Transcript Highlights:

• Labor costs and labor shortages also contribute to the issue. So time is the number one factor.
• affordability—every input, whether it be materials, land—which is a huge problem rising in cost—and labor
• So many people in our business started as a... as laborers on job sites and now on multi-million dollar
• Sure, my recollection is if you were to dig into Section 212 of the Local Government Code, and I can
• a pretty good example of a city that just recently had a comprehensive rewrite. ...of their zoning code

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a letter from the Department of Labor and Licensing.
• It's the, under the code. Back to the Budget Stabilization Trust Fund for that.
• Under the code, five years is the maximum time we can pay it back, so it will be a five-year payback
• First, F1 is a letter from the Department of Labor and Licensing, Division of Labor, Wage and Hour.
• Labor and Licensing and the Real Estate Commission also cite the need for extra help positions.

Summary: The committee considered several appropriation and transfer requests, beginning with a $273,000 temporary appropriation for the Department of Labor and Licensing to cover administrative costs for its enterprise licensing platform, funded by license and application fees. It then reviewed two large Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests: $280 million for the Department of Transportation for the final quarter of the fiscal year, and $195 million for the State Broadband Office to support the Arkansas BEAD broadband grant program, including an extra help position and grants to internet service providers. The broadband item drew extensive questions about awardees, contract amendments, accountability, build-out timelines, backup plans if providers default, the definition of broadband serviceable locations, and the cost per location. The State Broadband Director said no providers had requested amendments, the program would use milestone-based disbursements and a four-year build-out period, and the first tranche would serve 51,566 homes and businesses with $126.1 million in grants. Both Section B and Section C items were approved. In Section D, the committee approved a $458,000 transfer within the Department of Correction from the female work release program to the Tucker Unit water treatment plant, a $25 million transfer within the Department of Education to cover declining enrollment, teacher incentive, school recognition, and Easter Seals funding, and a $229,000 transfer for the Department of Shared Administrative Services to support two project management office positions. The education transfer prompted questions about how declining enrollment funding is calculated, how many districts receive it, and how long districts can continue to receive it; agency staff said 152 districts were on the preliminary list and the formula is based on the prior two-year average ADM compared with the previous year. The committee also gave favorable advice on a proposed $4.7 million loan for the Office of State Technology to implement ServiceNow and related IT modernization tools; agency officials said the loan would be repaid through cost recovery rates over five years and would replace an existing loan that is ending, with expected savings from consolidating applications but no precise savings estimate yet. The committee then reviewed cash fund and federal grant requests, including $200,000 for wage and hour claimant payments, $15 million for unclaimed property claims, $8,000 for a heritage program grant, and $1.1 million for a College and Career Coaches grant to expand services in rural districts. It also reviewed pay plan and budget manual items without objection. The most extensive report discussion focused on the Medicaid trust fund, where DHS and DFA officials said the balance has been declining and that the state may need to add capital back into the fund. Senators and representatives asked about the current balance, the projected year-end level, the role of the $100 million set-aside, the impact of outstanding Medicaid rules from the prior session, and whether future federal funding could help reduce long-term Medicaid costs. Officials said they are still working through more than 10 outstanding rules with CMS and do not yet have a final price tag for those changes. The meeting ended after the reports were reviewed and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• of our boards and commissions, including the Division of Labor.
• Lacey Kirchner, Counsel for the Department of Labor and Licensing.
• Lindsay Moore, Director of Code Enforcement, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.
• Ralph Hudson, Department of Labor and Licensing Division of Labor Director.
• Council of the Department of Labor and Licensing.

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a long agenda of agency rule changes, beginning with housekeeping on the order of business and then taking up rules from multiple state agencies. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s odometer disclosure rule allowing electronic signatures and disclosures, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and recreational parks, lead-based paint, counseling licensure, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental specialties and compacts, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, medical compacts, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these were described as technical updates, conformity with recent acts, federal standards, or compact participation, and nearly all were approved without objection after brief questions and, in many cases, no public comment. The committee also reviewed Department of Labor and Licensing rules on minimum wage/independent contractor standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements for ATV/LSV dealers, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting and retention programs. Testimony generally emphasized that the rules implemented recent legislation, updated fees or licensing standards, or streamlined existing processes. Members asked a few questions about fee structures, the rationale for regulating professional wrestling, and how the National Guard’s public-private partnership and incentive programs would work; the department said the recruiting incentives would be funded from existing appropriations and were intended to improve retention and force strength. These rules were also approved without objection. The most extensive discussion came on the Department of Education’s Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program rule. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify allowable expenses, and speed approval of core educational purchases. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting certain sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting phone purchases except for disability-related needs, setting a $1,000 threshold for additional review of technology purchases, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about safeguards, appeals, sports equipment, provider credentialing, rural vendor access, and whether the department would be flexible or overly restrictive. The department said it would review every request, provide written explanations for denials, allow appeals up to the State Board, and refer suspected fraud to prosecutors if necessary. After hearing from 13 members of the public, the committee continued to discuss the rule, but the transcript ends before any final vote on the EFA rule is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are always looking for skilled labor experience.
• We are always looking for skilled labor experience. Approximately 90 job openings.
• We are always looking for skilled labor, especially people with backgrounds in engineering and computer
• However, there are parts of the code that still require Texas institutions of higher education to be
• Senate Bill 530 simply cleans up Texas code to be in line with federal rules.

Summary: The Senate Committee on K-16 met with 14 bills on the agenda and announced it would recess around 9:45 to attend the floor session, then resume afterward. The committee first took up Senate Bill 2361, which would transfer governance of the University of Houston-Victoria from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M University System and rename it Texas A&M University-Victoria. Senator Cole explained that the committee substitute added transition language for employee health benefits and ERS contributions. Supporters, including Texas A&M System officials, Victoria’s mayor, regional economic development leaders, a Formosa Plastics representative, a Victoria College trustee, and a local business owner, said the move would better align the university with regional industry needs, especially engineering, agriculture, and workforce development, while helping retain local students and support economic growth. A Texas A&M official also noted accreditation, data-system, and other transition challenges, but said the change was manageable. Because there was no quorum, the committee could not adopt the substitute, and SB 2361 was left pending subject to the call of the chair after public testimony closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 530 from Senator Sparks, which would update Texas higher education law to match federal rules allowing institutions to use any nationally recognized accreditor rather than only a regional accreditor. Sparks said the bill was a cleanup measure responding to a 2019 federal rule change and prior concerns had been addressed over the interim. Testimony in support came from a Texas Public Policy Foundation fellow, who said the bill would give universities flexibility, preserve quality standards, and simplify credit transfer and costs for students. With no opposition and no questions, public testimony closed and SB 530 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• some of the building codes.
• of building codes.
• enforcement of building codes. enforcement of building codes.
• building codes for uh several reasons. building codes for uh several reasons.
• So, the um construction code council.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The task force approved the minutes from the previous meeting and then reviewed the structure and statutory requirements for its final report. Staff explained that the report must go to the commissioners of commerce, housing finance, and economic development, as well as relevant legislative leaders, and must include a summary of task force activities, adopted findings and recommendations, tort reform recommendations to reduce insurance costs, any draft legislation, and other necessary information. A draft report, likely excluding recommendations and draft legislation, is expected to be circulated before the first January meeting. Most of the meeting focused on the Fair Plan and whether it could be expanded to help homeowners associations, affordable housing, and common interest communities that are struggling to obtain coverage. Supporters said these groups are facing availability problems and often end up in the surplus lines market, which lacks the consumer protections of the admitted market. They argued the Fair Plan could serve as a third-market option with stronger protections and better access, especially for properties that are having difficulty getting quotes. Several members and witnesses raised concerns that the Fair Plan was never intended to be a broad affordability solution and warned against using it to artificially lower prices below risk-based levels. They said doing so could shift losses onto other policyholders through assessments and potentially weaken the broader insurance market. The Fair Plan administrator explained that any expansion would require substantial research, staffing, actuarial and underwriting expertise, reinsurance planning, IT changes, and likely assessments or other capitalization decisions, and that the plan would need to focus on a limited subset of properties rather than the entire market. No votes were taken on policy recommendations, and the discussion ended with agreement that more information and scoping work are needed before any formal recommendation is made.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have to enter this code to make sure it reminds us to not miss this deadline.
• labor code.
• And inflation is part of that factor, construction costs, labor costs. Um, Frequency and severity.
• We follow the HUD HU guidelines set out by the government code and the Comptroller.
• Programs right now, but we have quite a few that come out of the Department of Labor programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• union or jointly sponsored with a labor union and an employer association, provided that the labor union
• organization recognized under the National Labor Relations Act... ...bargaining agreement with the labor
• in one or more jointly administered labor management trust funds established pursuant to the Labor Management
• Next bill up, Senate Bill 4404 is a code prime.
• New Jersey Kids Code Act adopts the Jersey age-appropriate design code and requires certain online service

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Policy of the federal tax code.
• that changed the tax code and tax policy.
• We're trying again, but it is very labor-intensive.
• And then we were taking them out of the code.
• Volatility to the tax code is an important consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Labor and Industry Committee will come to order. Members, today we are going to hear...
• Good afternoon, members of the Senate Labor Committee.
• Chair and members of the Senate Labor Committee.
• Chair and members of the Senate Labor Committee.
• <00:46:50.359> costs Vanishing bottom lines and labor costs Vanishing bottom lines and labor

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment is coded A1.
• The amendment is coded A2.
• The amendment is coded A3.
• The amendment is coded A4.
• The amendment is coded A4. I amended. The amendment is coded A4.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're on 17, Department of Labor and Licensing.
• Lacey Kirchner, counsel for the Department of Labor and Licensing.
• Lindsay Moore, Director of Code Enforcement, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.
• Ralph Hudson, Department of Labor and Licensing, Division of Labor Director.
• Lacey Kirchner, counsel for the Department of Labor and Licensing.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, they've had their coding boot camp for a while... but starting this fall, they're going to
• But what we know is who is underrepresented in the labor market relative to other states.
• We know is who is underrepresented in the labor market relative to other states, and it's men.
• Sorry, but men, especially those aged 25 to 45, are underrepresented in the labor market relative to
• We actually have a higher proportion of women with one child under the age of six in the labor market

Transcript Highlights:

• for several years now, been working on our ninth edition, and we have had the same author of that code
• PERC's role in the labor cases stems from Article I, Section 6 of the state constitution.
• For its labor disputes, PERC has jurisdiction over all public employees in Florida, including those of
• In exercising PERC's labor dispute jurisdiction, the commission has primarily four functions.
• And finally, under the labor jurisdiction, PERC resolves allegations and claims of unfair labor practices

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met for an introductory overview of the agencies under its jurisdiction and their current-year budgets. Chair Vicki Lopez welcomed members and staff, and each member briefly introduced themselves and identified areas of interest, with recurring themes including fiscal restraint, insurance regulation, revenue administration, condominium issues, and government efficiency. The chair then outlined the subcommittee’s overall budget, about $3.1 billion, and noted major recent policy areas affecting the budget such as condominium legislation and emergency communications funding. Agency heads then presented high-level summaries of their missions and budgets. The Department of Revenue described property tax oversight, tax administration, and child support enforcement; the Department of Management Services reviewed state purchasing, telecommunications, fleet, state insurance, retirement, and digital services; DBPR highlighted licensing, enforcement, condominiums, and building code work; DFS covered insurance consumer services, risk management, unclaimed property, fire marshal functions, and criminal investigations; the Gaming Control Commission discussed pari-mutuel and tribal gaming oversight and enforcement; OIR explained insurer solvency and rate review; the Lottery emphasized education funding and record sales; OFR described regulation of banking, securities, lending, and money services; DOAH outlined administrative and workers’ compensation adjudication; PSC covered utility rate regulation and consumer complaints; PERC described labor relations and career service appeals; and FCHR summarized discrimination complaint investigations and outreach. Several members asked questions about utility returns, insurance regulation staffing, DMS’s state employee health plan deficit and prescription drug formulary management, agency recommendations for reducing regulatory burden, and state facilities usage. Responses generally emphasized that utility rates and insurer filings are determined through evidentiary and actuarial processes, that OIR has reduced vacancies but still seeks specialized staff and a Tampa office expansion, and that DMS acknowledged rising health plan costs and said the issue likely requires broader budget-level discussion. The chair also pressed multiple presenters to stay focused on agency operations and budgets rather than broader policy issues. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• My question is, what about structural engineering code, electrical code that may be localized?
• Would their electrical code be able to be applicable, or would this..."
• "Would their electrical code be able to be applicable, or would this, if this bill becomes law, would
• "When it comes to electrical codes. Okay. And so only in commercial districts.
• Disadvantaged communities, and union labor is paid for by the ratepayers, I assume?

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee met under Chair Kevin Parker and considered a series of energy, utility, and clean transportation bills. The committee first advanced a bill by Senator Connery on make-ready electric infrastructure for public-serving EV charging, after members raised concerns that the costs of preparing school bus charging infrastructure could be shifted to ratepayers. The committee then advanced Senator Parker’s pilot program for resilient EV charging microgrids, with discussion focused on using existing NYSERDA resources, the role of batteries, and the bill’s purpose in supporting emergency charging during outages. Another bill on heavy distribution centers and EV charging was also advanced after debate over its application to large warehouse and e-commerce facilities. The committee also considered a bill on carport-mounted solar systems that would limit local zoning restrictions. A motion to substitute in a different bill was ruled improper for lack of notice, and the chair’s ruling was upheld on appeal. Members then advanced a PSC guidebook bill on gas and electric rate-making, and a utility shutoff protection bill for medical emergencies, life support equipment, and elderly, blind, or disabled customers, with questions about age definitions and the scope of medical documentation. The committee also advanced the Home Utility Weatherization Jobs Act, which would create a pilot program for electrification and weatherization in disadvantaged communities, with members discussing whether the program would be available at no cost to building owners and how utilities would access capital. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly raised concerns about who would pay for the programs, whether ratepayers or taxpayers would bear the costs, and how much local control would remain under the solar siting bill. At the end of the meeting, members briefly discussed a recent NYISO report warning about possible summer reliability issues and urged the committee and the PSC to review it closely. The chair noted the report should be considered alongside other state planning documents, and the meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• of states peace officers by updating certain definitions and classifications within our government code
• Again, our, uh, they're commissioned under, uh, 17, Chapter 1701 of the occupations code, uh, to.
• If the DPS auditor determines that they may be misclassifying these employees as contract labor, DPS
• They saw this contract labor and you just pay your own taxes and they think it's no big deal.
• Eligible offenses include cases where there was affirmative findings of family violence under the Code

Bills: SB 36

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the whole reason for the procurement Code in the first place.
• Building codes and infrastructure mandates.
• IBC and IECC codes are not suitable for agricultural builds.
• We need agricultural building exemption codes for meat processors.
• Labor shortages, wage pressures, and funding in New Mexico.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, of course, that realistic is code word. To try and do.
• And, of course, that realistic is code word for probably a little higher.
• because of requirements related to the energy code.
• because of requirements related to the energy code.
• Do we have a coding issue? What is the problem? Why is it like this?

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from WSDOT on balancing uncertainty in capital program estimates and cash flow management. WSDOT explained the differences between design-bid-build and design-build delivery, its tiered risk-assessment process by project size, and how it uses base estimates, inflation, and risk modeling to set budgets. Staff said design-bid-build estimates are generally accurate within about 1% across the program, while design-build projects carry much wider uncertainty and are better communicated as ranges; they cited a P85 budget approach and noted that large, complex projects can be affected by market competition and long procurement timelines. Members asked about the Columbia River Bridge cost growth and about value engineering, and WSDOT said it uses value engineering but has limited scope to cut costs because of project requirements and policy mandates. Troy Swing also discussed cash flow, noting that a few large projects can significantly affect biennial funding needs, and said a risk pool would not reduce overall program risk but could help manage timing if paired with appropriation and cash-flow controls. The committee then received the final presentation in the WSDOT Project Delivery and Innovative Practices study from HKA Global. The consultant said WSDOT’s estimating practices are generally robust and recommended improving transparency by presenting budget authorizations as ranges or estimate classes, better tracking estimate growth over time, and adjusting advertisement timing to avoid competing lettings. The report also discussed surety bonding, suggesting the legislature consider restoring authority for reduced bonding on select large design-build projects or using phased bonding and alternative securities. On indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting, the consultant said current job order contract rules are restrictive and recommended legislative changes to make such tools more usable, especially for smaller tasks and to help use unspent funds more flexibly. The committee also heard a follow-up presentation on transit-oriented development policy recommendations tied to HB 1491. The Urban Institute’s Yona Freemark said Washington has been a national leader on TOD but that housing construction, especially in the Puget Sound, has slowed sharply since 2022. He said rising construction costs, high financing costs, and local tax and rent conditions are making many TOD projects infeasible, and recommended that the state fill infrastructure funding gaps around stations, revisit MFTE affordability requirements, consider minimum rather than average density requirements near transit, and create a statewide system to track TOD outcomes such as affordability, gentrification, and transit access. Members questioned the study’s developer interviews, the role of rent control and crime, property tax assumptions, and parking needs; the presenter said the study included five private developers, that rent control was not part of the study scope, and that parking was included in the model assumptions. Finally, the committee began a presentation on regulating emissions from ocean-going vessels at berth. Staff and consultants described California-style at-berth rules, which require shore power or equivalent emissions controls so ships can shut off diesel auxiliary engines while docked. The study is examining vessel traffic, emissions reductions, implementation costs, labor and operational needs, and possible effects on port competitiveness and cargo diversion. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, rising labor costs, inflation, labor shortages, scarcity of ... some degree flood uh flooding
• c> costs, Um, again, rising labor costs, Um, again, rising labor costs, inflation,<00:10:54.640><
• because that is still discriminating against a zip code.
• > a<01:28:49.040> zip<01:28:49.280> code.
• Thank discriminating against a zip code.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:15 Department of Insurance Update 00:01:39 Department of Financial Institutions Update 00:37:07 Insurance Industry Update 00:54:50 Credit Union Industry Update 01:10:53, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September 16 minutes, and then received an update from Insurance Commissioner Sharon Clark and staff on the Department of Insurance. Clark reviewed department activity, including growth in premium volume and licensing, consumer complaints and recoveries, and a rise in fraud referrals. She said the department has 66 open fraud cases and described common schemes such as staged auto accidents, inflated repair or cleanup charges, and roofing scams. She also said the department’s investigators often prepare strong cases but face reluctance from local prosecutors, especially in Fayette and Jefferson counties, to pursue them. Clark reported favorable workers’ compensation news, saying rates will decrease 9.7% next year for the 20th straight year. She contrasted that with a difficult property insurance market driven by storms, reinsurance costs, inflation, labor shortages, and litigation, but said Kentucky’s market remains relatively stable, citing the Kentucky Fair Plan’s small number of policies. She then warned of significant 2026 health insurance premium increases on the exchange: 16.1% for Molina, 23% for Anthem, and 37% for WCare, after CareSource withdrew. She said the rates were reviewed by actuaries and found fair, but that the biggest pressure point is the scheduled expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, which she said could leave about 90% of exchange enrollees facing a compounded increase. Members questioned Clark about fraud prosecution, the number of people in commercial versus public coverage, and the impact of expiring subsidies. Clark said the prosecution issue is mainly with Commonwealth attorneys and that rural counties are more cooperative than urban ones. She also said the health market is individually rated and that older enrollees would be hit harder, while the loss of tax credits could push some people out of the marketplace. One member asked about the attorney general’s recent opinion on SB 188, the PBM bill; staff said attorneys were still reviewing it. Clark closed by noting that Kentucky’s fraud and towing/storage legislation has become a model for other states.

Transcript Highlights:

• market and then the labor decision. that are made by the district.
• Their labor decisions don't cost $100,000.
• And do private schools follow the Texas Education Code?
• The, so there are pieces of the Education Code. that apply to private schools.
• I can't remember if it's in the family code or the education code, but there are laws that apply to private

Keywords: committee meeting, legislation, public testimony, discussion, procedural

Summary: The meeting covered various topics, but specific discussions and bills were not detailed in the available transcript. Despite the lack of documented debates or acknowledgments, it was noted that committee members were present, and there may have been attempts to address crucial legislative matters. The dynamics of the meeting suggested a standard procedural gathering where routine insights were likely shared among the attendees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Which is when the federal government formalized their manufactured housing code. Yeah.
• It clarifies that concessions cannot be used to strip away essential labor standards and...
• Elmer Lozardo, with the California Federation of Labor Unions, in support.
• And I come from a city, obviously, with very strong local labor standards.
• And I come from a city, obviously, with very strong local labor standards.

Keywords: 988, house, all