Transcript Highlights:

• Pre-assumptions applicable to claims of benefits of compensations for certain medical conditions brought
• providing a cost of living adjustment applicable to certain benefits paid by the Employee Retirement System
• to an agreement credit for the purchase of an attendance credit under the public financial school system
• HB 480 by WAE relating to required provision of workers' compensated insurance coverage for employees
• Of certain criminal information of individuals involved in the criminal justice system referred to the

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:07:39.599> executive like board elections, executive like board elections, executive compensation
• ,<00:07:41.199> mergers<00:07:41.599> or<00:07:41.840> corporate compensation, mergers
• or corporate compensation, mergers or corporate restructuring,<00:07:43.280> auditor<00:07:43.759
• providing advice, research, analysis, recommendations specifically respecting proxy voting for compensation
• <00:14:33.680> were state of KY's pension systems were state of KY's pension systems were

Keywords: Meeting start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:32 HB 136 Discussion: 01:46 HB 136 Vote: 05:53 HB 183 Discussion: 07:03 HB 183 Vote: 14:45, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor met with a quorum and considered two bills. Senate Bill 136, sponsored by Vice Chair Frommeyer, made a housekeeping change to unemployment insurance fraud reporting by correcting prior language so suspected fraud is reported to the appropriate county or commonwealth attorney and the U.S. Department of Labor, rather than the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. Members asked about how often local prosecutors pursue these cases and whether the state follows up on clawing back fraudulent payments; the cabinet said it would check on the exact recovery process. Senator Boswell also raised broader concerns about delays and difficulties claimants face in the unemployment insurance system. The committee approved SB 136 unanimously, 11-0, and reported it favorably. The committee then heard Senate Bill 183 from Senator Nunn, which would regulate proxy voting advice by requiring transparency, economic analysis, and disclosure when proxy advisers rely on non-financial factors or give advice inconsistent with a company board’s recommendation. Nunn said the bill is intended to protect Kentuckians’ retirement and investment interests, prevent politically or ideologically driven advice, and create enforcement through Kentucky’s deceptive trade practices law. Senator Clemens questioned how the bill would apply to nontraditional groups and whether the affected firms are registered or regulated; a witness, Chris Nolan, said there is little federal oversight and no Kentucky oversight of proxy adviser firms. Senator Maiden supported the bill, while Senator Thomas opposed it, arguing investors should be free to seek advice based on their own interests and that the bill could chill such advice. The committee passed SB 183 by a 9-2 vote and reported it favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are not compensated for their service on that committee.
• So if you receive compensation in the lobby, but you spend less than 26 hours in lobbying and preparation
• That bank account was closed, um, that email system was closed, and then I had a separate one for the
• He has implemented systems to avoid.
• It's OK to do so and it also uh prohibits a person from receiving compensation from a foreign adversary

Transcript Highlights:

• It's nearly impossible to pass laws at the speed that criminals can abuse the systems, so having a direct
• It fixed a technical issue in Chair Nash's Compensation Council language.
• on the back of the A6 at the top, the Executive Director, it would revive the 20-year-old 2025 Compensation
• Because in the DE2 amendment, the Compensation Council would make recommendations regarding judicial
• so that we will have a vehicle to address some of the costs and needs of our state earlier in the system

Bills: HF1837, HF361, HF2725, HF2566, HF2744, HF1685, HF501, HF1889, HF1389

Keywords: state policy, employment, health insurance, fossil designation, public funds, community resources, Capitol Mall, grantmaking, community vitality, livability, funding, healthy aging, aging policy, older adults, seniors, elderly, gerontology, long-term care, assisted living, nursing homes

Transcript Highlights:

• And there was no compensation for us in taking that.
• All we're asking is to get compensated for what we work.
• And look, we're not getting compensated for that.
• don't even transfer into the adult system.
• When do you guys anticipate that system being up?

Summary: The committee first approved the May 20 minutes and then advanced HCR 95, which would create a more uniform tax base for future state and local tax exemptions and credits, requiring a two-thirds vote of both chambers to deviate from that uniformity. HB 648 was deferred by the author. HB 1049, dealing with public meeting procedures and notice requirements, was amended after discussion with the Police Jury Association, school boards, and local government groups; the amendments removed a requirement for a lawyer at every meeting and clarified notice and posting language, and the bill was reported with amendments despite opposition from local government associations and the City of Baker. The committee then heard HB 615, which would expand livestreaming and two-year archiving requirements to more public bodies, including non-elected boards and commissions with taxing or rulemaking authority. Supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while local government and association witnesses argued it would impose an unfunded mandate, especially on small volunteer boards, and raised concerns about costs, staffing, record retention, and reliance on social media platforms. The bill was not advanced. HB 1201, as amended, would provide legislators reimbursement for travel and limited out-of-session expenses, including housing and mileage, beginning with the next term; members discussed the need to make public service more financially feasible and to broaden who can afford to serve. The committee reported HB 1201 with amendments. The committee also considered two constitutional convention-related bills. HB 244 would set guardrails for any future convention by capping delegates at 144, specifying delegate selection, requiring a two-thirds delegate vote to send proposals to voters, and requiring both a majority of voters and approval by three-fourths of the parishes for ratification; after debate over whether the parish threshold was too high, the bill was reported favorably on a roll call vote. HB 4, as amended, was narrowed to require the Senate and House Governmental Affairs committees to meet in the off-season to discuss the mechanics of a possible convention, but members viewed it as more of a study resolution than binding legislation, and the committee voted to keep it in committee. The meeting then moved to confirmation hearings. Courtney Myers, nominated for Deputy Secretary for the Office of Juvenile Justice, and Ernest Jacob Reade Jr., nominated as Assistant Secretary, testified about their backgrounds and priorities, emphasizing juvenile rehabilitation, education and vocational programming, mental health services, credible messengers, family contact, and better communication with legislators and families. Nathan McBride, nominated as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, testified about his engineering and government affairs background and said he would focus on legislative work, waste tire management, permitting modernization, and constituent service.

Transcript Highlights:

• of care I division so we have a system of care I know<00:10:21.000> system<00:10:21.279> of
• <00:14:51.720> pay compensation pay compensation pay up<00:14:53.680> representative<00
• children's system of care we had um the children's system of care we had um the ability<00:21:36.240>
• Growth of the system.
• <04:18:38.479> uh<04:18:38.680> system funds are doorway systems uh system funds are

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Committee’s Division 3 held a public work session on the Behavioral Health budget on February 27, 2025. The chair opened by explaining the schedule, materials, and deadlines for the budget process, and noted there would be no motions or votes in the division that day. Division of Behavioral Health Director Ktia Fox and DHHS CFO Nathan White then walked the committee through the division’s mission, structure, and budget materials, describing the division’s four bureaus: Mental Health Services, Children’s Behavioral Health, Drug and Alcohol Services, and Homeless Services, along with the policy unit. They emphasized the division’s role in oversight, technical assistance, quality assurance, contracting, and the continuum of care from prevention and early intervention through crisis and residential services. Much of the discussion focused on major programs and funding lines, including the 988 Lifeline contract with Headrest, a technical assistance contract with UNH, Medicaid pass-through payments to New Hampshire Hospital and Glencliff, crisis response services, cold-weather homeless responses, housing supports, and the children’s system of care. Members asked about the UNH contract, the 988 program, crisis stabilization centers, and the peer certification program; Fox explained that the peer certification is a training-and-credentialing pathway for people with lived experience to enter community-based behavioral health work, not a volunteer program. The committee also discussed the “Choose Love” program, which Fox said was created after the Sandy Hook tragedy to build resilience and strength-based emotional regulation in schools and communities. On the children’s side, Fox described the system of care account as the place where many contracted services are budgeted, including community mental health centers, care management entities, rapid response services, and residential programs. Members asked about temporary staffing, and Fox said roughly $500,000 in temporary staff costs shown in the current year would not be spent next year because the money came from a nonlapsing appropriation in HB 1573 for oversight of children’s residential services. She also said provider rate increases were a prioritized need but were not funded in the governor’s current budget, and that the Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center was not funded, resulting in about a $1 million reduction. The session ended while the division was still moving through the children’s behavioral health slides, including questions about the Fast Forward high-fidelity wraparound program and medication management.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we wanted to know the total compensation.
• So it's a level of compensation that's just being hidden.
• So two different retirement systems are being funded by the taxpayers.
• There are fundamentally different systems.
• High-stakes testing affects students, educators, and systems.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a significant hit to our system.
• <00:38:19.760> of system of system of care<00:38:21.880> um<00:38:21.960> the<00
• the Medicaid system the Medicaid system 24%<01:22:04.440> that's<01:22:04.719> a<01
• familiar with the mental health system familiar with the mental health system in<02:22:34.200>
• <02:33:01.520> may support the starting of the system may support the starting of the system

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are the ones that are running the personnel system.
• With respect to HR, again, ADOA HR, they're handling the personnel system.
• that we are trying to move forward a workable system.
• Every month, I receive a check from workers' compensation.
• , the Pima County Library System, and the Coconino County Library System, were the three that we were

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those investments in compensation are there.
• And the message I want to present to you is our transportation system, our Department of Transportation
• If I understand this correctly, this budget's a 1% increase, compensation increase for state employees
• It really notes that in addition to really strong compensation increases at all levels and very needed
• The 1% compensation increase we just sort of caught up after what had been really a lost decade.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we had thousands and thousands of lines of data through his system, through the insurance company
• system, through the wholesalers that he partnered with.
• We were in the Centria portal, and that's our licensing system.
• I was just wondering if, because of the lack of compensation, regular compensation, salary, that's part
• , to receive compensation for providing certain services for their children.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Don't force all new demand into one system.
• But the legislation says battery system, right? And the installation of the battery system.
• You already said battery systems, right? Do you have to, like, take a picture of all the systems?
• Grid systems.
• We've seen the consequences: water systems lose power.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Perry: ...lso have a better online system.
• Don't get lost out of the system.
• It's not a system of order.
• We have a good system, and we spend a lot on it.
• , the penal systems that you're responsible for.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard a Legislative Budget Board presentation and then testimony from the Department of Public Safety on the Article 5 public safety budget. LBB said DPS’s 2026-27 recommendation totals $3.7 billion, down from the prior base, while FTEs rise by 856.7. Major items included increased funding for driver license services and customer support, new trooper funding and recruit schools, crime lab operations, border security, and reductions tied to one-time facility, vehicle, and aircraft spending. The committee also discussed new riders, including one to lapse unused trooper funds and require reporting after recruit schools. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, questioning why prior staffing increases and a prior efficiency study had not solved long wait times, high call abandonment, and appointment delays. DPS and LBB said the agency receives about 22,000 calls per day, answers only about 9 percent, and is seeking more staff plus technology upgrades such as automation, kiosks, and better online processing. Senators also raised concerns about rural access, REAL ID document requirements, and whether the department should rethink its processes rather than simply add employees. DPS leadership then described needs for the Williamson County training academy, additional troopers, Capitol and Alamo security, border operations, aircraft and vehicle replacement, and regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio. Members asked about Operation Lone Star costs, overtime, pursuit safety, border crime, oilfield theft, and sexual assault kit and toxicology backlogs. DPS said border deployments remain focused on criminal threats, that overtime is partly driven by deployments and staffing shortages, and that the sexual assault kit backlog is down to 118 cases with a goal of zero by April. The committee later recessed and began the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission budget presentation, where LBB outlined a $115.1 million recommendation and noted ongoing costs for the AIMS technology project.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and three that have what we call a managed assigned counsel system.
• in California, it really finds a systemic statewide problem.
• All courts across California have case management systems.
• We have built systems that are built on a platform that allows us to share whatever systems we create
• So without action, we feel our system will continue to crumble.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee heard presentations on the Office of the State Public Defender, statewide public defense workloads, legal aid funding, and Judicial Branch operations. OSPD requested permanent funding for positions that had been temporarily funded to implement the Racial Justice Act, explaining that the workload has become ongoing and now includes additional Supreme Court briefing, habeas proceedings, investigations, expert analysis, and data work. The State Public Defender also presented findings from the California Public Defense Workload and Staffing Report, which concluded that county public defense systems are structurally understaffed, lack sufficient investigators and support staff, and operate without statewide standards; members discussed the need for phased state funding, rural recruitment, and the impact of recent policy changes such as Prop. 36. In the legal aid panel, advocates and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge described severe unmet civil legal needs, especially in eviction defense, homelessness prevention, domestic violence, and immigration detention cases, and requested a $50 million increase to the Equal Access Fund, $20 million to restart homelessness prevention services, and $10 million for health care access services, along with additional targeted investments from the California Access to Justice Commission. The committee also asked for follow-up information on services, outreach, and funding losses, including reduced federal support and the scale of the justice gap. For the Judicial Branch, the Judicial Council and trial court representatives supported the Governor’s proposed budget, including a $70 million increase for trial court operations, $21.7 million for employee health and retirement costs, additional funding for appellate counsel and case processing, and courthouse construction and facilities funding. They said the money is needed to offset inflation, supply costs, and staffing retention problems, and to preserve access to justice through timely case processing and remote proceedings. Senators raised concerns about interpreter shortages, the difficulty of hiring staff interpreters for less common languages, and the lack of a midyear process for courts to request more language-access funding; Judicial Council staff said they reallocate interpreter funds among courts and continue to work on recruitment. The committee also pressed the branch and the Department of Finance on courthouse facilities needs, noting that the long-term backlog is far larger than the current budget can address; Finance said the estimated need discussed previously was about $22.5 billion to start 68 projects and $29.4 billion to complete the remaining projects. No votes were taken during the hearing, but members requested follow-up materials and additional budget information.

Transcript Highlights:

• The fees used to be a dual fee system. It is now a single tiered system.
• The fees used to be a dual fee system. It is now a single tiered system.
• The fees used to be a dual fee system. It is now a single tiered system.
• The fees used to be a dual fee system. It is now a single tiered system.
• The fees used to be a dual fee system. It is now a single tiered system.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:53.759> account enforcement compensation account enforcement compensation account payments
• Section 12 provides a subtraction for the amount of consumer enforcement public compensation payments
• received under specific pension systems.
• received under specific compensation received under specific pension<00:33:46.919> systems.
• <01:59:15.040> without involved in the justice system without involved in the justice system

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• None of our landowners are compensated for their loss of their future.
• And we've adopted a mixed system using a moderate rate of impact fees to help address this.
• I mean, constitutionally, a landowner has to be fully compensated.
• I mean, constitutionally, a landowner has to be fully compensated.
• You've got to reasonably compensate them for it and make sure they're fairly treated. Yes, sir.

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 5695, which would create the Sayers Ranch Municipal Utility District in Bastrop County between Elgin and Bastrop. Representative Gurdis said Bastrop County commissioners unanimously supported the district. There was no public testimony, the bill was left pending, and later reported favorably to the full House on an 8-0 vote. The main debate centered on Senate Bill 291, which would require condemning entities to pay landowner attorney’s fees if they fail to provide 10 years of appraisal reports with an initial offer in an eminent domain case. Supporters, including Rita Beving and Charles Maley, argued the bill would add an enforcement mechanism and better protect landowners in a process they described as intimidating and lopsided. Opponents, including Tom Zabel and Lisa Kaufman, said current law already provides a remedy through abatement and attorney’s fees under Section 21.047 of the Property Code, and warned the bill could create inconsistency, delay public infrastructure projects, and increase costs. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard House Bill 5699, a simple MUD boundary change in Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 405 that would allow a tract to leave one district and join another. Representative Schofield said the landowner and district agreed to the change and to pay the tract’s share of debt. The committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported favorably on an 8-0 vote. Later, the committee considered House Bill 5489, which would impose a four-year moratorium on impact fees. Representative Dyson framed it as an “active study” to test whether impact fees raise housing costs. College Station officials and other opponents argued impact fees help fund infrastructure for growth and that local governments should retain control; supporters said the fees are regressive and add to housing prices. The bill was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 292, which would update the Landowner Bill of Rights to add information on surveys, require separate offers for property not sought in condemnation, and require the rights document to be delivered with the initial offer. Supporters said it would improve transparency and fill gaps in the current document, while opponents said it was unnecessary because the law already exists and warned against revisiting a 2021 compromise. The transcript ends during that discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• operates a unified correctional system operates a unified correctional system meaning<00:11:44.519
• 23:17.679> we victim compensation commission so we victim compensation commission so we created
• stands for the crime victim compensation stands for the crime victim compensation commission<00:
• deep into the criminal justice system deep into the criminal justice system and<00:34:18.520>
• It is a system approach.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They do use the systems, but they don't know how to use the systems.
• They do use the systems, but they don't know how to use the systems.
• They do use the systems, but they don't know how to use the systems.
• They do use the systems, but they don't know how to use the systems.
• system. This is a mouse click. system. This is a mouse click.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:39:24.560> of apply to well and septic systems of apply to well and septic systems of
• well pump and a mutual septic system well pump and a mutual septic system which<00:51:10.400>
• um to their to their billing systems um to their to their billing systems which<04:25:20.159>
• or or exports uh compensation or or exports uh compensation<04:35:56.039> from<04:35:56.240><
• team about uh you know billing systems team about uh you know billing systems and<04:36:40.840><

Keywords: 1189, house, all