Video & Transcript Research : 'maximum allowable cost'
Page 113 of 500
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- advocate for legislative change to allow advocate for legislative change to allow Holland<00:37:
- <01:21:14.560>
in the average cost in the average cost in 2018<01:21:16.880>and <01 - <01:21:21.199>
in and the average cost in and the average cost in 2023<01:21:23.159>so - will allow her to communicate will allow will allow her to communicate will allow her<01:26:16.760
- Have you seen the cost yet?
Summary:
The committee heard a presentation from DHS on its early intensive developmental and behavioral intervention (EIDBI) study and related licensing proposal. Christy Grom explained that EIDBI is a Medical Assistance state plan service for children and young adults under 21 with autism or related conditions, and that DHS’s multi-phase evaluation included standards review, community engagement, and a comparison with other states. She said the service is important but that DHS identified gaps in oversight, including stretched clinical supervision, providers affiliated with many centers, out-of-state providers, and rapid growth in enrollment that has outpaced current monitoring capacity.
DHS’s main recommendation was to create a provisional license for EIDBI in Chapter 245A as an immediate step, with later work toward full licensing standards. The proposal would let DHS identify controlling individuals, disqualify ineligible people, investigate maltreatment, suspend or revoke licenses, require background studies and qualifications before service delivery, move EIDBI providers into a higher-risk category for revalidation, and make DHS the lead investigative agency for maltreatment. DHS also recommended statutory standards for supervision, caseloads, training, and documentation, while emphasizing the need to balance oversight with continued access to services. Grom said the provisional licensure proposal is part of the governor’s budget and that DHS hopes to begin implementation in 2025, with a possible full license start date in 2028.
Testifiers then spoke in support of EIDBI while urging the committee to preserve access and include more community input. Ana Hagi Muhammad, a parent of three autistic children and a Somali community advocate, said EIDBI has been beneficial for her family and that community organizations serving Somali families have not been sufficiently engaged in DHS’s process. Ana Muhammad, a Black mother of a young autistic child, said ABA has helped her son with communication, self-regulation, and independence, and asked that discussions reflect the diversity of family experiences. Committee members asked testifiers to keep remarks brief and to identify which modality they use, and the chair indicated the committee would continue hearing from additional testifiers before further discussion.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Feb 16th, 2026 at 10:48 pm
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- I think the other important part of this bill is it codifies that we use the cost of care, a cost estimation
- We can't allow the success of one group of women to be achieved on the backs of others.
- They sustain the workforce across every sector, allowing parents to contribute to our economy.
- Maximum amount of hours that these individuals are allowed to work considering that they are being involved
- , and the high cost of child care.
Keywords:
SB132, DOIT, Department of Information Technology, software replacement, equipment replacement, technology funding, revolving fund, capital equipment, enterprise services, state IT budgeting, software budgeting, amortization, depreciation, State Treasurer, Department of Finance and Administration, New Mexico, information technology, IT infrastructure, fund accounting, legislative appropriation
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- cost to the state or school budgets. cost to the state or school budgets.
- share of special education costs. share of special education costs.
- <00:53:15.680>
to this scholarship funding be allowed to this scholarship funding be allowed - It would cost this state nothing.
- It would cost this state nothing.
VT
Transcript Highlights:
- . maximums. maximums.
- This card won't cost annual basis.
- may cost quite a bit more.
- <01:59:07.120>
of those costs compared to to the cost of those costs compared to to the cost - , cost-saving ways to find cost-effective, cost-saving ways to help<02:19:20.760>
Vermonters <02
Summary:
The House first suspended the rules briefly to make announcements, including welcoming former representative Doug Gage to the gallery. It then returned to House Bill 211 on data brokers and personal information, where the Appropriations Committee explained a $50,000 appropriation to the Secretary of State for a consultant-led study on an accessible deletion mechanism for consumers to delete personal data held by data brokers, with interim and final reports due in 2027 and 2028. The committee reported a 9-0-2 vote in favor, and the House agreed to the Commerce and Economic Development Committee’s amendment and ordered third reading.
Floor debate on H. 211 focused heavily on the bill’s deletion and exemption framework. Supporters argued the bill is needed to give Vermonters meaningful control over their data and to prevent data brokers from commingling information for unrelated uses. Opponents warned the bill could conflict with existing federal frameworks such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, and the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and could make credit, banking, insurance, fraud prevention, and identity verification harder. In response, the sponsor said the bill uses use-case-based exemptions rather than broad entity-level exemptions, noted testimony from banks, insurers, a data broker, a former data broker employee, and the Attorney General, and said no constitutional concerns were raised. The House ultimately adopted the amendment and advanced the bill.
After H. 211, the House moved to House Bill 577, establishing the Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Card Program. Committee reports from Health Care, Ways and Means, and Appropriations were read into the record, and the Colchester member described the bill as a way to lower prescription drug costs by joining the multi-state Array Rx program. The bill would let any Vermont resident obtain a free discount card for FDA-approved prescription drugs, with claimed savings up to 80% on generics and 20% on brand-name drugs. The House then proceeded to second reading on H. 577.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Agriculture and Wildlife Feb 23rd, 2026 at 10:00 am
Agriculture and Wildlife
Transcript Highlights:
- So this allows them an opportunity to go somewhere else.
- You know, everything from feed costs to fuel costs to the price of... Animals.
- There is a cost. There's a cost to these lights right here.
- I graduated cost me 22,000 dollars.
- Reversing 75% of its loss and cutting costs, if we remove these invasive species, it costs $447 million
Keywords:
poultry, agriculture, out-of-state processing, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, regulation, food safety, elk population, wildlife management, Oklahoma State University, veterinary medicine, ecosystem health, habitat assessment, milk, dairy, dairy farm, milk products, Grade A milk, pasteurization, raw milk, milk inspection
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- So my question is, is there an estimated cost or a monthly estimate.
- On how much it costs to be able to have the GPS monitoring, thank you for the question.
- In the event someone is found not guilty, and they've assumed the cost.
- And that's when our counties allow early voting.
- We allow Saturdays, part of Saturday, and Wednesday under certain conditions.
Bills:
SB1450, SB1458, SB1232, SB1238, SB1325, SB1209, SB1362, SB2072, SB1451, SB1540, SB1581, SB1535, SB1266, SB1927, SB1460, SB2084, SB2182
Keywords:
criminal court costs, court fees, fines, assessments, waiver, ability to pay, indigent defendants, post-release relief, probation compliance, parole, deferred sentence, suspended sentence, restitution, child support, municipal court, district court, criminal justice reform, court debt, legal financial obligations, fee waiver
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama Joint Contract Review Committee Meeting Jun 4th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- . >> [applause] >> Father, we thank you for this day, for Our state, for the folk whom we are allowed
- Um, and there will be some additional program implementation costs that would be environmental inspection
- This is a 2-year contract for the total cost of $8,135.
- out there. >> And thank you for that background. >> At top page five. >> And the last one is a no-cost
- We are requesting a no-cost amendment in our contract.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Informal House Session 12 Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Third reading of the bill: An act directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive the maximum
- Third reading of the bill: An act directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive the maximum
- An act directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age requirement for police
- Third reading of the bill: An act directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive the maximum
- Third reading of the bill: An act directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive the maximum
Summary:
The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted a congratulatory resolution honoring Oxford Fire Chief Laurent R. McDonald for 45 years of public service. Members also adopted an order creating a special joint committee on initiative petitions to review petitions transmitted by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In addition, House Bill 862, providing for the recall of elected officers in the town of Sharon, was passed to be enacted.
The House then acted on several procedural and scheduling matters. It suspended Joint Rule 12 to send three petitions to committee, and the Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling reported a group of local and special bills for consideration, including measures on home insurers and tree removal, housing for families with pets, public safety in Stoneham, community housing funds in Chatham, the Provincetown rental housing trust fund, a disability pension for Christopher Taylor, and a sick leave bank for Sonia Felix. These bills were ordered to a third reading. The House also welcomed visiting students from Four Rivers Charter Public School and the Medfield Girls Soccer State Champions.
On third reading, the House passed to be engrossed four police-age waiver bills for Antonio Perez, Sherell Malas, Jonathan Telford, and Jose Ortiz, all directing the Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age requirement. The chamber also observed a moment of silent tribute for the late Honorable Francis J. Larkin of Hopedale, recognizing his long career in public service, law, and education. Finally, the House adopted an order to meet again Monday at 11 a.m. and then adjourned.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Committee of Conference on HB 1260, HB 1574, HB 1816, HB 1499, HB 1709 (05/26/2026)
Transcript Highlights:
- cost us much more money in the long run. cost us much more money in the long run.
- good error rate and not increase costs good error rate and not increase costs down<01:16:38.640>
- So, yeah, that is an estimate if the maximum number of people were to opt into this.
- The actual costs, which are first allocated towards the software and administrative costs, are approximately
- Where are the costs going to be for the management at DOE?
Keywords:
10:00am HB 1260
11:00am HB 1574
12:00pm HB 1816
2:30pm HB 1499
2:45pm HB 1709, 928, house, all
Summary:
The conference committee first met on HB 1260, a bill requested by municipal clerks to allow certain divorce-related records to be kept confidential. House members argued the Senate amendment would reverse the presumption of openness established in the Keene Sentinel case and raise constitutional issues under the state constitution’s privacy and open-government provisions. Senate members responded that the 2018 privacy amendment, the limited scope of the proposal, and modern internet risks justified the change, but the House maintained the issue needed a full hearing in a separate bill. The committee ultimately voted unanimously for the Senate to recede and adopt the House version, preserving the underlying bill without the Senate amendment, and both sides said they would revisit the topic in a future session.
The committee then took up HB 1574, which extends free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs and provides funding for SNAP administrative costs. The main dispute was the Senate’s addition of $4.4 million for SNAP administration, which DHHS said was needed because federal law would shift more administrative costs to the state and could increase the state’s SNAP error rate, potentially triggering much larger future penalties. DHHS officials reported the current error rate was 7.57% for federal fiscal year 2024, below the national average, and estimated that if the rate rose above 8%, the state could owe about 10% of SNAP benefits, or roughly $12 million for a partial year and nearly $16 million for a full year. Some House members supported the added funding as a preventive measure, while others objected that the underlying bill was modest and the amendment resembled a previously rejected proposal. The discussion ended with the committee moving toward the House position and the bill’s future depending on the chamber’s vote on the Senate amendment.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Do you get specific when you think of things like material costs or labor costs?
- I think that when we're looking at costs, you know, probably our best gauge of those costs and potential
- There's a cost of delay.
- But post-COVID, we have had an escalation in costs of construction projects of five times the cost to
- It's about cost.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- or taking on the time-consuming and financial cost of going to court.
- Do you know how much those things cost? A rough idea. Right.
- You do ask a lot of questions as a freshman, and, you know, we'll allow that.
- President, for allowing me to do that.
- Yesterday about camping, that might would this be allowed under your bill?
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, recognized a Karnes County Day delegation and the Texas Association of Museums, received a governor’s message on Texas Diabetes Council appointments, and introduced the Doctor of the Day. The chamber then took up several resolutions, including SR 388 honoring the Texas Association of Museums, and adopted SRs 380, 382, and 387 by voice vote. Senator King was excused due to a family death, and the journal reading was dispensed with.
The Senate then moved through a series of bills, most of them on expedited suspension of the regular order and three-day rule. Measures passed included SB 868 on Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program funding for high-wildfire-risk areas; SB 264 exempting certain family motor-vehicle transfers from tax; SB 2112 on oyster mariculture penalties; SB 1484 on catfish labeling and marketing; SB 660 on bollards near hospital emergency rooms; SB 1809 creating offenses for gift card fraud; SB 32 and SJR 81 providing business personal property tax relief and a related constitutional amendment; SB 1267 modernizing boat titling and adding disclosure for hidden hull damage; SB 1470 allowing DPS data sharing for voter list maintenance; SB 2406 and SB 2407 implementing Sunset recommendations for the Sabine River Authority and Lower Neches Valley River Authority; SB 609 on school district compliance with legally required policies; SB 921 on ex parte Medicaid eligibility renewals; SB 2320 increasing DWI penalties; SB 1822 requiring disclosure and oversight of AI-based utilization review algorithms; SB 693 on notaries public and deed theft prevention; and SB 664 setting statewide qualifications and oversight for magistrates and related judicial officers.
One of the most contested items was SB 779 on common law public nuisance claims, which drew extended debate over whether the bill would limit lawsuits against lawful, regulated activities and whether it would preserve private nuisance and other existing remedies. Despite objections, the Senate suspended the rules and passed the bill to engrossment by a 17-12 vote, holding it there. Another debated measure was SB 1008 on state and local authority over the food service industry; after a perfecting amendment, it was passed to engrossment and then to final passage. Several bills were adopted or passed with near-unanimous support, while others, including SB 1267, SB 1470, SB 1822, and SB 2320, saw some opposition but still cleared the chamber.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Science, Technology and Energy (04/14/2025)
Science, Technology and Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- does is drive up costs. does is drive up costs.
- Do you have upfront costs?
- <05:41:15.120>
uh <05:41:15.360>cost not see the type of cost uh cost not see the type - fuel cost of our fossil fueled fleet. fuel cost of our fossil fueled fleet.
- uh against against cost shifting. Great. uh against against cost shifting. Great.
Summary:
The committee met on April 14 and began by welcoming a new member, Representative Samban Denier, who briefly described his background as a Clarkson University environmental engineering graduate and Air Force veteran. The committee then moved into a work session on five energy-related bills, starting with Senate Bill 65 on stormwater management for solar arrays. Representative McGee presented amendment 1594H, which would exclude projects in shoreland areas from the bill’s permit-by-notification process and require the standard alteration-of-terrain permit review instead. Members asked for clarification, and McGee explained the amendment was requested by the New Hampshire Lakes Association and others to preserve the fuller review process for shoreland projects. The committee appeared satisfied with the explanation and moved on.
The committee next discussed Senate Bill 230 on electric utility restructuring and investment in distributed energy resources. Members concluded that section one was unnecessary because a better definition of advanced nuclear resources had already been added to House Bill 710, and that section two would allow investment in advanced nuclear resources in a way they had already rejected in another bill due to ratepayer risk. Several members agreed the bill was redundant and supported an ITL motion. They also discussed Senate Bill 232 on net metering terms and conditions, focusing first on whether hydroelectric generators could be listed in ISO New England while also taking net metering credits. Granite State Hydropower Association representative Heidi Kroll testified that generators are subject to checks and balances, that double-dipping is not occurring, and that rules and tariffs already require participation in one market arrangement or the other.
Discussion on Senate Bill 232 then shifted to section two, which would bar retroactive changes to net metering tariffs in place as of January 1, 2025. Representative McGee proposed alternative language to protect existing customer generators, group hosts, and municipal hosts from retroactive changes, while others said the language was needed to provide stability for current participants operating on thin margins. Some members supported the clearer wording; others argued the committee should not tie the hands of the PUC and DOE, noting future circumstances could require regulatory flexibility and that conflicts could be resolved in court if necessary. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- If the screw worm crosses into Texas, it could destabilize our cattle markets, inflate production costs
- It's a logistical hub that allows us to get sterile flies further north into Mexico, up to Nuevo León
- We will have the 100 million from Metapa, and then we will have, at maximum capacity...” “...at maximum
- They were at a maximum capability of $100 million a week.
- Proposed changes would allow necessary flexibility.
Summary:
The joint hearing focused on preparedness for the New World screwworm threat and brought together the House Committees on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and Agriculture and Livestock. USDA officials, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Texas Animal Health Commission leadership described the pest as a serious risk to livestock, wildlife, rural economies, and beef prices, and emphasized coordination among federal, state, industry, and Mexican partners. Witnesses repeatedly stressed that Texas is currently seeing no confirmed U.S. detections, but that recent confirmed cases in northern Mexico, including Nuevo León, remain a concern because of their proximity to the border.
USDA testimony outlined current surveillance and response efforts, including more than 120 screw worm-specific traps along the Texas border and neighboring states, thousands of additional dual-purpose traps, wildlife inspections, weekly coordination with Mexico’s Senasica, and a new USDA New World Screwworm Directorate. Officials said the existing Panama sterile fly facility is maxed out at about 100 million flies per week, while a dispersal facility in Tampico is helping move flies farther north in Mexico. They also described plans for a retrofitted sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to come online in 2026, and a new domestic production facility at Moore Air Base, with phase one targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and phase two adding substantially more capacity later.
Members pressed USDA on timelines, production capacity, the reliability of Mexican reporting, the risk from wildlife, and whether modular or mobile facilities could be deployed faster. USDA said it is also exploring innovative technologies, including a genetically engineered sterile male fly, but that such tools still require EPA review and field validation. Commissioner Miller highlighted Texas biosecurity efforts, five permanent inspection stations, cooperation with FDA and EPA on treatments such as Exzolt, and other pest issues affecting Texas agriculture. He also noted research into fly bait and private-sector efforts to speed sterile fly production.
Texas Animal Health Commission officials described extensive state preparedness work, including weekly coordination calls, field response trainings, outreach to producers and veterinarians, and a Texas Screwworm Response Team. They said Texas has trained more than 100 inspectors and other personnel, with additional trainings planned, and that the state is expanding its cattle fever tick rider program. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing; the main action was the exchange of testimony and questions about readiness, surveillance, and facility timelines.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Education Study Sep 4th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Costs associated with general CTE programs.
- Those are what I'm calling high-cost industry specialists.
- If you're doing CTE, we know it costs about $900 more per student, but if you're doing those high-cost
- rough analysis of those costs. initial estimates from our rough analysis of those costs.
- It's not that it's not allowable, and we would continue to allow it, but if we could look at ways to
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- The cost will be more than the cost of one teacher's annual salary.
- The cost will be more than the cost of one teacher's annual salary.
- The cost will be more than the cost of one teacher's annual salary.
- The cost will be more than the cost of one teacher's annual salary.
- The cost will be more than the cost of one teacher's annual salary.
Keywords:
education finance, safe schools revenue, school safety, charter schools, funding, safe schools, school security, school levy, pupil units, safe schools aid, cooperative units, intermediate school district, school resource officer, peace officer liaison, sheriff liaison, drug abuse prevention, gang resistance education, violence prevention, suicide prevention, mental health services
Summary:
The committee first adopted the March 3rd minutes by voice vote after Representative Lee moved them and there was no discussion. Members then reviewed hearing rules on decorum, safety, and participation before taking testimony from Dr. James Densley and Dr. Jillian Peterson of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University.
The presenters summarized research on mass shootings and K-12 school shootings, drawing on a database of homicides in school settings from 2000 to 2025 and a smaller set of 15 K-12 mass shooting cases. They said school shooters are usually insiders, most often current or former students, and typically young males. They described common patterns including a noticeable crisis before attacks, perpetrators viewing the shooting as a final act, studying prior shooters online, and “leakage” in which most tell someone in advance. They also emphasized that many perpetrators use unsecured firearms from family members and argued that prevention should combine reporting systems, behavioral threat assessment, counseling, mentoring, secure storage, and other layered interventions rather than rely on a single solution.
The presenters also discussed broader violence trends in the Twin Cities, saying much school violence is spillover from community violence and that pandemic-era disruptions and weakened trust in institutions contributed to serious violence. They cited a national survey finding that exposure to gun violence is associated with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and fear of public spaces, especially among young people. During member questions, Representative Wam asked for clarification on the data set and the rural/small-town share of the survey sample.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance. (3-24-26)
Banking & Insurance
Transcript Highlights:
- taxpayer-funded systems increasing costs taxpayer-funded systems increasing costs to<00:41:06.480
- coverage that is allowed through PIP. coverage that is allowed through PIP.
- This includes an increase in cost.
- An increase in cost to Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, patients, Kentucky citizens through cost
- acuity care and surgeries to lower cost acuity care and surgeries to lower cost side<00:57:15.720
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- And what is that rate now, if there is a minimum or a maximum? What’s the maximum?”
- some time with its tax dollars and has had conservative budgets for a number of years, which has allowed
- state has taken inflation into account and kept state government growth below that level, which has allowed
- Dismang said all of this comes out of the surplus and unbudgeted amounts, allowing the state to continue
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - 01/22/25
Judiciary and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- um our share of health insurance costs um our share of health insurance costs they<00:20:31.960>
- enough um they face Transportation costs enough um they face Transportation costs parking<00:27:
- be helpful if you already have maximum be helpful if you already have maximum flexibility<00:55:
- Roughly 2% is our other costs, and those are generally case-related costs, things like grand jury transcripts
- Again, those are case-related and case-driven costs.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 2nd, 2025 at 02:00 pm
Appropriations - Human Resources Division
Transcript Highlights:
- Chairman, members of the committee, just to clarify the cost of continual... Okay, Mr.
- Pam, what is the funding, what are the start-up costs for this?
- Let I be supportive of what they said the big costs to do.
- Let me be supportive of what they said the big costs to do.
- And this dollar amount is actually less, though the cost would be the same as St. Alexis.
Summary:
The HR division continued work on the behavioral health budget, with members revisiting several funding items and generally agreeing to hold provider inflation increases until the full division picture is clearer. They tentatively supported additional funding for Community Connect and Free Through Recovery, as well as increases for the drug court program and peer support, while clarifying that some items were already in the House version and others were one-time or grant-related expenditures.
The committee spent considerable time on a proposed $2 million behavioral health services program for nursing homes and basic care facilities. Senator Mathern brought revised language to describe a capitated payment model for training, consultation, and direct patient care for residents with medically based behavioral disorders and disruptive behaviors. Some members remained skeptical and wanted to see the amendment before deciding, but the discussion centered on whether the funding would help nursing homes accept patients who otherwise end up in state hospitals or acute care settings.
Members also discussed several one-time funding items, including electronic health record and legacy system upgrades, network redundancy for the state hospital, partial hospitalization/intensive day treatment expansion, and a bathroom remodel at the Southeast Human Service Center. The committee restored the bathroom project to the original $972,000 estimate after concerns that the House reduction would not cover the needed ADA and plumbing work. They also debated a $12.96 million behavioral health facility grant for Altru in Grand Forks, with some members opposing it and others supporting it as a regional service expansion, but ultimately set it aside for later consideration.
The meeting ended with staff flagging other sections of the bill, including the opioid settlement advisory language, the state hospital steering committee, behavioral health education grants, and the system of care grant. The chair announced that medical services would be taken up the next day, and members agreed to adjourn after planning to revisit unresolved behavioral health items and vote on the held bill later.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Financial Services Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- This would provide for an opt-in to allow for those cancellation notices.
- This would provide for an opt-in to allow for those cancellation notices.
- And to allow risk mitigation to be outside the policy will allow us to actually test some of these products
- Well, thank you for allowing me to speak.
- The policy allows for what they call reference or appraisal.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Financial Services heard testimony on a wide range of insurance-related bills. Topics included public adjusters (H. 1100/S. 785), electronic cancellation notices (H. 1123/S. 701), insurance rebates and loss-mitigation devices (H. 1233), flood hazard determinations (H. 1087 and related flood bills), organ donor insurance protections (H. 1248/S. 727), mental health parity in disability policies (S. 780), motor vehicle service contracts (H. 1139/S. 812), modernization of business-to-business insurance transactions (H. 1105), and a bill changing the GIC withdrawal notice deadline (H. 1150). Committee chairs set a three-minute testimony limit and heard from legislators, industry representatives, advocates, and affected consumers.
Testimony on public adjusters was sharply divided. Insurance agents and property-casualty industry representatives argued that bills barring insurers from prohibiting public adjusters would interfere with policy terms, while public adjusters and several consumers described cases where adjusters helped secure substantially higher settlements and said some surplus lines policies already contain anti-public-adjuster endorsements. On electronic notices, the insurance industry supported consumer opt-in email communications, while agents warned that email-only cancellation notices could cause consumers to miss cancellations. On rebates/loss mitigation, insurers supported allowing risk-mitigation devices outside the policy to encourage innovation, while agents opposed the bill as an improper inducement. Flood-related bills drew opposition from insurers who said flood determinations are complex and federally governed.
The committee also heard strong support for organ donor protections from a kidney transplant recipient and the American Kidney Fund, who said the bill would prevent insurance discrimination against living donors and could encourage more donations. On disability parity, a disability insurance specialist opposed S. 780, arguing that mental health limitations are a consumer choice that helps keep coverage affordable, while the bill’s sponsor said it would prevent unequal limits on behavioral health claims. The committee also heard support for H. 1139/S. 812 from the service contract industry, and support for H. 1105 from APCIA as a modernization measure for specialty commercial lines. No votes were taken; after testimony concluded, the chairs closed the hearing.