Transcript Highlights:

• would go down, and she found that her rates had increased by $280 a year.
• Rates anywhere from 20 to 40% higher.
• We've taken patients that have CMS star ratings that the practices have 2 to 3 star ratings on the quality
• HB 32 would increase that and would add 90 to $280 million in increased costs to these employers.
• More competition is better for customers, lowers prices, and since rate and freedom, rate and form freedom

Transcript Highlights:

• That include geographic housing growth rates, wage growth rate, growth rates broken out by region, as
• We also have increasing expenses.
• They get reimbursed at a higher rate. And then that rate is kind of cost-averaged, so to speak.
• They get reimbursed at a higher rate.
• And then that rate is kind of, They get reimbursed at a higher rate.

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Dr. Kelly O’Dare on first responder behavioral health access, peer support, and suicide prevention. She described UCF Restores, the Second Alarm Project, and related partnerships that provide culturally competent treatment, peer training, clinician education, disaster response support, and behavioral health navigation. She cited survey and state data showing significant rates of sleep problems, anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicide among Florida first responders, and said evidence-based treatment has helped many patients recover, including a reported 76% who no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria after treatment. Senators asked about measuring outcomes, peer support standards, and whether the state should create more consistent statewide requirements; O’Dare said peer support training must be specialized, linked to higher levels of care, and supported by sustainable funding and statewide coordination. The committee also heard from a public commenter who supported the work and emphasized the need for adequate resources and peer support infrastructure. The committee then received a Department of Children and Families presentation from Casey Penn on the proposed funding methodology for community-based care lead agencies under HB 7089. Penn explained that the new model is intended to be actuarially based, reimbursement-oriented, and more transparent than prior funding approaches, using historical expenditures, standardized reporting, and two main tiers: Tier 1 for largely fixed administrative and operational costs, and Tier 2 for direct child-serving costs based on per-child-per-month blended rates. He said the model includes a 2% risk corridor for Tier 2, hold-harmless funding in the first year, and optional Tier 3 performance incentives, with an estimated additional state appropriation need after offsets. Senators raised concerns about prevention, historical inequities, reasonableness of costs, administrative overhead, blended state and federal funds, adoption subsidies, high-acuity placements, and disaster-related disruptions. Penn said some of those issues could be addressed in future iterations as the child welfare information system is modernized, and he agreed to provide written responses to committee questions. Representatives of the Florida Coalition for Children and CBCs responded that the model is a major improvement but urged additional safeguards, including an administrative cap, clearer separation of direct and indirect costs, and better treatment of federal and pass-through funds. They argued that the system already has oversight and that deficits reflect insufficient appropriations rather than excess spending, while also noting that higher-acuity children and regional differences can drive costs. No votes were taken on either topic, and the meeting ended with committee staff introductions and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• funding has also been to increase funding has also been to increase accessibility<00:10:16.240><
• The next bill before us is House File 2143. recidivism rates. It helps with recidivism rates.
• Section three increases the reimbursement rates for protected transportation, offering a humane non-police
• Section three um increases the<00:43:36.800> reimbursement<00:43:37.359> rates<00:43:37.880
• We also support the rate increase for protected transport funding and for early episode disorder grants

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• rate setting, the rate is set in no rate setting, the rate is set in statute<00:13:36.240> and
• energy service rate was uh 22.6 6 cents. energy service rate was uh 22.6 6 cents.
• increase.
• There's no rates in here. All right. There's no rates in this<02:14:47.040> bill.
• generators and not by the rate payers. generators and not by the rate payers.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The increase is also requested due rate.
• It was a slight increase only because, um, DFA had increased their fees and that was the only increase
• . reimbursement rate.
• increase for your executive director? increase for your executive director?
• The increase >> I'm sorry.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 22 January, 2026; 8:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The hearing began with the State Board of Architecture’s budget presentation. The executive director described the board’s mission to regulate architecture, landscape architecture, and certified interior design to protect public health and safety. He highlighted the board’s consolidated structure, license totals, high reciprocity rate, recent rule changes to reduce barriers to practice, and a proposed FY 2027 budget of $368,123, which included a 5% staff salary increase and higher operating costs. He also noted a newly identified need to modernize the licensing system, estimated at at least $25,000, and asked that the board not be reduced below the requested level. A board member also praised the small staff’s responsiveness and effectiveness. The State Board of Public Accountancy then presented its budget and policy requests. The executive director said the board regulates CPAs and CPA firms, oversees the CPA exam process, and has about 3,600 active individual licensees and 800 firms. The board requested only a 3% compensation increase for staff, plus a special request to allow an audit supervisor to repay the cost of a Becker review course through payroll deduction as part of succession planning. She also described a board-approved waiver program that began January 1, eliminating application fees for CPA exam candidates and retakes; 42 candidates had used the waiver in the first two weeks. In response to questions, she said the board does not assist CPAs with IRS disputes, but it does investigate complaints from the IRS, SEC, PCAOB, or others. Finally, a representative presented for the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors. She explained that the board regulates licensed counselors and psychotherapy providers, meets frequently, and has two staff members. The board’s main request was for additional investigative capacity: a full-time investigator and related funding, because complaints are currently handled by part-time investigators, contractors, and sometimes board members, which can require recusals from hearings. She said the state auditor had recently flagged complaint backlogs at regulatory agencies, supporting the request. The board also sought funding for a contractual administrative position, salary progressions, and a one-time technology increase to modify its new licensing system for the counseling compact and better search functions. Members questioned the board about its large cash balance, which was reported at about $860,000, and whether it should provide fee relief or other benefits to members; the presenter said the board would look into that and noted that revenues had increased significantly in recent years, partly due to out-of-state and telehealth-related licensing demand.

Transcript Highlights:

• in construction costs, a difficult lending environment, increased interest rates, and other market conditions
• in construction costs, a difficult lending environment, increased interest rates, and other market conditions
• in construction costs, a difficult lending environment, increased interest rates, and other market conditions
• in construction costs, a difficult lending environment, increased interest rates, and other market conditions
• in construction costs, a difficult lending environment, increased interest rates, and other market conditions

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The repairs are expensive. and they can definitely increase rates to our rate payers.
• in water rates.
• Studies have also shown that PFAS exposure is associated with increased rates of preeclampsia. a serious
• Those impacts on smaller water agencies could mean substantial rate increases further hurting the pockets
• payers and that there is a, what's the word, a timeline for how one gets rated. increases, you know,

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increase increase uh<00:12:43.519> there's<00:12:44.000> a<00:12:44.240> couple
• How much how much with a total increase.
• And then our there was a total increase.
• <00:21:59.760> bridges that that that we that we rate bridges that that that we that we rate
• <00:22:06.240> um bridges that we that we rate um bridges that we that we rate um substructure

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , dramatically lowered our tax rates, dramatically lowered our tax rates, showing<00:18:33.280>
• further and future business tax rate further and future business tax rate reductions<00:19:06.960
• <00:21:22.320> the been distributed to increase the been distributed to increase the threshold
• We'll have the increase to $400,000.
• concerns me that the bond rating concerns me that the bond rating agencies<00:31:07.200> already

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 155 continued discussion of a compromise over business tax relief, small-business filing thresholds, and nursing home funding. Representative Sweeney proposed raising the filing threshold to $400,000 and creating a trigger for future Business Enterprise Tax reductions if business tax revenues produce a $200 million biennial surplus, with the Department of Revenue Administration commissioner able to exclude one-time or non-sustainable funds. Supporters said the proposal would provide a clear policy direction, immediate relief to about 4,500 small and micro businesses, and a future path back to the BET’s original 0.25% rate. Opponents, led by the Senate side, argued the trigger language was premature, better handled in a budget year with more revenue data, and inappropriate to decide in a short conference committee meeting. The Senate also emphasized that the tax policy should not be locked in without a fuller public process, while House members argued the trigger would not take effect until a future biennium and was therefore a prudent way to signal New Hampshire’s direction on taxes. A separate point of discussion involved nursing homes: the House said its report would include $2.5 million for nursing homes with non-lapsing language, and senators stressed the importance of that funding for the health care system and county property taxpayers. One senator warned that triggers could encourage revenue underestimation and noted bond rating concerns about a structural deficit. Several motions were made to accept the Senate position with the $400,000 threshold and related amendments, but the first motion failed on a party-line style split, with the Senate voting yes and the House voting no. A second House motion to accede to the Senate position while also including the nursing home funding, the threshold increase, and the future trigger language was also rejected by the Senate. The meeting ended with the report filed without agreement on the trigger language, and the transcript then notes a separate reconvened committee of conference on HB 751 being postponed until 12:30 the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, every time we do a rate increase, we come to you for request.
• And so, we did come with you in this last budget with a request for an increase in those rates, and we
• And, uh, that was, uh, we requested a rate increase a few years ago and received that.
• So, um, really like specialty providers, Um every time we do a rate increase, Um every time we do a rate
• to<00:03:48.360> attract uh or a rate increase to try to attract uh or a rate increase to

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We see the MBTA increasing. We see RTAs increasing about 1.3 percent.
• Number one: heat pump rates.
• Number one, heat pumps rates.
• increase right now.
• And she's pushing back on any rate increase.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing at UMass Amherst on Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget, focusing on energy/environment-related transportation issues and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The chairs and members opened with thanks to UMass, university leadership, court officers, and legislative staff, and Chancellor Javier Reyes highlighted UMass Amherst’s research, workforce, sustainability, and transportation contributions, including energy research, transit operations, and partnerships with MassDOT. The hearing then moved to MassDOT and MBTA testimony on the administration’s transportation funding package, including House 2, the FY26 Fair Share supplemental, and a proposed four-year Chapter 90 authorization. MassDOT officials described the budget as part of a broader multi-year transportation investment strategy, citing funding for operations, snow and ice removal, regional transit authorities, the MBTA, the Merit Rating Board, sustainable aviation fuel credits, micro-transit and last-mile grants, unpaved road improvements, bridge and pavement work, and housing-related transportation infrastructure. They emphasized workforce expansion, capital delivery capacity, safety improvements, and local aid, including the new lane-mile-based Chapter 90 formula intended to benefit rural communities. Officials also discussed major projects and programs such as Grant Central, culvert and unpaved road grants, work zone speed cameras, congestion hotspot fixes, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridge projects, and MBTA operating support and safety upgrades. Testimony from the MBTA and rail/transit staff focused on improved ridership, service frequency, accessibility, and safety, including progress on the Green Line Train Protection System, reduced delays, expanded bus and commuter rail service, and the South Coast rail extension. Regional transit authorities reported increased ridership and described new fare-free, connectivity, and community transit grants. Aeronautics testimony covered airport capital work, drone and data programs, sustainable aviation fuel efforts, and workforce development in aviation maintenance. Committee members then asked questions, especially about Western Massachusetts priorities, Chapter 90 funding, bridge repairs, snow and ice costs, Cape Cod bridges, Buzzard’s Bay rail, and Compass Rail/West-East Rail. Officials said several federal rail grants were moving forward, that Sagamore Bridge procurement would begin soon, and that the administration remained committed to pursuing federal funding and multi-year transportation investments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, I don't know the exact conviction rate of it, but it's...
• Ability to lower rates. Mr. Chair, and Roberto, Mr.
• How would Those things inter-rate. I am not an expert.
• They have to do rate filings. Those rate filings are Approved.
• There's a lot of things That would explain why rates have gone up.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To equate that to a gas tax increase, six cents would be an 87-cent increase in the gas tax per gallon
• To equate that to a gas tax increase, a six cent would be an 87 cent increase in the gas tax per gallon
• A nine cent mileage tax per mile would be a $1.15 increase in the gas tax.
• Mileage tax per mile would be a $1.15 increase in the gas tax per gallon.
• Colleagues, AB 1406 seeks to revert California's declining homeownership rate and increase consumer choice

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, offered a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, and then took up a long third-reading file with several guest introductions and ceremonial resolutions. Early floor action included AB 713, allowing undocumented students equal access to campus jobs at UC, CSU, and community colleges, and AB 1049, streamlining California Food Assistance Program applications for low-income immigrant families; both passed. The body also defeated an amendment to AB 1421, a bill to begin studying a statewide mileage-based road user charge, before passing the measure. AB 1171, modernizing part-time community college faculty health insurance access, also passed with strong support. The Assembly then approved a series of policy bills on animals, domestic violence, telehealth for autism services, forestry, false lien filings, tianeptine restrictions, housing, common interest development fee transparency, prison sexual abuse accountability, PBM reporting, foster youth benefits protections, illegal dumping and abandoned RV removal, condo financing/liquidated damages, public contracting, pension-related study language, climate resiliency research funding, and a disposable vape reduction measure. Most passed with broad margins; AB 762 on vapor inhalation devices drew the most debate, with supporters emphasizing landfill fires and public health and opponents warning about revenue losses and illicit-market growth, but it still passed. AB 1406 on condo development financing drew extensive discussion about housing affordability and consumer protections before passing. The chamber also adopted three resolutions: ACR 120 declaring January 2026 Positive Parenting Awareness Month, ACR 121 designating January 2026 National Mentoring Month, and ACR 122 designating Anesthesiologist Week. Later, the Assembly concurred in Senate amendments on AB 1485, extending welfare-tax exemption treatment to federally recognized tribes holding land for conservation, and adopted the consent calendar, which included several additional bills and SCR 6. The session ended with adjournment until February 2, 2016, after which several members recorded vote changes from the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• rate has gone from 10% to 30%.
• , fourth quarter employment rates, median earnings.
• their hours of employment or increase their rate of pay and just continue to take those steps off of
• It's a payment error rate.
• It's a payment error rate, not a case error rate. All right, thank you.

Summary: The meeting focused on Arkansas’s proposed workforce system overhaul, including a combined WIOA/Perkins state plan and a package of federal waiver requests intended to consolidate workforce governance, reduce administrative costs, and redirect more funding to training and supportive services. Commerce officials said the plan would replace the current structure of 10 local workforce boards and more than 200 board members with a single statewide board and one administrative entity, while keeping local offices open and using regional business councils to preserve employer and local input. They said the state has already reduced Commerce headcount and operating costs, and that the changes would improve coordination with higher education, adult education, vocational rehabilitation, DHS, and Arkansas Industry Connect. Much of the discussion centered on the waiver package, especially the proposal to make the state board function as the local board, allow more flexible movement of funds across regions, eliminate the WIOA “last dollar” requirement for training and supportive services, create affiliate sites instead of requiring every area to maintain a comprehensive center, and relax the 14 youth program element requirement. Officials said the State Board of Workforce Development approved the waiver package 11-3 before it was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, and that implementation would begin only after federal approval and a closeout process, likely taking up to a year. They also described plans to streamline referrals and data sharing, expand mobile and virtual services, and use a more centralized model to improve customer service and employer engagement. Members raised repeated concerns about rural representation, local control, board composition, and whether jobs and relationships would be lost if local boards were eliminated. Commerce officials responded that local offices would remain open, some current staff could be rehired by the state, and regional business councils would help ensure local employer voice. Several members also questioned how the funding was being used, citing audit findings that only about $1.8 million to $1.9 million of roughly $14 million to $15 million in federal workforce funds had gone to training and supportive services. Officials said the reorganization could increase annual training spending to roughly $6 million to $7 million by reducing overhead, one-stop operator contracts, and board administration. The committee also discussed how the changes might support workforce training facilities, apprenticeships, child care and transportation assistance, and employer-driven training in fields such as manufacturing, health care, technology, and welding. The Division of Higher Education also briefed members on Workforce Pell. Officials explained that the new federal program would extend Pell eligibility to short-term programs, but only within narrow limits, such as 150 to 599 clock hours and 8 to 15 weeks of instruction, with additional completion and employment benchmarks. They said Arkansas is working with colleges and universities to identify programs that fit the criteria and that the governor has designated the Division of Higher Education to lead implementation. No votes were taken by the committee during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a strong relationship between economically disadvantaged rate and the overall rating score.
• Are you aware we are facing an alarming physician suicide crisis and increasing burnout rate?
• Are you aware we are facing an alarming physician suicide crisis and increasing burnout rate?
• And one clarifying point about the suicide rate: while it is increasing overall, physicians are at a
• particular increased risk.

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2853, which would allow the UT System Board of Regents to adjust the University of Texas at El Paso student union fee above the current statutory cap, subject to student approval, to help fund a new student union building. Senator Blanco explained the bill and the committee substitute, there were no questions or witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then heard House Bill 610, which would limit severance payments for terminated independent school district superintendents to six months’ salary and benefits. Senator Paxton described large severance payouts and said the bill had passed the House overwhelmingly. There were no witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the bill was left pending. A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 4623, which would waive school district immunity in certain cases involving negligent hiring, supervision, or employment of professional school employees who commit abuse or related misconduct against students. Senator Paxton and several witnesses, including survivors and parents, argued the bill was needed to address cover-ups, delayed reporting, and repeated failures to remove dangerous employees; some members raised concerns about liability caps, litigation, and how the bill would interact with the Tort Claims Act. The committee also heard from TEA staff and employee-group witnesses who discussed possible injunctions and stronger no-hire protections. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4, an accountability and assessment bill that would restore A-F ratings, change the state testing system, and replace STAAR with shorter, more instructionally useful assessments. Senator Bettencourt explained the committee substitute, including annual ratings, limits on taxpayer-funded lawsuits, and a phased-in testing redesign with beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments. Testimony was generally supportive from education and business groups, though some witnesses favored norm-referenced testing while others emphasized criterion-referenced, TEKS-aligned assessments; one witness noted social studies assessments were restored in the bill. The hearing concluded with additional invited testimony and no final vote reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The The insurance code requires residual market rates to be actuarially set with actually sound rates
• Our rates and our assessments to the plan.
• When it came back and the chief actuary looked at it, the actual rate increase that would need to take
• increase that they just had, so we have actually a better sense of where that rate needs to be taken
• in rates for the period that it occurred.

Transcript Highlights:

• The three-year retention rate and the five-year retention rate of traditionally prepared teachers can
• This is an increase of 3,200 candidates, or over 32%, over the past three years.
• It has steadily increased for all teachers by 1.3% over the past two years.
• We lose those at the highest rates.
• rate for non-MTDS teachers.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sorry, 7,000. 7,000 increase or total? Total. Okay, yeah. So it's an increase.
• So we do have to have a rider, and we are going to have that for the budget so that we can increase increase
• with a high fatality rate.
• Improving increased insurance transparency.
• We have a rate that is more than double the national average.

Bills: HB321, HB 1027, HB 1295, HB1782, HB2295, HCR29, HCR56

Keywords: Medicaid, child health, express lane option, income verification, supplemental nutrition assistance, telepharmacy, healthcare access, remote dispensing, rural clinics, pharmacy regulations, health literacy, state health plan, health care, patient outcomes, public health, economic impact, healthcare, breast cancer, cervical cancer, insurance eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Dismang continued: "This lowers the top rate from 3.9% to 3.7%.
• And what is that rate now, if there is a minimum or a maximum? What's the maximum?"
• I know that if a locality wants to increase their sales tax, that has to be done by election.
• Senator, I seem to recall in 2013 when we started cutting the income tax rate, that the income tax rate
• has, their effective tax rate has decreased by 45% since 2013.

Summary: The Arkansas Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a brief morning hour that included an announcement about volunteers for the Hunger Caucus “Serving Up Solutions” fundraiser. The chamber then moved to its business agenda, where the main item was Senate Bill 1 by Senator Dismang, which would reduce income tax rates for individuals, trusts, estates, and corporations. Senator Dismang explained the bill as a continuation of tax reductions begun in 2013, lowering the top individual rate from 3.9% to 3.7% effective January 1, 2026, and reducing the corporate rate to 4.1% starting next year. The bill drew debate over state priorities and fiscal tradeoffs. Senator Flowers questioned local sales tax limits and whether future needs such as Medicaid, education, and educational freedom accounts could be funded if taxes were cut further. Senators Tucker and Leding spoke against the bill, arguing the state should prioritize investments in early childhood education, hospitals, maternal health, and public schools rather than returning revenue to taxpayers. Senator McKee spoke in favor, saying money should be returned to the people who produced it. Senator Dismang closed by emphasizing that the tax cut was supported by surplus revenue and that a family making $65,000 had already seen a significant reduction in effective tax burden since 2013. The Senate passed Senate Bill 1 by a vote of 29 yeas to 6 nays and transmitted it to the House. Afterward, members announced that the Revenue and Taxation Committee would meet after House adjournment if the House sent over its tax bill, and the Senate adjourned subject to clearing the desk and reading House Bill 1001 across the desk, until 9 a.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• state's increase of 1.7 points.
• So we're going to see that increase. We're going to see that go up.
• This is actually an increase from 87% in 2023.
• double the rate for white students, with rates of 22% and 12%, respectively.
• However, rates do remain elevated.

Keywords: 988, house, all