Transcript Highlights:

• We also have an organized care model called the PASS program.
• So the UPL program, or the upper payment limit program, was established by federal statute to be used
• The upper payment limit program, or access payment program, is limited to the private hospitals currently
• Our PAS program is a 1915(c) waiver. We have 1115 waivers for the expansion program.
• “Probably not until the summer.” “Until the summer?” “Yes, sir. So, I mean, my question is that.

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:

• This program works. It's a program that prevents violence.
• This program works. It's a program that prevents violence.
• This program works. It's a program that prevents violence.
• This program works. It's a program that prevents violence.
• This program works. It's a program that prevents violence.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we come up here, it's cool in the summer and it's warm in the winter.
• When we come up here, it's cool<00:08:17.280> in<00:08:17.440> the<00:08:17.680> summer
• > it's<00:08:18.720> warm<00:08:19.039> in<00:08:19.199> the cool in the summer
• and it's warm in the cool in the summer and it's warm in the winter.<00:08:19.759> So,<00:08:
• Uh, so what metrics does the cabinet use to evaluate the cost containment in this program? >> Yeah.

Keywords: Call to Order: 00;15 Approval of Minutes: 01:22 Update on Generator replacement: 01:52 Update on Sheriff Fees: 13:28 Adjournment: 25:22, 958, all

Summary: The committee met for its fourth budget subreview session focused on personnel, public retirements, and finance. Members approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard from Finance Cabinet staff on two main items: a $7.5 million request related to generator systems and a sheriff’s fees budget request. The generator request was described as a preventive, life-cycle replacement and capacity-enhancement effort for 26 generators serving Frankfort-area state buildings, intended to protect continuity of government and expand beyond basic emergency power to support continuity of services. Members asked detailed questions about how many generators would be replaced, the cost per unit, the scope of the study, and whether the work could be phased. Staff said the $7.5 million would cover a full evaluation and any resulting engineering/replacement work, but the exact number of replacements was not yet known. They estimated the initial study would cost about $500,000 to $750,000, would take six to nine months once funded, and would produce building-by-building recommendations. Staff also said typical generator life cycles vary widely, often around 15 to 20 years but sometimes longer depending on run hours and usage. The committee then reviewed sheriff’s fees, with the Division of Local Government explaining that the state reimburses counties for several statutory sheriff-related costs, especially court security, which accounts for more than 90% of the claims. Staff said the current budget base is about $20 million, while actual spending has been running above $23 million, leading to a $3.5 million growth request to align the base with projected spending and reduce the need for non-general fund expenditure (NGE) adjustments. Members asked about claim volume, county participation, reimbursement controls, and whether the request reflected growth or underfunding; staff said all 120 counties submit claims, volumes have been fairly steady, and reimbursements are governed by statute and signed monthly certifications. No votes were taken on the requests, and the meeting adjourned after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, back during the summer whenever we presented to the Maha Commission, the Maha task force was Senator
• It's all around guidelines and programs that they've put in place and policies that really have created
• Uh<00:12:54.560> back<00:12:54.800> during<00:12:55.040> the<00:12:55.200> summer
• <00:12:55.440> whenever<00:12:55.839> we Uh back during the summer whenever we Uh back
• during the summer whenever we presented<00:12:56.480> to<00:12:56.639> the<00:12:56.959

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:12 SB 5 Discussion: 03:10 SB 5 Roll Call Vote: 18:05 SB 73 Discussion: 22:00 SB 73 Roll Call Vote: 22:40, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Agriculture Committee met for the first meeting of the 2026 session, established a quorum, and opened with the pledge and a moment of silence honoring Gary Shell, the father of Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell. Committee members welcomed new senators to the panel and briefly noted a soybean association luncheon later in the day. The committee then took up two bills, both sponsored by Senator Jason Howell and presented with Commissioner Shell. Senate Bill 5 was the main item of discussion. Howell and Shell described it as a measure to reduce procurement barriers and expand the use of Kentucky-grown food in school nutrition programs, with a broader goal of connecting farmers, school districts, and the Department of Education through Kentucky Proud and related local sourcing efforts. Shell also discussed related agriculture-in-the-classroom efforts, including “All In for a Week,” and said the bill was part of a larger push to decentralize food sourcing and improve access for local producers. Several members asked questions and offered supportive comments, including a discussion of whether Kentucky Proud products would be included and a side conversation about possible future aquaculture legislation. The committee voted favorably on SB 5, and it passed with favorable expression. The committee then considered Senate Bill 73, which would allow beef tallow-based cosmetic products to be made at home under the state’s home-based industry rules by creating a specific statutory exclusion. After a brief explanation and no substantive debate, the committee voted on the bill and it passed with favorable expression and was recommended to be reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a case this summer that we will get into where there were convictions for fraudulent voter
• So I attended as an observer, as a reporter, if you will, to court hearings over the summer—one each
• Over the summer, they came in individually; they were charged individually.
• The elections division of the office includes a team of state program administrators and IT staff that
• In the summer of 2022, a handful of counties began to identify anomalies with some paper voter registration

Transcript Highlights:

• > most chief of plans and programs and most chief of plans and programs and most importantly<00
• uh uh I am the um anti-terrorism program uh uh I am the um anti-terrorism program manager<00:33:
• So we think it's a great program.
• So we think it's a great program.
• So we think it's a great program.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, projects that could be funded through this program include buildings.
• Participating in partnership programs.
• Programs, and they do a really great job of doing a deep dive in the interim.
• Those summer classes would be covered. So again, Mr.
• Programs, Mr. Speaker, gentlelady. That bill, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program provides ages 8 through 13. The program provides ages 8 through 13.
• program up years ago.
• Um anybody who this summer, now that the weather's getting summer, now that the weather's getting summer
• So, got a lot of really program. So, got a lot of really program.
• . wastewater program. wastewater program.

Bills: SB 66, SB 317, SB 393, SB 397, SB 456, SB 614, SB 628, SB 629, SB 636, SB 715, SB 731, SB 801, SB 872, SB 905, SB 986, SB 1012, SB 1013, SB 1015, SB 1032, SB 1113, SB 1181, SB 1212, SB 1241, SB 1250, SB 1278, SB 1285, SB 1376, SB 1444, SB 1449, SB 1524, SB 1525, SB 1528, SB 1556, SB 1588, SB 1660, SB 1704, SB 1708, SB 1802, SB 1833, SB 1844, SB 1854, SB 1863, SB 1957, SB 1959, SB 1965, SB 1999, SB 2035, SB 2056, SB 2082, SB 2119, SB 2138, SB 2165, SB 2199, SB 2201, SB 2203, SB 2245, SB 2284, SB 2419, SB 2422, SB 2452, SB 2487, SB 2523, SB 2529, SB 2533, SB 2541, SB 2586, SB 2595, SB 2605, SB 2615, SB 2675, SB 2690, SB 2717, SB 2753, SB 2778, SB 2835, SB 2841, SB 2891, SB 2929, SB 2933, SB 3016, SB 3039, SB 3044, HB 912, HB 2525, SJR 3, SB 5, SB 29, SB 326, SB 494, SB 530, SB 769, SB 783, SB 963, SB 1238, SB 1271, SB 1786, SB 1967, SB 2312, SB 72, SB 616, SB 1143, SB 1172, SB 1267, SB 1273, SB 1506, SB 1759, SB 2361, SB 1, SB 260, SB 1637, SJR 36, SJR 50, SJR 63, SJR 59, SCR 12, SCR 39, SCR 48, SCR 19, SB 2023, SB 1524, SB 2422, SB 2119, SB 2753, SB 1863, SB 62, SB 666, SB 847, SB 284, SB 854, SB 1073, SB 810, SB 1505, SB 583, SB 507, SB 1434, SB 1376, SB 1772, SB 2016, SB 1163, SB 1122, SB 731, SB 397, SB 508, SB 1436, SB 287, SB 261, SB 1882, SB 393, SB 1791, SB 209, SB 2429, SB 1999, SB 511, SB 2309, SB 510, SB 1085, SB 1975, SB 2717, SB 1262, SB 636, SB 2056, SB 884, SB 517, SB 1200, SB 1845, SB 2681, SB 2199, SB 2458, SB 801, SB 2533, SB 3014, SB 3013, SB 758, SB 1013, SB 2797, SB 2076, SB 2876, SB 2284, SB 2929, SB 2595, SB 715, SB 1640, SB 1241, SB 2538, SB 1449, SB 2529, SB 986, SB 1181, SB 1359, SB 2245, SB 410, SB 1234, SB 456, SB 1012, SB 2926, SB 2138, SB 2615, SB 2972, SB 2841, SB 3016, SB 1856, SB 2035, SB 1528, SB 1373, SB 672, SB 2891, SB 1854, SB 317, SB 2539, SB 2532, SB 1250, SB 2082, SB 2203, SB 1285, SB 1959, SB 1454, SB 2520, SB 2541, SB 1708, SB 1237, SB 1844, SB 1586, SB 3039, SB 2819, SB 66, SB 629, SB 1015, SB 2342, SB 2903, SB 2933, SB 1965, SB 2477, SB 3029, SB 2605, SB 2419, SB 1957, SB 375, SB 250, SB 777, SB 628, SB 2523, SB 2367, SB 2703, SB 2608, SB 2778, SB 3044, SB 2965, SB 2521, SB 865, SB 1032, SB 2165, SB 2501, SB 2675, SB 2452, SB 2835, SB 872, SB 1212, SB 1278, SB 1588, SB 1602, SB 1704, SB 1723, SB 1833, SB 1858, SB 1946, SB 2009, SB 2177, SB 2460, SB 2785, SB 2373, SB 1660, SB 614, SB 867, SB 1608, SB 1525, SB 905, SB 640, SB 2487, SB 1698, SB 383, SB 705, SB 748, SB 1113, SB 1117, SB 1802, SB 2340, SB 2586, SB 2680, SB 2690, SB 2994, SB 2747, SB 1950, SB 913, SB 1071, SB 1086, SB 1087, SB 1483, SB 1444, SB 1553, SB 1556, SB 1703, SB 2133, SB 2297, SB 2298, SB 2622, SB 2955, SB 3059, SB 2782, SB 2781, SB 2637, SB 2633, SB 2337, SB 2334, SB 1861, SB 2043, SB 1367, SB 946, SB 945, SB 2857, SB 128, SB 571, SB 1263, SB 3058, SB 612, SB 2221, SB 2587, SB 2044, SB 2363, SB 2713, HB 1109, HB 1392, HB 22, HB 2525, HB 3093, HB 517, HB 912, HB 1130, HB 142, HB 1689, HB 2018, SB 2311, SB 1986, SB 2565, SB 2943, SB 1888, SB 2417, SB 3048, SB 3052, SB 3053, SB 3036, SB 3057, SB 3056, SB 3043, SB 3037, SB 3050, SB 3063, SB 3047, SB 3035, HJR 98, HJR 99, HB 136, HB 2884, HB 1393, HB 2730, HB 1399, HB 1244, HB 467, HB 331, HB 2559, SB 66, SB 456, SB 628, SB 1012, SB 1015, SB 1032, SB 1241, SB 1376, SB 1708, SB 1959, SB 1965, SB 2035, SB 2199, SB 2245, SB 2284, SB 2419, SB 2523, SB 2529, SB 2541, SB 2595, SB 2605, SB 2778, SB 2933, SB 3039, SB 3044, SB 1524, SB 1863, SB 2119, SB 2422, SB 2753, SB 1844, SB 2533, SR 417, SR 500, SR 501, SR 502, HCR 128, HB 23, HB 45, HB 104, HB 519, HB 748, HB 791, HB 1056, HB 1481, HB 3181, HB 3211, HB 4044, HB 4290, HB 23, HB 45, HB 104, HB 519, HB 748, HB 791, HB 1056, HB 1481, HB 3181, HB 3211, HB 4044, HB 4290

Keywords: disability, supported decision-making, legal assistance, confidentiality, access to justice, autonomy, civil rights, advocacy, monuments, memorials, public property, historical significance, civil penalties, local governance, SB 393, Sparks, Middleton, local government, political subdivision, public securities

Transcript Highlights:

• The parking lot program is no longer in place.
• I run the small local public bodies assistance program.
• Without this program, or this program aiding in many other programs out there, we keep this way of life
• But we don't have a program yet.
• Gomm earlier this summer.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, isn't that why we have our medicinal cannabis program?
• It is, but if you're in the hospital, you can't participate in that program if the hospital won't let
• ,<00:47:14.079> I'm wanted a medical cannabis program, I'm wanted a medical cannabis program
• Program Act, creates a tightly Program Act, creates a tightly controlled<00:53:59.760> science-driven
• Um, we've had hearings over this past summer.

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 25 February, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first handled House Bill 612, which had been laid on the table because of questions about section one. Senator Tate explained that section one would allow the state, counties, and municipalities to enter interlocal agreements to provide installation support services on military installations, mainly road and infrastructure work such as paving and dirt work, and that section two would add Coast Guard medics to an existing provision allowing trained military medics to sit for LPN certification. After questions about the breadth of “installation support services,” the committee adopted the motion for title sufficient, due pass, with opposition noted, and the bill was reported to the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. House Bill 942 was then passed over at Senator McMahon’s request until Tuesday. The committee then took up House Bill 1034, which would allow terminally ill hospital patients to use medical cannabis gummies. The sponsor said the bill is intended to help terminally ill patients who already qualify for medical cannabis but are denied access in hospitals, and that it prohibits smoking or inhalation. Members raised concerns about whether the bill was too broad, whether it would interfere with hospital and physician judgment, possible drug interactions, federal law issues, liability for hospitals and doctors, storage and disposal requirements, and whether hospitals would incur costs or be forced to handle cannabis on their premises. The sponsor responded that the patient’s use would be logged in the chart, that the caregiver is generally responsible for the lockbox and disposal, and that the bill includes language allowing a facility to opt out if compliance would jeopardize federal funding or licensing. The bill’s author also described the measure as arising from a Coast Guard family’s experience in which a terminally ill patient was denied access to medical cannabis at one hospital but allowed at another, and said the goal is to prevent similar denials for terminally ill patients. He said he was not aware of other drugs treated this way in hospitals, but argued that terminally ill patients should have access to most anything they want. The discussion ended with Senator England asking whether changing the bill’s requirement that a facility “shall” allow medical cannabis to “may” allow it would better protect hospitals and preserve discretion, but no final action on House Bill 1034 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um there's uh, layout of our program.
• If programs well-connected students.
• And it can in one of these programs.
• <01:20:32.960> such has recognized this with programs such has recognized this with programs
• <01:21:44.640> to community needs these programs to community needs these programs to succeed

Bills: HF3650, HF1791, HF3489, HF4231, HF4232, HF4269, HF4270, HF3490

Keywords: student career pathways, education framework, experiential learning, employer engagement, career technical education, career and technical education, CTE, postsecondary scholarship, postsecondary grant, school district funding, cooperative unit, Minnesota high school, apprenticeship, certificate program, tuition assistance, workforce training, military transition, education finance, student aid, career pathways

Transcript Highlights:

• The statewide milestone inspection program was created.
• This was the issue of the summer.
• Yes, this bill does not change the pilot program, and that's how it existed in the pilot program.
• So the programs can be great.
• I also think that the program is voluntary for banks.

Bills: HCR35, SJR59, SJR84, SCR30, SB127, SB317, SB324, SB457, SB506, SB511, SB529, SB547, SB584, SB619, SB636, SB646, SB659, SB715, SB732, SB735, SB771, SB784, SB800, SB801, SB904, SB1026, SB1049, SB1065, SB1181, SB1224, SB1250, SB1383, SB1467, SB1524, SB1528, SB1531, SB1568, SB1585, SB1640, SB1681, SB1754, SB1757, SB1777, SB1972, SB1980, SB2007, SB2041, SB2046, SB2050, SB2055, SB2069, SB2080, SB2119, SB2138, SB2139, SB2154, SB2201, SB2225, SB2268, SB2306, SB2308, SB2310, SB2330, SB2366, SB2375, SB2392, SB2401, SB2422, SB2480, SB2514, SB2530, SB2533, SB2543, SB2544, SB2589, SB2610, SB2615, SB2623, SB2660, SB2662, SB2693, SB2695, SB2707, SB2722, SB2742, SB2753, SB2807, SB2843, SB2844, SB2858, SB2880, SB2885, SB2891, SB2925, SB2938, SB2986, SJR3, SJR18, SB5, SB914, SB963, SB1197, SB1415, SB1437, SB1786, SB326, SB767, SB769, SB783, SB1035, SB1271, SB1619, SB1637, SB1806, SB1, SB260, HB135, HB 1109, HCR35, HCR64, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SJR84, SJR59, SCR12, SCR39, SCR48, SCR19, SCR30, SCR3, SB2023, SB619, SB2742, SB646, SB1026, SB2880, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB1073, SB810, SB1505, SB583, SB1502, SB507, SB1434, SB1376, SB1585, SB1772, SB2016, SB1163, SB1122, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB261, SB1882, SB393, SB1791, SB529, SB209, SB2429, SB1999, SB511, SB2309, SB510, SB584, SB1085, SB2046, SB1975, SB2717, SB1262, SB1524, SB636, SB2056, SB884, SB517, SB1200, SB1845, SB1863, SB2681, SB2200, SB2199, SB1757, SB2050, SB2458, SB2201, SB2660, SB2662, SB1065, SB801, SB2533, SB3014, SB3013, SB758, SB1721, SB2366, SB1013, SB2797, SB2383, SB1754, SB2119, SB2448, SB1777, SB1283, SB2392, SB2076, SB2786, SB2876, SB2284, SB2225, SB1540, SB2929, SB1972, SB2540, SB2595, SB2217, SB715, SB2330, SB1383, SB500, SB1640, SB2001, SB2080, SB506, SB2514, SB2753, SB2398, SB1241, SB2927, SB2173, SB2538, SB898, SB1449, SB2529, SB1531, SB2846, SB2476, SB986, SB1181, SB2075, SB2154, SB2864, SB1359, SB2386, SB771, SB2844, SB2550, SB1351, SB1423, SB1931, SB2245, SB2589, SB2707, SB2807, SB410, SB659, SB2776, SB2693, SB2580, SB1980, SB1886, SB1234, SB739, SB456, SB127, SB1666, SB2843, SB2801, SB800, SB2055, SB784, SB2986, SB735, SB1012, SB324, SB2926, SB2938, SB2007, SB2138, SB1242, SB2615, SB1049, SB2310, SB1224, SB2972, SB1568, SB2841, SB2885, SB3016, SB2858, SB2610, SB2139, SB1856, SB2035, SB2308, SB2306, SB2041, SB1528, SB1681, SB1141, SB2401, SB2530, SB2375, SB547, SB1266, SB1373, SB1467, SB2069, SB2269, SB2480, SB2544, SB672, SB904, SB2695, SB2891, SB2422, SB2543, SB1854, SB317, SB2539, SB2532, SB2925, SB1250, SB2082, SB2203, SB457, SB2357, SB2721, SB243, SB1285, SB2568, SB1959, SB1442, SB1454, SB2520, SB2541, SB1708, SB1237, SB1844, SB1586, HB1392, HB22, SB1551, SB3039, SB2819, SB66, SB629, SB1015, SB2342, SB2903, SB2933, SB1965, SB2477, SB3029, SB2605, SB2419, SB1957, SB375, SB250, SB777, SB628, SB2523, SB2367, SB2703, SB2608, SB2778, SB3044, SB2965, SB2521, SB865, SB127, SB506, SB529, SB584, SB659, SB735, SB771, SB784, SB800, SB1049, SB1383, SB1531, SB1568, SB1681, SB1972, SB1980, SB2007, SB2041, SB2046, SB2050, SB2080, SB2225, SB2306, SB2308, SB2366, SB2392, SB2544, SB2610, SB2660, SB2662, SB2807, SB2843, SB2844, SB2885, SB2938, SB2986, SB324, SB1065, SB1754, SB2330, SB2693, SB2858, SR448, SR463, HCR35, SB324, SB619, SB646, SB1026, SB1065, SB1754, SB2330, SB2693, SB2742, SB2858, SB2880, SB3063, HJR5, HJR98, HB 109, HB 114, HB388, HB421, HB431, HB879, HB 1244, HB1399, HB1445, HB1672, HB1695, HB1734, HB1875, HB1893, HB1950, HB2152, HB2217, HB2558, HB2559, HB2775, HB2789, HB2809, HB2856, HB3012, HB3126, HB3135, HB3163, HB3229, HB3306, HB3513, HB3770, HB4134, HCR56, HCR102, SB3063, HJR5, HJR98, HB 109, HB 114, HB388, HB421, HB431, HB879, HB 1244, HB1399, HB1445, HB1672, HB1695, HB1734, HB1875, HB1893, HB1950, HB2152, HB2217, HB2558, HB2559, HB2775, HB2789, HB2809, HB2856, HB3012, HB3126, HB3135, HB3163, HB3229, HB3306, HB3513, HB3770, HB4134, HCR56, HCR102

Keywords: spaceports, tax-exempt bonds, aerospace investment, Texas space economy, Federal legislation, education funding, Texas State Technical College System, capital projects, infrastructure, higher education, tax exemption, property tax, homestead, fire damage, constitutional amendment, Birding Capital, Matagorda County, wildlife, conservation, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• What happened after CTCL Zuck Bucks 1.0 shut down was they came up with a new program, a membership program
• What happened after CTCL Zuck Bucks 1.0 shut down was they came up with a new program, a membership program
• Members, throughout the summer, we took 40 hours... ...here in the bill.
• Members, throughout the summer, we took 40 hours of testimony from parents, attorneys, even a judge or
• Once again, during the 40 hours of testimony this past summer, in fact, I invite members to read the

Bills: SB1285, SB1289, SB1326, SB1328, SB1329, SB1330, SB1392, SB1402, SB1425, SCR1013, SCR1014

Keywords: sentencing, correctional facilities, multiple sentences, death penalty, aggravating circumstances, juvenile offenses, class 2 felony, foreign donations, election administration, certification, Arizona Revised Statutes, transparency, public disclosure, victims' rights, attorney fees, government accountability, right to counsel, legal representation, parents' rights, family law

Summary: The committee approved the minutes and then took up several election, family court, and criminal justice bills. SB 1425, the “big bill,” would move Arizona’s 2026 primary election date earlier and adjust related election administration timelines; the chair’s amendment moved the primary to July 21 and removed the shortened curing/ID deadlines. County officials testified in support, explaining the timing changes and the need to align dates, and the committee adopted the amendment and gave the bill a do-pass recommendation. SB 1289, dealing with certifications for entities providing money or resources for election administration and foreign funding disclosures, also received a do-pass recommendation after testimony from supporters arguing it would block foreign influence in election administration and ballot issue spending. The committee later heard SCR 1013, a related resolution that would more directly prohibit foreign-source money for election administration and ballot measures; the sponsor and supporters said it was similar to SB 1289 but broader, and testimony focused on foreign money flowing through nonprofit networks. The committee then considered SB 1326, which would allow courts to award attorney fees and costs to victims when a party violates or worsens a victim’s rights. A victim’s attorney testified that the bill would provide needed accountability and guidance, while opponents argued the term “exacerbates” was vague and that existing remedies already exist. The committee approved SB 1326 on a 4-3 vote. SB 1402, requiring courts to impose a fee on certain probationers to cover electronic monitoring costs, drew support from the sponsor and advocates who said offenders should pay for monitoring, and opposition from defense attorneys who warned it could burden indigent probationers and divert money from treatment; it also received a 4-3 do-pass recommendation. The most extensive debate was on SB 1330, which would allow a parent in certain custody cases to request a jury trial on parenting time or legal decision-making. Supporters, including several parents, described costly and traumatic family court experiences and argued a jury would provide a neutral check on judges and court-appointed professionals. County and court representatives opposed the bill, saying family cases require specialized judicial expertise, jury trials would delay urgent matters, increase costs, and risk confidentiality. Despite those concerns, the committee adopted the bill on a 4-3 vote. The committee also approved SB 1328, which declares state policy favoring parental rights and a child’s equal access to both co-parents, after adopting an amendment adding legislative intent language. Finally, SB 1329, which would let parents sue court-appointed professionals who deviate from professional ethics or standards in custody matters, passed 4-3 after testimony from parents and advocates who said court appointees lack accountability, while opponents said existing malpractice and licensing remedies already address misconduct.

Transcript Highlights:

• and to use these programs.
• and to use apply for these programs and to use these<00:01:05.840> programs.
• Uh the technology that these programs.
• for managing these software program for managing these programs<00:20:10.640> and<00:20:11.120
• for the full launch of the full program. for the full launch of the full program.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House first took up Senate File 334, a bill to modernize county human services technology used to administer programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. The author and several members described the current systems as outdated “green screen” platforms that are slow, duplicative, and difficult for workers and applicants, and argued modernization would improve service, retention, and fraud prevention. The bill would create a technology modernization fund with about $90 million over time, capped at $50 million, route funds through Minute, establish an interagency group with county representation, create a legislative working group, and provide $15 million for Office of Inspector General technology. Members from several counties spoke in strong support, citing local system failures, cyberattacks, and the need for better tools; one member noted the bill was about 20 years overdue. The bill passed third reading by a vote of 134-0, and a title was agreed to. The House then considered Senate File 4401, the cannabis bill. The author described it as a maintenance and cleanup package developed with more than 80 stakeholders over months of meetings, including business owners, labor, tribal representatives, and medical cannabis interests. The bill was presented as making noncontroversial adjustments to support small businesses, clarify statutes, improve privacy protections, adjust event and transporter rules, address good-faith errors, strengthen enforcement against unlicensed operators, and support local governments and municipal cannabis dispensaries. It also included a first step toward a medical psilocybin program and changes intended to make the medical cannabis market more sustainable, including easing the grow-and-sale ratio issue. The transcript cuts off before final action on this bill, but members speaking in support emphasized collaboration and the need for practical regulatory fixes.

Transcript Highlights:

• > crucial<00:18:10.400> for Our internship program is crucial for Our internship program
• Um the summer sausage Chair and members.
• <01:06:35.400> The<01:06:35.520> program enterprise contract program.
• The program enterprise contract program.
• Thank you enterprise contract programs.

Bills: HF1458, HF2063, HF2164, HF1377, HF927, HF1059, HF1910, HF2232

Keywords: CPA, certified public accountant, public accounting, accountancy, licensure, license mobility, substantial equivalency, interstate practice, out-of-state accountant, NASBA, Uniform CPA Examination, board of accountancy, attest services, audit, tax preparation, financial advisory, consulting, accounting education, master's degree, bachelor's degree

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, he has attended training programs at Oxford University, the Harvard John F.
• facilitating educational cooperation, Mandarin and English language learning, and student exchange programs
• This summer, we are taking things to the next level with the launch of a brand new joint mentoring program
• with the state of the the joint mentoring and the state of the arts semiconductor program.
• and one of your investment trend, and one of your neighbors is going to follow suit very soon this summer

Bills: SJR 39, SB 22, SB 30, SB 33, SB 34, SB 37, SB 75, SB 209, SB 310, SB 505, SB 552, SB 618, SB 626, SB 636, SB 732, SB 747, SB 762, SB 769, SB 819, SB 825, SB 870, SB 926, SB 964, SB 1030, SB 1080, SB 1099, SB 1124, SB 1177, SB 1208, SB 1233, SB 1314, SB 1325, SB 1333, SB 1405, SB 1455, SB 1506, SB 1524, SB 1541, SB 1577, SB 1579, SB 1596, SB 1646, SB 1667, SB 1727, SB 1750, SB 1758, SB 1760, SB 1791, SB 1804, SB 1806, SB 1869, SB 1923, SB 1927, SB 1951, SB 1960, SB 1962, SB 2023, SB 2024, SB 2056, SB 2078, SB 2122, SB 2129, SB 2180, SB 2183, SB 2185, SB 2207, SB 2252, SB 2361, SB 2365, SB 2368, SB 2405, SB 2411, SB 2420, SB 2425, SB 2569, SB 2717, SJR 36, SJR 50, SJR 39, SJR 63, SJR 68, SCR 12, SCR 39, SCR 38, SCR 37, SCR 42, SCR 29, SB 762, SB 1596, SB 62, SB 666, SB 847, SB 284, SB 854, SB 1073, SB 810, SB 1539, SB 1505, SB 583, SB 957, SB 1502, SB 507, SB 1026, SB 1349, SB 1433, SB 1434, SB 310, SB 505, SB 264, SB 1364, SB 1376, SB 1585, SB 1772, SB 2016, SB 1163, SB 619, SB 1122, SB 1877, SB 732, SB 731, SB 397, SB 508, SB 1333, SB 1436, SB 964, SB 287, SB 2143, SB 261, SB 1247, SB 1882, SB 618, SB 393, SB 2243, SB 2226, SB 1919, SB 1791, SB 22, SB 651, SB 1080, SB 826, SB 1079, SB 1243, SB 1504, SB 1851, SB 1879, SB 2237, SB 1257, SB 2034, SB 1522, SB 1151, SB 596, SB 1191, SB 226, SB 570, SB 870, SB 991, SB 60, SB 1401, SB 1728, SB 586, SB 529, SB 217, SB 209, SB 1923, SB 1839, SB 387, SB 1874, SB 1872, SB 1873, SB 1921, SB 1883, SB 1620, SB 1838, SB 2024, SB 2429, SB 1999, SB 511, SB 2309, SB 2166, SB 510, SB 33, SB 2420, SB 1860, SB 1541, SB 1314, SB 1398, SB 1869, SB 1750, SB 855, SB 1233, SB 2425, SB 2037, SB 1758, SB 1759, SB 2365, SB 1924, SB 1818, SB 1405, SB 1762, SB 1968, SB 1977, SB 2077, SB 2321, SB 1662, SB 1663, SB 2124, SB 2204, SB 1855, SB 863, SB 37, SB 819, SB 2078, SB 2252, SB 1962, SB 2253, SB 825, SB 1577, SB 1184, SB 2018, SB 2206, SB 1901, SB 1030, SB 2368, SB 1963, SB 1960, SB 1643, SB 1625, SB 1299, SB 841, SB 668, SB 584, SB 231, SB 2411, SB 1085, SB 2431, SB 2231, SB 1490, SB 530, SB 34, SB 1261, SB 552, SB 1099, SB 1646, SB 2180, SB 1804, SB 1937, SB 1936, SB 2569, SB 1372, SB 1208, SB 1124, SB 1506, SB 1806, SB 1868, SB 2361, SB 2314, SB 769, SB 1409, SB 2122, SB 434, SB 1214, SB 1951, SB 2183, SB 2046, SB 1667, SB 1870, SB 1727, SB 2405, SB 2127, SB 1975, SB 1760, SB 1734, SB 1335, SB 2066, SB 2129, SB 2246, SB 2439, SB 1624, SB 1244, SB 1468, SB 2717, SB 1612, SB 1262, SB 604, SB 2395, SB 2185, SB 1832, SB 1745, SB 1746, SB 2207, SB 2023, SB 1784, SB 1524, SB 626, SB 528, SB 437, SB 269, SB 1137, SB 968, SB 636, SB 747, SB 1325, SB 1789, SB 1455, SB 2056, SB 75, SB 1940, SB 2052, SB 1927, SB 2010, SB 1579, SB 2068, SB 3034, SB 844, SB 1920, SB 1177, SB 1558, SB 1236, SB 1044, SB 926, SB 884, SB 463, SB 331, SB 227, SB 240, SB 517, SB 1200, SB 1410, SB 1626, SB 1845, SB 1863, SB 2216, SB 2681, SB 1717, SB 2053, SB 546, SB 2141, SB 2949, SB 2323, SB 2200, SB 2332, SB 2199, SB 1642, SB 1150, SB 1757, SB 2050, SB 1138, SB 2051, SB 2626, SB 2458, SB 1864, SB 30, SB 2201, SB 1862, SB 1583, SB 1583, SB 1055, SB 2660, SB 1898, SB 2662, SB 2662, SB 2161, SB 2161, SB 2964, SB 2881, SB 1065, SB 1065, SB 801, SB 2743, SB 2533, SB 2533, SB 1413, SB 1413, SB 1, SB 34, SB 310, SB 819, SB 1030, SB 1124, SB 1208, SB 1233, SB 1333, SB 1405, SB 1541, SB 1750, SB 1758, SB 1869, SB 2078, SB 2365, SB 2411, SB 762, SB 33, SB 37, SB 505, SR 402, SR 409, SB 2695, SB 2695

Keywords: constitutional amendment, veto override, legislature power, governor, Texas Constitution, Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation, economic development, wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department, Texas A&M Forest Service, West Texas A&M University, prescribed burning, fuel loading

Transcript Highlights:

• and maybe they could do some research on how to bring a thinning program in.
• So I do understand summer is a time to be with family, a time to travel.
• Conservation programs, things like that.
• Um, if we have to absorb more federal programs into New Mexico in our budget.
• What are the programs that were created with those funds and what do they do?

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:24.101> [snorts] treatment programming. [snorts] treatment programming.
• <00:02:59.280> for least two evidence-based programs for least two evidence-based programs
• So there are the programs they offer.
• Um, I So, the programming is there.
• I would say the entire program.

Keywords: Call to Order 00:17 Department of Corrections 01:35 Community Transitional Services 06:47 Administrative Office of the Courts 23:06 Department of Criminal Justice Training/ KSP 45:49 Adjournment 59:14, 958, all

Summary: The Public Safety and Judiciary Committee met without a quorum, so approval of the January 3, January 20, and February 3 minutes was postponed. The committee then heard an update from the Department of Corrections on halfway house and Recovery Kentucky funding and operations. Deputy Commissioner Hillary Daily said DOC contracts for up to 1,752 halfway house beds and 780 Recovery Kentucky beds, with 16 halfway houses and 13 Recovery Kentucky centers statewide. She reported 6,329 admissions in fiscal year 2025, average daily populations of 1,041 in halfway houses and 494 in Recovery Kentucky, and explained that Recovery Kentucky placements are more restrictive, generally excluding violent and sex offenders, while halfway houses serve probationers, parolees, and sex offenders who need treatment. She also described programming such as MRT, parenting, adult basic education, and trauma-focused services, and said some facilities offer supervised visitation. Daily said no new funding request was included in the current budget, though DOC has sought rate increases in prior cycles. Community Transitional Services director Barbara Stum also testified in support of halfway houses as re-entry and substance abuse treatment centers. She said CTS primarily serves men coming out of prison or returning to prison who need treatment, and that halfway houses provide security, accountability, treatment, employment support, and help with home placement. Stum said the state moved substance abuse treatment into the community in 2010 to avoid sending people back to prison for treatment, and argued halfway houses are the least expensive form of incarceration. She cited daily rates of $33.61 for CTS beds and DOC figures of $37.33 to $44.33 per day, compared with higher prison and jail costs, and said reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation since the last increase in 2019. She said staffing and supplies are the main pressure points, with counselor pay below market rates, and noted two counselor vacancies. A former resident, Michael Bird, testified that CTS helped him recover and re-enter the community successfully. The committee also received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of the video arraignment/video conferencing system. AOC officials Zach Ramsey and Charles Buyers said the system is now fully implemented in all courtrooms and is used for video arraignments and other Zoom-based court proceedings. Buyers described the pandemic-era transition from older, inconsistent equipment to improvised laptop/webcam setups, then to a more integrated vendor-supported system with touchscreen controls and a judicial support specialist position for training and operation. He said 324 courtrooms are already up to the current standard, with 128 remaining on an older bundle, and that there are no technical barriers to continued use. AOC said it is seeking $3.8 million in recurring annual funding to keep the systems upgraded and current, and plans to upgrade 46 systems in fiscal year 2026 across 15 counties.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, over the summer we met with all the stakeholders.
• Well, Maine and Mass have program.
• So, >> Um, the no program under the Oh, wait. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
• <00:38:32.640> So part of their um wellness programs.
• So part of their um wellness programs.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up an insurance-related chronic pain bill and an amendment modeled on language from Massachusetts and Maine. The sponsor explained the amendment was developed after stakeholder meetings because the original bill would have created an unaffordable insurance mandate in New Hampshire. The amendment was intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies by limiting prior authorization and step-therapy barriers so they are not more restrictive than for other treatments, including opioid therapies. After questions, the committee took a straw vote and advanced the amendment. The next item was a department-sponsored bill involving the state’s all-payer claims database. Insurance Department officials explained that the bill would encourage self-funded employer plans to opt in voluntarily by giving them aggregated, deidentified claims information in return. They said self-funded plans cannot be required to report data because of federal law, but the bill would provide an incentive while protecting employee privacy. Members asked detailed questions about who would see the data, whether individual employees could be identified, and how privacy would be enforced; the department said access would be aggregated and deidentified, and employer privacy issues would be governed by ERISA and the U.S. Department of Labor. The committee also discussed a glucose-monitoring bill. Members debated whether the bill was aimed at type 1 diabetes coverage or broader access to continuous glucose monitors, and whether it would amount to an unnecessary insurance mandate that could raise premiums. Department testimony estimated the equipment cost and said the annual impact per member would be modest, but also noted that non-insulin therapies have not consistently shown clinically significant A1C reductions. The chair and some members emphasized that the bill should be considered on its own terms as a CGM coverage issue, not as a general diabetes mandate. The committee discussed the bill’s cost implications and asked the department for any prior cost analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the second line of the analysis, it says, 'housing tax credit program shall be assessed.'
• On the second line of the analysis, it says, 'housing tax credit program shall be assessed.'
• I have right now in the town of Gtown we have one apartment complex that is eligible for this program
• I have right now in the town of Gtown we have one apartment complex that is eligible for this program
• <00:58:52.000> long-term housing tax credit program long-term housing tax credit program long-term

Keywords: 1191, senate, all