Video & Transcript Research : 'group size'

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MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee 2/25/25

Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • But in 10.25 it says the maximum group size applies at all times except during meals, outdoor activities
  • to those maximum group sizes don't have to those maximum group sizes don't have to apply<00:52:26.640
  • <00:53:24.599> size understand how the maximum group size understand how the maximum group
  • <00:54:15.760> size<00:54:15.960> of okay 1 to eight is not Max group size of okay
  • 1 to eight is not Max group size of 14<00:54:16.559> is<00:54:16.799> good<00:54:16.960
Bills: HF1247, HF628
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Child Committee Meeting - 2026-04-15

Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:04:57.960> and meetings and with provider groups and meetings and with provider groups
  • Um, and it puts everybody a little in the same kind of group to bring changes forward.
  • <01:23:17.720> There's<01:23:18.040> individuals from family group.
  • There's individuals from family group.
  • <01:24:05.000> to the same kind of in the same group to the same kind of in the same group
Bills: HF4382, HF2929
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Child Committee Meeting - 2026-04-14

Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:04:18.640> um, for the working group um, for the working group um, for<00:04:19.799>
  • So, I think I mean, that's a pretty wide shot group.
  • You're saying we could provide group.
  • My concern was with looking at the working groups, what the working group is asking for in the interim
  • There's a high demand for child care for that age group.
Bills: HF4407, HF4382
Summary: The Children and Families Committee adopted the April 8 minutes and then took up House File 4407, as amended by the A1 amendment. The amendment, explained by nonpartisan staff, incorporated much of the Senate version of related legislation and made a series of changes: it revised the definition of “disproportionately represented child,” shifted that determination to the Commissioner of Children, Youth, and Families, made technical cross-reference and terminology updates, adjusted training requirements, set the working group to expire December 31, 2027, and added an appropriation for statewide implementation. The committee adopted the A1 amendment and then referred the bill to Ways and Means. Representative Gilman said the bill is intended to preserve the goals of the Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act while addressing operational, legal, and fiscal problems before statewide implementation. He argued for delaying the effective date by one year, shifting case review responsibilities to the state, and providing funding so counties are not left with an unfunded mandate. He also said the bill adds safety measures related to synthetic opioids and other imminent-harm concerns, and that the delay would allow the working group to finish its recommendations and give counties time to prepare. County officials Steve Schmidt of Meeker County/Minnesota Rural Counties and Jenny Mojo of Clay County testified in support of the bill as amended, emphasizing that counties need clearer responsibilities, staffing, training, technology, and dependable funding to implement the law successfully. Rebecca St. George of DCYF said “active efforts” is not absolutely defined and is determined case by case, often with court involvement. Members raised questions about the meaning of active efforts, the bill’s synthetic opioid language, and whether the proposal should apply more broadly rather than within this specific act. A citizen also cautioned that the opioid language should not unintentionally affect families in treatment programs. Representative Hicks warned that the fentanyl provisions could lead to broad removals and create placement problems for teens with substance use disorder, while Representative Gilman responded that the bill includes a rebuttable presumption and is meant to protect children from imminent harm.
VA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Memorial Commission Tribute to Senator Yvonne Miller Work Group to order, and have the members introduce
  • If y'all are comfortable... ...and distribute to the work group.
  • Madam Chair, Chair, members of the work group.
  • You have a great work group here. I see. I see. You have a great work group here. I see. I see.
  • If there's no further business to discuss for the work group today, we will be adjourned.
Summary: The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission Tribute to Senator Yvonne Miller Work Group met to discuss plans for Senator Miller’s portrait. Members introduced themselves, then took a walking tour of the Capitol to review possible placement locations. After returning, the group agreed the first-floor rotunda area appeared to be the best recommendation because of its visibility, traffic, and central location between the House and Senate, which was seen as especially fitting given Senator Miller’s service in both chambers. The work group also discussed how to select the portrait artist. Members described prior practices of reviewing artists’ websites or portfolios, narrowing the field to a few candidates, and then comparing style and pricing before making a choice. House staff noted that a portrait vendor or agent could help identify artists, and the group discussed whether a formal RFP was required. Counsel explained that the commission could seek an exemption under the VPPA, allowing a more flexible selection process without following the full statutory procurement procedure. Members said the exemption request would be handled quickly and included in the report for the full commission meeting the next day. They also agreed to provide a photo of the recommended portrait location for members who had not taken the tour, and to revisit the family’s preferred image so it could be matched to the portrait requirements. The meeting ended with plans to report the location recommendation and continue the portrait selection process at the full commission meeting.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Industry, Business and Labor Apr 8th, 2025 at 02:45 pm

Industry, Business and Labor

Transcript Highlights:
  • And small employer group market, the PERS plan is a large employer group market.
  • Large employer, there are ACA requirements for large employer groups.
  • There's a lot of commonality between what's required, but from a large employer group, the Affordable
  • , which makes sense based on the size of our plan, and requiring those non-grandfathered benefits of
  • a large employer group, which gets into what I covered in my testimony previously.
Bills: SB2160
Summary: The committee resumed work on Senate Bill 2160, which would move the Public Employees Retirement System health plan from grandfathered to non-grandfathered status under the Affordable Care Act. PERS officials Rebecca Frickie and Derek Holbein explained that the bill would allow more flexibility in plan design, including higher deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket maximums, while also adding enhanced preventive benefits. They clarified that ACA “essential health benefits” apply to individual and small-group markets, not to PERS as a large employer, and that the bill’s projected cost increases were based on actuarial estimates and prior bid scenarios from Sanford and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Members debated whether the bill would actually save money or simply shift costs to employees. Supporters argued that non-grandfathered status would create more levers to manage medical inflation and could produce net premium savings through plan redesign, citing prior bid comparisons showing potential reductions of 1% to 8% depending on the option. Opponents, including Representative Schauer and North Dakota United president Nick Archelette, questioned how the state would pay for the estimated $25 million to $30 million in added benefits and warned that employees could face higher out-of-pocket costs amid already strained household budgets. Frickie said the legislature would control funding decisions and that current law requiring the state to pay full family premiums could be changed only by statute. The committee also discussed reserve funding, with members noting that a $4.3 million reserve draw in the bill was intended to cover the final months of the biennium and could be modified. After testimony and discussion, Vice Chair Johnson moved a do-pass recommendation and referral to Appropriations. The motion passed 10-3-1, with Representatives Ostlie, Schatz, and Schauer voting no. Representative Gump agreed to carry the bill.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/5/26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • fully insured market, premiums this year have increased significantly both in individual and small group
  • market, and then the fully insured large group market. terms of what terms of what Repres I'll<00:14
  • market. fully insured large group market.
  • He said the increase in the cost of fully insured individual and small group coverage is part of that
  • <01:08:47.679> other of participation by another group other of participation by another group
Bills: HF3388, HF400
Summary: The committee approved the minutes from the prior day and then heard House File 400, a bill described as a defrayal measure for health insurance mandates. Representative Perryman said the bill would not block future mandates, but would require the state to pay the added costs of any new mandated benefits so those costs would not be shifted to premium payers. She and supporters framed the bill as a way to protect affordability for Minnesota employers, workers, and families, especially in the fully insured market. Testimony in support came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Council of Health Plans. They argued that Minnesota has a high number of mandated benefits, that each new mandate adds cost to premiums, and that businesses—especially small and midsize employers—are already struggling with rising health insurance costs. The health plans representative said the bill would use the existing Commerce defrayal process to reimburse plans for eligible mandate-related claims, allowing those costs to be removed from premium rates. Several members echoed support, saying the bill would improve transparency by showing the fiscal impact of proposed mandates and help prevent people from being priced out of coverage. Members also explored how mandates apply in the market and how premiums are set. Deputy Commissioner Julia Dryer explained that, unless otherwise specified, mandates generally apply to the individual, small group, and fully insured large group markets, while self-insured ERISA plans and other markets are generally outside that scope. Representative Elkins noted that the affected market is relatively small and said small businesses are increasingly moving to self-insured plans because of cost. He and others raised concerns about affordability, while Representative Smith argued that mandates often ensure needed care and that the bill shifts costs to taxpayers rather than insurers. Representative Bacham added a personal example from tribal self-insurance, saying preventive physicals had saved lives and asking whether other factors besides mandates are driving insurer costs. No amendments were offered, and the bill was laid over for possible future consideration.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Elections Apr 24th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • It doesn't target any group unfairly and allows our state to do what is expected under federal law: keep
  • That's a question you might want to ask some of those organizations and groups that are reviewing the
  • It's difficult for me to identify or to state what I think other groups might sue on, but I think there
  • Now, surely, in any large group, there will be a few rotten apples.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh, beginning with the Zo Group. And you guys are at the table already.
  • Uh, beginning with the Zo Group. And you guys are at the table already.
  • I'm the president of Zo Education and a senior vice president with the Zo Group.
  • Before addressing the core of my remarks, I want to briefly introduce Zo Group and Zo Education.
  • Before addressing the core of my remarks, I want to briefly introduce Zo Group and Zo Education.
Summary: The committee heard testimony from Michael McCurley, president of Zo Education and a senior vice president with Zo Group, about the company’s role in providing broadband and managed network services to Kentucky schools. He said Zo Education serves all Kentucky K-12 public school districts in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education, offering more bandwidth at lower cost than the prior provider and also providing cybersecurity and network protection. He emphasized that reliable connectivity is essential for instruction, testing, remote coursework, and school administration. McCurley also addressed the ongoing contract dispute involving the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Open Fiber Silicom, saying Zo Education is not a party to the litigation but is concerned about possible disruption to schools and students. In response to committee questions, he said the company incurred unexpected costs when it had to reroute connections and build alternate network paths, including one school move that cost more than $50,000 to serve a site generating under $2,000 per month. He said outages and incidents are more frequent when Kentucky Wired access is unavailable, and that Zo could not have bid at its current price without access to Kentucky Wired. Committee members discussed the broader implications of the dispute and the state’s broadband structure. Senator Williams said the committee’s priority is avoiding disruption to students and noted concerns about infrastructure purchases and upgrades tied to the network, saying he had not seen clear contractual support for some of the expenditures. He also referenced a future audit and said the committee should preserve options and taxpayer funds. The committee then reviewed its report to LRC, including changes related to infrastructure purchases and water asset management technology, and agreed to submit the report without a committee vote. The chair announced the next meeting would be in January, with no December meeting scheduled, and the committee adjourned.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JDC-WLA, JDC, JDC Public Hearings 02-18-2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • a working group to specifically recommend how to handle these issues and ensure a smooth transition.
  • part of the stakeholder group.
  • And that's a to that particular group?
  • to choose a primary or a partisan group to choose a primary or a partisan group for<00:46:57.640
  • Um, a group and rights of crime victims.
Bills: SB2041
Summary: The committees heard SB 2041, which would repeal the Land Court, transfer its functions to the Bureau of Conveyances, and create a working group to recommend implementation. DLNR and Judiciary stood on their written testimony, while Realtors supported the bill and one testifier raised concerns about the loss of judicial authority, title disputes, adverse possession, and possible effects on Kuleana lands. Members questioned whether property could be deregistered and what the legal consequences would be, and the Bureau of Conveyances said deregistration is already available but burdensome. The committees ultimately recommended passage with amendments, and the measure was adopted by both committees. The Judiciary Committee then heard SB 2247, which restricts certain governor-appointed, Senate-confirmed executive branch employees from participating in campaign fundraising. The State Ethics Commission and Campaign Spending Commission supported the bill as a way to curb pay-to-play concerns and the appearance of undue influence, and several advocacy and civic groups also testified in support, with one person opposing. The committee agreed to amend the bill so the restrictions apply only after confirmation and continue until the person leaves the covered position. The committee voted to pass SB 2247 with amendments. Finally, the Judiciary Committee heard SB 2143, which would make the Attorney General the interim Chief Election Officer if that office becomes vacant until the Elections Commission appoints a replacement. Supporters argued the bill would provide continuity, prevent delays in certifying election results, and protect election integrity; opponents argued it would politicize the office, create a conflict of interest, and was unnecessary because current law already provides a process for filling vacancies. Testimony was extensive and sharply divided, with many speakers on both sides. The transcript provided does not include a final vote or action on SB 2143.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

CPC Public Hearing - Thu Apr 16, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Consumer Protection & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • The third is convening a working group.
  • ecosystem as a whole and to also include ticket sellers on this working group.
  • Sure, we'd be happy to look at that, and if we're included in the working group...
  • I'm sure we'd be happy to look into that as part of the working group. Okay, thank you.
  • if we're included in the working group if we're included in the working group >> [laughter
Bills: SCR118, SCR173
Summary: The Committee on Consumer Protection heard two resolutions. SCR 118 SD1 would urge the Insurance Division and the Attorney General to convene a working group on climate change impacts on insurance availability and affordability. The Insurance Division deferred to written testimony, while the Attorney General opposed the measure because of an ongoing lawsuit, asking that references to legal recovery and the AG’s role in convening the group be removed. Members questioned how the resolution might relate to the state’s climate damages litigation and whether it could inform damages calculations. The committee later recommended passage with amendments, including removing the Attorney General as co-convener and changing certain membership references to board chairs; the motion passed unanimously with one excused member. The committee also heard SCR 173 SD1, which would create a task force on event ticket scalping. The Office of Consumer Protection supported the concept but asked to be added as a task force member and said the draft left its role unclear. Supporters, including the National Independent Venue Association and D-BAT, described high resale prices, fraudulent or speculative tickets, and harm to consumers and local businesses. StubHub and the Ticket Policy Forum supported the task force but urged broader scope to include the primary ticket market and ticket sellers, and StubHub also sought inclusion on the task force. Members discussed whether the task force should focus on the secondary market or the broader ticketing ecosystem, and whether the Office of Consumer Protection should be part of the task force or only consulted. The vice chair recommended passage with amendments adding the Office of Consumer Protection as a member and clarifying the consultation language, and the committee adopted that recommendation unanimously with one excused member.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/11/2026 - Senate Education

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • These staffing shortages, combined with large classroom sizes and a lack of counselors, psychologists
  • solution is really that we need qualified, certified educators in the classroom, smaller classroom sizes
  • not the solution is really we need qualified certified educators in the classroom smaller classroom sizes
  • So does it stipulate what those grant sizes can be to the individual districts or per garden?
Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard a presentation from Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne focused on school safety, academic improvement, career and technical education, ESA oversight, and teacher pay. Horne argued that students cannot learn without safe schools and urged more funding for school police officers, citing threats and violent incidents. He also highlighted Project Momentum, tutoring, attendance, classroom phone restrictions, the Student Industry Partnership, expanded ESA participation, and his call to use Proposition 123 land trust funds for direct teacher raises. In response to a question, he said the department is using AI tools, residency checks, and investigators to reduce ESA fraud and abuse. The committee then considered SB 1074, which would require written certification from a principal or administrator before a student removed for discipline could return to class. Horne and the sponsor said the bill would support teachers and hold administrators accountable, while opponents from the Arizona Education Association argued it was redundant, could undermine administrator judgment and FERPA-protected information, and would not address the root causes of classroom disruption. The bill passed 4-3. The committee also heard SB 1327, as amended by a strike-everything amendment requiring Arizona public universities to adopt and report on research security policies to protect against foreign adversary threats and preserve federal funding eligibility. Support came from the sponsor, State Armor, and the Arizona Board of Regents, and the amended bill passed 5-2. Members next approved SB 1475, which bars students convicted of, or admitting to, certain serious offenses from participating in school-sponsored interscholastic activities, with some discussion about rehabilitation, school discretion, and whether a readmittance process should exist. Supporters said the measure was needed for accountability and uniformity after a particularly egregious case; opponents warned it could remove an important rehabilitative outlet. The bill passed 4-3. The committee then advanced SB 1582 and SB 1583, both related to school safety interoperability funding and technical corrections; SB 1582 passed 4-2, and SB 1583, as amended, passed 4-2. Finally, SB 1598, which appropriates $500,000 for school and community gardens, passed unanimously 5-0 after testimony that gardens serve as hands-on learning spaces and supportive environments for students.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Commerce Committee Meeting - 2026-03-26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Basically, the group that we were talking about with the waiver that we were speaking about in the last
  • <00:31:46.720> Basically Basically, the group that we were talking about with the waiver that
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Criminal Jurisprudence Apr 15th, 2025

Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • this legislative proposal did go through the Texas Indigent Defense Commission's legislative work group
  • There could be a whole group of people that I represent that would be upset about that because they're
  • So I'm the layman out of this group, but I have served on—I'm just being honest—I have served on a grand
  • information system where basically the DA just goes ahead and charges the case, and there is not a group
  • In the state of Texas, we... ...have preserved the grand jury proceeding to have a group of grand jurors
Bills: HB200
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 2/20/25

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • , and large group.
  • group and large group individual small group and large group there<00:20:34.039> are<00:20:34.320
  • about individual Market small group about individual Market small group Group<01:03:25.920> market
  • c> fully Group market large group market fully Group market large group market fully insured<01:03
  • around 200,000 or so in the small group around 200,000 or so in the small group and<01:04:20.000
Bills: HF747, HF1014, HF320, HF400
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Insurance Apr 9th, 2025

Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • To sell their drugs, manufacturers pay placement fees for coverage by PBMs, insurer plans, group purchasing
  • On the way right now, there's a group called Sustain that they're working on.
  • Is that the main concern that your group has with the bill?
  • know that when there was a study conducted by the American Cancer Society in the Berkeley Research Group
  • So I'm going to ask, along with my members here, We need to work with these groups.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Insurance Apr 9th, 2025

Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • House Bill 712 would require all group, blanket, and individual health insurance policies to comply with
  • of those is preventive services, and what it does is it says if a preventive service is... ...by a group
  • That's an independent group of doctors and researchers that look at preventive services.
  • If that group looks at a preventive service and gives it an A or a B rating, then it's required coverage
  • A particular mandate gets a C or a D, depending on the age group.