Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, do they receive a foster placement payment just like a foster family would?
• The state lays out the money and then later gets reimbursed for it. No, so the opposite.
• Okay, so just a misunderstanding of which way the reimbursement was working.
• I follow up on the residential rate increase, which is a cost-based reimbursement.
• I follow up on the residential rate increase, which is a cost-based reimbursement.

Summary: The Division 3 House Finance Committee opened a work session and announced scheduling updates, including a second Medicaid work session on March 5 at 9:00 a.m. and a reminder that recommendations or budget amendments must be moved to the full finance committee by the end of March. Members were told no motions, roll calls, or votes would be taken, and the chair also reviewed upcoming meeting dates and weather-related cancellation procedures. The day’s presentation was a budget work session on the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), with officials Marie Nunan and Nathan White introducing the agency’s budget materials and mission. DCYF’s presentation focused on its core mandates and recent operational changes. Officials described child protective services, juvenile justice services, and the Sununu Youth Services Center, then highlighted workforce improvements, including reduced vacancy rates for assessment caseworkers, juvenile justice officers, and youth counselors. They attributed the staffing gains to legislative pay raises, mass recruitment posting changes, a more stable and trauma-informed model at SYC, and broader flexibility after prior budget cuts and hiring freezes. Members asked about full-time versus part-time staffing, and DCYF said most positions discussed were full-time, with some harder-to-fill part-time youth counselor roles at SYC. The committee also discussed DCYF’s emphasis on serving families earlier through its Community Navigator hotline referrals and community-based voluntary services, which are intended to connect families to supports before abuse or neglect escalates. Officials said the Community Navigator program had received 807 referrals since August 2023. On juvenile justice, DCYF described its assessment and diversion process and said it had reduced juvenile probation involvement by 30% from 2019 to 2023; members were directed to slide 17 for 2024 data, and officials said the trend continued toward fewer in-home juvenile justice cases. The agency also reported progress in kinship care, saying initial out-of-home placements with kin now occur 74% of the time and that kinship placements are associated with more reunification. Officials said kinship caregivers are being licensed and paid similarly to foster parents, and that the legislature’s kinship law has helped. Finally, DCYF outlined transition-age youth supports, including the HOPE program, Youth Villages LifeSet, and housing vouchers. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• By codifying acceptable proof of payment and limiting unnecessary barriers, the new sections in Chapter
• there were several portions which had to do with expedited, I should say, defining the terms for reimbursement
• or payment made.
• I should say, defining the terms for reimbursement or repayment made.
• from the consumer's insurance provider. control of the consumer's insurance benefits and seek direct payment

Committees: House Insurance , House Insurance and Banking

Transcript Highlights:

• To receive federal reimbursement for care, hospitals must meet federal requirements set by CMS.
• In certain cases, Federal reimbursement for care, hospitals must meet federal requirements set by CMS
• Services at a CCRC are paid for by the resident according to different payment arrangements, ranging
• Services at a CCRC are paid for by the resident according to different payment arrangements, ranging
• So still, have you resolved the payment with the collection? So they sent it.

Bills: HB2540 , HB2113

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: emergency medical services, EMT recertification, healthcare, first responders, public health, radiologic technologists, diagnostic imaging, healthcare regulation, professional supervision, state licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• criminal Investigations Division and then item five is a new rider for contingent fee untracked payments
• item is a technical adjustment that would reduce the estimated amounts for mixed beverage tax reimbursements
• item one is the only exceptional item that's outstanding for additional disabled veteran assistance payments
• Item five is the request to show unexpended balance authority at the The bond debt service payment, end
• Moving on to item four, the agency's requesting additional funding for travel reimbursements provided

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:20:19.560><c> to</c> $5,000 uh available for reimbursement to $5,000 uh available for reimbursement
• at a higher rate other things reimbursed at a higher rate other things um<01:24:04.679><c> there's</
• How are they going to kind of be eligible for that payment, and who's overseeing that?
• for that so I be able to get reimbursed for that so I think<01:25:06.480><c> that</c><01:25:06.600><
• The department would then issue a payment based on that.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• But the reimbursement language uses the word structures.
• But the reimbursement language uses the word structures.
• The reimbursement language uses the word structures.
• The reimbursement language uses the word structures.
• </c> need to know about reinsurance payments need to know about reinsurance payments are<01:18:01.680

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a cost-based program, so when they get their delayed payments of 18 months, members and their cost
• It's a cost-based program, so when they get their delayed payments of 18 months, members and their cost
• It's a cost-based program, so when they get their delayed payments of 18 months, members and their cost
• so that's a little reimbursement so that's a little technical<00:25:59.120><c> but</c><00:25:59.279>
• under Medicaid and so the are reimbursed under Medicaid and so the clarification<00:26:16.159><c> to

Bills: HF339 , HF1272 , HF2121 , HF2122 , HF1216 , HF1003 , HF2319

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Escalating loan payments leave less in the family coffers for buying a home or a car or paying the rent
• the federal matching rate or limits on critical Medicaid financial tools such as state-directed payments
• Cutting reimbursement will hurt them and their families, and we cannot let that happen.
• And they're not being reimbursed because those grants have been terminated.
• In fact, we'd like to serve even more, but that depends on reimbursements from the federal government

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Transparency held a hearing focused on three issues: federal funding cuts and delays, possible state revenue impacts from reduced IRS enforcement, and the fiscal effects of AB 218 on local governments. The Franchise Tax Board described how state and federal tax systems are closely linked, how most returns are filed electronically through software, and how FTB relies on IRS information sharing for compliance, fraud prevention, offsets, and nonfiler work. Members raised concerns that federal staffing cuts at the IRS could weaken audits of large corporations and reduce California revenue, and asked about VITA and ITIN filers; FTB said it was not aware of VITA reductions, noted ITIN returns are processed the same as other returns, and said ITIN filing appeared slightly down this year. The Department of Finance said it is monitoring federal developments, summarized the continuing resolution and reconciliation process, and noted that California lost nearly $940 million in earmarked federal projects under the CR, while major federal budget decisions remain uncertain until the President’s budget and later congressional action. The University of California reported substantial federal pressure on research, student aid, and health care. UC said hundreds of millions of dollars in federal awards have already been canceled, with additional threats to NIH and DOE facilities-and-administration rates, graduate fellowships, student loan repayment plans, international student visas, Pell Grants, and Medicaid/Medi-Cal funding. Committee members pressed UC on the effects of DEIA-related federal restrictions, the loss of clinical trials and research staff, and the impact on low-income students and patients. UC said it is pursuing litigation with the Attorney General and other institutions, but emphasized that court action is only a temporary solution and that sustained state and private support may be needed. The second panel addressed the fiscal consequences of AB 218, which extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims against public agencies. FCMAT presented a report with 22 recommendations, including better statewide data collection, financing mechanisms, a possible victims compensation fund, and prevention measures. Los Angeles County described a tentative $4 billion settlement tied to AB 218 claims, saying it will require reserves, borrowing, and long-term annual payments through 2050, while also forcing curtailments and cuts to vacant positions to preserve services. Members discussed insurance pools, retroactive premiums, unidentified future claims, and the need for a compensation fund or other financing tools. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with public comment, including testimony from local health officials about nearly $400 million in terminated federal public health grants and the resulting layoffs and service impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had seen, after a number of years of fee-for-service Apple Health dental program reimbursement rates
• In the 2023 to 2025 operating budget, the legislature created a pilot program to reimburse a licensed
• It requires HCA to submit a state plan amendment by July 1, 2027, to allow for facility-based payments
• Senate Bill 6094 provides a bundled payment mechanism for long-term sustainability that's a model not
• An alternative approach would be to consider a federal waiver to allow for payment, with obvious consideration

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5899, which would create a chiropractic license endorsement allowing qualified chiropractors to perform chiropractic diagnosis and adjustments on non-human animals. The sponsor described it as a complementary tool to veterinary care, especially in rural areas with limited access to veterinarians. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would expand access to animal chiropractic with training, certification, and veterinary referral to non-chiropractic issues, while opponents from the veterinary community warned about animal and public safety, disease detection, and the lack of a required veterinary referral. The hearing on SB 5899 was suspended and later reopened; testimony concluded with strong support from animal chiropractic practitioners and opposition from veterinarians, and the committee noted 57 signed in pro, 4 con, and 1 other. The committee then held a work session on dental workforce shortages. Presenters from the CORA Foundation, the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, tribal dental programs, and the Washington State Dental Association described major access gaps, especially for Apple Health enrollees, rural communities, and communities of color. They highlighted low preventive-care utilization, high rates of untreated decay, workforce vacancies for hygienists and assistants, and the value of career ladders such as community health aides and proposed oral preventive assistants. Several speakers emphasized that training pathways, retention, and sustained Medicaid reimbursement are key to improving access and keeping providers in the system. Senate Bill 6138, requiring a multi-provider system for dental procedures performed under deep sedation, drew testimony centered on patient safety after recent deaths in dental settings. The sponsor said the bill responds to a pattern of tragic incidents and would ensure one person is dedicated to monitoring sedation. Supporters from anesthesiology and some oral surgery groups backed stronger monitoring requirements, while oral surgeons and dental representatives argued the current rules already require multiple trained personnel and that the bill could reduce access and increase costs, especially in rural and Medicaid-serving practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6072, which would update veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules to allow telemedicine-based relationships and limited telehealth services; animal welfare and veterinary telehealth advocates supported it as an access-to-care measure, while the veterinary association sought clearer guardrails and federal-law language. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6094 on pediatric transitional care services, which would create a Medicaid payment pathway and related program changes for residential care for substance-exposed infants; supporters said the model helps infants and parents, improves outcomes, and is financially unsustainable under current funding, and the hearing began with testimony in favor before time expired.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we've corrected that. collects all those payments and makes all those deposits.
• And apparently those payments for those bags were being received.
• two extra payments each year.
• two extra payments each year.
• I was just thinking, as many of you know, our state has gone from 24 payments a year to 26 payments a

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES

Summary: The committee began with prayer and approval of the January 8 minutes, then received updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. Staff reported that for the 2022 reports, 19 of 43 entities had had their turnback reinstated, while 24 remained in escrow; for the 2023 reports, 59 of 64 entities had filed, leaving five outstanding. The committee also filed a report on Adona, where staff said the city had made enough progress toward substantial compliance with municipal accounting laws to discontinue withholding turnback, and the committee adopted that recommendation. The bulk of the meeting focused on municipal accounting noncompliance cases. Gum Springs and Denning were presented with extensive repeat findings involving budgets not adopted by ordinance or resolution, missing or incomplete bank reconciliations, inadequate receipts and disbursement records, payroll issues, and improper handling of Act 833 funds or other city money. Both cities’ mayors and recorders-treasurers testified about efforts to correct records, obtain training, and work with the Municipal League; the committee voted to start the 60-day turnback-withholding clock for both and then filed the reports. Fargo was deferred because no city representative was present. Additional reports included Green Forest, Elaine, Strong, Brooklyn, Mineral Springs, Rondo, Waldo, Columbia County, and several private water and sewer entities. Strong drew significant concern over missing garbage-bag revenue, improper fund transfers, and deficit balances; the committee deferred that report to the March meeting. The committee also heard investigative or referred reports on the Faulkner County Fair Association, Brooklyn payroll direct-deposit fraud, and other entities with questionable disbursements or recordkeeping. In several cases, staff recommended filing the reports after responses were received; in others, the committee deferred action when responses were lacking or representatives were absent. The meeting ended with a motion to defer a Cross County Rural Water matter so the entity could appear at the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• :17:46.960><c> the</c><00:17:47.120><c> shipping</c> reimbursement program for the shipping reimbursement
• </c> the language around the reimbursement the language around the reimbursement program<00:18:07.600
• In which case, his payment, he might be able to keep a little bit more.
• Maybe the payment to me goes down a little more.
• Maybe the payment to me goes down a little more.

Summary: The Finance Committee first took up Senate Bill 63, which Representative Maguire described as a straightforward bill setting funding for the Division of Travel and Tourism. He said it was not controversial. The committee voted to retain the bill by roll call, with one no vote and one member absent, and the motion passed 23-1-1. The committee then considered Senate Bill 74, dealing with annual reporting requirements for state departments that issue permits. Representative Maguire explained Amendment 2282 would shorten the reporting burden by requiring summary data on delayed permits rather than listing every permit, and would delay the first report until 2027 so agencies would not have to reconstruct old data. The amendment was adopted by voice vote, and the bill was then approved as amended by a 24-1 roll call vote. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 241 on construction of a public pier at Hampton Beach. Representative Sweeney moved inexpedient to legislate, saying the project was ambitious and lacked public support. The motion passed unanimously 25-0, sending the bill to consent. Division Two then took up Senate Bill 145, a replace-all amendment to the education freedom account bill. Supporters said the amendment clarified the bill, kept the policy intact, removed a reimbursement program and an open-ended appropriation, and established a cap of 10,000 students with priority for current students and certain other groups. Opponents argued the measure was still a major expansion, would increase spending after crossover, and that the cap was not meaningful. After discussion, Amendment 2301H was adopted and the bill was approved as amended by a 25-0 vote, with members noting it could go on consent because no money remained in it.

Transcript Highlights:

• And as we talk about the amendments in House Bill 1, the UAL payment...
• Instead of splitting the payment four ways, the proposed supplemental amendment sets aside the entire
• for Hurricane Katrina debt payments; $11.2 million to the LSU system; $5.2 million to the Department
• Within this budget, we have also increased the per-pupil payment within the MFP from $100 to $147 per
• Members, HCR 3 is the annual resolution to help fund the hospital reimbursements in Medicaid.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on April 13, 2026, and considered the main budget bills for fiscal year 2026-27. Members heard a broad overview of House Bill 1, the general appropriations bill, including the governor’s proposed budget, major funding items for education, workforce, corrections, health, and economic development, and a plan to use surplus funds to pay down LASERS’ unfunded liability. The committee discussed a 29-page amendment set that shifted savings from retirement and other areas into one-time expenditures, including FEMA Katrina debt, LSU, firefighter pay raises, crime victim reparations, rehabilitation services, and additional school choice support. Questions focused on the MFP per-pupil adjustment, the crime victim reparations shortfall, LSU funding, waiver slots, and whether the bill remained at a standstill overall. The committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 1 favorably as amended, making it Special Order No. 1 for April 16. The committee then took up House Bill 312, the supplemental appropriations bill, which also redirected the full $144.3 million surplus payment to LASERS and used savings from MFP, Medicaid forecast changes, and other reductions to fund statewide initiatives. Those included LED, corrections, DOTD road projects, public safety, IT modernization, school safety, firefighting equipment, community and technical college workforce programs, and DCFS shortfalls. Members raised questions about mental health funding and the retirement payment strategy; the amendments were adopted and HB 312 was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 4. House Bill 313, the funds bill, was amended to make additional deposits into the State Emergency and Response Fund, Voting Technology Fund, oil and gas regulatory funds, geological storage, reading enrichment, Imagination Library, and conservation accounts; it was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 5. House Bill 314, the revenue sharing distribution bill, received amendments inserting fiscal year 2027 distribution numbers and was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 7. The committee also advanced House Bill 383, the ancillary expenses bill, which covers self-generated, dedicated, and federal funds for agencies such as Group Benefits, Risk Management, Prison Enterprises, and Technology Services; a technical amendment updated accounting-standard references, and the bill was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 6. House Bill 983, the judiciary budget, was amended with a technical date correction and reported favorably as amended; members discussed funding for judges, staff pay, FINS, and whether pending legislation affecting Orleans Parish judges would later change the budget. House Bill 1126, the legislative branch budget, was reported favorably without amendment after brief questions about the Law Institute increase, and HCR 3, the hospital stabilization formula resolution tied to Medicaid hospital reimbursements, was reported favorably and set as Special Order No. 8. The committee also made HB 983 Special Order No. 9 and HB 1126 Special Order No. 10 for April 16, authorized technical corrections on adopted amendments, and adjourned after the chair thanked members and staff for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• And as we talk about the amendments in House Bill 1, the UAL payment...
• Instead of splitting the payment four ways, the proposed supplemental amendments set appropriates the
• for Hurricane Katrina debt payments; $11.2 million to the LSU system; $5.2 million to the Department
• Within this budget, we have also increased the per-pupil payment within the MFP from $100 to $147 per
• Members, HCR 3 is the annual resolution to help fund the hospital reimbursements in Medicaid.

Bills: HB1 , HB312 , HB313 , HB314 , HB383 , HB983 , HB1126 , HCR3

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: revenue sharing, fund distribution, homestead exemption, state funding, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> office and payments denied. office and payments denied.
• talked about payments of rent digital<00:47:12.120><c> payment</c><00:47:12.600><c> platforms.
• </c> digital payment platforms. digital payment platforms.
• </c><00:47:32.600><c> Um</c> charge me for every payment. Um charge me for every payment.
• reimbursement for these Without reimbursement for these services,<01:47:25.600><c> agencies</c><01:47

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, the federal mandate that did retract supplemental payments for care.
• to insurers on behalf of enrollees or direct payments to enrollees to cover the cost offsets.
• They assume no payment obligations, and they can stop working with us at any time.
• But that payment is by the community.
• And then the rest of this bill talks about things like payment.

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Mental Health met in executive session and advanced several bills. HB 1881 was voted do pass without discussion. HB 3010 was amended with a committee substitute that removed a subsection allowing payers to remove “gold carding” based on procedure volume changes, then passed 10-0. HB 2355, the “Food is Medicine” bill, received a committee amendment to align terminology with other partnerships and then passed 11-0. HB 1855, dealing with alpha-gal reporting, was substantially revised: the substitute narrowed the bill to alpha-gal, removed Lyme disease, changed a department duty from mandatory to discretionary in one section, and delayed reporting implementation; it then passed 14-0 after members discussed the need for better disease tracking and the department’s workload. The committee then heard testimony on HB 2034, which would require insurance coverage for activity-based prostheses, orthotics, and high-performance or mobility-supportive wheelchairs. Sponsor Representative Carolyn Caton said the bill is intended to cover devices that help people live, exercise, and avoid secondary health problems, while preserving prior authorization and medical-necessity review. Supporters included clinicians, parents, amputees, and athletes who described being denied running blades, water-safe prostheses, or durable wheelchairs and said the devices are essential for health, independence, mental well-being, and participation in school, work, and sports. Several witnesses said the bill would reduce long-term costs and reliance on charity. Opponents, including the Missouri Insurance Coalition and America’s Health Insurance Plans, argued the bill is an expansion of coverage with unclear definitions and potentially significant costs, especially for Medicaid and other state-regulated plans. They cited the fiscal note, warned about possible federal ACA rule changes that could shift costs to states, and questioned whether the bill’s language on Medicare supplemental coverage and “perceived disability” was workable or preempted. Committee members pressed both sides on cost savings, definitions of “normal” activity, and whether the bill could be narrowed or otherwise revised, and several said they were willing to keep working on the issue. The hearing on HB 2034 was left open and then recessed after testimony, with no vote taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> concerns around funding or payment concerns around funding or payment representative<00:31:10.519
• And if they are not, we make those adjustments on their final payments.
• And if they are not, we make those adjustments on their final payments.
• Now we don't have them in the bank account, but we have access to them to get reimbursed.
• </c> we have access to them to get reimbursed we have access to them to get reimbursed um<01:04:58.839

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• the State Affairs Committee, an act relating to the FAST Act, to provide for a list of authorized payment
• for cost and act relating to county sheriffs to authorize the sheriff's office to seek reimbursement
• And then once a quorum is eventually restored, the district has to reimburse the county for any costs
• Welfare Committee, an act relating to public assistance, to revise provisions regarding provider payment
• The money goes to the provider in the form of a payment.

Transcript Highlights:

• the school district based on reimburses the school district based on the<00:41:52.240><c> average</c
• If districts spend more than that amount, the amount they'll get in reimbursement is prorated.
• Career and Technical special education is a partial cost-reimbursement formula.
• </c> going to uh reduce the uh reimbursement going to uh reduce the uh reimbursement for<00:57:38.079
• </c><00:58:50.799><c> formula</c> is a partial cost reimbursement formula is a partial cost reimbursement

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Reform grants from reimbursement-based to performance-based payment, which is important.
• Plus, the CPUC has a unique way of considering how to pay us and reimburse us.
• Right now, we're not allowed to get reimbursed for travel.
• Right now, we're not allowed to get reimbursed for travel.

Committee: House Communications and Conveyance

Transcript Highlights:

• and half to reimbursing communities that had<03:25:14.920><c> no</c><03:25:15.080><c> choice</c><03:
• </c> funds to make all necessary payments. funds to make all necessary payments.
• This bill will cause unnecessary burdens and barriers to districts seeking reimbursement for Medicaid
• Therefore, districts often use third-party billers to pursue this avenue of reimbursement to ease the
• </c> to pursue this avenue of reimbursement to pursue this avenue of reimbursement to<06:13:06.120><c