Transcript Highlights:

• <00:40:09.760> of disproportionately higher rates of disproportionately higher rates of suicide
• and death by overdose, rates and families impacted by opioid use.
• and death by overdose um suicide rates and death by overdose rates<00:42:54.240> and<00:42:54.640
• and families impacted by opioid rates and families impacted by opioid the<00:42:56.720> rates
• were just uh significantly the rates were just uh significantly higher<00:43:00.800> in<00:43

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The board retains responsibility for planning, fiscal oversight, rate setting, and performance under
• This bill will allow terminal net salvage to be properly accounted for in electric rates, not because
• In plain terms, if not for House Bill 398, future rate payers would be forced to pay twice: once for
• Speaker, in the rate study, um, it's thousand pages plus, and all those things are lined out in that
• Speaker, in the rate study, um it's >> Mr.

Keywords: Convene 00:00 Senate Message 05:04 Orders of the Day 06:01 HB 143 06:11 HB 164 08:07 HB 314 11:07 HB 398 21:17 Motions, Petitions, and Communications 29:02 Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 34:01 Recess for ConC/Rules Meeting 35:40 ConC/Rules Report 40:15 Floor Amendments 41:15 Adjournment 41:26, 958, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a roll call showing 95 members present. The chamber approved the prior journal, received notice that the Senate had passed Senate Bills 20 and 68 and requested concurrence, and then moved to floor action on several bills. House Bill 143, relating to fiduciary bonds, was explained as removing the requirement that a fiduciary sign a bond in the presence of a court clerk or notary public; it passed 94-0. House Bill 164, relating to hearing aid coverage and related services, was described as increasing the coverage cap from $1,400 to $2,500, updating the definition of hearing aid, and adding network adequacy requirements; it passed 93-0 with one abstention. The House then considered House Bill 314, relating to the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and declared an emergency. Supporters said the bill was intended to address long-standing concerns about KentuckyWired management and oversight. A committee substitute and floor amendment were adopted, and the bill was explained as moving KCNA into the Finance and Administration Cabinet, transferring its functions to the Commonwealth Office of Technology, abolishing the separate executive director position, and reconstituting the board with new members and appointments. The bill passed 80-13. House Bill 398, relating to decommissioning costs for electric generating units, was presented as allowing terminal net salvage to be included in rates so utilities can recover end-of-life plant costs over time rather than through larger future spikes; after questions about PSC authority and safeguards, it passed 78-15. After the orders of the day concluded, members made announcements about upcoming committee meetings and a birthday recognition. House Resolution 7, recognizing guiding principles for elections in Kentucky, was reported as having passed unanimously in committee and was adopted without objection. The House also received the report of the Committee on Committees and the Rules Committee, which referred several bills and resolutions to standing committees and posted House Bills 194 and 393 for the next regular orders. The chamber then adjourned until 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• So House Bill 3 has this automatic method, uh, of compressing tax rates.
• rates begin to get compressed.
• I mean, there's some states that have been increasing spending at a higher rate.
• Some states have been increasing spending at a lower rate.
• Basically, birth rates have, have been coming down.

Transcript Highlights:

• both of which create uh significant rate both of which create uh significant rate risk<00:26:43.600
• And they do this through what's called an air rate. And I would argue this air rate is a misnomer.
• And I would argue this air air rate.
• So, that's an 8% error rate.
• So, that's an 8% error rate.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the rate of advanced disease has been increasing rapidly.
• And the rate of advanced disease has been increasing rapidly.
• Everybody has the ability to negotiate a rate.
• You put it on a drug list, i.e. formulary, you get a better rate.
• AWP effective rate pricing. Pharmacies can't predict reimbursement.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on April 29 with a quorum present and considered several insurance- and health care-related bills. SB 192, concerning dental reimbursement and payment methods, was amended to clarify opt-in for electronic acceptance and then reported as amended. SB 84, which expands prostate cancer screening coverage for men over 40 and bars cost-sharing, was also amended and reported as amended after testimony from the American Cancer Society supporting earlier detection and reduced out-of-pocket barriers. SB 275, dealing with reimbursement and network access for certified registered nurse anesthetists, was reported favorably with broad support from nurse anesthetists, hospitals, and related groups. SB 169, a biomarker testing cleanup bill, was amended to clarify legislative intent and reported as amended. The committee spent substantial time on two major drug-pricing bills. SB 401 would create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to study selected prescription drug prices, collect manufacturer and related pricing data, and report findings to the legislature; amendments narrowed the scope, addressed confidentiality, and delayed implementation. Supporters said it would provide transparency similar to Texas and help lawmakers understand drug pricing, while opponents warned about government overreach and confidentiality concerns. SB 387, the companion PBM reform bill, would restrict PBM compensation to flat fees and performance bonuses, require rebate pass-throughs, limit formulary practices, expand audit and reporting requirements, and create enforcement mechanisms; it was amended to delay implementation, refine definitions, and address ERISA-related concerns. Supporters argued it would curb PBM abuses and lower drug costs, while opponents from the Pelican Institute and PCMA said it would interfere with private contracts, reduce flexibility, and could raise premiums. After a roll call vote, SB 387 was reported with amendments. The committee also took up SB 241, which requires certain insurance adjusters and appraisers to include license numbers in written communications. After amendments narrowing the requirement to individual claims and public adjusters, the bill was reported as amended. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly raised concerns about unintended consequences, especially for cities, school boards, and other non-ERISA plans, and sponsors said they would continue working on the drug-pricing bills before floor consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• initiate the rural health transformation fund in its first year, $128 million in Medicaid provider rate
• How many people is DOC holding, and what is the reimbursement rate? Chair Garcia.
• $52 million for the inpatient hospital rate and about $37 million to the outpatient hospital rate.
• The 3% employee contribution rate is not changed by this bill.
• Revises the monthly room and board rate paid to foster parents, expands the Step Into Success program

Summary: The Senate began with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved into floor consideration of the 2026-2027 budget. Appropriations Chair Hooper presented Senate Bill 2500, describing a $115 billion budget that reduces overall spending from the prior year, maintains reserves, and includes a 3% pay raise for state employees and 5% raises for state law enforcement, firefighters, correctional officers, and park rangers. Committee chairs then outlined major spending in their areas, including K-12 education, higher education, health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/tourism/economic development, and environmental and agricultural programs. Highlights included increased funding for school scholarships and safety, workforce and university programs, Medicaid and child welfare, corrections operations, affordable housing, rural communities, Everglades and water quality projects, and infrastructure. Members then asked detailed questions about several budget items. Senators sought clarification on the Emergency Management Trust Fund, arts and cultural grants, Florida Forever land acquisition versus conservation easements, teacher salaries, charter school capital outlay funding, EASE grants, New College funding, DOC inmate counts and reimbursement, lottery staffing, concealed weapons licensing positions, election security funding, iBudget waiver support, ADAP funding, Medicaid hospital rate reductions, and scholarship and enrollment supplements in K-12 education. Chairs explained that some reductions reflected technical shifts or right-sizing, that some funds were being moved below the line for better tracking, and that several items—such as ADAP and corrections operations—would likely remain conference issues with the House. After questions, the Senate substituted House bills for the budget and implementing measures and adopted amendments placing the Senate language onto the House vehicles to prepare for conference. The chamber passed the budget-related bills and several conforming measures, including bills on retirement, fuel taxes, the state agency law enforcement radio system, court trust funds, judgeships, and K-12 and higher education conforming changes. Votes on the major bills were overwhelmingly unanimous or near-unanimous, and the Senate repeatedly voted to accede to the House’s request for conference on the substituted bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're looking at extreme higher labor cost, hourly rates, pension rates.
• rates, pension rates.<00:10:20.320> You're<00:10:20.560> seeing<00:10:20.880> equipment
• You're seeing equipment costs as rates.
• What people were able to kind of rates.
• happen now because reimbursement rates happen now because reimbursement rates have<00:10:42.880>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) 00:00:53 Approval of Minutes 00:23:37, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Board of EMS presented an additional budget request focused on grant funding for local EMS agencies, not agency operations. Officials said the board has 13 full-time staff after losing employees in the 2022 transition back to state government, and that the request would be a 100% pass-through to providers. They initially described two requests totaling $12.91 million: $10.8 million for the EMS block grant and $2.1 million for workforce education tied to House Bill 484, but later said they would withdraw the $2.1 million request because rural health transformation funding appears likely to cover those education needs. Most of the testimony explained why the EMS block grant should be increased. The board said the grant began in 1980 at about $1.2 million and has remained largely unchanged while EMS costs have risen sharply. They cited higher prices for ambulances, stretchers, and cardiac monitors, along with increased labor and reimbursement pressures. Board members emphasized that modern EMS now provides much more advanced care in the field, especially in rural areas, and argued that equipment such as 12-lead cardiac monitors can significantly improve patient outcomes. They said the current grant provides about $10,000 per county, while the request would raise funding to about $100,000 per county and increase the per-capita amount from roughly 26 cents to $2.60. Members also discussed whether the block grant statute should be reformed to target need more directly. Board officials said they had considered making the grant more competitive, but decided against it for now because many counties rely on the annual funding and shifting money away from some areas would create hardship. In response to questions, they said Kentucky has about 160 class one EMS agencies providing 911 response across 120 counties, and that grant awards in recent years reached 91 counties, then 108, then 110 counties. They also highlighted the cost and safety benefits of power loading systems for stretchers, saying they can reduce back injuries and help retain EMS workers, but are often unaffordable for smaller departments. No votes were taken on the budget request during the hearing. After the testimony and questions, the committee approved the minutes from the prior meeting by motion and second, with no opposition, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a 97% first-time pass rate for every student that took the nursing assistant certified.
• There was a 97% first-time pass rate for every student that took the nursing assistant certified.
• I know how to get the information for passage rate. Yeah, here's what I do know.
• I know how to get the information for passage rate.
• So the quick takeaway is that everyone who's engaging in CTE is graduating at a higher rate.

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• is economically dependent on agriculture, but it also contends with lower incomes, higher poverty rates
• and higher cost of higher poverty rates and higher cost of living<00:02:02.920> than<00:02:03.119
• I believe we, on a bipartisan basis, need to address this, and we can't grow government at a rate way
• But the governor's budget proposal is just a shift and capping rates.
• so the the state actually sets the rates so the the state actually sets the rates and<00:31:04.480

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The 70-70 rules, as they're calling it, at least 70% of completion rate as well as job placement rate
• . 70% of completion rate as well as job placement rate must be demonstrated.
• And I stress concurrent because the success rate in Arkansas for concurrent—success rate being an A,
• That success rate is 91%. The success rate for AP on just one exam is only around 48%.
• We know we need to increase utilization rate. There does need to be an amount in the bank.

Summary: The committee approved the November 3 minutes and then received an extensive presentation from Arkansas education and workforce officials on how the LEARNS and ACCESS Acts are affecting career and technical education, concurrent enrollment, and postsecondary readiness. Officials said the state’s goal is for students to leave high school employed, enrolled, or enlisted, and reported increases in K-12 CTE enrollment from about 161,000 to 171,000 students and concurrent CTE enrollment from about 12,000 to 16,000. They also described the new success-ready pathways, merit and distinction designations, and how those measures tie into school accountability and graduation outcomes. The discussion then turned to scholarships and grants. Officials explained that ACCESS expanded concurrent credit support, increased funding per credit hour, and broadened eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge and Governor’s Scholar programs by adding diploma-of-merit and diploma-of-distinction pathways. They said the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship itself did not change, but the non-distinguished Governor’s Scholar award now includes diploma of distinction as an additional eligibility route. Members raised concerns about how these requirements apply to private school and homeschool students, and officials said the intent is to ensure those students can qualify if they meet the same standards, though some implementation details are still being worked out. Questions also focused on whether students who explore multiple pathways could be penalized in school letter grades; officials said the system allows multiple ways to earn credit, including AP, IB, concurrent credit, technical certificates, and apprenticeships. Officials also reviewed workforce scholarships and short-term training funding. They said the state is developing policy for the Workforce Challenge and related professional skills training to set an 80-hour minimum and tiered funding, and they discussed the new federal Workforce Pell rules, which they said are very narrow and will likely apply to only a small number of Arkansas programs unless providers repackage training into stackable, credit-bearing pathways. Members asked for lists of eliminated programs, apprenticeships, and data on scholarship recipients, and staff said they could provide those. The committee also heard from Cody Waites on a $35.8 million U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement for the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, which Arkansas will administer nationally. He said the grant will support advanced manufacturing apprenticeships, use a pay-for-performance model, and be distributed to sponsors after apprentices are employed for 90 days, with applications opening January 28 and the state expecting to keep administrative costs under 8-9%.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are predicting that rates will increase 50 to 75 percent.
• Companies still charge among the highest rates in the country.
• After caps were repealed in 2014, rates went down.
• and private health insurance reimbursement rates.
• It did not lower insurance rates. Insurance rates go up.

Transcript Highlights:

• The shareholders in the PDIP we have today are looking for the best rate of return because that rate
• The shareholders in the PDIP we have today are looking for the best rate of return because that rate
• The shareholders in the PDIP we have today are looking for the best rate of return because that rate
• The shareholders in the PDIP we have today are looking for the best rate of return because that rate
• you're going to hit the credit rating. you're going to hit the credit rating.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Happy to answer any questions. reimbursement rates counties Community reimbursement rates counties Community
• It looks at the base rate and it looks at the mileage charge with that.
• He said it looks at the base rate increase and the mileage charge.
• something with the Medicaid rates something with the Medicaid rates obviously<01:19:44.920> we
• Do we want to see a rate increase in a different fee area?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The maternal mortality rate increases. The newborn mortality rate increases.
• The maternal mortality rate increases. The newborn mortality rate increases.
• The maternal mortality rate increases. The newborn mortality rate increases.
• The maternal mortality rate increases. The newborn mortality rate increases.
• The maternal mortality rate increases. The newborn mortality rate increases.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And our error rate was placed in a, in a tiered system where the federal government would say, well,
• And provide a rate increase, actually more than that.
• The recidivism rates on those two are.
• And they're also trending just slightly up on their vacancy rate, which is a bad sign.
• So my question is, what's the recidivism rate of those kids who end up in our prisons or our jails?

Transcript Highlights:

• Page 10 shows the facility utilization rates at UC, CSU, and the colleges.
• So there's— ...in-person utilization rates.
• Can you give me more understanding about why that rate is what it is? Sure.
• I think just our utilization rates are ticking up a little.
• How effective has that been in terms of getting an uptick rate, sign-up rate?

Summary: The committee’s first major discussion focused on higher education facilities across UC, CSU, and the community colleges, with Chair Alvarez framing the issue as a final budget hearing before the May Revise. The LAO presented findings that campuses have grown substantially in buildings and square footage, while classroom and lab utilization remains below legislative standards and deferred maintenance backlogs continue to rise. The LAO also emphasized that the state and segments lack comprehensive data on capital renewal spending and recommended better reporting, clearer funding targets, and long-term planning for renewal and maintenance. UC, CSU, and community college representatives each described large five-year capital plans, aging facilities, seismic and deferred maintenance needs, and the role of student housing, while noting that construction costs are rising faster than inflation. Members questioned the segments about debt service, utilization rates, and how projects are prioritized. UC said its debt service tied to state support is about $665 million annually and described a $30 billion five-year capital financial plan, including housing, medical centers, and building renewal. CSU said it has about $31 billion in five-year needs and more than $8 billion in deferred maintenance, with funding coming from a mix of state-related and one-time sources since the state shifted capital responsibility to CSU. Community colleges said their unmet facilities needs total about $33.5 billion and explained their use of a scoring matrix and FUSION system to rank projects. The chair and members pressed all three systems to better distinguish between projects that are truly shovel-ready and those that are long-term needs, and discussed whether facilities condition data, total cost of ownership, and more standardized metrics should guide future bond proposals. The committee then turned to Proposition 2 and the Governor’s proposed community college capital outlay projects. The Department of Finance said Prop. 2 provides $1.5 billion for community colleges and that the Governor’s budget proposes 29 projects, with two continuing Prop. 51 projects also included. The LAO supported the overall use of the funds but raised concerns about the current 65/35 split between modernization and growth, the unusually large share of gymnasium projects, and some scoring metrics that favor larger campuses and certain regions. Community college officials said the scoring system was developed through participatory governance and would take one to two years to revise, but they supported the funding and agreed to follow up on questions about project categories and the rationale for the weighting. Members also suggested giving more weight to modernization, regional access, and intersegmental or collaborative projects. A final item addressed the CalKids program. The Department of Finance proposed $56,000 ongoing General Fund for three positions, while the LAO recommended approving two positions but rejecting a manager position until the current $7.5 million marketing campaign is evaluated. ScholarShare’s executive director said CalKids has enrolled more than 5 million children, with nearly 600,000 claims and over $45 million distributed, and argued that additional staff and outreach are needed to reach a goal of 1 million claimed scholarships by the end of 2025 and to implement AB 2808. Members asked about marketing effectiveness, data sharing, and eligibility rules, and the program said it is expanding partnerships with Cradle to Career and CSAC. No final vote was taken in the hearing, and the chair indicated the facilities item would be held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the policy-covered staff, the estimate considers inflation rates.
• There is such demand for the UC education at that non-resident tuition rate.
• The remaining beds have to pay for the market rate bond on that project.
• rate bond that we have to take out for the remainder of the construction.
• Those rental rates then have to be set at a higher amount than the affordable beds.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, it was it was a countrywide rate, it wasn't it wasn't product specific.
• By the way, we're pretty low unemployment rate.
• It will it will depend on the tariff rate.
• Right, but you did not set like the 50% rate on Lesotho. personally didn't know.
• How did the 50% rate on Lesotho change? be decided?

Keywords: tariffs, Trump administration, economy, public testimony, trade policy, market access, export controls

Summary: The meeting focused on various significant topics concerning the recent tariff policies and their wide-ranging implications on the American economy. Members expressed their concerns regarding the negative impact of increased tariffs as proposed by the Trump administration, with specific emphasis on how families might suffer from higher costs and market access issues. The discussion was lively, with members questioning the clarity of the tariff plan and raising concerns about its potential effects on small businesses and American exports.

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't mean that they can't raise the rates higher, but they would have to find other funds in the
• So why, with impunity, can the state say, oh, we're going to put a 14% rate increase on you?
• They're hearing in August, September, October, November when they're going to get these rate increases
• The inflationary rate for special education costs far outpaces even the regular education costs that
• amount of $750,000, or a net reimbursement rate of 48%.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a hearing focused primarily on special education-related bills, with testimony centered on two major themes: transition planning for students aging out of school-based services at age 22, and the fiscal strain special education costs place on districts. Committee members explained hearing procedures, noted the House was in formal session, and periodically stepped out for votes while staff recorded testimony. A separate bill on special education due process was also taken up briefly, along with a bill on special education finance and another on equitable access/data reporting. On House Bill 752 and Senate Bill 313, witnesses from the Arc of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, the Developmental Disabilities Council, families, self-advocates, and Senator Comerford described the “Turning 22” transition as a crisis point that often leaves families without adult placements, services, or clear communication. Testimony emphasized earlier planning, more accountability, better data collection, and a commission to improve coordination and residential placement. Several parents and advocates shared personal accounts of traumatic transitions, delayed placements, and the need for plans to begin at least a year before age 22. The committee later closed testimony on these bills after hearing from all signed-up speakers. House Bill 4217, on special education due process, drew support from Representative Sullivan-Almeida, parents, and advocates who argued that the burden of proof should shift from families to school districts. Testimony described costly legal battles, delays, and parents having to become experts in reading instruction or hire advocates and attorneys to secure services. Brody Dwyer, a 10-year-old student with dyslexia, and his mother described how evidence-based instruction helped him after years of struggle. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 546/Senate Bill 317, which would require DESE to publish cross-tabulated data on race, disability, gender, income, and other factors; advocates said this would better expose disparities and help address the school-to-prison pipeline. Finally, on House Bill 691/Senate Bill 430, school leaders, educators, and union representatives testified that special education costs are outpacing district budgets and that increasing circuit breaker reimbursement and creating a commission to study long-term sustainability would help prevent staffing cuts and service reductions. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee repeatedly closed testimony on individual bills as speakers finished and moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• It increases the amount specified for developmental disability rate provider rates from the general fund
• The House position is higher for provider rates and less money for the wait list.
• <00:21:01.760> provider<00:21:02.320> rates<00:21:03.280> from<00:21:03.520>
• the disability rate provider rates from the disability rate provider rates from the general<00
• and the weight split between both rates and the weight list.

Bills: SF0032, SF0010, SF0001, HB0001

Keywords: 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, Wyoming, budget, funding, education, wildfire prevention, healthcare, community colleges, grants, economic development