Transcript Highlights:

• of letting foster children keep process of letting foster children keep their<00:06:39.280> own
• As I mentioned earlier, this is going to be a piecemeal process. It will take time in pieces.
• which shows that they have the processes which shows that they have the processes in<00:47:39.920
• overseeing 50 programs for eligibility overseeing 50 programs for eligibility tests.<00:49:49.680
• <01:24:29.760> to dedicated fund and a special process to dedicated fund and a special process

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, you might be eligible somewhere else, but you're not eligible in Kentucky.
• eligible in Kentucky. eligible in Kentucky.
• If an eligible applicant was selected to receive a license and issued a license, that's the process to
• process, there process and the licensing process, there is<01:52:35.280> there<01:52:35.520>
• <01:52:38.320> Um, during that process. Um, during that process.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then approved an agency amendment to a health and family services regulation. The amendment reversed a prior change so that neonatal ICU beds would remain subject to regular review rather than nonsubstantive review. The remaining administrative regulations were then reviewed without objection. The main presentation was from State Auditor Allison Ball on a report finding $836 million in concurrent Medicaid capitation payments from 2019 through 2022, involving individuals enrolled in Kentucky and at least one other state. Ball said Kentucky relied on the PARIS system, which has limitations because it is updated quarterly and depends on voluntary state participation, while a better federal data source, T-MSIS, was not fully available to the state. She said the audit found weak internal controls, siloed processes, outdated guidance, and a low-priority attitude toward residency checks, all of which contributed to missed alerts and improper payments. She also said the report identified additional problems, including payments made after beneficiaries died and cases involving multiple states paying for the same person. Ball recommended better access to federal data, stronger MCO contract provisions, and more active oversight by the Department for Medicaid Services and managed care organizations. She said the contracts reviewed did not provide a clear way to recoup the improper payments, though she and her counsel suggested possible equitable legal theories might be explored. Members expressed concern about the scale of the waste and the lack of contract enforcement, and asked whether any money could be recovered. Ball said the audit did not identify a clear contractual path to recoup the funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:16:38.240> David, So, not the not the eligibility, David, So, not the not the eligibility
• process. Okay. process. Okay. >> Thank<00:46:17.119> you. >> Thank you.
• that process. that process. >> Followup,<01:39:25.679> Representative.
• <03:48:55.520> for determine whether they're eligible for determine whether they're eligible
• <04:29:22.000> rights and the parents have due process rights and the parents have due process

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• lends straightforward process that lends straightforward process that lends itself<00:42:38.640
• Um process that will take place before.
• very very rigid process. very very rigid process.
• But that process is slightly different.
• everybody gets to vote that's eligible. everybody gets to vote that's eligible.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 219, which would revise the renewable portfolio standard by changing several class definitions, eliminating Class 2, lowering the utility obligation for Class 1 thermal renewable energy certificates from 2.2% to 1.7%, and adjusting alternative compliance payments. Representative Vose said the bill would save ratepayers an estimated $5.7 million annually, arguing that Class 2 is already saturated and that the changes would not materially affect renewable energy development. Members questioned the fiscal impact, with an amended fiscal note cited as showing a $1.2 million reduction in general fund revenue, and some members raised concerns that the bill could weaken one of the remaining incentives for renewable investment. The committee also reviewed the bill’s history, including that it had been added to HB 2 and then removed in conference committee. No vote was taken in the work session. The committee then heard House Bill 164, concerning local records retention and the creation of a local records manager position. Secretary of State David Scanlan testified that the position has existed in statute for years but has never been funded, and said the need has grown as records management has become more digital and ADA accessibility has become more important. He described the bill as a way to help towns preserve and digitize records, especially for smaller communities with limited resources, while keeping records locally when possible. Members asked about the fiscal note, the potential cost of a public website and storage system, and whether the state could start by funding the position alone; the secretary said the staffing cost estimate remained accurate but that storage costs could rise over time. Several members expressed support and suggested further discussion with the Department of Information or other agencies. The work session was then closed without action. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 365, which would provide proof of U.S. citizenship assistance for indigent voters. Secretary Scanlan said the bill is intended to help voters comply with the new voter registration documentation requirements by allowing the state to verify eligibility through federal, private, and other state databases, and by providing vouchers to cover the cost of obtaining documents such as birth certificates. He compared the proposal to the earlier voter ID law, which he said was successfully implemented with accommodations for voters lacking acceptable ID. Members asked how “indigent” would be defined and how the process would work for out-of-state-born applicants; the secretary said indigency would likely be based on a voter’s statement of inability to pay and that the state would help identify where to obtain records and, if necessary, verify them through outside databases. The discussion continued as the transcript ended, with no vote recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this next bill addresses eligibility for PERS. PERS.
• This next bill addresses eligibility for PERS.
• When we're assigned an issue, most of those issues are going to follow a three-step process.
• And the reason for that is that our correspondence process is changing as well.
• But going forward, we will have a new process for that as well. In terms of voting, as it...

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Select Committee on Pension Policy approved the November minutes by roll call vote, then held its annual officer elections. Senator Conway was elected chair, Representative Couture vice chair, Mike Yastramski to the executive committee as the active member representative, Bev Hermanson as the retiree representative, and Anthony Marietta as the employer representative. Each election passed by roll call vote, with 14 yes votes and 5 excused members. Staff then presented a high-level overview of the 2026 legislative session, focusing on pension-related bills and studies. Topics included the termination and restatement of LEOFF 1 in Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2034, DRS administration changes in House Bill 2124, administrative expense authority in Substitute Senate Bill 5834, exclusion of certain port workers from PERS in Engrossed House Bill 2179, and a one-time 3% COLA for PERS and TERS Plan 1 retirees in Substitute Senate Bill 5862. The presentation also covered new studies directed to the committee, including LEOFF 1 pension board and medical liability issues and oversight of the restated LEOFF 1 plan, plus related studies assigned to the LEOFF 2 Board and the Office of the State Actuary. Committee members asked about DRS’s role in implementing the LEOFF 1 termination/restatement bill, and DRS said it would help seek IRS approval and notify members about the bill and any challenge deadlines. A separate orientation presentation reviewed committee procedures, public comment, staff roles, voting rules, and the interim work plan. Public commenters from retiree and school administrator groups urged the committee to pursue another one-time COLA and to consider an ongoing COLA for Plan 1 retirees, pointing to inflation and the LEOFF 1 surplus account created by HB 2034. No further committee action was taken beyond adjournment, and the meeting ended after scheduling the executive committee to meet later that morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• other violations of general courtesy or decorum may subject you to removal or other enforcement processes
• motion do pass applies to bills that also enjoy unanimous support in this committee. that are not eligible
• But under current law, families can lose access to subsidized care due to gaps in eligibility rules.
• This bill will clarify child care eligibility rules to better support families when they are taking family
• Thank you. long process with a lot of stakeholders and a lot of technical input and after the locals

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• designates a student who is a child of a military family and satisfies enrollment requirements as eligible
• monies; and two, the student may use the monies in the scholarship account for... ...requirements as eligible
• The eligibility requirement does not limit the prohibition to only scholarship account programs established
• So when it tells those families, you are eligible for an education scholarship account, we should not
• That’s how our process works in the government.” “Mr. Chair, yes, Senator Epstein, thank you, Mr.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Appropriations, Transportation and Technology heard HCR 2048, as amended by a strike-everything amendment. The amendment would constitutionally prohibit the state from confiscating scholarship account monies from children of military families who are eligible for education scholarship accounts (ESAs) and can use the funds for tuition and fees at eligible postsecondary institutions. It also would make any later bill or voter-approved measure that violates that prohibition void in its entirety, with no severability, for measures enacted or approved on or after November 1, 2026. Representative Way, the sponsor, said the measure was intended to protect military families from having education funds taken away and argued that military children face unique disruptions because of deployments and frequent moves. Supporters including Matt Beinberg of the Goldwater Institute, Kevin Beasty of the Arizona Christian Education Coalition, Peter Gentala of the Center for Arizona Policy, and Senator Rogers said the amendment was needed to safeguard military families and preserve their ability to use ESA funds flexibly, including for college savings. Opponents, including Senators Alston, Fernandez, Kuby, and Epstein, argued the proposal was unnecessary, overly broad, and an attempt to preempt or invalidate a pending ESA-related citizen initiative. They also raised concerns about ESA accountability, public school funding, and constitutional issues involving voter initiatives and judicial review. After debate, the committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and then voted on HCR 2048 as amended. The final committee vote was 6 ayes, 4 noes, and 1 not voting, giving the measure a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also agree with the intent of the legislation, which is to fine-tune the ETJ release process that was
• These owners are now required to go through expensive engineering and plotting processes before they
• The spouse is not eligible for the exemption.
• The act made these veterans eligible for disability compensation through the VA.
• County government and local governments also appreciate a streamlined process with this bill.

Bills: HB103

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The process to try to get a, you know, refund was very, very difficult.
• But again, this side of the aisle has to fault the last-minute nature of this process.
• It's part of a budget process. It's a big document. It's a big spend.
• You know me, I love to have a good process here.
• I love to have a good process here.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If the department's not processing them quickly, people will just... fall away.
• These processes and the documents received are currently confidential.
• so I understand the legal process of it.
• checks like every other candidate that is going through the law enforcement process.
• So, Madam Chair, the answer to that would be some would be eligible, some wouldn't. OK.

Transcript Highlights:

• 808, as amended, alters the process 808, as amended, alters the process through<00:13:29.360>
• the thought process listening to debate. the thought process listening to debate.
• <02:39:17.040> do the end of this development process do the end of this development process
• <02:55:04.640> that the the litec application process that the the litec application process
• <02:55:35.760> of<02:55:36.000> approving process of approving process of approving for

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation by Rabbi Ari Goldstein, whose remarks were journalized at the request of the senator from District 33. The chamber then recognized the doctor of the day, Dr. Maryann Lamont, for her 50 years in medicine and her work in neurology and stroke care, and also thanked a legislative aide, Samantha Briggs, who is leaving for law school. The presiding officer noted a quorum was present and moved into the day’s floor work. The Senate handled several messages and committee reports, including a conference committee appointment on Senate Bill 18, which concerns provisional social work licensure. In Finance, the chamber advanced Senate Bill 246 on Health Services Cost Review Commission member terms, Senate Bill 370 on acupuncture board revisions, Senate Bill 564 creating a Division of Data Protection in the Attorney General’s office and a related work group, Senate Bill 782 on telecommunications infrastructure protections, Senate Bill 808 on health insurance provider panel requirements, Senate Bill 849 on agricultural equipment warranties, Senate Bill 867 on the Maryland Aerospace and Technology Commission, and Senate Bill 982 on mutual insurance holding companies converting back to mutual insurers. Most of these bills were reported favorably with technical or conforming amendments, which were adopted without objection, and each was ordered printed for third reading. The committee also considered several House bills with Senate cross-files or identical measures. These included House Bill 118 on money transmitter licensing, House Bills 339 and 512 on Anne Arundel County Board of License Commissioners compensation, House Bill 1100 on telecommunications infrastructure protections, House Bill 1395 on agricultural equipment warranties, House Bill 1473 creating Maryland’s Future Board, House Bill 226 on Department of Disabilities housing programs, House Bill 278 codifying the Longevity Ready Maryland plan, and House Bill 746 on collaborative care model coverage and cost-sharing limits. In each case, the committee reports were adopted, amendments were approved where offered, and the bills were advanced to third reading or passed for third reading, with no recorded opposition on the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a great question, and I would love to understand the process piece of it legally.
• He said eligible organizations need to prepare for the fiscal 25 grant process, and funding must be restored
• He said eligible organizations need to prepare for the fiscal 25 grant process, and funding must be restored
• process prepare for fiscal 25 grant process funding<01:37:27.480> must<01:37:27.639> be
• We have to help them navigate that whole process.

Bills: HF22, HF45

Keywords: parent's bill of rights, parental rights, minor consent, minors, parents, guardians, education rights, school records, home schooling, charter school, private school, health care consent, medical privacy, patient records, exam room access, biometric data, DNA samples, blood samples, mental health, physical health

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...respect local authority, but also make sure that this is a process, a meaningful process that can
• We need to be doing it at every stage of the planning process.
• The bill is about state eligibility.
• This process is not drawn out.
• We are opposed to having them be part of the permitting process.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on wildfire resilience, land use, and local government transparency. SB 911 by Senator Becker would require notification to fire enforcement agencies when a home in a high fire severity zone is sold with an agreement for the buyer to bring the property into defensible-space compliance; the California Association of Realtors said it would drop opposition if the bill is amended to use the preliminary change of ownership report, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. SB 994 by Senator Cabaldon would bar local officials from signing nondisclosure agreements that prevent them from sharing information with the elected decision-makers of their jurisdiction; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it also passed 4-0 to Appropriations. SB 1041 by Senator Riggins would expand PACE financing for wildfire home-hardening improvements and add consumer protections, but it drew strong opposition from homeowner advocates, county treasurers, bankers, and others over predatory lending and lien concerns; it passed 3-2 and remained on call. The committee also considered SB 1075 by Senator Reyes, which would require local governments in AB 617 communities to consider air-quality reduction measures in land-use approvals for industrial and commercial projects. Environmental justice groups supported the bill as a way to implement community air plans, while counties, cities, business groups, builders, trucking interests, and others opposed it as duplicative of CEQA and a barrier to investment and jobs. After debate over local control and environmental justice, the bill passed 3-2 and remained on call. SB 958 by Senator Cabaldon would advance the Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego, replacing a former arena and parking lots with housing, affordable units, parks, and a new entertainment venue; with no opposition voiced, it passed 3-0 to Appropriations. Another wildfire-related measure, SB 1182 by Senator Allen, would require local governments to consider insurance availability in safety planning for development in high fire hazard areas and direct state technical guidance on the issue. Supporters said insurance access is now a key indicator of risk, while some members questioned whether the bill would add useful information or burden local governments; the bill received a 1-1 vote and remained on call. The committee then began hearing SB 1116 by Senator Caballero, a starter-home/infill housing bill creating a streamlined ministerial path for small projects up to 10 units, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or a vote on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. an elongated process.
• It is a competitive process.
• So that will be part of that competitive process.
• We have a public process to do that.
• They're learning the governmental process. I appreciate it, guys.

Transcript Highlights:

• home to be eligible for the exemption. home to be eligible for the exemption.
• We have a summer meeting in process.
• <00:38:16.320> Um, standardized process for that. Um, standardized process for that.
• So, one of the frustrating processed.
• <01:26:38.159> property It's about 44 45% of eligible property It's about 44 45% of eligible

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Most residents here in Florida, but I think these Floridians deserve an opportunity to be eligible.
• My answer would be the same is that we're just trying to move the process forward.
• and a process that is mandated by the state of Florida under the Community Planning Act.
• Process when I'm from a county that has quadrupled in size since I was born.
• And then when that went away, now we don't necessarily have a process for a large landowner.

Bills: S0330, S0354, S0504, S0506, S0526, S0594, S0840

Keywords: firefighter disability, law enforcement disability, correctional officer disability, correctional probation officer, presumptive disability, workers' compensation, line of duty presumption, heart disease presumption, hypertension presumption, tuberculosis presumption, public safety employees, first responders, physical examination, preemployment exam, medical specialist, Medicare reimbursement, employing agency, Florida Statutes 112.18, Florida Statutes 943.13, occupational disease

Summary: The committee took up several bills related to public safety, housing, disaster recovery, construction, and land use. SB 330 clarified the heart disease presumption for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers, aligned the definition of heart disease with medical practice, and allowed a transferring law enforcement officer to rely on a prior physical if the new agency does not provide one. An amendment stating the act serves an important state interest was adopted, and the bill passed unanimously after supportive testimony from law enforcement and fire groups. SB 594 expanded local housing assistance eligibility to residents of mobile home communities, including SHIP rental assistance for lot rent and rehabilitation/emergency repair programs for the home itself; it also passed unanimously after support from manufactured housing advocates. SB 840 revised the hurricane-related land use limits enacted in prior legislation by sunsetting certain temporary restrictions on June 30, 2026, narrowing the affected area from 100 miles to 50 miles from a storm track, and exempting certain planning, water, wastewater, stormwater, and flood-related decisions. The sponsor said the bill was intended to fix unintended consequences of prior hurricane recovery legislation, and the measure was reported favorably on a unanimous vote. SB 526 addressed commercial construction projects by prohibiting “no damages for delay” clauses in public construction contracts, directing the Florida Building Commission to create a uniform commercial permit application, requiring permit fee reductions when private providers are used, and adding mitigation to product approval categories; county representatives raised concerns about implementation and fees, but the bill passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 504 and SB 506, both by Senator Burgess, creating a framework for code inspector body camera use and a related public records exemption for recordings. Both were described as optional for local governments and were reported favorably without opposition. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 354, a major “blue ribbon projects” bill creating a framework for very large developments that would reserve at least 60% of land for conservation, agriculture, recreation, utilities, and related uses in exchange for streamlined approval and state preemption over local land use controls. The bill drew extensive testimony both for and against, with supporters emphasizing housing supply and land preservation and opponents warning about local control, sprawl, infrastructure costs, and weak conservation protections. Two amendments were adopted to define reserve areas more specifically and address conservation easements, and the committee reported the bill favorably on a divided vote, with Senator Passidomo voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• but were not able to manage the process of applying.
• <00:36:45.359> but renters who already were eligible but renters who already were eligible
• were not uh able to manage the process were not uh able to manage the process of<00:36:48.319>
• used to determine whether someone farming 12, 40, or 200 acres is eligible for the tax credit.
• used to determine whether someone farming 12, 40, or 200 acres is eligible for the tax credit.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So in order to achieve that implementation process, those which are done in the work groups, some of
• We were still working with the team on solidifying the JRB process.
• It really depends on our eligibility on how that comes to us.
• If we, we're going to, we, It really depends on our eligibility on how that comes to us.
• This reauthorization resulted in additional requirements that have now impacted our eligibility.

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee (JJPOC) met for administrative updates, approved the April meeting minutes, and discussed a proposed shift from monthly full committee meetings to a quarterly schedule beginning later this year. Members generally supported the change, saying it would reduce strain on agency and committee resources and allow more time for work groups to complete implementation tasks. Several members also asked for more flexible agendas and a clearer way to add issues between meetings, with staff suggesting a standardized form for submitting topics in advance. Work group updates covered cross-agency data sharing, diversion, education, incarceration, and community expertise. The data-sharing group reported continued work on the Equity Dashboard 2.0, a statewide expulsions analysis, municipal-level data collaboration with UConn’s IMRP, and a cross-system analysis of crossover youth. The diversion group described work on POST curriculum revisions for juvenile law, a youth-focused law enforcement interaction training, a community-police relationship toolkit, expansion of youth diversion teams, and pre-arrest diversion policy. The education group is reviewing implementation of the law creating educational oversight in juvenile facilities, along with a free public transportation pilot for high school students and truancy cleanup legislation. The incarceration group is tracking conditions of confinement, DOC restraint and chemical agent reports, the DOJ settlement monitoring process, the reentry success plan, and gender-responsive programming. The community expertise group emphasized elevating lived experience, youth voice, prevention, and conditions of confinement, with members urging the committee to focus on stability, infrastructure, and meaningful use of lived-experience perspectives. A major presentation from OPM outlined Connecticut’s effort to re-enter the federal Title II juvenile justice formula grant program. OPM explained the program’s core compliance requirements, including deinstitutionalization of status offenders, adult jail and lockup removal, sight-and-sound separation, and addressing racial and ethnic disparities. Staff said Connecticut is currently not fully compliant because of issues including youth being held in adult facilities and the state’s six-hour detention rule, and that Title II funding is on hold while OPM works toward compliance. OPM is developing a monitoring manual, identifying facilities to be monitored, and forming a state advisory group (SAG) to support the application and compliance process. Members questioned why a separate SAG is needed, whether JJPOC or the community expertise group could serve that role, and how lived-experience members would be selected; OPM said federal rules require the SAG to include youth or parents with lived experience and that the group cannot be composed of state or government employees in the key leadership roles. The committee agreed to circulate the federal parameters and ask members to suggest candidates for the SAG and to help move compliance work forward over the summer.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if I apply in the month of say April I am eligible until the following April, right?
• There's some other smaller technology updates and things that we're also in the process of doing.
• to do that to sit down and look at processes that we can engage local communities.
• Are you in the process or have you thought about raising what that daily rate is?
• How much of that is due to climate report information versus system or staff processing errors?

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Duran said throughout the process is that at times this process felt that it was moving too quickly,
• What's your standard IPP process, which is also a new process that all regional centers are utilizing
• What's that process look like?
• I track the master plan process closely. I think it was a great process in many ways.
• So how long was your intake process?

Keywords: 988, house, all