Transcript Highlights:

• These are small operational accounts.
• These are small operational accounts. These are small operational accounts.
• He said his bank is a small community bank that depends on public funds to provide banking needs for
• He said his bank is a small community bank that depends on public funds to provide the banking needs
• the locations of these these uh small the locations of these these uh small towns<00:20:29.760><

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nathan Small came up from House District 36 in Dona Ana County.
• The actual plan development is a pretty small portion of the time.
• It's very small, so it will allow us to just do a very small pilot. I just wanted to mention that.
• I think our rollout of math supports is pretty small, and I said that this morning.
• Small school boards everywhere.

Transcript Highlights:

• That percentage increases even more for small water systems, which have fewer than 3,000 connections
• The bill only exempts the amount of groundwater historically required to support small community water
• Categories we're talking about are managed wetlands and small disadvantaged communities.
• You can have a small population and have a lot of conflicts.
• And I know the dangers of even those small things.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of water, parks, transportation, species protection, and fisheries bills. AB 430 would require the State Water Resources Control Board to publish an economic and environmental impact study when emergency water regulations are extended over multiple years; the author and supporters from agricultural and water groups said it would add transparency without limiting emergency authority. AB 1139 would expand a CEQA exemption to let county park agencies open existing roads and trails for non-motorized recreation, with supporters emphasizing access to nature and opponents warning about impacts to sensitive habitat, tribal resources, and fire risk. AB 929 would temporarily exempt small community water systems and managed wetlands from certain SGMA pumping reductions and fines; supporters said it would protect vulnerable communities and wetlands, while farm and water coalition opponents argued it would undermine basin-wide groundwater management and shift burdens to other users. AB 1225, creating an Accessibility Advisory Committee for State Parks, drew broad support and passed unanimously. The committee also heard AB 514, which would encourage local water suppliers to develop emergency water supplies for drought and service interruptions; it passed with broad support, though one member cautioned against using scientific research as a loophole. AB 550 would let developers seek incidental take permits for species under consideration for listing, aimed at reducing delays for clean energy projects; environmental groups supported the goal but asked for clearer standards, limits on using research as mitigation, and a fee provision, and the bill passed as amended. AB 697 would authorize an incidental take permit for the State Route 37 interim project in Solano and Marin counties, balancing congestion relief and habitat restoration; supporters stressed long commutes and urgent restoration deadlines, while opponents raised climate, sea-level-rise, and tribal concerns. The bill passed, with some members noting they would continue to work on the measure. Other measures discussed included AB 975, which would give Sutter County a narrow, temporary exemption from streambed alteration agreements for certain damaged small bridges and culverts; county officials described repeated flood damage and long permitting delays, and the bill passed as amended. AB 1056 would phase out transferability of set gillnet permits after 2027, allowing only a final family transfer; supporters framed it as a gradual response to bycatch concerns, while fishing industry opponents said it would unfairly target an existing fishery and set a bad precedent. The committee also took up AB 1146, described by the author as a response to politically motivated water releases; supporters from conservation and water organizations backed the bill. Several bills were voted out to Appropriations, some were left open for later action or add-ons, and the committee repeatedly noted it was working through the agenda without a quorum early in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, originally we were looking at both residential property insurance as well as commercial and small
• So this removes common interest communities, cooperatives, and small businesses to keep it on residential
• business. well as commercial and small business. uh<00:02:40.319> we<00:02:40.720> have
• In that process, there's been one small error.
• <00:32:04.080> It there's been a one small error. It there's been a one small error.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, I did have one question, and it's regarding small HOAs in the rural area I represent.
• Chair, I did have one question, and it's regarding small HOAs in the rural area I represent.
• Chair, I did have one question, and it's regarding small HOAs in the rural area I represent.
• Chair, I did have one question, and it's regarding small HOAs in the rural area I represent.
• to HOAs in uh our state even the small to HOAs in uh our state even the small ones<00:27:39.399>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, the big counties don't need it so much as the small counties that are not resourced to do this
• Again, the big counties don't need it so much as the small counties that are not resourced to do this
• But in general, it’s going to be a county with a very small infrastructure for cybersecurity.
• So it’s a need, and we need more small universities in Florida, too.
• And we need more small universities in Florida too.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting of the session and received an overview of the Higher Education Appropriations budget from staff director Tim Elwell. He explained the committee’s broad jurisdiction over universities, state colleges, district workforce programs, vocational rehabilitation, blind services, student financial aid, private colleges, and the Board of Governors, and reviewed key budget concepts such as local funds, funds per FTE, performance funding, and the distinction between the total appropriation and the recurring base budget. He noted that higher education is funded largely through state and local sources, with substantial flexibility compared with other state budgets, and that the base budget is heavily weighted toward lump-sum allocations to the public systems. The committee then heard a presentation from the University of South Florida’s Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida), led by retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie and USF representative Mark Walsh. They described Cyber Florida as a statewide cybersecurity platform created by the Legislature in 2014 to support education, research, workforce development, public policy, and community engagement. McKenzie emphasized the growing cyber threat environment, Florida’s leadership role, and several funded initiatives, including K-12 outreach, workforce training, a cyber range for county governments, critical infrastructure assessments, grant development, and public conferences and outreach. Members asked about public cyber awareness, the lack of a national cyber defense strategy, school district participation in Cyber Launch, and which counties are most at risk; McKenzie said smaller counties with limited cybersecurity staffing are generally more vulnerable and offered to provide follow-up information. Finally, the committee heard from the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida, led by Dr. Drew Andrews, along with program and parent representatives from participating institutions. Andrews explained the center’s role in coordinating Florida’s postsecondary comprehensive transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities, supporting program development, distributing grants and scholarships, and monitoring outcomes. He reported that the state now has 33 approved programs at 35 institutions, including universities, state colleges, and technical colleges, and that scholarship and grant funding has grown significantly. He said student retention is about 88 percent, many graduates are employed, and median hourly earnings have increased over time. A representative from Southeastern University described how the center’s support helped build and sustain SEU Link, including a new third-year employment-focused option for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• Auto claims represent a very small percentage of auto claims.
• Auto claims represent a very small percentage of auto claims.
• In states where the same order of coverage has been adopted, Very small percentage of auto claims.
• There may be small tweaks to them when they do it.
• Being a small local business established in 1991,... ...and financial accountability.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a public hearing on a wide range of auto insurance and vehicle-related bills. Testimony focused heavily on autonomous vehicle regulation, auto insurance rating by ZIP code, rental car liability coverage, and surcharge thresholds for minor accidents. Representative Polito supported a bill to regulate autonomous vehicle testing and deployment, arguing for school-zone restrictions, slower speeds, a remote kill switch, and minimum insurance requirements to protect the public. Representative Mendez and Senator Payano testified for legislation to reduce racial and socioeconomic inequities in auto insurance pricing by limiting the weight insurers may place on territorial loss costs, while the Mass Insurance Federation and Consumer Federation of America offered opposing and supporting views, respectively, on the fairness and actuarial impact of geographic rating. The committee also heard support for a bill to remove inspection-sticker violations from license-point calculations, and for a bill to raise the damage threshold for insurance surcharges and minor/major accident classifications. A substantial portion of the hearing addressed House Bill 1301 on rental car liability. Enterprise Mobility, the American Car Rental Association, and a small Massachusetts rental company supported the bill, saying personal auto insurers should be primary when their insureds drive rental cars, that Massachusetts is an outlier compared with most other states, and that the change would reduce costs and simplify claims handling. The Mass Insurance Federation opposed the bill, arguing that current Massachusetts law already clearly makes the vehicle owner’s policy primary and that shifting liability would raise costs for private-passenger policyholders. Committee members asked detailed questions about how rental coverage works, whether premiums or rental rates would change, and how other states handle the issue. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to adjust surcharge rules for at-fault accidents, with sponsors arguing that repair costs and vehicle values have risen sharply and that the current thresholds are outdated. Members discussed how the point system affects drivers, whether the proposal should apply cumulatively or per incident, and how Carfax and out-of-pocket repairs factor into consumer costs. At the end of the hearing, the chair noted written testimony could still be submitted and, during a brief personal privilege, recorded support for two underinsurance bills, H. 1109 and S. 748. The committee then moved and seconded a motion to adjourn, and the hearing ended without any votes on the bills themselves.

Transcript Highlights:

• For both of those last two, the denominator is very small.
• It describes a small number of hotline reports, so 123 alleged to fatality or near fatality.
• And again, the numbers are very small.
• This is per 100,000 because, luckily, the numbers are very small.
• Small numbers, and any kind of small numbers, make this line go up and down very quickly.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee met to review Department of Child Safety reforms developed after oversight hearings on the deaths of Emily Pike, Zariah Dodd, and Rebecca Baptiste. Members described a stakeholder process involving tribes, DCS, law enforcement, county attorneys, schools, and advocates that produced several bills already moving through the Legislature or signed by the governor. Those measures include SB 1125 on tribal-DCS information sharing, a bill requiring schools to provide records to DCS in investigations, a duty-to-report bill requiring direct knowledge, a hotline bill allowing DCS to consider 90 days of prior reports and route repeat cases to more experienced staff, a bill allowing attorneys to share more safety information with judges, and a requirement for advanced forensic interviews within 72 hours in sexual abuse cases. The chair emphasized that reforms are needed across DCS, the courts, and attorneys, and that the San Carlos Tribe’s letter would be entered into the record. DCS Director Catherine Patak presented 2025 agency data, saying the hotline received nearly 160,000 calls and 43,000 cases were investigated, while the out-of-home care population stayed relatively steady at just over 7,000 children. She reported 3,000 reunifications, 1,300 adoptions, 800 guardianships, 1,100 young adults receiving transition services, 534 new foster homes licensed, a 50% reimbursement increase for older youth caregivers, a 40% drop in youth missing from care since September 2024, and a 30% reduction in fatalities of children in care since 2024. She also discussed the annual fatality review process, noting 123 alleged fatality or near-fatality reports in the review period, 52 with prior DCS involvement, and systemic themes such as support for teens with complex needs, collaboration with law enforcement and the courts, and better staff support. Patak answered questions about group-home notification rules, saying DCS is updating rules to remove “runaway” and “AWOL” and use “missing” consistently, while also considering a statute change for the timing of notifications. She said about 300 children in care are there because of behavioral issues after adoption, and members raised concerns about insufficient behavioral health services for adopted children and the need for better training and support in group homes. Senators also asked about placement practices for sexually abused children and whether staff gender matching is considered; Patak said she was not aware of a specific requirement and would look into it. The committee then heard from Malcolm Hightower of Casey Family Programs, who said Arizona is generally near the national average on child welfare measures, does better than average on kin placements, but has a higher-than-average share of children in congregate care and slightly lower permanency within two years. He noted Arizona’s safety outcomes are roughly in line with national rates and urged continued cross-branch collaboration and timely information sharing. A final presentation from KC Melsick of Collaborative Safety focused on the agency’s systemic critical incident review model. He argued that child welfare and other public systems should move away from blame-focused responses after tragedies and toward a “safety culture” that examines system factors, near misses, and decision-making. He said Arizona has used this approach since 2016, with reported improvements including reduced turnover, and that the model is similar to after-action reviews used in the military and root-cause analysis in healthcare. Members discussed applying the same approach more broadly across state agencies. The committee ended with expressions of appreciation for the bill sponsors, DCS staff, tribal partners, and ongoing work, and adjourned with plans to continue the reforms in the interim and next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, So it seems like a lot of our small rural hospitals are struggling, and this seems like it would
• I apologize that that is small.
• The federal government sort of entices hospitals to do that, especially in small rural areas, because
• The federal government sort of entices hospitals to do that, especially in small rural areas, because
• So we see a lot of our small hospitals struggling, but somehow Children’s is not.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review Department of Human Services hospital payments in Arkansas Medicaid, with DHS Secretary Janet Mann and Deputy Secretary Misty Eubanks presenting first, followed by Arkansas Hospital Association Executive Vice President Jody Ann Tritt and a brief comment from Arkansas Children’s. DHS outlined the main hospital payment streams: fee-for-service per diem payments, upper payment limit (UPL) supplemental payments, cost settlements, and smaller payments such as graduate medical education and disproportionate share hospital funds. Members asked for plain-language explanations of cost settlements, why per diem rates vary by hospital type, and why UPL applies to private hospitals. DHS said cost settlements and UPL are mechanisms to help offset Medicaid underpayment, with SFY 2025 hospital payments totaling hundreds of millions of dollars and no general revenue used for supplemental payments beyond the state share funded through hospital assessments and related financing structures. Committee members focused heavily on whether Arkansas hospitals are adequately reimbursed and why rural hospitals struggle. Tritt explained that critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, PPS hospitals, and specialty hospitals operate under different federal and state rules, and said lower per diem rates for some facilities help with cash flow and later cost settlement adjustments. She said Arkansas hospitals are under financial strain, citing a negative patient services margin statewide and noting that Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers all contribute to the problem. She also said the association had just authorized a statewide survey of hospital finances and costs, which she expected would take about a year to complete. A major theme was commercial insurance reimbursement. Tritt argued Arkansas hospitals are paid far less than hospitals in neighboring states even though premiums are similar, and said administrative burdens, prior authorizations, and denials add to the problem. She said hospitals receive about 52 to 53 cents on the dollar for Medicaid costs without UPL and about 78 cents with UPL, still below cost. Members also discussed Medicare wage index issues, Medicare Advantage, and whether hospitals could use technology or alternative arrangements to improve finances. No votes were taken on the hospital presentation. At the end of the meeting, DHS provided a brief update on Living Choices and assisted living reimbursement. Officials said one assisted living facility, Pillars of the Community in Crossett, had announced closure, with nine waiver clients being transitioned to other settings. DHS said the current cost reporting period was underway and that a new rate study could be ready for review before the end of the fiscal year if reports were submitted on time. Members also asked about the broader waiver plan, and DHS said the next waiver iteration would likely be brought back to the committee in the summer.

Transcript Highlights:

• . and<00:10:13.279> it<00:10:13.519> makes<00:10:13.839> two<00:10:14.079> small
• <00:10:14.399> grammatical and it makes two small grammatical and it makes two small grammatical
• <00:13:17.760> Manning<00:13:18.240> board<00:13:18.560> when on a on a small
• Manning board when on a on a small Manning board when you're<00:13:19.040> trying<00:13:19.200
• schools, but it allowed us at our small schools<00:23:54.240> where<00:23:54.400> there's<

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to remind you that we'll be going through the rules right after this, and that's to accommodate a small
• And, really, significantly, for a community that's, you know, got a small-ish loan, like a, you know,
• The market is a large issuer; a large issue is more attractive than a small issue.
• Some of them are just too small.
• Those are hard to access for small startup companies.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then you'll see the small appropriation for the LCC for the website.
• Then you'll see the small appropriation for the LCC for the website.
• Then you'll see the small appropriation for the LCC for the website.
• Then you'll see the small appropriation for the LCC for the website.
• Then you'll see the small appropriation for the LCC for the website.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 2563, the Omnibus Legacy Bill, was presented as a roughly $779 million package funding projects across Minnesota through the four Legacy funds: Outdoor Heritage, Clean Water, Parks and Trails, and Arts and Cultural Heritage. Chairs Vang and McDonald described the bill as a responsible one-time spending measure with no ongoing base funding, emphasizing habitat restoration, water protection, parks and trails, and arts and cultural heritage. Nonpartisan staff then walked through the spreadsheet, explaining that the bill largely follows the recommendations of the relevant councils and governor, with some additions such as a Wilderness Inquiry partnership, an Ash River sewer extension, competitive grant funding, and several arts and history projects. Staff highlighted the major allocations and structure of the bill: Outdoor Heritage funding for land and habitat projects, Clean Water funding for water-quality work, Parks and Trails funding following the traditional 40-40-20 split, and Arts and Cultural Heritage funding for the State Arts Board, Minnesota Historical Society, Humanities Center, Indian Affairs Council, Department of Education, and other recipients. They also noted policy provisions requiring Clean Water Council recommendations to be broken out by fiscal year, requiring recent 990 forms for arts grantees, limiting arts funds from being used for capital construction except in specified cases, and extending a prior appropriation for the Sunni Lee memorial project. Members asked about land acquisition, the new 990 requirement, and reduced funding for children’s museums; chairs and staff responded that Outdoor Heritage includes land acquisition, the 990 is simply a documentation requirement, and children’s museum funding is lower because more money is now placed in a competitive grant pool. The chairs said the bill reflects compromise and an effort to keep the bill relatively clean of earmarks, while also noting that a Department of Revenue transfer of more than $31 million from legacy funds affected available funding and forced difficult choices. After discussion, the committee laid the bill over, with the chair noting it was also being done in honor of Representative Mary Murphy.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, Senate Bill 1056 is a small groundwater. Conservation District.
• Senate Bill 1169 addresses a critical problem faced by our state's small rural communities, as well as
• But it's a future model; it really is, of how small. communities can band together and share the love
• Most cities in Wise County are small; the county seat has fewer than 7,000 residents, making it nearly
• Chairman, you know what a Herculean effort that can be, especially for all these small communities.

Bills: SB1169, SB1285, SB1583, SB1611, SB1898, SB1976, SB2160, SB2161, SB2658, SB2661, SB2662, SB2692, SB1055, SB1359, SB2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, SB 1285, bats, bat protection, wildlife protection, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.101, hunting bats, bat possession, bat sales, bat trade, pest control, licensed pest control professional, animal control officer

Transcript Highlights:

• While it's a large amount to them, it looks like a small amount. out on this graph that seemingly the
• Well, whatever increases, large or small, that we provided for schools. whatever increases we provide
• So it's sort of not a core competency. of our organization, in no small part, because we've never been
• And I was in a very small graduating class at Yates in 2006.
• We have a small investigative team that oversees and abuse, educator misconduct investigations, every

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He is a small businessman in Las Cruces and runs Lost Cruces, the...
• This is his small business. It's been there for about seven or eight years now.
• He is also a board member of the Solsero Knowledge Center, which is my small LLC business that is at
• It's not just about film; it's about all these small businesses, hotels, and all the different laundries
• As we go forward, this individual has A long-standing career in public service and 32 years as a small

Transcript Highlights:

• congressional district, May Small congressional district, May Small Business<01:01:14.240> of
• What began as a small Beef Month?
• > rural<02:25:51.200> manufacturing our small and rural manufacturing our small and rural
• of small banks under the the survival of small banks under the avalanche<05:15:32.560> of<05:
• > to want these small banks to want these small banks to survive<05:15:49.680> to<05:15

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• urge my colleagues to support this amendment, to stand with the ratepayers, the families, and the small
• Lauren and Drew co-founded the JLH Fund in 2020 to support Black- and brown-owned small businesses and
• Their work has extended. around small businesses and nonprofits nationwide.
• With Consolidated Amendment G, we provided funds to support both local and small investments Consolidated
• They are its backbone, launching small businesses, staffing hospitals, building homes, caring for our

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House met in a session centered on the FY26 budget, especially the Energy and Environmental Affairs and Labor/Economic Development sections, while also taking time to recognize several championship teams and other guests. Early in the day, the chamber adopted a set of commemorative resolutions, including observances for Apraxia Awareness Day, International Celiac Awareness Day, and Jewish American Heritage Month. Members also welcomed Franklin High’s cheerleading and boys basketball champions, Winthrop boys hockey champions, St. Mary’s of Lynn girls basketball champions, Holy Trinity School students, and later Boston Celtics guard Drew Holiday and Lauren Holiday. The most contentious debate involved amendments related to Massachusetts’ climate and clean-car policies. Representative Lombardo offered amendments to delay or repeal ACC2/zero-emission vehicle requirements and to convert climate mandates into goals rather than requirements, arguing the rules were unrealistic, costly, and harmful to dealers, consumers, and the economy. Opponents said the House had already addressed the issue, and that climate and energy policy should remain under review through a public process. The House rejected Lombardo’s ACC2-related amendments, including after a ruling of the Chair was upheld by roll call, and later adopted a consolidated Energy and Environmental Affairs amendment by a wide margin. The House then adopted a consolidated Labor and Economic Development amendment and ultimately passed the FY26 budget to be engrossed. Supporters highlighted major funding for environmental protection, parks, fish and game, clean energy, food insecurity programs, agricultural support, economic development, tourism, and an immigration legal assistance fund. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for Molly McGovern, and at the end of the session adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• were animals, secluding children in rooms in isolation where they don't need to be, isolating small
• were animals, secluding children in rooms in isolation where they don't need to be, isolating small
• We know that 64% of small businesses in Alaska don't offer retirement of any kind, with cost being
• However, for small businesses to stand up a retirement program, the provider fees can vary from $4,800
• It's aimed at helping small businesses offer retirement programs and expanding retirement savings

Keywords: 905, all

Summary: The Alaska Legislature met in joint session to consider gubernatorial vetoes of five bills. Members first took up House Bill 52 on minors and psychiatric hospitals, with supporters arguing it would improve transparency, family communication, oversight, and reporting around seclusion and restraint in psychiatric facilities. Opponents of the veto cited DOJ findings and media reports about abuses at a North Star facility. The override failed, 36-24, falling short of the 40 votes needed. The joint session then considered Senate Bill 41 on mental health education. Supporters said it would help develop age-appropriate mental health curriculum and could aid suicide prevention, while critics argued it was mischaracterized and did not impose a state takeover of local schools. The veto override failed, 38-22. Members next considered House Bill 314 on architects, engineers, surveyors, and interior designers, focusing on the AELS Board’s continuation and the need for professional oversight during major infrastructure work. That override passed, 45-15. The legislature then voted on Senate Bill 21, the Alaska Work and Save Program, which supporters said would expand retirement savings access for workers and small businesses, including an option to direct PFD funds into retirement accounts. The override failed, 39-21. Finally, House Bill 195 on pharmacists and physician assistants was debated as a health care access measure that would let pharmacists provide more services under a standard-of-care model; supporters said it would reduce costs and improve access, while some members raised concerns about scope and abortion-related issues. The veto override passed, 43-17. The joint session then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the absence of the HUB program, small businesses like mine are kept out of the competitive bidding
• In the absence of the HUB program, small businesses like mine are kept out of the competitive bidding
• The HUB program, what it does for us, it increases the probability of success for minority-owned small
• I have been a small business owner for nearly my entire life.
• I'm standing here with builders, small business owners, and people who create jobs for others.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a very small staff; we have two attorneys, and we absolutely need another attorney to handle
• They're small increases.
• Excuse me, I would like to recognize Chairman Small. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you.
• Okay, I'll take a motion from Chairman Small and a second by Representative Chatfield.
• We are requesting a very small increase.