Transcript Highlights:

• <00:58:18.079> rent job to just pay the pay their basic rent job to just pay the pay their
• <01:15:56.040> the you if the asss are needed to pay the you if the asss are needed to pay
• Someone's got to pay for that.
• Someone's got to pay for that.
• And so, but we pay for that.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 167, which would add ski, snowboard, and boat wax containing PFAS to the state’s consumer-product restrictions. The sponsor argued the product is already banned in many places, has PFAS-free alternatives, and is used in ways that can directly contaminate water rather than landfills. She cited high PFAS levels in several New Hampshire lakes and said the bill was a simple extension of prior PFAS legislation. A witness also described a personal experience where a liquid ski wax disappeared from the market and later returned, likely because of PFAS concerns. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 167 without a vote. The committee then opened a hearing on House Bill 312, dealing with college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Representative Moffett said the bill was modeled on New Jersey law and intended to let student-athletes earn compensation from NIL without losing institutional scholarships, while also requiring licensed representation and setting limits on certain endorsements. He described the measure as proactive because NIL rules are evolving and could create conflicts among schools and future lawsuits. Members questioned whether the bill should apply to two-year institutions, whether it should exclude firearms and weapons, and whether the scholarship protections would cover need-based or academic aid as well as athletic scholarships. Moffett said the scholarship language was intended to protect scholarships generally, but not need-based aid specifically, and he acknowledged discomfort with some of the endorsement restrictions. Public testimony on HB 312 was mixed. One supporter, a former Division III athlete and coach, backed the bill but urged removal of a section allowing institutions or athletic bodies to use an athlete’s NIL without compensation, arguing most New Hampshire athletes do not receive NIL money and should not have to work extra jobs to cover basic expenses. The chair also raised concerns about the bill’s contractual and identity-rights implications, referencing prior committee work on a J.D. Salinger-related identity case and noting the committee had previously declined to get involved in similar contractual disputes. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Could ask for a rescreening and pay another fee for that.
• tenant then like gives them if they pay tenant then like gives them if they pay rent<00:09:20.240
• You're going to pay 6 months in advance.
• <00:33:48.799> additional If we are required to pay additional If we are required to pay additional
• >> So let's say the tenant pays the first month's rent, you pay the security deposit, a nonprofit pays

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:31:32.200> And that will continue to pay out. And that will continue to pay out.
• <00:56:45.440> out than uh a pension that pays out than uh a pension that pays out throughout
• have to pay for it. have to pay for it.
• <01:44:32.320> out executive director of PERA to pay out executive director of PERA to pay
• believe is right for their pay. believe is right for their pay.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• not something they necessarily pay not something they necessarily pay attent<01:42:38.800> that
• the someone to pay actually pay for the someone to pay actually pay for the damage<01:48:14.360>
• > I about the th pay pay penalty right I about the th pay pay penalty right I just<01:51:06.079><
• <01:51:25.040> they someone continues to fail to pay they someone continues to fail to pay
• and the restitution they'd end up paying and the restitution they'd end up paying both<01:51:34.840

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll make you pay for it."
• We'll make you pay for it."
• paying their mortgage. paying their mortgage.
• delay our pay raise by one year. delay our pay raise by one year.
• the federal level already pays for it. the federal level already pays for it.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > taxes,<00:09:24.240> and pays benefits, collects taxes, and pays benefits, collects taxes
• There is a cost to going from the '22 pay tables to the '24 pay tables.
• '22 pay tables to the '24 pay tables. '22 pay tables to the '24 pay tables.
• paying these?
• states as far as our game warden pay. states as far as our game warden pay.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're all paying nine plus two.
• They're all paying nine plus two.
• off-the-cuff, they'll probably pay in their whole pension over a lifetime.
• People couldn't pay their property tax. They couldn't pay their rent.
• Some of this pay was to relief some of the expenses incurred during COVID.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement, municipal workforce, and public employee labor bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2749, a Plymouth home rule petition to classify Plymouth harbormaster employees as Group 4 for retirement purposes. Supporters, including local officials and retirement board representatives, argued the employees perform law-enforcement and rescue duties comparable to police and fire personnel, that the change would be fair, and that it would have little or no fiscal impact on the town. A separate harbormaster-related bill, H. 2743, was also introduced later in the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on provisions of the Municipal Empowerment Act (H. 56), including a temporary critical-shortage exemption allowing retired state or municipal employees to return to work in hard-to-fill positions, and a renewed OPEB commission to study retiree health care costs. Administration and municipal officials said the measures were needed to address staffing shortages and rising benefit liabilities, while emphasizing the shortage exemption would be time-limited and require proof of recruitment efforts. Related retirement bills drew support and caution: advocates for higher COLA bases and enhanced COLA benefits urged relief for retirees, but some asked the committee to wait for recommendations from the special COLA commission before acting. A major portion of the hearing concerned labor rights at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Union representatives and employees backed bills to extend just-cause protections, promotional rights, and collective bargaining rights to MWRA and CPCS workers, arguing they currently lack protections available to most other public employees. Testimony described unfair discipline, delayed promotions, and high turnover, and committee members indicated prior favorable action on similar MWRA bills and expressed support for addressing CPCS labor rights. The committee also heard from representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and public higher education employees in support of H. 2820, which would require timely funding of ratified state employee contracts, with witnesses describing long delays in receiving negotiated raises and back pay. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and closed each panel after questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we are paying Grand Forks pay 75% of the costs.
• We continue to lose drivers to higher-paying positions, even with a $4 pay increase implemented in on
• We continue to lose drivers to higher paying positions, even with a $4 pay increase implemented in We
• continue to lose drivers to higher-paying positions, even with a $4 pay increase implemented in November
• They had to pay for building restructuring.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Government Finance Transportation Study Subcommittee met to review fixed-route transit systems and related funding needs. After approving the prior meeting minutes, the committee heard presentations from Cities Area Transit in Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, Bisman Transit in Bismarck-Mandan, and MATBUS/Fargo, along with comments from North Dakota Protection & Advocacy. The transit agencies described their routes, paratransit services, ridership trends, fare structures, fleet replacement needs, and rising operating costs, emphasizing that transit supports access to work, school, medical care, and other essential services. Testimony also noted that ridership fell during the pandemic and has been recovering, while vehicle and maintenance costs have risen sharply. Grand Forks transit reported 17 routes, a recent fare increase, and operating costs that exceed fare revenue, with paratransit service extending beyond the federal minimum service area. Bisman Transit outlined its fixed-route and paratransit operations, recent service expansions, local mill levies, sales tax support, and federal grant structure, and said it is seeking more stable funding and flexibility beyond paratransit-only support. Minot’s transit superintendent explained the state’s existing transit aid formula, the use of refurbished buses, and the challenges of driver recruitment and electric bus infrastructure. Fargo asked for additional state support for fixed-route urban transit. Committee members discussed whether ride-share services could replace transit, the cost per trip, local match requirements, and whether a separate state funding source should be recommended for the four urban fixed-route systems. The subcommittee ultimately approved a motion to have Legislative Council prepare a summary of its activities for inclusion in the full Government Finance Committee report, and members indicated they would seek more detailed funding figures from the transit agencies before making any specific recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 327, dying to paying information records confidentiality.
• SB 383, school district support attendance performance-based pay.
• She said veterans can decide up front how much they will pay.
• We have or do not have, and the conditions we face at work, and the pay, the pay that keeps on dropping
• For those that weren't paying attention, this had one single no vote.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For base Medicaid, which is the majority of the folks, they pay about half of it.
• . to backfill reductions or to pay for existing services.
• If you have to upload a pay stub, you take a picture of it.
• So this is something that I will be paying attention to.
• So this is something that I will be paying attention to.

Keywords: House Room C, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The question is, how do we pay for that?
• We want you to pay us for a full 15 hours.
• We are paying our schools.
• if I don't pay that bill.
• I wasn't paying any attention.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• their rents, how we were going to ensure that people could pay their mortgage and pay for groceries.
• paying their bills? paying their bills?
• How we were going to pay their rents.
• <00:15:25.920> their ensure that people could pay their ensure that people could pay their
• mortgage and pay for groceries. mortgage and pay for groceries.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They will pay sales tax, and the fee is exempt, which is $300. I do have a substitute.
• So it's another way to pay.
• That's just another normal way to pay. Where do I go to...
• Banks pay into, um, they pay insurance premiums into the Deposit Insurance Fund, the DIF.
• I pay a fee every month. It's very, very tiny.

Bills: SB524, SB782, HB42, HB1056, HB2894, HB3033, HB3474, HB3594, HB4738, HB5246, HB42

Keywords: SB 524, Texas franchise tax, veteran-owned business, new veteran-owned business, business tax exemption, filing fee exemption, Tax Code Chapter 171, Business Organizations Code, Comptroller, small business, veterans, entrepreneurship, tax repeal, privilege tax, beginning date, franchise tax exemption, severance tax, oil, gas, restimulation wells

Transcript Highlights:

• For FY 24-25, our fringe benefits for salary employees averaged about 35% of their base pay.
• It's to pay for turning on the lights and to pay for all of the utilities at the university.
• And then tuition and fees are the charges that our student pays in.
• I remember vaguely that international students pay more than out-of-state? No? No. Okay.
• And people pay a sticker price.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on higher education funding, focusing on how Florida’s university system should be financed and whether a new funding model is needed. University system financial officers and Chancellor Ray Rodriguez discussed major cost drivers, including wages and benefits, utilities, maintenance, financial aid, research, and the effects of geography, institutional mission, and student mix. UF highlighted the cost of research and graduate programs; UCF and FAU pointed to growth, location, and cost of living; FAMU emphasized recruiting top-tier talent while relying on other revenue sources; and UNF noted the challenges of growth and long-term planning. Members also discussed the role of internal controls and audits in addressing excessive spending and questioned whether out-of-state tuition should be adjusted to help offset costs. On revenue sources beyond state appropriations and tuition, the panel described auxiliaries, restricted funds, capital projects, and component units such as foundations and health systems. Several universities noted that some revenues are restricted to specific purposes and cannot be used for general operations. FAMU explained that a large share of its capital project funding reflected active campus construction, while UF said its component-unit revenue is largely tied to UF Health. The Chancellor emphasized that the system’s low tuition and strong state support are central to Florida’s national standing, but also noted that some auxiliary revenues are pledged to debt and must be managed carefully. When discussing the current funding process, witnesses praised Florida’s performance-based funding model for aligning incentives with student success, transparency, and accountability. They also raised concerns about non-recurring appropriations, rising employee benefit costs, unfunded mandates, deferred maintenance, and the difficulty of multi-year planning. Suggestions for improvement included more recurring funding, better coverage of mandated costs, greater flexibility in fee-setting, and possible weighting for mission, geography, and institutional type. The Chancellor said the Board of Governors is considering a “version 3.0” of performance-based funding that would benchmark institutions against peers and Carnegie classifications, but any changes would require legislative action. On out-of-state tuition, most universities said they would prefer local board flexibility, while the Chancellor cautioned that increasing out-of-state enrollment or fees could affect future state support and should be balanced carefully.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's see here, 13, it says to pay a non-profit association.
• intent as the bill before where can't pay public funds to a non-profit association.
• They shouldn't have to pay. I powered lobby groups to get things done here.
• And he quit paying the dues, right, to the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas.
• We have ended up paying those dues so that he can get his transcript.

Bills: SB 18, SB 19, SB18, SB19, SB666, SB688, SB707, SB888

Keywords: Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water permit, water appropriation, dam permit exemption, reservoir, flood control, floodwater control, erosion control, sediment control, watershed protection, flood prevention, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, USDA, local sponsor, district, authority, water infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO FLORIDA'S ECONOMY AND PAY TAXES FOR DECADES.
• And it took me almost 20 years to pay back my student loans. It is not cheap to do this.
• We are paying for that, but we are not paying for a 20-year-old kid?
• WE WERE PAYING FOR THEIR HOUSING.
• WE WILL PAY FOR THAT TOO.

Bills: SJR2, SB4, SJR36, SJR2, SB4, SJR1, SJR5, SB9, SB40, SJR2, SB4, SR98, SJR40, SJR41, SJR42, SJR43, SJR44, SJR45, SJR46, SJR47, SCR13, SB6, SB13, SB21, SB826, SB827, SB828, SB829, SB830, SB831, SB832, SB833, SB834, SB835, SB836, SB837, SB838, SB839, SB840, SB841, SB842, SB843, SB844, SB845, SB846, SB847, SB848, SB849, SB850, SB851, SB853, SB854, SB855, SB856, SB857, SB858, SB859, SB860, SB861, SB862, SB863, SB864, SB865, SB866, SB867, SB868, SB869, SB870, SB871, SB872, SB873, SB874, SB875, SB876, SB877, SB878, SB879, SB880, SB881, SB882, SB883, SB884, SB885, SB886, SB887, SB888, SB889, SB890, SB891, SB892, SB893, SB894, SB895, SB896, SB897, SB898, SB899, SB900, SB901, SB902, SB903, SB904, SB905, SB906, SB907, SB908, SB909, SB910, SB911, SB912, SB913, SB914, SB915, SB916, SB917, SB918, SB919, SB920, SB921, SB922, SB923, SB924, SB925, SB926, SB927, SB928, SB929, SB930, SB931, SB932, SB933, SB934, SB935, SB936, SB937, SB938, SB939, SB940, SB941, SB942, SB943, SB944, SB945, SB946, SB947, SB948, SB949, SB950, SB951, SB952, SB953, SB954, SB955, SB956, SB957, SB958, SB959, SB960, SB961, SB962, SB963, SB964, SB965, SB966, SB967, SB968, SB969, SB970, SB971, SB972, SB973, SB974, SB975, SB976, SB977, SB978, SB979, SB980, SB981, SB982, SB983, SB984, SB985, SB986, SB987, SB988, SB989, SB990, SB991, SB992, SB993, SB994, SB995, SB996, SB997, SB998, SB999, SB1000, SJR40, SJR41, SJR42, SJR43, SJR44, SJR45, SJR46, SJR47, SCR13, SB6, SB13, SB21, SB826, SB827, SB828, SB829, SB830, SB831, SB832, SB833, SB834, SB835, SB836, SB837, SB838, SB839, SB840, SB841, SB842, SB843, SB844, SB845, SB846, SB847, SB848, SB849, SB850, SB851, SB853, SB854, SB855, SB856, SB857, SB858, SB859, SB860, SB861, SB862, SB863, SB864, SB865, SB866, SB867, SB868, SB869, SB870, SB871, SB872, SB873, SB874, SB875, SB876, SB877, SB878, SB879, SB880, SB881, SB882, SB883, SB884, SB885, SB886, SB887, SB888, SB889, SB890, SB891, SB892, SB893, SB894, SB895, SB896, SB897, SB898, SB899, SB900, SB901, SB902, SB903, SB904, SB905, SB906, SB907, SB908, SB909, SB910, SB911, SB912, SB913, SB914, SB915, SB916, SB917, SB918, SB919, SB920, SB921, SB922, SB923, SB924, SB925, SB926, SB927, SB928, SB929, SB930, SB931, SB932, SB933, SB934, SB935, SB936, SB937, SB938, SB939, SB940, SB941, SB942, SB943, SB944, SB945, SB946, SB947, SB948, SB949, SB950, SB951, SB952, SB953, SB954, SB955, SB956, SB957, SB958, SB959, SB960, SB961, SB962, SB963, SB964, SB965, SB966, SB967, SB968, SB969, SB970, SB971, SB972, SB973, SB974, SB975, SB976, SB977, SB978, SB979, SB980, SB981, SB982, SB983, SB984, SB985, SB986, SB987, SB988, SB989, SB990, SB991, SB992, SB993, SB994, SB995, SB996, SB997, SB998, SB999, SB1000

Keywords: SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, constitutional amendment, homestead exemption, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval, November 2025 ballot, local government, Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• them instead to pay the SWEPT tax.
• or not pay.
• sounds like they could pay or not pay<00:17:02.639> so<00:17:03.319> I<00:17:03.480>
• the the property taxes that CBR pays the the property taxes that CBR pays would<00:22:35.080>
• <00:52:32.720> after paying now and what they would pay after paying now and what they would

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:29:12.279> the fines would go towards paying the fines would go towards paying the balance
• <00:30:10.440> the insurance company doesn't pay the insurance company doesn't pay the claimant
• <00:31:06.240> the responsible to pay the responsible to pay the bill<00:31:08.799> right
• I think that you should incur a $1,000 fine. don't pay it for almost two months and don't pay it for
• We’re paying millions.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Environment and Agriculture Committee met in work session on several bills, beginning with HB 153, which would require two or more law enforcement officers in each county to receive animal cruelty training. Members said the bill had been sent to the Animal Protection and Licensing Subcommittee, where Representative Kuttab is expected to schedule a meeting soon to consider possible amendments based on testimony and other ideas. The committee later returned to HB 153 and confirmed a work session was planned for February 14, with discussion also including whether to explore a task force concept raised in testimony. The committee also discussed HB 215 and HB 566, both related to landfill permitting and leachate or harm/benefit reporting. Representative Gerana said he had met with the DES director and was working on amendments that would add a preliminary screening phase for determining net public benefit and expand the list of benefits beyond capacity need to include items such as economic and infrastructure benefits. HB 566 was said to be in the same posture as HB 215, and both were slated for subcommittee review the following Tuesday morning. HB 171 was also added for subcommittee discussion, with members saying the changes would be technical rather than substantive. HB 240, which removes forfeiture penalties for non-payment of dog licenses, drew support for a simple amendment changing a statutory “shall” to “may” so municipal officials would have discretion about issuing a warrant. Representative Bixby said OLS advised that this was the cleanest way to provide flexibility, and he reported that the sponsor was agreeable to the change. The committee also discussed HB 179, concerning hazardous waste accident fees, where the sponsor proposed a revised amendment imposing a $1,000-per-day penalty after 90 days of non-payment. Members raised concerns about homeowners, hobby farmers, and whether the bill could unfairly burden people who were not negligent or whose insurance claims were delayed. The sponsor and others said the intent was to recover costs from responsible parties, especially businesses, and to protect local taxpayers and fire departments from bearing the cost of damaged hazardous materials equipment. No votes were taken; the bills were left for further subcommittee work and amendment drafting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because the state's paying, and/or the feds are paying for it.
• half if you pay half.
• So, like I can see... ...family will use this donated money to pay half if you pay half.
• And they're having to pay a lot of money.
• But every year, they pay it back.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that you actually don't start paying that you actually don't start paying that<00:15:44.480>
• they're not paying into Social Security. they're not paying into Social Security.
• It was closed in 1997, pay-as-you-go.
• So this is that part of that pay.
• be $12 million per year or 3.7% of pay. be $12 million per year or 3.7% of pay.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all