Transcript Highlights:

• I watch the different things that are coming up, and otherwise, I watch online.
• Um, we've got multiple bills, some regarding requirements on social media platforms, some from an app

Bills: SB140, HB235, HB276, HB317, HB340

Keywords: Coach Safely Act, youth athletics, noncompliance penalties, Department of Public Health, youth athlete, social media, age verification, minors, under 16, children online safety, online privacy, platform regulation, deceptive trade practice, Attorney General, civil penalties, punitive damages, consumer protection, account creation, algorithmic feeds, internet safety

Bills: HB146, HB276

Keywords: youthful offender, criminal justice, capital murder, public safety, victims' rights, social media, minor safety, child online safety, teen accounts, parental controls, age verification, digital privacy, online platform regulation, content moderation, deceptive trade practice, Attorney General enforcement, cyber safety, mental health, youth mental health, screen time

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:36:53.120> where<00:36:53.240> we regulations where we regulations where we you<00:
• Medicaid is negotiated with regulated.
• <00:51:21.720> by part of the market that is regulated by part of the market that is regulated
• ,<01:00:02.541> [snorts] state regulations, [snorts] state regulations, [snorts] what<01:00
• ,<01:35:53.960> which First Alliance and our regulator, which First Alliance and our regulator

Bills: HF3766, HF3972, HF3437, HF4118

Keywords: travel insurance, regulation, insurance licensing, consumer protection, travel assistance, short-term rental, vacation rental, home sharing, rental marketplace, online platform, property damage guarantee, damage waiver, reimbursement insurance, insurance regulation, commerce department, platform user, Airbnb, Vrbo, host protection, rental home marketplace

Transcript Highlights:

• Collecting and storing sensitive data for age verification would make social media platforms prime...
• would make social media platforms prime targets for hackers, putting users' personal information at
• Learning that maybe you shouldn't communicate with this adult online and... ...online.
• Listen, we have regulations protecting... ...Listen, we have regulations protecting our children from
• It's time for these platforms to take responsibility.

Bills: HB235, HB276, HB285

Keywords: social media, age verification, minors, under 16, children online safety, online privacy, platform regulation, deceptive trade practice, Attorney General, civil penalties, punitive damages, consumer protection, account creation, algorithmic feeds, internet safety, youth social media, minor safety, child online safety, teen accounts, parental controls

Transcript Highlights:

• 56.480> will<00:10:56.800> come<00:10:56.959> on New dairy farms will have come online
• Members, this is the Board of Dentistry regulation bill.
• The Board of Dentistry regulation bill is mostly through the summer.
• renter or a visitor has committed damage to your property and they refused to pay you back, the platform

Bills: HF3298, SF3832, HF3528, HF3516, HF3972, HF4118

Keywords: underground storage tanks, petroleum, reimbursement program, environmental regulation, pollution control, dairy assistance, investment relief, agriculture support, food production, economic relief, barbering, licensing, examinations, barber schools, public safety, certifications, Barber Examiners Board, dentistry, licensure, registration

Bills: SB82, SB1807, SB2254, HB119, HB130, HB581, HJR98, SB1988

Keywords: business liability, concealed carry, handgun policy, premises liability, criminal acts, civil liability, business premises, concealed handgun, property liability, property rights, gun regulations, criminal liability, protective order, confidentiality, personal information, court records, victim protection, charitable raffle, nonprofit, wildlife conservation

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs met to consider several pending measures and adopted committee substitutes on multiple bills before voting them out. Senate Bill 2403, Senate Bill 1888 (jury wheel procedures in certain counties), Senate Bill 2417 (Attorney General actions under the Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act), Senate Bill 2459 (personal identifying information for judiciary employees), and Senate Bill 2943 (discrimination involving occupational licenses) were each reported favorably to the full Senate, with most passing unanimously and SB 2943 passing on a 10-1 vote. The committee also certified SB 1888, SB 2417, and SB 2459 for the local and uncontested calendars, and later did the same for SB 2943. The committee then considered House Joint Resolution 98, the Convention of States resolution, which was reported favorably to the full Senate on an 8-3 vote. House Bill 1393, dealing with daylight saving time and keeping the state on daylight saving time year-round, was also reported favorably, with the committee noting it heard the House bill rather than a Senate companion. House Bill 2884, concerning financial relationship disclosures for defense contractors, was likewise reported favorably, with the final tally announced as 11 ayes and 1 nay. No testimony was taken in the excerpt, and no substantive debate was recorded beyond brief clarifications about the bills and their companions. After completing the votes and calendar motions, the committee recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have industry come in front of us and ask for regulation.
• We need to figure out a way to rein in some of this stuff online.
• the age of consent online for kids is 13.
• I'm the policy director at the Family Online Safety Institute, a nonprofit that works with parents, platforms
• By knowing the age or age range of their users, apps and platforms can deliver safer online experiences

Bills: S0198, S0422, S1236, S1356, S1456, S1722

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosks, money services business, regulation, financial services, consumer protection, cryptocurrency, registration, ADS-B, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, aviation, airports, airport fees, landing fees, departure fees, touch-and-go landing, general aviation, pilot privacy, airspace radius, aircraft tracking

Summary: The committee first postponed SB 1456, then heard SB 1236, which would condition state economic development incentives on employers using secret-ballot union elections and prohibit neutrality agreements. The sponsor argued the bill protects workers from coercion and applies only to companies receiving taxpayer-funded incentives; opponents said it was government interference, likely to hurt contractors, apprenticeships, and business growth, and raised concerns about federal preemption and Attorney General enforcement. After debate, the committee reported SB 1236 favorably on a recorded vote. The committee then considered CS/SB 198, a measure to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks by requiring operator registration, fraud warnings, transaction limits, blockchain analytics, receipts, and refund protections for certain first-time transactions tied to fraud. Supporters from the banking industry, AARP, and others said the bill would help stop scams that are targeting seniors and vulnerable adults; one industry witness supported the bill but suggested narrowing the limits for existing users and shortening the new-customer period. The committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee took up CS/SB 1356 on dog breeding, pet sales, and breeder registration. The sponsor said the bill is intended to curb puppy mills, improve animal welfare, and add consumer protections, while an amendment removed state oversight of local animal shelters. Pet store representatives supported much of the bill but objected to the three-day waiting period for financed purchases, expanded reimbursement, and unfair trade practice penalties; others argued the bill would add red tape and litigation. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 1722 on app stores and minors, which would require age verification, parental consent for minors, app-content disclosures, and enforcement by the Department of Legal Affairs. Supporters said the bill would help parents protect children online; opponents warned it could force collection of sensitive personal data, create privacy and constitutional problems, and duplicate existing parental tools. Members debated the balance between child safety and privacy, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, the committee heard CS/SB 422 on ADS-B aviation data, which would bar use of ADS-B information to calculate certain landing or access fees; an amendment added departures to the restriction. Pilots supported the bill as a safety and privacy measure, while airport representatives opposed it as undermining airport finances and shifting costs. The amendment was adopted, and the hearing on the bill began with testimony from both sides.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:17:21.199> where centralized digital platform where centralized digital platform where
• statewide, make it one digital platforms statewide, make it one digital platforms for<01:18:11.360
• This is an workforce digital platform.
• We um various social media platforms.
• Kaplan if you want to do them online Kaplan if you want to do them online which<01:39:28.400>

Bills: HF3004, HF3663

Keywords: workforce development, youth employment, internships, mentoring, job opportunities, digital platform, online portal, career pathways, youth workforce, employment and economic development, DEED, general fund appropriation, nonprofit grant, social media outreach, digital outreach, workforce opportunities, teen jobs, young adults, career exploration, Minnesota youth

Bills: SB1521

Keywords: artificial intelligence, AI, generative AI, chatbot, conversational AI, companion AI, AI companion, virtual companion, chatbot regulation, minor safety, child online safety, parental controls, content moderation, self-harm, suicidal ideation, crisis intervention, mental health claims, romantic AI, emotional dependence, app store

Summary: The Government Modernization and Technology Committee met with quorum and heard Senate Bill 1521, presented by Representative Maynard. The bill is a child-protection measure aimed at conversational AI systems that simulate human companionship or emotional attachment. Maynard explained that, unlike a related House bill that bars minors from social AI companion systems entirely, SB 1521 would allow minors to use broader AI systems but require disclosures that they are interacting with an AI, not a human, and require safeguards against sexual conversations and encouragement of self-harm, including suicide prevention features. Representative Alonso Sandoval asked how the bill would interact with the earlier House-passed measure. Maynard clarified that the House bill applies narrowly to social AI companions, while SB 1521 applies more broadly to general-purpose systems such as ChatGPT or Gemini. He emphasized that the bill does not prohibit minors from using those systems, but requires reasonable protections and notice to minors. After the presentation and brief discussion, the committee moved to a due pass recommendation, with no further questions or debate. The vote was opened and closed, and the bill passed the committee 7-0. The meeting then adjourned with no other agenda items.

Transcript Highlights:

• But as far as if you buy that particular platform, you got to go through that platform and through that
• Let's say you're using Z platform.
• buy you got to go through that platform buy you got to go through that platform and<00:37:27.760
• I mean, there is ways you can get paid by platforms if you bring enough people to the platform and you
• paid directly from platforms as well. paid directly from platforms as well.

Bills: HB19, HB170, HB171, HB173, HB174, HB19, HB170, HB171, HB173, HB174

Keywords: Ebony Alert, missing youth, public safety, law enforcement, racial equity, HB170, supplemental appropriations, Education Trust Fund, Alabama education budget, school funding, K-12 education, local boards of education, textbook adoption, school buses, school safety, charter schools, summer programs, afterschool programs, reading intervention, college and career readiness

Bills: SB1521

Keywords: artificial intelligence, AI, generative AI, chatbot, conversational AI, companion AI, AI companion, virtual companion, chatbot regulation, minor safety, child online safety, parental controls, content moderation, self-harm, suicidal ideation, crisis intervention, mental health claims, romantic AI, emotional dependence, app store

Transcript Highlights:

• from platforms to protect Minnesota<00:48:08.600> youth<00:48:08.840> online.
• At the legislative level, Minnesota too can step out and urge these platforms to protect youth online
• At the legislative level, Minnesota too can step out and urge these platforms to protect youth online
• Representative Smith, 95% of kids' time online is spent on the biggest platforms that have over a billion
• is spent on the of kids time online is spent on the biggest<01:14:52.560> platforms<01:14:53.600

Bills: HF4502, HF3388, HF4106, HF400, HF4138, HF4118, HF4203

Keywords: trusted contact, financial exploitation, elder abuse, elder financial abuse, fraud prevention, financial institution, banking, credit union, broker-dealer, account security, dormant account, consumer protection, scam, suspicious activity, protective services, law enforcement reporting, Minnesota Statutes chapter 45A, HF3388, Minnesota premium security plan, reinsurance

Bills: SB 18, SB 34, SB82, SB1807, SB2254, HB119, HB130, HB581, HJR98, SB1988

Keywords: Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water permit, water appropriation, dam permit exemption, reservoir, flood control, floodwater control, erosion control, sediment control, watershed protection, flood prevention, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, USDA, local sponsor, district, authority, water infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• Current law does not allow these non-profits to sell raffle tickets online, restricting them to in-person
• Sales are only permitting online promotion and advertisement.
• Websites to sell tickets online for a statewide raffle.
• Thirty-five other states currently allow charitable raffles to be sold online.
• Businesses are very frequently regulated anyway. What this does is now we're sort of...

Bills: SB82, SB1807, SB2254, HB119, HB130, HB581, HJR98, SB1988, SB 18, SB 34

Keywords: business liability, concealed carry, handgun policy, premises liability, criminal acts, civil liability, business premises, concealed handgun, property liability, property rights, gun regulations, criminal liability, protective order, confidentiality, personal information, court records, victim protection, charitable raffle, nonprofit, wildlife conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• We've already lost much of our online market share nationally since lead- and cadmium-based colors are
• <01:05:35.559> and<01:05:35.760> how<01:05:35.960> these far as regulations
• and how these far as regulations and how these products<01:05:36.440> are<01:05:36.599> used
• Maybe we should talk offline about this, but in Commerce Committee we regulate substances that intoxicate
• Commerce Committee, we regulate substances that intoxicate people all the time, so obviously we don't

Bills: HF737, HF247, HF325, HF1330

Keywords: lead, cadmium, consumer products, safety regulation, retail restrictions, motor sports, nonoxygenated gasoline, fuel regulations, storage requirements, racing events, HF325, flavored nitrous oxide, nitrous oxide, whippets, laughing gas, retail sales, consumer protection, misdemeanor, commerce, Minnesota Statutes chapter 325F

Transcript Highlights:

• children from child predators, and he's done great work in trying to eliminate child predators from the online
• what the practice that was recommended to me and At several of the references that I've discovered online
• reporter named Alissa Goldberg, and she talked about the investigation that she did with one of these online
• we pass these different bills addressing different areas, whether it's bots or other social media platforms

Bills: SB1670, SB1716, SB1521

Keywords: security breach, data breach, cybersecurity, breach notification, privacy, consumer protection, class action, civil liability, Attorney General, district attorney, financial institution, banking regulator, data security, reasonable safeguards, breach notice, Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act, artificial intelligence, AI, generative AI, chatbot

Transcript Highlights:

• This can involve tactics like surveillance and digital harassment, spyware, or online threats, threats
• making subtle but critical changes to law enforcement, as we heard earlier, public safety, workplace regulation

Bills: HCR7, HB76, HB84, HB132, HB265, HB275, HB322, HB635, HB808, HB883, HB1054

Keywords: juvenile justice, electronic monitoring, annual report, supervision outcomes, data transparency, inmate release, notification, law enforcement, victims, public safety, hit-and-run, crime of violence, felony, sentencing, battery, sound, intentional harm, physical pain, hearing impairment, video voyeurism

Summary: The committee met on April 8, 2026, with Chair Debbie Villio presiding and a quorum present. Members first advanced HB 322 by Rep. Melancon, which bars fees or costs for victims or family members requesting transcripts of executive-session testimony before the Board of Pardons and Parole. The bill was described as a cleanup measure from the prior year and was reported favorably without objection. The committee then heard HB 635 by Rep. Horton on criminal activity by agents of foreign adversaries or foreign terrorist organizations. After a technical amendment, the bill drew extensive support testimony from representatives of State Armor, State Shield, and Convention of States Action, who framed the measure as a response to transnational repression, especially by the Chinese Communist Party, and as a state-level national security and sovereignty issue. The bill was reported favorably as amended. HB 132 by Rep. Glorioso, which expands battery of a police officer to cover directing sound at officers in a way that can cause pain or hearing impairment, also received an amendment moving the sound-related language into the general battery definition. Law enforcement groups supported the bill, while the ACLU, criminal defense lawyers, and other opponents warned it was vague, could chill protest and lawful assembly, and might sweep in parades, music, and other protected expression. After discussion about intent and possible narrowing, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee next considered HB 275 by Rep. Boyd, increasing penalties when domestic violence occurs in the presence of a child. Supporters, including a survivor witness, emphasized the lasting trauma to children who witness abuse. Opponents raised concerns about mandatory minimums and the breadth of the child-presence language, but the bill was reported favorably as amended. HB 808 by Rep. McMahon, revising Louisiana’s HIV exposure law, was also amended to require a substantial likelihood of transmission based on current medical evidence, clarify affirmative defenses, and remove sex-offender-registration provisions from the bill. Medical and advocacy witnesses supported the update as science-based and narrower, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. Finally, Chair Villio’s HB 1054, allowing certain law-enforcement drone footage to be self-authenticating with notice requirements, received support from sheriffs and prosecutors and was reported favorably without objection before the committee recessed while awaiting additional authors.

Bills: SB 82, SB 1807, SB 2254, HB 119, HB 130, HB 581, HJR 98, SB 1988

Keywords: business liability, concealed carry, handgun policy, premises liability, criminal acts, civil liability, business premises, concealed handgun, property liability, property rights, gun regulations, criminal liability, protective order, confidentiality, personal information, court records, victim protection, charitable raffle, nonprofit, wildlife conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:47.279> should then the financial regulator should then the financial regulator should
• There has not been a state regulate.
• <00:43:01.119> and investigation for the other online and investigation for the other online
• the uh [clears throat] online the uh [clears throat] online advertising<01:14:08.239> agents<
• We have an um capacity coming online.

Bills: HF3642, HF2700, HF3615

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosks, prohibition, customer payouts, cryptocurrency regulation, consumer privacy, data privacy, health data, sensitive data, Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act, personal data, data broker, targeted advertising, geofencing, location tracking, health care privacy, patient privacy, consent, minor privacy, children's privacy

Summary: The Commerce Finance and Policy Committee met on House File 3642, which would prohibit virtual currency kiosks in Minnesota. The bill was laid over, and the committee adopted a DE1 author’s amendment. Chair Kaggel and Representative Perryman described the measure as a response to widespread scams using crypto kiosks, especially against older adults and other vulnerable people, and said they would continue working with the Department of Commerce and other stakeholders. Testimony from law enforcement and advocates strongly supported the ban. A St. Cloud police sergeant and a Woodbury detective described cases in which victims lost large sums, said the current safeguards and refund rules are being bypassed, and argued that the kiosks are difficult to investigate because funds move quickly and often overseas. An AARP Minnesota volunteer also supported the bill, saying kiosks are a preferred tool for scammers and that existing protections have not kept pace with the problem. The Department of Commerce said it strongly supports the bill and reported that it has received 120 complaints over three years involving nearly $1 million in reported losses, with 2025 the worst year so far. The main opposition came from CoinFlip’s general counsel, who argued that the problem is fraud generally, not kiosks themselves, and said Minnesota already has consumer protections, including refunds for eligible victims. He urged stronger regulation rather than a ban, citing blockchain analytics, hold periods, and 24-hour customer service as alternatives. Committee members then asked questions about how long kiosks have operated in Minnesota, how many there are, who owns them, and the scale of losses; Commerce said there are hundreds statewide, operated by a variety of companies, and that reported losses are likely undercounts.

Transcript Highlights:

• tools to hold offenders accountable while protecting exemptions for legitimate technicians and regulators
• I researched it and went online, and I thought there's no way.

Bills: HB316, HB353, HB 1160, HB1414, HB1422, HB1443, HB1713, HB1789, HB1902, HB2073, HB2666, HB2695, HB316

Keywords: motor fuel, criminal offense, metering device, organized crime, Texas Penal Code, trespassing, school safety, day-care centers, education, trespass, public safety, utility employees, criminal penalties, assault, harassment, public duties, safety, law enforcement, driving offenses, license regulations