Transcript Highlights:

• Of budget years to come, we are in a very good and a comfortable position, given how our revenues are
• process.
• Well, I try to, but the revenue estimating conference process is done three times a year.
• So the revenue estimating conference process is done three times a year.
• We just started a new revenue estimating conference cycle for the budget, so some of the numbers— We

Summary: The Senate Committee on Finance and Tax convened with a quorum present, heard an introductory presentation of committee staff, and then received a staff briefing from Azar Khan on Florida’s state tax structure and revenue outlook. The presentation covered fiscal year 2023-2024 revenues, noting more than $127 billion in total state revenue, with general revenue exceeding $48 billion and sales and use tax making up the largest share. It also compared Florida’s tax burden to other states, highlighted Florida’s low per-capita revenue ranking and strong business formation numbers, and reviewed major and minor revenue sources, tax rates, and the revenue estimating conference process. Members asked about what drives revenue growth, including population, tourism, construction, and auto sales, and about Florida’s regressivity, corporate income tax participation, and investment earnings on state balances. Khan said the state’s revenue picture remains positive and stable, but that future growth is slower than during the COVID-era spike; he also explained that some negative forecast changes were tied to legislative actions such as the insurance premium tax credit, while others reflected lower tobacco consumption and severance activity. He noted that revenue and spending forecasts are separate and that budget-side growth is driving concerns raised in other state economic projections. The committee also discussed possible tax package ideas for the upcoming session, including tax holidays and homeowner relief, but no specific proposals were acted on. The chair announced the committee would not meet the following week and that the next meeting would be in week three of February. The meeting concluded with no objections to a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• We pray for continued wisdom and discernment in this budget process, and we pray for peace in that process
• We ask you to give us wisdom and help us, Lord, in this process.
• I appreciate your work so far on. the individual budget silos.
• In fact, while our state is growing, this year's budget will be less than the budget we passed last year
• In our budget this year, we are fully funding the current Budget Stabilization Fund; that in itself is

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, many agencies lack the budget flexibility to meaningfully reward this level.
• The bill enables the fund consolidation process.
• process and to a lot of people in state government.
• Your budget somewhere, you may want to consider that.
• It was a long appeals process, but finally the state...

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm curious, are the tribal budgets based on a federal budget?
• What I want to remind the committee about, and why this is so critical in the budget process and in tax
• Because they do out your budgets.
• So we're moving along in this budget process too. I think that's important.
• Budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• deliberative process. Thank you, Mr. deliberative process. Thank you, Mr.
• It's going to bankrupt the state. our educational budget. It's driving up our educational budget.
• The passage of this human services budget marks not just the end of a legislative process, but, Mr.
• everyone who helped shape this budget. everyone who helped shape this budget.
• uh to watch this as the process unfolds. uh to watch this as the process unfolds.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and setting a floor, saying we're not going to allow a Senate to pass a budget — you know, budget cuts
• AND SETTING A FLOOR SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW A SENATE TO PASS A BUDGET -- YOU KNOW, BUDGET CUTS
• Saying their model says in 2035—nine budget years from now, 10 budget years from now—30% of all U.S.
• I need you to process what that means.
• I NEED YOU TO PROCESS WHAT THAT MEANS.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 31, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:33:48.000> It failure of the process, honestly. It failure of the process, honestly.
• we get to the very end of the budget. we get to the very end of the budget.
• We'll do what we call a budget balancer. We'll do what we call a budget balancer.
• go, "Wow, $300 million budget balancer. go, "Wow, $300 million budget balancer.
• Third reading of the budget bill.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• part of last year's overall budget bill. part of last year's overall budget bill.
• people that are outside of the process. people that are outside of the process.
• The budget omnibus supplemental budget omnibus bills, House File 2433, will be taken up.
• governor's budget recommendations. governor's budget recommendations.
• follow our budget rules.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are budget classification transfer requests.
• process in place, and so now we're having to extend that contract.
• So we did begin the process in May of 2025.
• I think that that's been an ongoing process.
• So that's really not included in our budget, though.

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of appropriation, transfer, contract, and other review items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests in Sections B through F, including funding for prosecuting attorneys, education-related adjustments, school operating needs, labor licensing divisions, ARPA fund returns from Workforce Services, IIJA grants for state police CDL implementation and a forestry-related county grant, reserve fund transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic development, and a Commerce reallocation tied to organizational realignment. Cash fund requests in Section G and budget classification transfers in Section H were also reviewed, along with pay plan requests in Section I, overtime requests in Section J, and multiple methods of finance in Section K. The committee also reviewed discretionary grants in Section L, including agriculture promotion board grants and DHS aging/adult behavioral health grants, plus RFQs, construction contracts, intergovernmental contracts, and out-of-state contracts in Sections M1 through M5. Several items drew questions from members. Workforce Services explained that $225,000 in TANF-related funds would be returned to the federal government because the two-year hold period for uncashed or moved checks had expired. Commerce officials described the $25 million site infrastructure grant program, saying it supports site development, due diligence, and infrastructure build-out at eligible sites of 30 acres or more, including rural communities, with grant agreements and matching requirements providing accountability. DHS and Education officials answered questions about the Care Solace mental health referral contract, saying it is a statewide concierge/referral service that helps schools connect students to Arkansas providers and follow up so students do not fall through the cracks; members asked for more information on provider selection, school-day scheduling, and Arkansas vendor participation. The committee held one item over: the DHS discretionary grant item for the RSVP retired senior volunteer program in L2, after concerns were raised about whether state general revenue was being used effectively and how much administrative overhead the providers retain. Members also questioned several contracts, including a DHS sole-source contract with EMSLink for document management software and a DHS bridge contract with Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care for Medicaid inspections of care reviews; in both cases, agency staff explained the need to avoid service disruption and said follow-up information would be provided. A Department of Corrections reentry center contract was discussed for its recidivism results, and ARDOT retirement-system investment contracts were briefly explained. The meeting ended after a lengthy discussion of the Medicaid Trust Fund balance, with DFA and DHS officials saying the state is expected to finish the fiscal year without exhausting the fund, that a restricted reserve of $100 million is available as a backstop, and that the larger question is what minimum balance should be maintained going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• previous budget we the previous budget we appropriated<00:32:01.919> some<00:32:03.080> money
• It can't be the remediation process.
• <00:38:31.359> peritting<00:38:31.920> project<00:38:32.880> process dees process
• peritting project process dees process peritting project process for<00:38:33.520> endangered
• as it came out of the House budget. as it came out of the House budget.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . process. process.
• budget forecast update this morning. budget forecast update this morning.
• , the compliance process.
• Like, what's that process code is used? Like, what's that process look<01:31:52.840> like?
• to start that process. to start that process.

Bills: HF3526, HF3375, HF3469

Keywords: home care, licensing, fines, advisory council, grant program, client safety, healthcare regulation, HF3375, Minnesota disability waiver, waiver rate system, human services, individualized home supports, individualized home supports with training, individualized home supports with family training, positive support services, employment support services, employment development services, employment exploration services, billing limits, service authorization year

Transcript Highlights:

• I will say the executive budget does include... ...feel free to amend it as you see fit.
• I will say the executive budget does include money for attorney retention and recruitment.
• They don't have to do bars; they just have to do BRFs, so it's a little bit of an easier process.
• "I'm glad to see there's more movement to increase these budgets, but I am in agreement that I think
• And again, an $11 billion budget for government functions here.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I would think a large percentage of your billion dollar budget, I'm calling it a budget.
• The other part of it is the operating. budget or general fund budget.
• Launch and deployment process.
• It has been a long process.
• to a biennial renewal process.

Bills: HB10, HB 12, HB675, HB10, HB12

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee will come to order.
• We have one bill that we'll be hearing, and then we just have a few comments on the budget process and
• So next up, in your packet, as we've been going through the budgeting process, what you'll see is two
• process.
• I think that shows effective fiscal management and effective budgeting as well.

Summary: The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard House Bill 1313, an agency bill by Representative Mooney. The bill extends the Resilient Florida Trust Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection and updates the state accounting reference from FLARE to the new POM system. A technical amendment removing the obsolete FLARE account code was adopted without objection, and the bill then passed favorably on a recorded vote with no public testimony or debate. After the bill, the chair reviewed budget process materials for the committee, including agency vacancy reports and three-year reversion reports. She noted that several agencies have relatively low vacancy rates, highlighting the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as especially efficient, while DEP’s vacancy rate was higher and a member asked about long-term vacancies there. On reversions, she said DACS had only about a 2% reversion rate over three years, while Citrus averaged about 40%, DEP about 12%, and Fish and Wildlife about 10%. The chair also discussed upcoming budget recommendations and asked members to review the materials and raise questions. She flagged trust fund concerns, especially for Fish and Wildlife, saying recent license fee waivers may reduce revenue supporting its trust fund and could affect funding decisions in the next budget. The meeting ended after brief clarification on the vacancy report and a motion to re-recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• their budget straight them straighten their budget out<00:09:05.920> at<00:09:06.080> the<
• governor in a supplemental budget governor in a supplemental budget recommended<00:09:13.839>
• budget neutral. Uh but it will show just budget neutral.
• budget bill um authored by the chairs. budget bill um authored by the chairs.
• Um this the agency's budget bill.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• budget outlook.
• budget outlook.
• budget outlook.
• DPS has always governor's budget.
• budget target this committee was given. budget target this committee was given.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > is department knows what the the process is department knows what the the process is according
• Thank you, Chair Schumacher. process that will last up to 24 months. process that will last up to 24
• > prohibits During this process, nothing prohibits During this process, nothing prohibits the<
• , next budget, next budget, we<00:34:57.359> we<00:34:57.520> can<00:34:57.720>
• can maintain budget cuts across we we can maintain budget cuts across the<00:34:59.440> system.

Bills: HF4491, HF4338, HF4288, HF4566

Keywords: Medical Assistance, Medicaid, prepayment review, claims review, fee-for-service, provider integrity, high-risk provider, high-risk service, fraud prevention, program integrity, Department of Human Services, CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, health care billing, medical claims, provider enrollment, Indian Health Service, Minnesota Statutes chapter 256B, human services, medical assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• uh walk us through sort of the budget uh walk us through sort of the budget overview<01:21:42.040
• ><01:22:09.280> committee's<01:22:09.719> budget this committee the committee's budget
• <01:25:50.880> in<01:25:51.000> more the budget in more the budget in more detail<01
• So let's dig into the base budget.
• <01:30:46.280> we so when we think about our budget we so when we think about our budget we

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is more than a line item in a budget. is more than a line item in a budget.
• It's also probable, as mentioned, that the changes that perhaps happen in the budget reconciliation process
• It's also probable, as mentioned, that the changes that perhaps happen in the budget reconciliation process
• budget shortfall. budget shortfall.
• forward in this process. Thank you. forward in this process. Thank you.

Bills: HF2312

Keywords: higher education, college finance, student aid, financial aid, state grants, North Star Promise, scholarships, tuition relief, Minnesota State, University of Minnesota, Office of Higher Education, work-study, child care grants, Indian scholarships, tribal colleges, Hunger-Free Campus, student parents, pregnant students, parenting students, sexual misconduct

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a budget analyst at the LBB, and I'll be discussing the budget recommendations for the Historical
• presentation on budget, Porter Wilson.
• It was an arduous process.
• It was an arduous process.
• LB budget budget presenter James Kessler, the executive director Gary Gibbs.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard budget presentations for the Texas Historical Commission, the Pension Review Board, the Employees Retirement System (ERS), Social Security and benefit replacement pay, the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System (TESSRS), and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The Legislative Budget Board outlined recommendations and major changes for each agency, including reductions tied to one-time projects at the Historical Commission, continued funding for courthouse grants, heritage trails, and Holocaust/genocide education, as well as new or modified riders and capital items. For the pension-related items, LBB described funding changes for PRB, ERS, Social Security, and TESSRS, including ERS health plan cost growth driven largely by pharmacy costs, the status of pension funding reforms, and TESSRS’s request for additional state support to address its unfunded liability and staffing needs. Members asked extensive questions about the Historical Commission’s one-time funding, unexpended balance authority, courthouse preservation, the Presidio La Bahia and National Museum of the Pacific War projects, and coordination of Texas history messaging across sites such as the Alamo, San Jacinto, Washington on the Brazos, and other heritage locations. The Historical Commission chair emphasized heritage tourism, economic development, and the need for continued investment in historic sites, staffing, IT modernization, and vehicles. On the pension items, senators discussed PRB oversight of local systems, including the Dallas police and fire pension situation, and ERS investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health costs. ERS officials said the plan remains well funded overall, noted a 2021 cash balance reform and a planned supplemental legacy payment, and explained that GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro are a major driver of pharmacy spending; they also said the agency is working with the Texas Pharmacy Initiative and that rebates are contractually returned to ERS. For TESSRS, LBB and agency staff said the system serves volunteer and part-paid emergency personnel, is facing an infinite amortization period, and is requesting additional appropriations, staffing, and IT funding, along with a statutory change to allow an actuarially determined state contribution. The agency said it may otherwise need to cut benefits for volunteer firefighters. For CPRIT, LBB reported about $600 million in recommended funding for the biennium and a 10-FTE increase, while the agency described its $6 billion voter-approved program, $3.75 billion in grants awarded to date, and $10.4 million in revenue sharing since 2011. CPRIT’s only exceptional item was a request for a 10% salary increase for two exempt positions. No committee votes or formal actions were taken in the transcript.