Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:42.799> program<00:26:43.440> senior environmental review program senior environmental
• review program senior planner<00:26:45.200> um<00:26:45.760> we<00:26:45.960> have<
• from uh our environmental review from uh our environmental review program<00:27:06.760> okay<
• Chair, it's Mary Alice Evans with OPSD, and Tom Eis with our environmental review program, because we
• review program because we support review program because we support Fisheries<01:36:04.600> for

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees first heard SB 1146, which would appropriate funds to the University of Hawaiʻi to develop an action plan and pre-engineering concept plan for debris management and water quality control in the Ala Wai Watershed. Testimony was largely supportive from DLNR, a UH student, and a special improvement district representative, while one speaker suggested the work should be coordinated with existing efforts to avoid duplication. Committee discussion focused on the multi-jurisdictional nature of the watershed, existing debris-trap work that captures only about 20 to 30 percent of debris, the role of the university in capstone projects and recommendations, and the relationship to the existing Geni project and other community efforts. Members also asked about costs, tracking progress, and the difference between water-quality improvements and the larger debris problem. The committees then voted to pass SB 1146 with amendments, including blanking out the appropriation and deferring the effective date to July 31, 2050. The motion passed in both committees, with votes recorded in support and no opposition noted during the decision-making. The committees also heard SB 321, which would deem certain fee simple privately owned lands transferred to adjacent property owners or community associations if specified conditions are met. Testimony was in support from several individuals, but members raised concerns about the lack of input from counties and the state, and about how the bill might affect roads already used by the public or maintained by local governments. After discussion, the committees voted to advance SB 321 unamended to the next committees, with the measure adopted in both committees despite one recorded no vote in the Water and Land committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the program, initial funding was provided in 2022, and the program is really the first comprehensive
• through the program.
• In our review of the Administration, as you can see in the figure on page 3, there are some programs
• The programs are separate.
• Cleanup programs. So we're seeing beneficial uses come out of this program.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that will cover more than the costs of this program to oversee.
• I do think that there are several programs in here that I think not only the programs, but the way it
• I do think that there are several programs in here that I think not only the programs, but the way it
• I know there are other programs, as Mr. Lee had suggested.
• IOUs review documents.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard a long agenda of housing-related bills, beginning with AB 518 on low-impact camping areas. The author and supporters said the bill would streamline permitting for small rural camping operations on private land, expand outdoor access, and support rural economies, while opponents from campground associations and counties warned it could undermine existing regulation, create enforcement problems, and allow advertising of unpermitted sites. Members raised concerns about fire safety and local control, but the bill was ultimately passed as amended on an 8-0 vote. The committee then approved AB 635, which would require HCD to refer up to 25 of the most serious mobile home residency law complaints to the Attorney General. Supporters said mobile home residents need stronger enforcement against egregious park-owner violations, while opponents argued the existing program is underused, costly, and should remain subject to a sunset. After discussion of the program’s surplus and enforcement role, the bill passed 9-1. AB 893, which expands ministerial approval for mixed-income housing near college campuses and broadens eligibility for affordable units to students, faculty, and staff, also drew strong support from student advocates and housing groups and respectful opposition from the League of California Cities over local control and height limits; it passed 10-0. AB 925, the Mobile Home Emergency Safety Act, would require stronger emergency preparedness measures in mobile home parks, including accessible exits, working fire hydrants, and gas shutoff access, with a fee increase to fund enforcement. Supporters framed it as a life-safety measure in disaster-prone areas, while opponents argued the bill duplicates existing requirements and imposes an unnecessary fee increase. The committee voted 6-1 to send it to Appropriations, with the bill left on call. The consent calendar, including several other housing and local government bills, was approved 8-0. The committee also heard AB 712, which would increase penalties and attorney-fee protections for applicants enforcing state housing laws against public agencies; supporters said it would improve compliance, while special districts opposed the bill as overly broad and unclear. Members discussed indemnification and timing issues, and the bill was advanced with amendments to Judiciary.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Potsdam Institute reviewed 1,200. forward-looking peer-reviewed scenarios used by the IPCC to predict
• EPA's Class VI wells program that the Chairman mentioned.
• The UIC program is a novel and complex Program that relies heavily on site-specific determinations.
• States that already have regulatory programs in place, including other components of the UIC program,
• are well-suited to manage the Class VI program.

Transcript Highlights:

• of any release program nationwide.
• This program is called the elderly parole program because that's what the science says these people are
• They're subject to internal review, the governor's review, and ultimately review by other commissioners
• It has come to light that during these reviews, ...a review by other commissioners.
• It has come to light that during these reviews, known as an en banc review, there is a need to provide

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, there's 3 million peer-reviewed articles printed a year.
• “You’re talking about a million peer reviews in every body part.
• “A year, we’re updating those guidelines with an annual review.
• The bill does not create a new program.
• job search programs at Goodwill.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee first disposed of several measures without debate, including deferrals of House Bill 460, House Bill 561, Senate Bill 322, and another deferred Senate measure, before taking up House Bill 819 by Chairman Cruz. HB 819 would replace Louisiana’s current workers’ compensation medical treatment schedule with ODG by MCG, a private evidence-based guideline system used in other states. Cruz and Troy Prevo argued ODG is more comprehensive, updated more frequently, and could reduce claim duration, medical costs, and premium rates; Dr. Jason Picard said Louisiana already uses ODG as a secondary reference for gaps in the state schedule and that the bill would not change appeals or variance procedures. Opponents, including injured-worker advocates Joseph Jola St. and Robin Crumholt, argued Louisiana’s current guidelines are working, that ODG is more cost-cutting and insurer-driven, and that the bill could increase denials and delay care. Members discussed amendments to add a two-year sunset, allow tacit approval when treatment follows the schedule, require payment within 30 days, and raise the carrier’s burden to challenge care; the committee adopted the amendments and then reported HB 819 favorably by a 7-6 vote. The committee then began Senate Bill 409 by Senator Myers, the Louisiana Living Donor Leave Protection Act. The bill would provide paid leave protections for living organ donors, set eligibility and verification procedures, and prohibit forfeiture of leave in certain circumstances for private employers. Myers said the measure is intended to remove job and paycheck barriers for people willing to donate organs and to support better transplant outcomes. Technical amendments were adopted at the start of the presentation, and the bill was introduced for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, do I have a motion for review? Seeing none, do I have a motion for review?
• Review of this request will increase the total authorized positions by three.
• Seeing none, do I have a motion for review? I have a motion. Do I have a second? Second.
• Seeing none, do I have a motion for review? In a second, I've got a motion and a second.
• All right, seeing no questions, those reports stand reviewed.

Summary: The committee reviewed several personnel and appropriation requests. Item C was a two-for-two position swap with no net increase in authorized positions and was approved. Item D, for South Arkansas College, added three net positions through a mix of growth and swap pool positions, including food service, public safety, housing, and compliance support roles, and was approved. Item E moved positions and $3 million in salary and match appropriation within Workforce Services to consolidate shared services, with no net change in positions, and was approved. The committee then considered a group of continuation items for FY27, covering previously approved growth and surrender pool positions, various differentials, hard-to-fill and on-call pay, a labor market adjustment for crime lab medical examiners, and continuation of grant-funded classifications tied to ARPA and IIJA grants across several agencies. These items were reviewed together and approved. Reports on the agenda required no action and were simply reviewed. On the supplemental agenda, the committee suspended the rules and approved OPM’s request for salary increases for 92 employees whose merit raises would place them over their grade maximums. Senator Dotson asked about several public safety medical examiner positions listed on the salary schedule, and staff indicated they were likely crime lab medical examiner roles. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, do I have a motion for review? Seeing none, do I have a motion for review?
• Review of this request will increase the total authorized positions by three.
• Seeing none, do I have a motion for review? I have a motion. Do I have a second? Second.
• Seeing none, do I have a motion for review? I've got a motion and a second. Any discussion?
• All right, at this time... seeing no questions, those reports stand reviewed.

Summary: The committee reviewed several personnel and appropriation items, including Item C, which involved a two-for-two position swap with no net increase in authorized positions and was approved after motion. Item D for South Arkansas College added three net positions through a mix of growth and swap pool requests, including food service, public safety, housing support, and compliance-related roles; it was also approved. Item E moved positions and $3 million in salary and match appropriation within Workforce Services to consolidate shared services, with no net change in positions, and was approved. The committee then took up Items F through O as continuation requests for previously approved or reviewed positions and differentials to carry into FY27. These included growth and surrender pool positions at several agencies, various pay differentials such as second-language, on-call, hard-to-fill, certification, and labor market adjustments, as well as continuation of grant-funded classifications tied to ARPA and IIJA grants and other federal grants. After no questions, the committee approved the continuations in a single motion. Under the supplemental agenda, the committee suspended the rules and approved Item A-1, which authorized salary increases above grade maximums for 92 employees due to merit increases. A senator asked about several public safety classifications listed as Med 14, 16, 14, and 15, and staff indicated they were likely crime lab medical examiner positions. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We last conducted a sunset review of the Racing Commission in 2007, and it conducted a self-review in
• we reviewed.
• However, our review found that...
• However, our review found that in calendar year 2023, the department did not obtain and review these
• This audit was not a sunset review.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard the Arizona Auditor General’s sunset review of the Arizona Barbering and Cosmetology Board. The audit found some strengths, including timely licensing and complaint resolution in the sample reviewed and rules that matched statutory curriculum requirements, but it also identified a major finding that the board had imposed inconsistent discipline for similar violations and lacked documentation for deviations from its disciplinary guidelines. Other issues included missing reciprocity education requirements, weak application quality control, incomplete school and establishment oversight, and compliance concerns involving open meeting law, public records, and conflicts of interest. The report made 25 recommendations total, including two tied to the disciplinary finding and three suggested statutory changes on esthetics scope of practice, cease-and-desist authority, and eyelash technician training. The board’s executive director said the board agreed with the findings, had already implemented several recommendations, updated disciplinary policies and conflict-of-interest procedures, and was working on legislation and rule changes. After questions about enforcement consistency, licensing verification, cash handling, complaint volume, and conflict disclosures, the committee voted 7-0 to recommend the board be continued for six years, until July 1, 2032. The committee then took up the Arizona Department of Gaming, the Arizona Racing Commission, and the Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission together. The Auditor General reported that the department correctly distributed more than $158 million in tribal contributions in fiscal year 2024 and issued event wagering licenses to reviewed applicants, but found several problems: the department did not consistently obtain and review independent audit reports for event wagering and fantasy sports operators, did not fully comply with conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements, and lacked comprehensive complaint-handling processes. The review also found delays in distributing Compact Trust Fund payments to some tribes, gaps in IT security and horse-racing license checks, and incomplete fee-setting and public-records practices. The report made 36 recommendations to the department, six to the Racing Commission, and 13 to the Boxing and MMA Commission, and all three entities said they agreed and would implement them. In response, the Department of Gaming director said the agency was already making changes, including a historical look-back on operator audits, updated guidance to operators, a new constituent services unit and complaint-tracking process, and improved conflict-of-interest training and forms. She also explained the Compact Trust Fund dispute, saying the department administers the fund but the beneficiary tribes must agree on the revenue baseline formula, which has been complicated by COVID-era closures; no Category Three distributions had yet been made. Committee members asked about possible revenue losses, penalties, and the status of 2024-2025 audits, as well as prediction markets and whether they are legal under Arizona’s event wagering framework. The director said the department had issued cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed prediction-market operators, would review licensed operators for suitability if needed, and would continue to enforce Arizona law. The transcript ends while questioning on prediction markets is still underway, before any vote on the gaming-related reviews is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regulations for informational review. Regulations for informational review.
• 601 9120 emergency for full review. 601 9120 emergency for full review.
• in information review after.
• For full review, review after. Yes.
• were needed to implement that program. were needed to implement that program.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed several Fish and Wildlife regulations. Staff explained amendments to 301 KAR 2:176, 4:112, and 6:030, including updating wildlife control tag language, creating an impoundment agent program for seized wildlife, and clarifying boating safety rules. A member raised a concern about boat wakes near docks, and staff said the commission had recently voted on related changes that were not yet included because the regulation had been filed earlier; those changes would have to come back later. The committee approved the staff amendments without objection. The Board of Veterinary Examiners then presented 201 KAR 16:767, which would require veterinary managers to be physically present during business hours and limit them to five registered facilities. Board representatives said they had tried to meet with affected parties before the hearing but had not reached agreement. A representative for Kentucky Pet IQ argued the rule was written for full-service hospitals and would be impractical for short, limited-service clinics that only provide vaccinations, preventive care, and parasite testing. Members expressed concern about the rule’s impact on veterinary access in underserved areas, and the committee voted to defer the regulation until the next month so the parties could continue negotiating. The committee next considered Transportation Cabinet 601 KAR 9:120, the online insurance verification system, in both ordinary and emergency form. The chair said staff had identified conflicts with a bill passed the prior year and moved to find the regulations deficient. The motion passed on a roll call vote, with six ayes and two pass votes. The committee then found ordinary ABC regulations 804 KAR 12:020 and 12:030 deficient as well, again by six ayes and two pass votes, after noting that the emergency versions had already been found deficient the previous month. Finally, the committee reviewed Cabinet for Health and Family Services 902 KAR 55:110, which would require veterinarians to report dispensed controlled substances to KASPER while exempting administered medications. OIG staff said the rule was meant to align regulation with statute, which includes veterinarians as prescribers, and emphasized that the reporting duty applies to prescriptions, not administration to animals. Some members supported the change as a needed anti-diversion measure, while others worried about implementation burdens and timing. After discussion, the committee found the regulation deficient by a 6-2 vote. The meeting then moved into full review of 922 KAR 1:565, a Department for Community Based Services rule implementing kinship care provisions from Senate Bill 151; staff said it was needed for implementation once funding is available, but a member criticized the two-year delay and the inclusion of language conditioning implementation on funding. A public witness from the Kinship Families Coalition argued the rule should not shift the 120-day application window in a way that could affect federal funding eligibility and urged the committee to reject the regulation as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a California Health Benefits Review Program indicated, AB 546 could lead to the following: an improvement
• I appreciate the responses just for review for the committee.
• AB 1103 would expedite the state's review and approval.
• It's a basic one, as I'm trying to understand the roles of these programs.
• Yeah, or if you qualify according to the other programs, right?

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health bills focused on access to preventive care, behavioral health, hospital services, and patient safety. Early items included AB 554, which would expand and protect access to HIV prevention drugs like PrEP, including injectable forms and coverage protections; supporters said it would shore up access amid federal threats, while insurers opposed it as a costly benefit mandate. AB 577 would limit insurer and PBM practices that steer medications away from physician offices and require more transparency and patient consent; doctors and patient advocates supported it, while health plans and insurers warned it could raise drug costs and disrupt specialty pharmacy networks. AB 546 would require coverage for portable HEPA purifiers for vulnerable enrollees during declared emergencies, especially wildfire smoke events, with support from air quality and public health groups and opposition from insurers concerned about benefit expansion and cost. The committee also heard AB 224, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark plan after a public review process, adding infertility treatment, hearing aids, and durable medical equipment if approved by CMS for the 2027 plan year. DMHC said the state had completed the review and needed legislation to meet federal timing, and the measure drew broad support. AB 1032 would require plans and insurers to reimburse up to 12 additional behavioral health visits for enrollees in wildfire-affected counties for a limited period after an emergency; supporters argued it would fill gaps in trauma care after disasters, while insurers said existing parity and continuity-of-care rules already address the issue and that the bill could create inequities. AB 849 would require trained chaperones for sensitive ultrasound exams and training on how to observe and intervene; it was backed by a survivor and patient advocates, with hospitals and health districts raising staffing concerns. Later, AB 1196 would direct the Department of Public Health to update outdated rules requiring three surgeons for certain heart surgeries using cardiopulmonary bypass; supporters said the rule no longer reflects modern practice and strains staffing, while cardiology representatives had no formal opposition but wanted to review amendments. AB 1113 would codify a right to wear a mask for health reasons in public spaces, with support from disability and public health groups. AB 1386 sought to add perinatal care to the list of basic hospital services, prompting testimony about maternity ward closures, workforce shortages, and rural access; the author said the bill would be amended further and that the committee would need to revisit timelines and implementation details. The committee also heard AB 1429, which would address Kaiser’s repeated mental health parity violations and improve access to behavioral health care, though the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill is shown. Several bills were moved with motions and seconds, but many were held for quorum; AB 1196, AB 1113, and AB 1386 were among the measures advanced to a roll call or held on call, and the committee repeatedly noted that final votes would occur when quorum was available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is the bill we heard previously that relates to a pilot program.
• I'm only reviewing half of what they.
• I don't have a desire to review those cases.
• The program I'm here to discuss with you today.
• Our example for such a program is RxPASS.

Bills: HB741, HB 1199, HB2070, HB2402, HB2542, HB2665, HB2789, HB3096, HB3396, HB3595, HB3747, HB4116, HB4127

Keywords: child welfare, relative caregiver, monetary assistance, Department of Family and Protective Services, child custody, family law, emergency power, nursing facilities, assisted living, generator requirements, health and safety, emergency generators, power outage, emergency generator, assisted living facilities, power source, child abuse, neglect registry, court findings, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• I WANT TO MAKE SURE IN YOUR FINDINGS AND REVIEW OF ALL OF THE PROGRAMS HERE AAA REALLY DID NOT HAVE I
• WANT TO MAKE SURE IN YOUR FINDINGS AND REVIEW OF ALL OF THE PROGRAMS HERE AAA REALLY DID NOT HAVE MAJOR
• I FORGET THE NAME BUT THE PLS A PROGRAM FROM 2014 I THINK. >> Chair: HAVE YOU REVIEWED ALL OF THE USA
• REMAIN ACTIVE IN THE PROGRAM.
• BILLION FOR THE FES PROGRAM.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that program is running now through February.
• amnesty program was $5 million. million. million.
• <00:40:54.640> to before we even started this program to before we even started this program
• <00:50:38.160> and strengthen its supervisory review and strengthen its supervisory review
• is the conduct review committee. is the conduct review committee. >> Good.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on December 19, with Senators Long and Lang serving as replacements. The committee approved the November 21 minutes and adopted the consent calendar after removing two Department of Health and Human Services items for separate discussion. It then took up an HHS request involving nursing facility rates, where Nathan White explained that $2.2 million would be transferred from a long-term care Medicaid eligibility contract to the nursing facilities budget. He said the funds would offset an otherwise projected 3.9% average rate decrease and bring the overall average change to zero for the next six months, with rates reset again in July under state law. Members asked about the budget adjustment factor, bed counts, and whether additional funds could raise rates further; White said the factor is statutory, capped at 28.76%, and that more money would lower the factor and increase rates. The committee also corrected a date in the request from February 1, 2025 to February 1, 2026, and approved the item. The committee next approved another HHS item related to rural health transformation grants. Members confirmed the request covered the full amount applied for this biennium, and asked about the technology component. HHS said the grant is not solely about AI, but about broader technology improvements such as electronic medical records, back-end systems, and tools to improve access and sustainability in underserved areas. The committee approved that item as well. The Judicial Council then requested funds for contract attorneys providing indigent defense on a fixed-fee basis. The council said current funds had already been exhausted and that the new appropriation would be used immediately. Members questioned the size of the request and the number of people awaiting counsel; the council reported about 150 incarcerated people and about 300 non-incarcerated people waiting for counsel, more than in recent years. It attributed the increase to competition for attorneys, public defender offices closing intake in some locations because of caseload limits, and broader case and court-system changes. One member raised constitutional concerns about delays in counsel for incarcerated defendants. The committee ultimately amended the request downward to $1 million, approved it, and then approved a motion to place several annual financial reports on file and release them to the public when available. The committee also discussed dashboard reporting from HHS, asking for more detail on community mental health center caseloads and budget-reduction information, and HHS agreed to provide more useful monthly detail.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have Medicare, which is a federal program.
• I'm contributing to society because of those programs.
• Guys are not programming.
• Guys are not programming.
• We know these programs work.

Summary: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 heard the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the judicial branch, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget remains structurally imbalanced and urged the Legislature to avoid new ongoing spending unless offset by reductions elsewhere. In the judicial branch discussion, the Judicial Council highlighted language access funding, appellate court security, a backfill for the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation room mandate; Finance supported most items but suggested reporting language on interpreter costs and reducing the General Fund backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial vacancies, long-term salary freezes, remote hearings, and the lack of progress on court staffing in some counties. For the Board of State and Community Corrections, the administration proposed $10 million one-time each for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People grant program and a human trafficking vertical prosecution grant program. The LAO said both should be weighed against other priorities and suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and asked whether ongoing support would be considered. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said BSC was a good fit because of its grant administration experience and prior vertical prosecution work, while legislators asked why the program was not placed with the Office of Emergency Services as originally contemplated in prior legislation. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse staffing, completion of organized retail criminal enterprise cases, and trailer bill language for a continuous appropriation from the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO supported the antitrust account use but questioned the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s ability to cover the full request without General Fund repayment, and recommended against a continuous appropriation for the restitution fund in favor of a more limited mechanism with legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. In the CDCR portion, the largest discussion centered on the Boston Consulting Group efficiency review and sharply reduced savings estimates; LAO said the department had not fully explained the proposed position eliminations or future $100 million savings target, while Finance said the work reflected deeper analysis and ongoing efforts to find savings. Members repeatedly pressed CDCR and Finance on the gap between earlier promised savings and the revised figures. CDCR also outlined population projections showing continued declines in prison and parole populations, while LAO again urged the state to close an additional prison to save ongoing costs. The department then walked through several May Revision items, including workers’ compensation funding, a Corcoran honor housing dorm, incarcerated firefighter pay implementation, an incarcerated menopause program, mental health receiver staffing, mental health resource teams and crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing changes, and AI note-taking for the electronic health record. LAO generally recommended limiting-term funding and more reporting for many of these proposals, while Finance defended them as necessary ongoing investments or court-ordered obligations. Members questioned the cost of workers’ compensation, the need for more prison closures, the lack of funding for women’s facility violence prevention, and the timing and transparency of the BCG savings process. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's my understanding that the SNAP program and the Medicaid program have different requirements, and
• And that data we get from those case reviews, as well as some internal departmental case reviews that
• They do another, they select from those case reviews a subsample and they re-review for accuracy, and
• Our quality control, so when QC completes their reviews, they're not just reviewing what's in DCBS's
• So when QC completes their reviews, they're not just reviewing what's in DCBS's case files.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 FY 2025 Budget Close Out 00:02:55 Impressions of H.R. – 119th Congress 00:28:15 SNAP Payment Error Rates 00:37:05, 958, all

Summary: The committee first established a quorum, approved the July minutes, and recognized Jennifer Hayes of the Department of State Budget Director for her retirement and long service. Secretary Hicks then presented a review of fiscal year 2025 closeout for the general fund and road fund, explaining that the general fund ended with a $313 million surplus and the road fund with a $61 million surplus. He attributed the general fund result to strong corporate income and LLC tax receipts, investment income, and lower-than-budgeted spending, while noting that individual income tax and sales tax underperformed estimates. He also described how the general fund surplus was allocated, with $62 million used for necessary government expenses and $251 million deposited into the budget reserve trust fund, which remained at historically strong levels. For the road fund, he said the surplus would be deposited into the Department of Highways construction account, and he highlighted record motor vehicle usage tax receipts despite lower motor fuels tax revenue due to a rate decline. Members asked questions about the pass-through entity tax, delayed filing deadlines, THC beverage sales, and income tax collection from undocumented workers. Hicks said the pass-through entity tax remains difficult to model because of timing issues and the first year’s unusual filing pattern, and that staff are still working with the Department of Revenue and other states to improve forecasting. He said the delayed filing deadline likely would not require a major restatement and that any related receipts would still be counted in fiscal 2026. On THC beverages, he said the issue would be considered in the next forecasting cycle. On the undocumented-worker question, he said withholding may capture some of the revenue but referred broader collection efforts to the Department of Revenue. The committee then shifted to an overview of the federal reconciliation act’s potential impact on the next biennial budget, with Hicks and Commissioner Lisa Dennis focusing on Medicaid and SNAP. Hicks said the Congressional Budget Office estimated roughly $900 billion in federal savings over 10 years, driven in part by work or community engagement requirements for the Medicaid expansion population and limits on state-directed payments. He emphasized that CMS still must issue regulations to define how the state-directed payment reductions will be calculated, making the exact fiscal impact uncertain. He referred members to a prior Medicaid Oversight Advisory Board presentation for more detail, and the discussion remained informational with no votes or formal actions taken on the federal changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we may have to review that.
• As you know, our office deals with reviewing audit reports. We review about 650 every year.
• Now that we're in the business of reviewing conservatorships, and it's not just reviewing these annual
• insurance program.
• It has to review and adjudicate those.

Transcript Highlights:

• From that review, the commission found that the storm-hardening programs the utilities had been implementing
• , our lateral hardening program, sorry.
• A little bit about the underground program: the Storm Secure Underground Program continues to perform
• And then lastly, two new programs.
• And we can't object to it if it's a pre-approved program or if the new program is found to be storm hardening

Summary: The committee met to hear invited presentations on storm recovery and storm protection from the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Tampa Electric, Chesapeake Utilities, and the Office of Public Counsel. The PSC reviewed the history of storm restoration financing and utility hardening efforts after major storms such as Hurricane Andrew, the 2004-05 hurricane seasons, Irma, and Michael, explaining storm reserve funds, storm recovery bonds, and the current three-year storm protection plan process. The commission’s role in approving plans and later reviewing prudence of actual costs was emphasized, along with the types of work included in the plans such as vegetation management, pole replacement, undergrounding, feeder hardening, and substation flood protection. The utilities described their own storm-hardening investments and recent storm performance. FPL said it has spent about $4.9 billion on storm protection and recovery-related efforts, highlighted improved restoration times during Helene and Milton, and said it is expanding undergrounding, feeder hardening, and smart-grid technology. Duke Energy reported more than 40,000 hardened poles and structures since 2021, major gains from self-healing grid technology, and faster restoration during recent storms. Tampa Electric described a roughly $200 million annual storm protection effort, including vegetation management, undergrounding, substation hardening, and new storm surge protections, and Chesapeake Utilities discussed its smaller-scale hardening program, vegetation work, pole replacement, and rapid restoration after Helene in Nassau County. Committee members asked about how utilities prioritize neighborhoods for lateral hardening, whether maps of planned projects could be shared, how much each utility has spent on undergrounding and hardening, and how reliability comparisons are normalized against the national average. Public Counsel Walt Trierweiler argued that storm recovery and hardening costs fall too heavily on investor-owned utility customers, said the current framework lacks a meaningful cost-benefit or prudence check at the planning stage, and urged broader sharing of storm costs because the benefits extend to the whole state. Senators also discussed whether the commission can review the reasonableness of approved programs and whether future reports or recommendations from Public Counsel would be helpful. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a bill that simply asks for more annual reviews.
• We made the difficult decision to close that program.
• We continue to serve these youth through programs such as our STRTP and specialty mental health programs
• We continue to serve these youth through programs such as our STRTP and specialty mental health programs
• So they were in some mental health programs as well.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:38:14.000> um reviews under those Federal programs um reviews under those Federal programs
• Our major program is reviewing compliance, so any project going on in the state that has an EPA permit
• Aside from review and compliance, we manage the National Register and state register programs.
• > so major program is reviewing compliance so major program is reviewing compliance so any<05:
• um we uh sit on their um lchip program um we uh sit on their review<05:18:49.440> committees<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority officials, led by Executive Director Rob Dapice, briefed legislators on the agency’s structure and funding. They explained that the authority is created by state law but is not a state agency, its debt is not state debt, and it is governed by a board appointed by the governor and approved by the Executive Council. The discussion focused on the Affordable Housing Fund and the lead paint hazard remediation fund, including how state appropriations and federal resources are combined to finance affordable rental housing and lead abatement work. Dapice said the Affordable Housing Fund is used as gap financing for multifamily affordable housing projects, typically alongside federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds, and that state dollars leverage roughly 2:1 to 10:1 in additional federal and private investment, averaging about 4:1. He said the fund has received historic appropriations in recent budgets, including $30 million over the last two biennial budgets and an annual $5 million set-aside from the real estate transfer tax. He also said the fund is usually structured as 0% interest, deferred loans rather than grants, with repayments returning to the fund if projects generate cash flow. Members asked about rents, oversight, staffing, revenues, and whether the programs had added positions. Dapice said affordability restrictions generally last 30 to 99 years, rents are tied to income limits and capped so tenants pay no more than 30% of income, and compliance staff inspect properties regularly to verify income eligibility and rent limits. He said the organization has about 130 to 135 employees, down from about 145, with no new positions added because of the appropriations. He estimated total revenues at roughly $300 million, with administrative budget around $22 million, much of it pass-through grant money. On lead paint remediation, he said the state first appropriated $6 million in 2019, plus $1 million in ARPA funds, and that the program has cleared more than 500 units. He said the federal grant program is not annual or predictable, with a recent award of about $7.75 million, and that the maximum federal grant per unit is $177,000, typically paired with up to $100,000 in state loan support. He also noted that the program can address homes before a child is poisoned if lead hazards are identified, but that cases involving an already exposed child are a higher priority. No votes or formal actions were taken.