communities<00:38:
• This is in the bill, section 2, pages 5-6.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I see you up there with your MC class.
• with yourMC class. If you'll stand, with yourMC class.
• Elections will meet at 2:30 p.m. today in Room 210.
• And Elections will meet at 2:30 p.m. today in Room 210.
• <00:29:51.760> today, And elections will meet 2:30 p.m. today, And elections will meet 2:30

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 29 January, 2026; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a roll call, invocation, and pledge, then quickly dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. Several guest introductions followed, including members of the Junior League of Jackson, the Mississippi Dental Association and Dental Hygiene Association for oral health day, school counselors and college admission counselors, and other visitors. Senators also recognized individual guests such as a dentist from Newton and a constituent from Senatobia. The chamber then took up two resolutions in block: Senate Bill 2766 designating the Friday before Memorial Day as Buddy Poppy Day in Mississippi, and Senate Resolution 25 commending the Lamar School Raiders football team and Head Coach Jacob Lan for winning the MHSAA 4A Division 3 state championship. The Lamar Raiders were present on the floor, and Coach Lan addressed the Senate after the resolution was read. Both measures were adopted by voice vote, with roll call final passage requested and granted without objection. The Senate also considered House Concurrent Resolution 21, which calls a joint session for the Governor’s State of the State address. A strike-all amendment was adopted to move the event date and location because of weather, shifting it to the second floor rotunda rather than outside or in the House chamber. The Senate then moved through a series of pass-and-retain actions and announcements, including committee meeting notices and cancellations, campaign finance report reminders, and several adjournment-in-memory requests. The body recessed until 5:00 p.m. or until the last committee report was filed, with the journal to reflect adjournment until 9:00 a.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• So want to focus on those 2 today.
• We have 2 children both full-time. A follow on us.
• In the last 15 years, we sold over 2 billion dollars worth of horses of that 2 billion dollars.
• Our gross sales of 2 EUR annually, rank second or 3rd in the country are 2 year-old values have grown
• Pull contractors are required to attend classes.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's in subparagraph 3 on page 2. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• I'm saying that they need a full class I'm saying that they need a full class or<03:55:03.120>
• Um, so the department does not receive information about protected classes.
• And that's on Roman 2, which I neglected to point out on page four.
• And that's on Roman 2, which I neglected to point out on page four.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 662, which would require discussion of abortion procedures and the viewing of certain videos in public school health education. Members argued the bill went too far by naming specific videos and involving the Attorney General in enforcement, and they said curriculum decisions should be left to educators. The committee voted ITL on HB 662 by a unanimous 18-0. The committee then considered HCR 6, a resolution calling for the removal of the superintendent of District 67. Members said the resolution targeted an individual and that the underlying dispute was already in court, so the matter should be left to the legal process. The motion to ITL passed 18-0. Next, HR 9, urging the Department of Education to emphasize STEM education, received broad support as a nonpartisan statement of priorities, and it also passed 18-0. HB 440, concerning educator licensing and shortages in Career and Technical Education, was amended to clarify that the bill applies to initial licensure only. After discussion about whether the amendment was necessary, the committee adopted Amendment 0188 unanimously and then voted OTPA on the bill as amended, 18-0. HB 222, which repealed the requirement for an MOU between charter schools and districts on services for students with disabilities, drew testimony that districts already provide substantial oversight through IEP processes and that the MOU requirement was burdensome and largely unenforced; the committee voted OTP 18-0. The committee then took up HB 719, which would repeal the right of first refusal for charter schools to purchase or lease unused district facilities. Supporters said the existing law had not generated complaints and could impede charter expansion, while opponents said the issue had not proven to be a problem and local control should be preserved. The committee voted ITL 17-1, with one member opposed and no minority report. The chair then postponed HB 184, a study committee bill on school start times, because it was scheduled for the next day, and the committee moved into a work session on bullying-related bills, discussing HB 108, HB 384, and HB 673 without taking final action in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Type 2 diabetes diagnosed... Nearly 24%.
• Type 2 diabetes diagnosed at age 40 shortens life expectancy by an average of 10 years; diagnosed at
• It creates a Class G felony, which is an upgrade of the charge.
• HB 395 HB 395 criminalizes existing hemp businesses with a life-altering class E felony.
• There are class action suits filed in 2023.

Bills: HB305, HB395, HB341

Keywords: hemp, marijuana, THC regulations, cannabis products, adult-use industry, public health, youth protection, child support, reunification, Department of Services for Children, family court, liability

Summary: The committee met in late June with Senators Hansen, Buckson, Siegfried, Townsend, and Huxable present, and first approved the meeting minutes by voice vote. The opening bill, HB 341, would limit DFS from filing child support in foster care cases unless doing so would not hinder reunification; Children’s Department staff said the department has already decided to stop filing in all such cases, with an estimated fiscal impact of about $140,000 annually. Public testimony from the League of Women Voters supported the bill as a compassionate measure to help families reunite. The committee then heard HB 446/related anaphylaxis legislation for colleges and universities, which would allow institutions to stock and use intranasal epinephrine alongside auto-injectors and update training and reporting requirements. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America supported the measure, emphasizing the need for needle-free options and faster treatment of anaphylaxis. The committee also took up HS1 for HB 356 on PFAS, which would ban firefighting foam containing PFAS beginning in 2028, require disclosure if PPE contains PFAS, and address recalls; DNREC and the fire service supported it, saying most departments have already transitioned away from PFAS foam. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 305, a diabetes wellness pilot program that would use continuous glucose monitoring, app-based care coordination, lab testing, and DHIN data analysis to shift care toward prevention and remission. Sponsor Senator Siegfried described the bill as a response to Delaware’s high diabetes costs and prevalence, and the Medical Society of Delaware supported it as a proactive model. The committee also discussed HB 395, which would regulate intoxicating hemp-derived products and synthetic cannabinoids by classifying products over a THC threshold as marijuana and creating penalties for unlicensed sales; the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner supported the bill, while hemp industry representatives and Senator Hoffner warned it could harm legitimate hemp retailers and access to hemp products. The final item, HS1 for HB 332, would ban sales and marketing of kratom products to those under 21 and direct the state to study testing and regulation of kratom and synthetic variants. Supporters, including the Delaware Healthcare Association and several recovery advocates, said age-gating is a reasonable first step and that synthetic products are the main concern; opponents and some senators argued the bill should go further and fully ban kratom or better distinguish synthetic products from natural leaf kratom. No formal roll-call votes were taken on the substantive bills during the transcript, and the meeting adjourned after public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:51:03.680> B jail, it's unspecified, up to a class B jail, it's unspecified, up to a class
• Those reasons RSA 542 Roman numeral 2.
• I think that's a small change that, under 540:2, Roman numeral 2, allowing for the inclusion of disclosure
• 2 Roman numeral 2 paragraph uh 540 colon 2 Roman numeral 2 2D2 2D2 2D2 um<01:53:49.280> allowing<
• /c> if they find a felony from 4 and 1/2 if they find a felony from 4 and 1/2 years<02:02:12.320>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• File item 2, AB 2504, Bauer-Kahan.
• I would go from class to work, then to another shift, and by the time I got home, I would go from class
• That's totally cool in a lot of my classes in philosophy.
• File item 2, AB 2504, Bauer-Kahan.
• That bill is out, 5-2. Apologies. File item 5, AB 1534, Irwin.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This expands the protections established under Act 2 of 2023 to include gender-affirming health care
• of 2023 to include under Act 2 of 2023 to include gender-affirming<00:10:24.400> health<00:10:
• An unauthorized civil immigration arrest or detention will be a class C felony.
• or detention will be a class C felony. or detention will be a class C felony.
• C HB 2413 continues: non-violent misdemeanors, non-violent class C misdemeanors, and non-violent class

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee took up a large decision-making agenda and adopted most measures, often with technical or clarifying amendments. Bills addressed wildlife habitat conservation plans, civil identification cards for 16- and 17-year-olds, electronic and mail voting for associations, remedies for unauthorized disclosure of intimate images, traffic safety around stationary vehicles and pickup truck passengers, expedited permitting for housing for people with disabilities, rainwater catchment systems, EMS advisory committee membership, social media account deletion, limits on immigration-enforcement cooperation, prompt payment rules for professional solicitors, fetal death vital statistics, protections for gender-affirming care, passenger ropeways, law-enforcement facial coverings and immigration-related detention, domestic violence, health care facility access, guardianship record sealing, child protective proceedings, remote driver’s license hearings, disposable vaping products, dog attacks, insurance premium increase explanations, the DOE harm-to-student registry, Hawaiian Homes lease succession, EMS law modernization, hoisting machine regulation, release on recognizance, language interpretation rules, civil asset forfeiture for fireworks offenses, and assisted community treatment. Several bills were deferred, including HB 1897, HB 1957, HB 2121, and HB 2324, while HB 1957 was deferred indefinitely. Most measures were adopted without recorded opposition, though HB 1875 and HB 1961 drew no votes from Vice Chair Gabbard, and HB 2413 was adopted with reservations. A number of bills received substantive amendment instructions. HB 1682 was amended with committee report language noting concerns about departing from the model act. HB 1768 and HB 1886 were revised to narrow or clarify immigration-enforcement restrictions and law-enforcement identification and facial-covering provisions, including plainclothes and undercover exceptions, a narrower civil immigration arrest/detention offense, and savings clauses. HB 2540 received extensive amendments to convert policy language into mandatory terms, refine facial-covering and identification rules, align criminal and policy exemptions, narrow immigration-related offenses, and clarify the definition of law enforcement agency. HB 2413 was amended to define violent offenses, change written findings to oral findings on the record, limit reconsideration of bail, and restrict who may request sanctions or financial conditions. Other amendments included technical fixes, bad-date corrections, severability clauses, and chapter-consistency changes. The committee also heard a joint Education/Judiciary item, SCR 105 and SR 99, urging the Department of Education to provide students information on pre-registering to vote before reaching voting age. Testimony was reported in support from the Department of Education, Office of Elections, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and the League of Women Voters. With no opposition or further discussion, the committee voted to pass both resolutions with technical, non-substantive amendments (SD1).

Transcript Highlights:

• I had working-class parents.
• We created an Ignite program, which is a 2+2 transfer program to help more students from our college
• My grandmother graduated from the first graduating class at Florida State.
• I was fortunate enough to finish at the top of my class, fourth in a class of 200, and I had opportunities
• Yes, on tab 2. Thank you. Thank you very much. Is there any objection?

Summary: The committee first heard CS/SB 1458 on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. The bill sponsor said it would add consistency and transparency by requiring local education agencies and training providers to define their roles and funding shares in contracts, cap an LEA’s share at 10% when it serves only an administrative role, and require public meetings and published work papers for the district workforce education funding steering committee. Several industry and business groups appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without debate. The committee then took up CS/CS/SB 1726 on higher education, which was substantially revised by a delete-all amendment. The amended bill addressed presidential searches, trustee eligibility, interim presidents, polling by universities, mission reviews, and other governance issues. Members asked about the requirement that final presidential candidate groups include at least three applicants, the qualifications for interim presidents, trustee residency/alumni requirements, and limits on candidate polling. Senators Leek and Smith offered contrasting views, with Leek warning about candidate withdrawals and Smith supporting the bill as a way to depoliticize higher education governance. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to confirmation hearings for university and college boards of trustees. Several appointees and reappointees from FAMU, UNF, Pensacola State College, UF, and UWF described their ties to their institutions and goals such as student success, workforce alignment, military support, research, and regional access. The UWF nominees drew the most scrutiny over their votes for former board chair Scott Yenor, whose public comments about women and other groups were criticized by senators and public commenters. Some nominees said they were unaware of the full scope of those remarks and would not have voted for him with that knowledge; others defended their votes as based on his education-reform views. Public testimony also raised concerns about UWF board members’ lack of higher-education experience and local ties. The committee confirmed the non-UWF nominees in a block vote and then began individual votes on the UWF nominees, with debate centered on Yenor-related concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fred Kogan, Legislative District 2. Representative Simacek and Wilmot, Representative Simacek.
• Here in Arizona, we are fortunate to be home to a world-class cultural institution that embodies the
• House Bill 2206, amending Title 46, Chapter 2, Article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding Section
• And I'm thinking about someone in my grandson's third grade class who maybe all they have is food stamps
• I am offering, Representative Martinez and I are offering a free yoga class that starts on Monday, 5:

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Secretary of State gets 6, and then an additional 2 shortly before session.
• It does not appear as if Section 2, Subsection 5, Subsection C addresses transportation.
• a)(2) and 2(b)(2), which is the fiscal year 2027 benefit of Assembly Bill 583, to increase the share
• The amount of the appropriations are identified in Sections 1, 2, and 3 of the bill.
• The amendment would eliminate the appropriations in Sections 1 and 2 of the bill.

Bills: AB49, AB93, AB108, AB169, AB188, AB212, AB221, AB224, AB251, AB282, AB284, AB296, AB304, AB331, AB356, AB366, AB375, AB409, AB467, AB475, AB476, AB479, AB494, AB514, AB515, AB533, AB542, AB550, AB558, AB567, AB568, AB571, AB581, AB583, AB584, AB585, AB595, AB596, AB597, SB170, SB427, SB460, SB508

Keywords: educational personnel, teacher licensing, reciprocal licensure, provisional teaching, school counselors, school nurses, school social workers, state education standards, public employees, police officers, benefits, appropriation, law enforcement, outdoor education, recreation, grant program, environment, funding, health insurance, speech-language pathology

Transcript Highlights:

• 2 and Tier 3, the Tier 2 changes are 100% on the backs of the employers.
• Over 2 million notifications have been made last year.
• Amendment dated 2/19/26 at 8:05 a.m. be adopted.
• Chairman, I move the Farnsworth strike everything amendment dated 2/19/26 at 2:54 p.m. be adopted.
• 18/26 at 2:21 p.m. be adopted.

Bills: SB1041, SB1050, SB1131, SB1138, SB1249, SB1267, SB1272, SB1317, SB1461, SB1488, SB1504, SB1517, SB1523, SB1580, SB1582, SB1584, SB1585, SB1602, SB1630, SB1654, SB1672, SB1673, SB1718, SB1761, SB1819, SB1826, SB1827

Keywords: electronic monitoring, nursing care, assisted living, resident rights, privacy, consent, surveillance, veterans, lifetime pass, state parks, Arizona, access, disabled veterans, cardiac arrest, defibrillators, school safety, emergency response, CPR training, Arizona education funding, automated license plate readers

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, House Bill 999 repeals the requirement that a class A holder of a class 9 distillery license must
• House Bill 1111, Delegate Pruski, Alcoholic Beverages Class 3 Wineries and Class 4 Limited Wineries Bulk
• of a class 4 limited winery license and a holder of a class 4 limited winery license to sell and deliver
• /c> Kai or uh Osprey uh if they get a $2 Kai or uh Osprey uh if they get a $2 million million million
• <02:54:05.840> 2:15 going to meet at 2:15 for voting. 2:15 going to meet at 2:15 for voting

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, established a quorum, and handled several ceremonial and introductory matters before moving into committee reports. The chamber welcomed the doctor of the day, recognized an intern and a guest in the gallery, extended birthday wishes to Senator Chris West, and received remarks from the Romanian Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Andre Moraru, who emphasized Romania’s strategic partnership with the United States, NATO cooperation, investment ties, energy projects, and support for Ukraine. Senators also briefly noted Maryland’s military and diplomatic ties to Romania. The ambassador’s remarks were journalized, and members were given time to meet with him off the floor. The Senate then took up a series of second-reading bills, mostly from the Finance Committee, adopting committee amendments and favorable reports without objection. Among the measures advanced were Senate Bill 39 on behavioral health reimbursement rate methodology and a work group for certified community behavioral health clinics and outpatient mental health centers; Senate Bill 605 directing the Public Service Commission to study broadband and VoIP oversight; Senate Bill 721, Ralph’s Act, providing expedited DDA/Medicaid eligibility for certain recently relocated individuals; and Senate Bill 891 on perinatal mental health screening, coverage, training, and reporting. Each was amended in committee and ordered printed for third reading. The Senate also advanced several House bills, including House Bill 427 extending the task force on responsible use of natural psychedelic substances and adding an HBCU representative; House Bill 480 requiring transportation network companies to maintain written deactivation policies; House Bill 532 requiring overtime pay for firefighters employed by governmental units after 168 hours in a 28-day period; House Bill 816 reducing the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund assessment cap from 3% to 1% and authorizing an affordability program; House Bill 829 requiring human trafficking awareness training for certain for-hire and rideshare drivers; House Bill 862 requiring a two-person crew for certain freight rail operations in shared corridors, contingent on similar action in neighboring states; and House Bill 999 revising Class 9 limited distillery license rules and production limits. Most of these bills were reported favorably, with no objections, and were ordered to third reading or passed for third reading as applicable.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is 52 classes and programs, okay?
• or HiSET classes.
• Their enrollment in ASC classes is fairly low.
• Class is supposed to begin at 1 o'clock, but sometimes we don't get in until almost 2 o'clock.
• And class is supposed to begin at 1 o'clock, but sometimes we don't get into almost 2 o'clock.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission on correctional consolidation and collaboration heard testimony focused on how Massachusetts uses custody levels, staffing, programming, and medical release tools, with Prisoners’ Legal Services arguing that the system is overusing expensive high-security settings and underusing step-down options. Dave Rainey said the incarcerated population has dropped substantially over the last several years, but spending and staffing have not fallen in proportion. He argued that DOC overclassifies people into medium and maximum security, relies too heavily on behavioral assessment units that function like segregation, and keeps people in restrictive settings such as Souza-Baranowski and Shattuck Hospital longer than necessary. He also said medical parole is underused and that many people with serious chronic illness or advanced age pose little public-safety risk and should be released through existing legal pathways. Sheriffs and other commission members pushed back on some of those points, emphasizing that staffing needs are driven by the acuity of the current population, that corrections is not overstaffed, and that classification decisions involve serious public-safety judgments. They also stressed that some high-cost medical placements are necessary because people remain under sentence and require care, and that furloughs and other release tools can create security risks if contraband or substance use is involved. The discussion also covered the role of county sheriffs versus DOC in reentry, with several members saying county systems tend to do more day-to-day step-down and release planning, while DOC has more difficulty moving people through lower-security settings before release. Ben Foreman of MassINC offered a more systemwide, data-focused perspective, praising the state’s transparency and arguing that Massachusetts has made major progress in reducing incarceration and increasing public safety. He said the state still has an opportunity to improve by right-sizing facilities, investing in community-based mental health treatment, and using the commission to better understand the capital and operating costs of the current system. In response to questions, he said he was aware of DOC studies on programs like furlough but had not reviewed recent ones, and he noted that total-control facilities like Souza-Baranowski have long been criticized in the research literature for poor outcomes. Nora Wassel of the Women and Incarceration Project then testified that the commission should issue an interim report and scrutinize the planned new women’s prison, which she said is not justified by current population trends or available data. She argued that women are overclassified under DOC’s own tools, that reentry beds and minimum-security placements are underused, and that the system may be failing to account for women’s distinct medical and reentry needs. The meeting ended with continued discussion of reentry, furloughs, day reporting, and whether consolidation should mean fewer facilities, better step-down pathways, or both.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Joint Resolution 2. Senate Joint Resolution 2. Will the reading clerk please read it in?
• Senate Joint Resolution 2: 18 aye, 13 no.
• 2 has failed introduction.
• Senate File 2, second reading of the Senate file. Senate File 2, legislative budget. Thank you.
• So, we had 34 states 2/3 of the states.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What this credit is designed to do is to encourage the middle class to be able to purchase and sustain
• premiums, keep paying those premiums, and keep that coverage and protect themselves as the middle class
• to be able to encourage the middle class to be able to<00:01:52.560> purchase<00:01:53.079>
• is to offer incentives for middle class is to offer incentives for folks<00:02:20.920> and<00
• /c> we're saying it's going to be a $2 we're saying it's going to be a $2 million<00:45:51.240> fiscal

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• II gaming machines is $2 billion.
• And I think everybody enjoyed the class.
• We also have a social work program that has produced many professionals through our 2+2 collaboration
• We have a business administration 2+2 program with Mayville State.
• So I would move on this bill that we add the term serious mental illness in Section 2 for Alliance 2

Summary: The committee met at Spirit Lake Tribe and heard an extended discussion with Spirit Lake tribal leaders and program directors about government-to-government relations with the state. Chairwoman Street and others outlined a number of concerns and requests, including taxation of tribal and trust lands, state school support for non-beneficiary students, homelessness services, Indian-managed health care, gaming/e-tabs, the Feather Alert system, industrial farming near waterways, tourism and cultural issues, and the need for more consistent tribal consultation. Committee members responded that many of these issues had previously been passed along without direct action, and several members emphasized the committee’s role in education, communication, and preparing possible legislation or resolutions for the next session. Tribal representatives also offered to provide training on treaties, IHS 638, and compact services to help legislators better understand tribal jurisdiction and billing issues. A major portion of the meeting focused on Spirit Lake Fish and Wildlife concerns, especially jurisdictional “gray areas” around hunting and fishing on the reservation, recognition of tribal licenses, and the boundary of the reservation around Spirit Lake/Devils Lake. Tribal officials said they wanted a co-stewardship agreement or MOU with the state to clarify jurisdiction, improve cooperation, and address invasive species and aquatic nuisance species. Committee members discussed whether to draft legislation or a resolution directing the executive branch and state agencies to negotiate such an agreement, and they asked for further input from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at a future meeting. The committee also discussed county involvement in land status changes and trust land issues, with Spirit Lake leaders describing a past Benson County resolution that tried to block fee-to-trust transfers and saying it was later rescinded. The committee then heard from Benson County tax equalization director Randy Thompson, who explained how the county values land and handles tax-exempt, inundated, and fee-to-trust parcels. Members asked about the impact of tax-exempt lands on county services and discussed prior legislation that helped counties with large tax-exempt bases. The committee also received a presentation from Dr. Steven Smith of Sisseton Wahpeton College, who described the college’s programs, economic impact, and funding needs, including support for non-beneficiary students and workforce training. Members asked about expanding tribal college education into correctional settings, and Smith said the idea was worth exploring through the tribal college system. Finally, HHS interim medical services director Christoph Framing presented remotely on 1115 Medicaid waivers and the IMD exclusion, explaining current state funding mechanisms for inpatient and residential behavioral health services and the bill draft directing HHS to pursue a waiver for IMD payments.