Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and they'll let the veteran, um, finance that fee, too, which is just encourageable to me.
• <00:04:15.280> that<00:04:15.519> fee, let the veteran um, finance that fee, let the
• veteran um, finance that fee, too,<00:04:16.079> which<00:04:16.239> is<00:04:16.400><
• Ours has already been through finance and well received.
• . uh and uh already been through finance. uh and uh wellreceived.<00:13:02.720> Um<00:13:03.040

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The City Committee on Finance will come to order. Will the clerk please call the roll? Huffman.
• I also want to say I appreciate the Lieutenant Governor and our Senate Finance Chair Huffman for coming
• Chair, members of the Senate Finance Committee.
• Chairwoman Huffman, Vice Chair Hinojosa, and members of the Senate Finance Committee, I'm here today
• Finance stands in recess, subject to the call of the chair.

Bills: SB22, SB 22

Keywords: Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation, economic development, youth camp, summer camp, camp safety, emergency operations plan, emergency preparedness, evacuation drill, camp staff training, volunteer training, camper safety, lost camper, natural disaster, fire safety, mass casualty

Transcript Highlights:

• I will need to even check in to finance myself.
• not traditionally financed or market rate developments.
• So there's just really not a financing source.
• But where it hadn't taken me until recently is to finance.
• Finance and watching HHS committee hearings.

Bills: SB502, SB513, SB622, SB670, SB731, SB732, SB916, SB961, SB1122

Keywords: SB 502, Texas peace officers, Health and Human Services Commission, HHSC Office of Inspector General, OIG investigators, law enforcement classification, Schedule C, state employee benefits, injury benefits, peace officer status, commissioned officers, state auditor classification, Government Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, human services, health and human services, law enforcement compensation, public employee benefits, Texas state law enforcement, child welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• I assume that folks on the finance committee know more about that than I do.
• I assume that folks on the finance committee know more about that than I do.
• I assume that folks on the finance committee know more about that than I do.
• I assume that folks on the finance committee know more about that than I do.
• Um, there was finance at the beginning.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 219, which would revise the renewable portfolio standard. Representative Bose explained that the bill would modify class one definitions, eliminate class two, reduce the utility obligation for class one thermal renewable energy certificates from 2.2% to 1.7%, and adjust alternative compliance payments for classes one, three, and four. He said the changes were intended to save ratepayers an estimated $5.7 million annually, would not materially harm the renewable portfolio standard, and would have little effect on class two because that market is already saturated. Members questioned the impact on consumers, the state budget, and the renewable energy fund; Bose said the fund had already been redirected in the state budget, and another member noted an amended fiscal note showing a $1.2 million reduction in general fund revenue. The committee also discussed the bill’s history, including that it had been added to HB 2 and later removed by the Senate, and Bose said the Senate’s eventual action was hard to predict. The committee then heard House Bill 164 on local records retention from Secretary of State David Scanlan. He said the long-standing local records manager position had never been funded, but that the need for it had grown as towns increasingly digitize records and must ensure accessibility, including ADA compliance. He described the bill as a way to provide state support and expertise to municipalities, especially smaller towns with limited resources, and said the fiscal note for hiring the position remained accurate, though broader website and storage costs could rise over time. Members asked about retrieving lost records, the cost of a public website, and whether records should remain local or be stored at the state level; Scanlan said the state would serve as a resource rather than take control of local records. Finally, the committee began work on House Bill 365, also with Secretary Scanlan, concerning proof of U.S. citizenship for indigent voters. He said the bill would help voters who may lack required documents under the new voter registration law by allowing the state to verify qualifications through federal, private, or other state databases and by providing vouchers to cover the cost of obtaining documents such as birth certificates. He compared the proposal to earlier voter ID accommodations and said the goal was to help qualified voters meet the new requirements without weakening them. Members raised questions about defining “indigent,” how out-of-state birth records would be handled, and the practicality of the verification process; Scanlan said the term would likely need further discussion and that the state would try to assist voters before election day whenever possible.

Transcript Highlights:

• While the various senators—some of them are in finance, some are making their way over here—but I guess
• Gary holds a master's degree from the LBJ School at UT Austin with a concentration in municipal finance
• Chair: Other than Senator Kolkhorst, Chair Kolkhorst's Article 2 is being discussed in finance.
• Finance. Again, as many members as possible today, so people will be stepping in and out.
• You know, one thing, and for those of you who are on finance, you've heard me testify to this.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Now you've heard the first reading of the bill, and the bill is referred to the committee on finance
• Program. >> Now you've heard the first reading of the bill, and it is referred to the committee on finance
• referred to the the bill and it is referred to the committee<00:09:32.480> on<00:09:32.720> finance
• Senate Finance will meet at 1:30. Senator from Rutland. Thank you, Mr. President.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finance, bottom of page eight. Good morning. Taylor Nichols, finance department.
• Finance. Good morning. Taylor Nichols, finance department.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Vice President Robert Davis, I will have to get somebody from our finance team to explain to me so
• >> Vice President Robert Davis, I will have to get somebody from our finance team to explain to me so
• financings and other state<00:51:51.200> supported<00:51:51.599> debt<00:51:52.079>
• Minnesota and the housing finance Minnesota and the housing finance agency.
• lease purchase financing for equipment. lease purchase financing for equipment.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:37:57.920> Um county state finance committee level.
• Um county state finance committee level.
• <00:52:35.760> In expensive for that to be financed.
• In expensive for that to be financed.
• insured product or the state's financing insured product or the state's financing it<01:10:54.159

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee to study long-term managed care met to approve the prior meeting minutes, with a clarification that “OB3” referred to the “one big beautiful bill.” The minutes were then approved. Chair Jim Kofalt outlined the day’s agenda, which included testimony from the Granite State Home Health and Hospice Association, the New Hampshire Association of Counties, and later DHHS. He also noted that future meetings were expected soon and that the meetings were being livestreamed on YouTube. Granite State Home Health and Hospice Association, represented by Kellyanne Totten and Amy Moore, urged inclusive planning and a cautious, phased approach if managed care is considered. They emphasized that home care providers are not uniform, with different licensing and service models, and said any pilot should include varied provider types, rural and southern regions, and agencies of different sizes. They warned that workforce shortages, inflation, and a possible 9% CMS cut to Medicare home health payments could force agencies to reduce service areas or service types. They also said the 2023 Medicaid CFI rate increase has begun to lose its effect. In response to questions, they said the rural health transformation fund may help with planning and telehealth but likely cannot be used directly for rates or recruitment/retention. They also described the New England Home Care Nurse Residency Program, a Department of Labor grant, as a way to bring new registered nurses into home care with added training and school partnerships. The New Hampshire Association of Counties, through county nursing home administrators Craig Labore and David Ross, revisited the earlier Step Two managed care discussions from 2016-2018. They said prior consultants found the long-term services and supports system was underfunded and needed investment to stabilize providers and expand community-based care. They argued the same concerns remain today and said a managed model would jeopardize the Medicaid quality incentive payment program and, for county nursing homes, the proportionate share payment program. Their testimony was generally opposed to moving forward with managed long-term services and supports without significant additional funding and safeguards.

Transcript Highlights:

• document which is also posted online, I'm just going to walk you through kind of the process that Senate Finance
• back again once they had those final figures and had discussions with uh the chair came into Senate Finance
• appropriated for 25 Senate Finance appropriated for 25 Senate Finance Committee<00:30:26.640>
• That was one of the first actions the Senate Finance Committee took is to remove that reduction.
• <01:22:16.480> Committee uh made by uh Senate Finance Committee uh made by uh Senate Finance

Keywords: LBA Briefing on Budget, 928, house, all

Summary: The presentation was an LBA overview of Senate changes to the House-passed state budget, with Michael Kane explaining how Senate Finance updated revenue and spending estimates after April revenue figures and agency discussions. He said the Senate’s revenue outlook was higher than the House’s in some areas, but lower in others, especially video lottery terminal revenue, and that the biggest differences also came from changes to revenue splits between the general fund and education trust fund, lapse estimates, and several policy changes in House Bill 1 and House Bill 2. Kane highlighted several major revenue and policy differences: the Senate changed the business tax, tobacco tax, and real estate transfer tax splits; adjusted liquor revenue dedication; removed the House’s meals-and-rooms distribution cap; delayed the Lakes Region facility proceeds plan; altered the PECARD fund treatment; added a granite patron of the arts tax credit; and changed the treatment of unique funds and video lottery terminal revenue. On spending, he noted Senate changes to judicial, corrections, HHS, human rights commission, and other budgets, including additional settlement costs, higher lapse assumptions, and a different approach to Medicaid premium revenue and retirement savings. He also described Senate additions such as a nursing home bed fee, Hampstead Hospital transition funding, and changes to the YDC claims settlement fund. The presentation focused on comparing House and Senate surplus statements across fiscal years 2025 through 2027, including projected ending balances and rainy day fund transfers. Kane repeatedly emphasized that the numbers were still dependent on final revenues and lapse amounts, and that some balances would be carried forward and trued up later in the biennium. No committee vote or final action was described in the excerpt; it was an informational budget briefing and comparison of the two chambers’ proposals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I'd like to nominate Senator Jim Gray as the vice chair of the Finance Committee.
• <00:21:45.360> for name the Director of Finance for name the Director of Finance for do<00
• We have, in finance, experienced quite a bit of turbulence.
• I also want to thank the finance staff and particularly our CFO, Jim Duris.
• Congratulations to you and your finance officer, and I know Ms.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on January 30, 2025, and first organized itself by electing Senator Jim Gray as vice chair, electing Representative F as clerk, appointing Michael Caine as legislative budget assistant, and adopting the committee’s rules and procedures. The committee also adopted an amendment to the rules allowing audits to be automatically released to the public once placed on the Fiscal Committee agenda, with members discussing that the change would improve transparency and reduce paper handling. The minutes from the November 15, 2024 meeting were approved, with members who were absent abstaining. The committee then worked through a consent calendar and several individual items. It removed or noted withdrawals on a few items, including item 25004 for further discussion, item 25016 withdrawn by the Department of Education, item 257 removed by Representative F, and item 25001 removed under Tab 4. Item 25004, concerning the newborn screening program, prompted testimony from the Department of Health and Human Services explaining that the program is mandatory with an opt-out provision; officials said 99.2% of newborns were screened in 2023, meaning the opt-out rate was under 1%. The committee also approved item 25007, related to DHHS community health workers and telework policy, after hearing that the workers are not placed in schools and that DHHS follows statewide telework policy. On the regular calendar, the committee approved a Department of Administrative Services request to extend the release date for fiscal year 2024 numbers to March 31, and approved a Department of Fish and Game item. It also approved winter maintenance funding for the Department of Transportation after hearing that the $5.7 million request might not last through the winter if additional storms occur; DOT said even a small storm can cost more than $1 million and that crews are dispatched based on road conditions and supervisory judgment. The committee then approved items for the Judicial Council and the Office of Legislative Budget Assistant. The final discussion focused on the Health and Human Services dashboard and the Youth Development Center claims. DHHS acknowledged a data error in the APS client line and said Community Mental Health Center caseload data is still not fully accurate because two centers are undergoing EHR conversions. Members also asked about the low census at the Sununu Youth Development Center and about the process for managing future claims related to the YDC settlement fund. Witnesses from the Attorney General’s office said the fund is handled through a unique arrangement involving DOJ appropriations and judicial branch staff, that current judicial budget cuts are not yet affecting the litigation pace, and that the average resolution so far has been about $500,000, though future claims may vary. No votes were taken on the discussion items beyond the approvals noted above.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Senate Bill 60, Chair, Finance >> Senate Bill 60, Chair, Finance Committee,<01:01
• Staying with finance.
• the chair of finance. the chair of finance.
• So, finance committee, as soon as we break, come right over to the finance committee.
• right over to the finance committee. right over to the finance committee.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Monday, April 13, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened on the final day of session, heard an invocation, recognized guests and pages, and outlined a tentative plan for multiple sessions and breaks through the day. The chamber then took up several messages between the Senate and House, including a refusal to concur in House amendments to Senate Bill 311 on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and the appointment of conferees, as well as a House message on House Bill 9007 establishing a conference committee on third-degree assault. The Senate also considered a series of second-reader bills. House Bill 6, requiring MHEC to collect data on pregnant and parenting students, was amended to exempt Maryland Global Campus and limit certain provisions to public senior higher education institutions and community colleges before being ordered to third reading. House Bill 182, concerning replacement of faithless electors, was amended to conform with Senate Bill 237 and then passed. House Bill 575, creating excused absences for student civic engagement, drew the most discussion; senators asked about the definition of civic engagement, county discretion, and whether students could use the bill for repeated protests. The floor leader explained that county boards would retain discretion and that the bill would not require weekly absences. The bill’s two amendments were adopted and it was sent to third reading. Additional measures passed with little or no opposition. House Bill 640 revised boards, commissions, and reporting requirements; House Bill 1335 required an independent study of IT and cybersecurity staffing and pay; House Bill 587 created a work group to review transportation procurement procedures; House Bill 854 established a nonpublic special education school renovation program; and House Bill 898 adjusted economic development provisions, including VLT proceeds and film tax credit language, after questions about the general fund impact. The Senate also advanced House Bill 1247 on Prince George’s County tax increment financing for an immersive entertainment venue, with amendments making it an emergency bill and addressing zoning and outdoor advertising issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• with House Amendment 1, an act to amend Titles 15 and 29 of the Delaware Code relating to campaign finance
• House Amendment 1, an act to amend Title 29 of the Delaware Code relating to child support, out of Finance
• 1, an act to amend Titles 4 and 16 of the Delaware Code relating to alcohol and marijuana, out of Finance
• House Bill 462, an act to amend Title 14 of the Delaware Code relating to school taxes, out of Finance
• House Bill 462, an act to amend Title 14 of the Delaware Code relating to school taxes, out of Finance

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But anyway, today the hearing is hearing testimony on finance, ethics, lobbying, labor, land, and honorary
• 10 years, and that includes bribing officials, taking bribes as an official, and criminal campaign finance
• 10 years, and that includes bribing officials, taking bribes as an official, and criminal campaign finance
• And then the big thing it did was it financed the building of the Arsenal of Democracy, which was sort
• of centered in Detroit, because to help us win World War II, it financed the building of hundreds of

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on a proposed Massachusetts baby bonds program, including H. 3429, S. 2146, and the Treasurer’s related bill H. 48. Treasurer Goldberg and a broad coalition of advocates, researchers, health professionals, and people with lived experience said the program would create trust accounts for children born into low-income families or in DCF custody, with funds available at age 18 for education, homeownership, business startup, or other long-term asset-building uses. Supporters argued the program would help close the racial wealth gap, improve economic mobility, and not affect eligibility for financial aid or public benefits. Committee members asked about administration, investment returns, eligibility, and withdrawal rules; the Treasurer said the accounts would be held in trust and managed by her office with an advisory board, with funds accessible at 18 and usable through age 35 if the beneficiary remains a Massachusetts resident. No vote was taken during the testimony shown. The committee also heard testimony on legislation establishing Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness Day, including S. 2666 and H. 4625. Senator Ross, Representative Badger, physicians, survivors, and advocates described invasive lobular carcinoma as difficult to detect because it often grows in lines rather than forming a lump, can be missed on mammography, and is underfunded and underrepresented in research and clinical trials. Witnesses said the bill would codify an annual October 15 proclamation to raise awareness, improve diagnosis, and encourage more targeted research and treatment. Committee members asked why the disease is so hard to detect, and medical witnesses explained the imaging challenges and the lack of lobular-specific protocols. The witnesses urged favorable reports. The committee then took testimony on H. 4648, a bill concerning the purchase or lease of Fenn Farm in Stockbridge by the Stockbridge-Munsee community. Representative Davis, the Stockbridge Land Trust president, and the tribal president testified that the bill would remove a conservation restriction tied to a state MVP grant so the tribe could manage the land without a restriction that they said would conflict with tribal sovereignty and Indigenous stewardship practices. They said the parcel is a sacred site connected to Monument Mountain and that the restriction is unnecessary because the land is already surrounded by conserved property. The witnesses asked for favorable action on the bill. Finally, the committee heard testimony on H. 3416, a resolution urging Congress to create a national infrastructure bank. Representative Senna and several advocates argued that an off-budget infrastructure bank could finance major repairs and upgrades to roads, bridges, rail, water systems, broadband, and housing without adding to the state budget, while creating jobs and supporting economic growth. Witnesses cited historical precedents for national infrastructure banks and said Massachusetts could benefit substantially from such a program. The transcript shown does not include a committee vote or final action on the resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• This slide reflects the Defense Finance and Accounting Services pay tables from 1997. Affairs.
• This slide reflects the Defense Finance and Accounting Services pay tables from 1997.
• 04:01.440> reflects<00:04:01.920> the<00:04:02.000> Defense<00:04:02.480> Finance
• This slide reflects the Defense Finance This slide reflects the Defense Finance and<00:04:03.000
• <00:04:48.560> Accounting with the Defense Finance Accounting with the Defense Finance Accounting

Bills: HF4615, HF3532, HF4492, HF4171

Keywords: military, pay, officers, enlisted members, state active service, Minnesota Statutes, veterans, burial eligibility, honor guard, state cemeteries, military service, burial fees, veterans affairs, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, advisory task force, commanders task force, veterans service organizations, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, all financing terms must be disclosed before the sale of the animal.
• Third, if the consumer is financing the purchase, there is a three-day waiting period so the buyer can
• Fourth, if a veterinarian determines that the animal is unfit for purchase, any financing arrangement
• Who sell unhealthy pets with deceptive financing. And that's the bill.
• Internal Muslim Brotherhood documents seized by the FBI and introduced in federal terrorism financing

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard a long agenda of bills, beginning with several probate, civil rights, and claims measures. Senators Burgess’s SB 326 on curators of estates was explained as a modernization of probate law; an amendment narrowing the bill was adopted, and the committee reported the bill favorably 10-0 after limited public testimony, including opposition from Ray Contreras. Burgess’s SB 1096, clarifying filing deadlines under the Florida Civil Rights Act, also passed unanimously 11-0. The committee then approved several claims bills, including SB 28 for Reginald Jackson against the City of Lakeland, SB 6 for a child injured after DCF’s handling of abuse allegations, SB 18 for the estate of McKenzie Navarre against the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, SB 26 for the estate of Mark Legata against FDOT, and SB 2 for the estate of Daniel Maudsley against DHSMV, with votes ranging from 10-1 to 11-0 and mostly no debate or opposition. The committee also took up trust and family-law related bills. Leader Berman’s SB 786 created a nonjudicial process for closing uncontested trusts and discharging trustees; after a technical amendment and testimony from Ray Contreras raising notice concerns, it passed 11-0. President Gates’s SB 50 expanded veterans’ courts statewide, drew broad support from veterans’ groups and advocacy organizations, and was reported favorably 11-0. Senator Simon’s SB 538 standardized extracurricular participation rules for public, private, virtual, and homeschool students; after multiple amendments on homeschool eligibility, fees, and coach compensation, it passed 11-0 with support and opposition from education-related groups. President Gates’s SB 1004, aimed at consumer protections in the sale of dogs and cats, also passed unanimously after testimony from humane organizations. The committee then considered broader policy bills. President Pro Tem Brodeur’s SB 1366 on claims against the government proposed raising sovereign immunity caps and adding CPI adjustments; local government, hospital, and school representatives supported the Senate’s lower-cap approach while warning against the House version, and the bill was reported favorably 11-0. Senator Jones’s SB 178 on athletics in public K-12 schools, as amended, would let head coaches provide limited personal support to student-athletes and require reporting of assistance; it passed 10-0. Senator Grohl’s SB 1178 on foreign influence and foreign countries of concern drew extensive supportive testimony from national security witnesses and was reported favorably 11-0 after a technical amendment and withdrawal of another amendment. Finally, SB 1632 on ideologies inconsistent with American principles prompted substantial debate and public testimony over domestic terrorism designations, Sharia law references, due process, and free speech concerns; the committee had not yet completed final action on that bill when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• To get there, we need to have that record of decision, and we need to have an initial finance plan.
• A draft finance plan is in the works as we finalize our program estimate.
• That IBR finance plan would talk about how we would cover program costs, sources, and uses of funds,
• That amendment also needs approval from the Federal Highway Administration on that initial finance plan
• So it fits within needing to update a finance plan for the grant amendment program.

Summary: The Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee met for a work session and public hearing on the Interstate 5 bridge replacement program. Program staff outlined major milestones, including the recent biological opinion, the Coast Guard’s opening of a public comment period on the Navigation Impact Report, expected decisions in early 2026 on navigational clearance and the final supplemental environmental impact statement, and a possible amended record of decision in 2026. They also discussed the Bridge Investment Program grant amendment deadline, the need for an initial finance plan, and ongoing community outreach and contractor engagement. Greg Johnson announced he was stepping down as program administrator, and Carly Francis introduced herself as interim administrator. A large portion of the meeting focused on design and cost questions. Staff said the program is studying fixed and movable spans, single- and double-deck configurations, and one versus two auxiliary lanes, with final recommendations to be made through the federal environmental process. They said the Coast Guard’s decision is central to what bridge configuration is permittable and to the timing of the updated cost estimate, which has not yet been released. Members pressed for more detail on cost drivers, potential impacts to businesses upriver, and whether the states would need to seek additional funding. Staff said they had reached agreements with four impacted river users, but the underlying evaluation materials are protected and not publicly releasable. The committee also reviewed transit-related questions. Staff explained that light rail remains part of the modified locally preferred alternative and that ridership and operations estimates are being updated using federal modeling methods. They said projected opening-day transit operations and maintenance costs have dropped from an earlier estimate of $21.8 million to about $10.3 million annually because the current model assumes lower frequency, with Oregon and Washington shares split by geography and fare recovery. Members raised concerns about TriMet’s financial stability and the need for a funding plan by fall 2027, ahead of a planned federal transit funding application in fall 2028. During public testimony, several speakers criticized the delay in releasing a new cost estimate and argued the project scope should be reduced if costs continue to rise. Testifiers from City Observatory and the Just Crossing Alliance said the project appears to be avoiding bad news, urged the committee to consider scope reductions, and questioned whether the active transportation and freeway components align with the project’s core purpose. The meeting ended with thanks to Johnson for his service and a transition to public hearing testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are scheduled to be at the State Board of Finance the week of December 18th.
• Get our folks in finance, some of you who are sitting on finance, maybe help work on that problem to
• I would like the Finance Committee to advocate for all of that, but are there...
• Discussions with the Finance Committee about funding operational a year or two out.
• HEFC and Senate Finance around budget requests for both PED and GSD.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we have from the Legislative Finance Committee staff, we have Ruby Ann Esquibel and Alma Kassim
• So I'm Ruby Ann Esquivel with the Legislative Finance Committee, and we have a new staff member that
• Alma Kassim, and she literally has been with the Legislative Finance Committee for three weeks. three
• We want to give credit to the administration and the Department of Finance and Administration.
• We dug into it a little deeper, as you can probably tell, at the Legislative Finance Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• make the improvements they want to see in their, in their families, in their relationships, their finances
• House Bill 2313 would allow the city of Lubbock to designate a project financing zone.
• The Texas legislature authorized the project finance zones in 2013 to provide financial assistance, uh
• HB 2013 will permit Lubbock to access the Project Finance Zone tool provided to six other Texas cities
• To this point, we have not accessed these state-provided financing tools, and we believe that the time

Bills: HB249

Keywords: real property, ad valorem tax, tax appraisal, property value limitation, real estate taxation, property ownership