Transcript Highlights:

• Calling the Ways and Means Committee to order today, December 4th, 2025, for a work session.
• So, jump into temporary assistance for needy families. This is down 2.6%.
• We are working internally and with the Health Care Authority on a more state-specific, Health Care Authority-specific
• We had to bring in 350 resources from 22 states this year in order to provide response.
• And in order to keep those tax benefits, there's a list of rules from the IRS that we have to adhere

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a work session covering the state revenue outlook, caseload forecasts, wildfire costs, budget balance, tort liability, water supply, and pension policy. The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council reported modest near-term U.S. growth, no near-term Washington employment growth in 2026, continued personal income growth, and elevated inflation, with tariffs and federal policy cited as major risks. Revenue forecasts were slightly improved for the current biennium by about $105 million but down about $185 million for the next biennium. Members asked about income inequality and housing permits; staff said personal income is an aggregate measure and housing production remains below long-term needs. The Caseload Forecast Council then reported that most forecasts were unchanged or only slightly changed, but several programs increased, including Washington College Grant, Working Connections, aged/blind/disabled cash grants, nursing homes, home and community services, and developmental disabilities personal care. The largest policy-driven change was in Medicaid low-income adult caseloads, where federal H.R. 1 was projected to reduce coverage substantially through narrower eligibility, community engagement requirements, and shorter eligibility periods. The committee also heard a wildfire funding update and a 2025 fire season review. Staff explained that the state budgets $93 million annually for suppression and uses supplemental appropriations for costs above that level, with an estimated state supplemental need of about $139 million for the current year. Department of Natural Resources officials said 2025 fire activity remained below the 10-year average in acres burned, but fires were more complex and closer to communities, contributing to higher residence loss. They described expanded use of aircraft, firefighters from other states, corrections crews, and the Arcadia 20 hand crew, and said the state did not need National Guard ground support this year. A budget preview then showed that the near general fund outlook had worsened after vetoes, lapses, and forecast changes, and that maintenance-level costs alone would leave a projected negative balance by fiscal year 2027 and about $4.3 billion by fiscal year 2029, before any policy decisions. Jason Seams, the state risk manager, reported a sharp rise in tort claim costs, with indemnity expenses nearly doubling from fiscal year 2023 to 2025 and DCYF accounting for most of the increase. He said the state self-insurance liability account has run deficits for four straight biennia and is now facing nearly $600 million in deficits, driven largely by a surge in DCYF claims, especially juvenile rehabilitation and long-running sex abuse cases. Members asked about the role of old claims, comparisons with other states, excess insurance, and whether more Attorney General staff could reduce special assistant attorney general costs. The committee then shifted to water policy, hearing from tribal leaders, Ecology, and the Washington Water Trust. Tribal witnesses emphasized overappropriation, declining flows, climate impacts, and the need for legislative oversight and tribal participation in water policy. Ecology described major projects in the Odessa sub-area, Yakima Basin, and Dungeness, along with the need for storage, recharge, conservation, and policy changes to support water supply development. The Washington Water Trust argued that climate change is reducing summer flows and that the state needs more funding, enforcement, and long-term commitment to restore instream flows. The final item was a pension update on LEOFF 1 surplus assets; staff reviewed two 2025 bills that would have merged or restructured the plan and used surplus assets, but neither passed, and instead the budget directed the Select Committee on Pension Policy to study the issue and report back.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee will come to order. Julia, please call the roll.
• So it's a temporary thing. They're not allowed to come back.
• This bill, Madam Chair, HB 1385, makes it so that if a parent fails to comply with the court-ordered
• In violation of a court order, not that you were late, a day late bringing your child back, right?
• I will say this: we are not authorized for meeting in week seven, so this is more likely than not our

Summary: The Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee heard and voted on four bills. HB 587 on self-storage spaces would let rental agreements include an alternate contact person and allow default notices to be published online instead of only in newspapers, while keeping existing notice timelines and servicemember protections. Newspaper and press witnesses opposed the online-notice change, arguing it could reduce public reach and transparency, especially in rural areas; the sponsor said newspapers could still be used and the bill was only adding another option. The committee adopted an amendment changing the effective date to October 1, 2025, and then reported the bill favorably 12-2. HB 6033 would repeal the Florida Labor Pool Act. The sponsor argued the act duplicates other state and federal protections, while opponents said it contains unique safeguards for day laborers, including limits on fees, transportation charges, and deductions, and a private right of action. Testimony from labor advocates and workers warned repeal would reduce protections for vulnerable workers; the sponsor and supporters said other laws already cover the issues. The committee reported the bill favorably 11-3. HB 897, dealing with timeshare plan management, was presented as a clarification of conflicts created by recent condominium legislation and would require faster records responses, more disclosure of contracts, and clearer remedies for mismanagement. Support came from industry groups, and the bill passed unanimously, 14-0. The final measure, PCS for HB 1385, created a civil remedy for parental abduction or unlawful withholding of a child in violation of a timesharing order. Family law attorneys opposed it over concerns about added litigation, child involvement, and overlap with existing remedies, while the sponsors and supporters said it would provide needed deterrence and compensation in serious cases. The committee adopted the PCS and reported it favorably 13-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will call this meeting of the Employee Benefits Committee to order.
• We will call this meeting of the Employee Benefits Committee to order.
• Examples are temporary staffing, IT services, and blending consulting rates.
• We'll bring this committee on Employee Benefits Programs back to order.
• So right now, Legislative Management has authorized this committee with the authority to make that determination

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:25:52.559> force, Vermont with authority, force, Vermont with authority, force, longevity
• Will the House please come to order?
• Will the House please come to order? Will the House please come to order?
• Will the House please come to order?
• And third reading is ordered.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional for Mental Health Awareness Month, focused on the fragility and renewability of mental health and the importance of human connection, kindness, and reaching out to people who are struggling. The chamber then handled several referral items, including first reading and referral of Senate Bill 329, an act relating to criminal procedures involving firearms, to the Judiciary Committee. It also referred Senate Bills 323 and 326 to the Committee on Appropriations because they carry appropriations, and noted that Senate Bill 278, relating to cannabis and state revenue, had been reported favorably with amendment and was referred to Ways and Means under House Rule 35A. The House took up Joint Senate Resolution 53 on weekend adjournment for May 15, 2026, and adopted it in concurrence by voice vote. The chamber also read House Concurrent Resolution 284 honoring former Senate Majority Leader and Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs’ Executive Director John F. Campbell for his public service, including his work on marriage equality and gun control, and members gave remarks recognizing his leadership, humor, and impact on the institution. Several guests were welcomed and recognized during announcements, including a representative involved in a diaper drive, local officials, and Norma Malone, who was honored for decades of public service in Barry Town and related local boards. The main floor action was on Proposal 4, a proposed constitutional amendment on equality of rights. The Judiciary Committee recommended concurrence, and the member from Burlington explained the amendment’s purpose and process, emphasizing that it would add an equal protection guarantee to the Vermont Constitution covering race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and national origin, while preserving other constitutional protections. The member also reviewed the proposal’s prior passage in both chambers in the previous biennium and its current path toward appearing on the November 2026 ballot if approved again by the House and Senate. The transcript ends while the House is still hearing extended remarks on Proposal 4, with no final vote on the amendment shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, that meeting the order here should actually be changed. We're planning.
• This is Mark Duncan, and I'm the CEO and strategy officer at the Public School Finance Authority. which
• And so, though it's a temporary loss, it's a gain overall for New Mexico.
• They still receive their own budget as a school, but the school district is their authorizer, and so
• I can go to my local school district school board and ask for them to authorize me, and in that case,

Transcript Highlights:

• for temporary, worldly, ultimately for temporary, worldly, ultimately fleeting<00:04:10.239>
• <00:05:02.960> to of the way and give up in order to of the way and give up in order to achieve
• Seeing none, orders of the day.
• Third reading is ordered. question? question?
• <00:25:24.960> of Members, that completes the orders of Members, that completes the orders

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Reverend Kemp Randolph, who reflected on the idea that simpler solutions often require letting go of existing assumptions and urged lawmakers to consider what they may need to give up to achieve the greatest good. After the prayer, the chamber introduced House Bill 889, exempting disability-related income on candidate disclosure forms, and House Bill 890, aimed at reducing barriers for nonprofit religious organizations providing preventive health care services. Both bills were read the first time and referred to committee. The House also referred three bills to money committees under House Rule 35A: H.548 to Appropriations, and H.557 and H.567 to Ways and Means. Members then offered several announcements, including welcoming the guest pastor Kemp Randolph and visiting European Parliament member Maria Walsh, along with her mother and aunt. There were also notices about caucus meetings and a correction to a prior vote explanation regarding H.70. The House then took up H.611, a technical and housekeeping bill affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access. Committee testimony and floor remarks described provisions to reduce administrative burdens, update advisory committee membership, remove outdated references tied to the individual/small group market split, adjust the VARMM prescription drug assistance program, increase the allowable amount in Medicaid-related prepaid funeral arrangements, and delay Medicaid coverage for doula services by one year while federal approval is sought. The Health Care and Appropriations committees both recommended the bill, with Appropriations noting no fiscal impact and correcting a prior vote tally. The House adopted the Health Care Committee amendment to H.611 and ordered the bill to third reading. It then passed H.540, relating to recommendations of the post-adjudication reparative program working group. Finally, the House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment with further amendment on H.50, concerning identification of underutilized state buildings and land; the committee explained changes restoring annual reporting, removing leased buildings from the inventory, and directing annual reports to the Department of Housing and Community Development through 2030. The chamber concluded with announcements about a Joint Fiscal Committee meeting on a rural health transformation grant and then adjourned until February 10, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please come to order. The Senate will be on the first order of business: prayer by the chaplain.
• Madam President, may we be on the eighth order? On the eighth order.
• The Senate will be on the 12th order of business. The Senate will be on the 12th order of business.
• Returning to the 11th order of business, the Senate is on the 11th order of business.
• Returning to the 11th order of business, the Senate is on the 11th order of business.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, pledge, roll call, and a quorum present, then approved a motion to lay over House Bill 1525 for one legislative day. It also voted not to concur with House amendments on Senate Bills 2294, 2297, 2070, 4017, and 2262, appointing conference committees for each. The chamber then took up a series of House bill amendments and final-passage votes. On amendments, the Senate adopted changes to House Bill 1229 on fleeing law enforcement and driving-record transparency after debate over insurance impacts and public safety; House Bill 1510 on teacher retention, on-site child care, and licensure study language; House Bill 1160 to restrict student personal electronic devices during instructional time; House Bill 1429 to address drone harassment and stalking of animals; House Bill 1203 to harmonize medical marijuana provisions; House Bill 1600 to create a UND immigration clinic with reporting requirements; House Bill 1130 to broaden K-12 funding formula changes and reduce state fiscal impact; House Bill 1279 to modify the coal conversion tax exemption; House Bill 1442 to adjust membership and scope of a state task force; and House Bill 1464 to convert a maternal care services proposal into a study and remove the appropriation. The Senate rejected an amendment to House Bill 1022 concerning the Retirement and Investment Office bonus program, then passed the bill. It also passed House Bill 1234 on a $90 million transfer to reduce PERS liability, while rejecting a floor amendment to it. On final passage, the Senate passed House Bills 1008 (Public Service Commission budget), 1218 (temporary moratorium and study on economic analysis for drain projects), 1234 (PERS funding transfer), 1146 (PERS defined contribution cleanup and emergency clause), 1355 (expanded notice for administrative rulemaking), 1470 (Game and Fish fee changes and guide/outfitter updates), 1029 (Capital Grounds Planning Commission duties), 1017 (Game and Fish budget), 1374 (township supervisor open-meeting exemption for on-site inspections), and 1064 (NC-SARA membership and distance education regulation). It defeated House Bill 1583 on false political advertisements with civil-action language and House Bill 1393 on earned wage access provider regulation. The transcript ends as the Senate begins consideration of House Bill 1326 on self-defense and unlawful firearm possession by felons.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a lot of resources we need to help them in order to change that path.
• Hearing no objection, we are in that order of business. The reader will read.
• , the limit of outstanding indebtedness of the authority.
• Hearing no objection, we're in that order of business.
• Take us to that next order of business. Thank you, Mr. President.

Transcript Highlights:

• The department supports bill section two, which authorizes the department to issue the license for a
• Uh, we are delegated authority from CMS to conduct these inspections and to regulate these entities.
• 31:09.600> CMS<00:31:10.159> to are delegated authority from CMS to are delegated authority
• <00:31:22.240> So<00:31:22.320> it's rulemaking authority.
• So it's rulemaking authority.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee opened its Health and Human Services calendar, noted quorum, and first took up HB 194. The chair explained amendments to add an exemption for a person invited by a patient to attend a birth outside an accredited birth facility when no compensation is involved, remove a date reference in section 9, and accept Department of Health amendments. Members raised no objections, and the committee voted to pass HB 194 with amendments. The committee then heard HB 139 on insurance, with the Attorney General flagging possible unlawful delegation issues and suggesting clarifying language, while the Insurance Division stood on written testimony. A number of health organizations and advocates, including HMSA, Hawaii Association of Health Plans, oncology and fertility groups, testified in support. HB 613 on homeless youth drew broad support from state agencies, counties, youth advocates, and community groups; testimony emphasized the need for permanent safe spaces and more attention to unaccompanied minors, with one witness asking for clarity on funding and shelter capacity. HB 71 on a tax credit for family caregivers drew support from AARP, Alzheimer’s and children’s advocates, and several individuals, while the Tax Foundation raised concerns about blank provisions and the cost-effectiveness of administering a small credit. The Department of Taxation said a prior version with a $5,000 nonrefundable credit would have cost the general fund about $397.4 million. HB 716 on health care technology support received strong support from SHPDA, OHIN, and many provider groups, who described it as a one-time investment of roughly $20–25 million to connect rural and neighbor island providers to electronic health records; members questioned how the grant program would be allocated. HB 799 on physician hospital privileges also drew mixed testimony: supporters said it would align Hawaii with updated CMS rules and improve access, especially on Maui, while Maui Health and some members worried it could reduce on-call coverage and hospital safety, leading to discussion of a possible report and sunset date.

Transcript Highlights:

• Order. The Speaker pro tempore: The House will be in order. Mr.
• >> ORDER. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE HOUSE WILL BE IN ORDER. MR.
• So—order, Mr. Speaker.
• So—order, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker pro tempore: The House will be in order. Mr.
• So—order, Mr. Speaker. The House will be in order.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We will call this meeting of the Employee Benefits Committee to order.
• We will call this meeting of the Employee Benefits Committee to order.
• Examples are temporary staffing, IT services, and billing consulting rates.
• We'll bring this Committee on Employee Benefits Programs back to order.
• So right now, Legislative Management has authorized this committee with the authority to make that determination

Summary: The Employee Benefits Committee met to approve prior minutes, hear presentations on state employee health insurance, compensation, leave, and related policy issues, and then recess for lunch. PERS reviewed the history and structure of the state health plan, noting the long-standing state-paid family coverage, cost-control measures, wellness incentives, the current grandfathered PPO and high-deductible options, and the effects of recent benefit mandates such as insulin caps, prosthetic coverage, medication management, prescription copay changes, and ambulance balance-billing limits. Committee members questioned the fiscal impact of adding benefits and the possible cost of moving to a non-grandfathered plan, while PERS and HRMS emphasized that health insurance remains the top-ranked employee benefit and that any major plan changes should be considered carefully. HRMS also presented compensation comparisons showing state pay generally below private-market benchmarks, discussed targeted market equity adjustments, identified ongoing recruitment and retention concerns in fields like nursing, IT, engineering, and attorneys, and reviewed leave policies, tuition reimbursement, and family leave comparisons with neighboring states. Job Service provided labor market data showing low unemployment, high labor force participation, and wage growth that still trails some neighboring markets, and OMB explained that prevailing wage requirements apply to federally funded projects under Davis-Bacon, not to ordinary state contracts. After lunch, the committee took up the required process for health insurance mandate bills and adopted an amendment to Joint Rule 211. The amendment clarified that the deadline for submitting mandate measures is intended to allow time for all required reports, including both the cost-benefit analysis and any Employee Benefits Committee actuarial report, while leaving the existing deadline unchanged. The amendment was adopted on a roll call vote, with several members voting yes and a few no votes recorded. The committee then moved into its jurisdiction review of bill drafts, beginning with a bill that would automatically renew pre-tax dental and vision elections; members debated whether it had any actuarial or administrative impact on PERS or the state, and the chair explained that the committee’s role was only to decide whether further analysis was needed before later testimony and recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• chair thank you uh would the author chair thank you uh would the author please<00:01:19.720>
• <00:08:20.479> or here um question for um the author or here um question for um the author
• <00:14:34.600> Mr wouldn't you say so to the author Mr wouldn't you say so to the author Mr
• He asked whether there was any sum-up by the author. The author said no, Mr.
• <00:36:23.119> to<00:36:23.359> the order to the order to the de<00:36:26.240> oh

Bills: HF484, HF483, HF1447, HF1496, HF554

Keywords: natural gas, gas hookups, residential construction, energy policy, local control, state preemption, municipal regulation, county ordinance, electrification, climate policy, housing development, building codes, energy source, utility infrastructure, Minnesota Statutes chapter 326B, propane, utility service, building permits, local government, energy choice

Transcript Highlights:

• We really need to do this in order to ensure that we're competitive, right?
• authorization sought from NMED: could we vent or depressurize these Tritium drums?
• But in short order, yes, everything you're talking about is in development right now.
• So, we need that authority.
• Outside of that, you've all given me phenomenal authority through statutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• For both the contract and the premiums and deductibles, the subcommittee authorized ALC co-chairs to
• finalize the authorization by emergency action, and those actions are attached to your report.
• ALC co-chairs to finalize the authorization by emergency action, and those actions are attached to your
• By this report, the ALC co-chairs report emergency actions taken May 18th, 2026, as authorized with the
• need and cannot wait until August, and give final action authority to subcommittees for actions taken

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Border Security will come to order. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
• I'm looking to make this the strongest and most useful authorization of your authorities as possible.
• Specifically, the Office of Homeland Security developed the operational orders. ...the FRAG orders.
• We have people that are not authorized; they don't have the authority.
• The dark web, we'll do emergency orders to ping phones.

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, a role in order to protect our citizens.
• of your authorities as possible.
• , the FRAG orders.
• They're not authorized.
• The dark web, we'll do emergency orders to ping phones.

Bills: SB 36, SB 2202

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Utilities will now come to order. Vice Chair Simmons, Ranking Member Taylor, here.
• So, you know, although some of these jobs are temporary, I would call that long-term temporary.
• We haven't seen the Public Service Commission authorizing construction work in progress on any nuclear
• answer that question, but I would say that when you're dealing with the taxes, I would urge taxing authorities

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I will now call the Careers and Work for Subcommittee to order. Andrea, please call the roll.
• It includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and the Temporary Assistance for
• allocated to the 21 local workforce development boards across the state by Florida Commerce based on authorization
• It includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP and to the Temporary Assistance for
• allocated to the 21 local workforce development boards across the state by Florida Commerce based on authorization

Summary: The subcommittee met to receive an informational presentation from CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrian Johnson, joined by Anthony Gagliano of CareerSource Suncoast, on the structure, funding, and services of Florida’s workforce development system. Johnson explained that CareerSource serves job seekers and businesses through 21 local workforce development boards and nearly 100 career centers, using federal and state funding streams such as WIOA, Wagner-Peyser, SNAP Employment and Training, and TANF. She described services including case management, training, wraparound supports, job matching, rapid response for layoffs and disasters, and business services such as recruitment, customized training, and on-the-job training. She also highlighted the REACH Act’s role in consolidating local boards from 24 to 21, creating the Master Credential List and Credential Review Committee, and implementing performance-based letter grades for local boards. Members asked detailed questions about funding formulas, letter grade metrics, apprenticeships, youth services, small business access, and the demand occupation list. Johnson said federal allocations are driven largely by unemployment and poverty formulas, which has reduced Florida’s WIOA funding by about $27 million over four years because of the state’s low unemployment rate. She explained the letter grades measure outcomes such as increased earnings, reduced public assistance, employment and training outcomes, work-based learning, business engagement, and service to individuals in certain programs, and said the system is being reviewed for possible changes, including removing extra credit and adjusting weights. On youth services, she said Florida has a waiver allowing a 50/50 split between in-school and out-of-school youth funding, and that local partnerships drive outreach. On the demand occupation list, she said it is based on state labor market data and projections, but local boards can submit evidence of local demand when data does not reflect conditions in their area. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on apprenticeships and workforce training grants. Johnson and Gagliano described apprenticeship navigators funded by the $7.75 million apprenticeship expansion allocation, which help employers navigate registration and expand apprenticeships into nontraditional fields such as IT, health care, education, and hospitality. Gagliano gave examples from CareerSource Suncoast and said navigators helped employers move faster through registration and develop programs with local education providers. Johnson also discussed Incumbent Worker Training Grants and Quick Response Training Grants, noting recent awards of nearly $3 million to 69 businesses and $6.5 million to 24 businesses, respectively, and said these programs are targeted toward high-skill, high-wage occupations and priority industries. The meeting ended with no votes or formal action; the chair thanked the presenters, invited follow-up questions, and adjourned the meeting without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's in a proposal in the Farm Bill for authorization.
• Could you rank, could you put in some kind of priority order what you see as...
• Could you rank, could you put in some kind of priority order what you see as risk?
• There's more farmers moving to an H-2A program, which allows for temporary worker permits.
• Well, all of the positions that were identified, that position authority is all vacant.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Any questions for the author? I see none sir.
• Any questions for the author? Seeing none. Thank you, sir.
• Lively stated, order to layer that.
• Any questions for the author? Thank you, Mr.
• ... ...to provide temporary mechanic status to apprentices.

Bills: HB679, HB1764, HB1788, HB2186, HB2204, HB2418, HB2885, HB2983, HB2996, HB3250, HB3352, HB3756, HB3816, HB3913, HB3928, HB4077

Keywords: environment, regulation, land use, public health, community development, alcohol, Sunday sales, local option election, Texas, business hours, alcohol sales, liquor, off-premise consumption, alcoholic beverages, CPA, Certified Public Accountant, licensing, accountancy, state regulation, continuing education