Transcript Highlights:

• He's my director of audit services.
• Director of Audit Services.
• We don't need to pay a monthly service fee.
• First one I'll address is service fees.
• It’s a fee-for-service for the IT staff.

Summary: The task force reviewed survey results from state agencies on potential statutory revisions, with Levi reporting 70 proposals from 20 agencies and noting that about 33 might become agency pre-file bills. Members discussed the need to share the survey more broadly within higher education and to better coordinate issues involving IT and other cross-agency functions. The task force then heard from the Office of Management and Budget on three topics: concessions, architect/engineering pre-qualification, and legal notices. OMB said the concessions law is outdated and inconsistent with current practice, and suggested a collaborative rewrite to allow best-value evaluation, raise the threshold, and standardize solicitation templates. On architect/engineering pre-qualification, OMB proposed expanding authority beyond current state-agency limits and creating uniform templates. On legal notices, OMB proposed modernizing publication requirements, exploring online and abbreviated notices, and working with newspapers and other stakeholders on technology and accessibility improvements. Members asked about where concession revenues go, whether political subdivisions must follow the same rules, and how to move from discussion to action. The task force agreed to have OMB work with Legislative Council and affected stakeholders to develop bill drafts, and the motion passed unanimously. The University of North Dakota then presented a series of proposed revisions focused on public buildings and procurement. UND asked to rework the definition of construction so routine maintenance and one-for-one replacements over $250,000 would not automatically trigger public-improvement requirements, suggested raising the threshold to $500,000, and asked for more flexibility based on project complexity and risk. UND also proposed changes to public bid advertisements to reflect electronic bidding, revisions to construction manager-at-risk selection criteria, changes to architect/engineer procurement rules, an increase in the direct-hire design threshold, and a higher legislative-consent threshold for privately funded projects. The task force supported having UND work with counsel and OMB to develop bill drafts, and that motion also passed. The Department of Public Instruction concluded with proposed cleanup to credentialing and education statutes. DPI recommended reviewing its credential categories for relevance, possibly transferring credentialing authority to the Education Standards and Practices Board, removing outdated school safety patrol language, clarifying waiver provisions, and updating dyslexia screening reporting requirements so the statute reflects current practice. Members focused mainly on whether the dyslexia reporting requirement should remain, and DPI said the screening itself would continue even if reporting language were revised. No votes were taken on DPI’s suggestions, and the task force recessed after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• duplicate billing services. duplicate billing services.
• . service. service.
• We're doing contracting now. partners. We're doing contracting now.
• Well, we have waivers and regular services. We just don't have service providers.
• <01:13:27.320> We Services Block Grant. We Services Block Grant.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the contract.
• sense to to contract that work out. sense to to contract that work out.
• enhancing WAV services across Minnesota. enhancing WAV services across Minnesota.
• with disabilities in their service area. with disabilities in their service area.
• . service. service.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are forced out on strike by their employer's refusal to bargain a fair contract.
• They are forced out on strike by their employer's refusal to bargain a fair contract.
• They are forced out on strike by their employer's refusal to bargain a fair contract.
• <00:17:50.720> settlements reach acceptable contract settlements reach acceptable contract
• Workers live and provide valuable services in each and every one of our districts.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Story about Service Oklahoma.
• One thing I note: FY23 we only had services for a partial year, so we only had motor vehicle services
• Service Oklahoma, you can still walk into a hometown location and get those services provided.
• Nobody would sign a contract.
• Contracting with third parties. I think we did a 10-year contract.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• services were developed. services were developed.
• or who received the dates of service or who received the services. services. services.
• of services such as consulting fees. of services such as consulting fees.
• contracts go out by the contracts contracts go out by the contracts division.
• sure they're providing the services. sure they're providing the services.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• to meet the short timelines, largely contracted out these services to what we call behavioral health
• of services are they getting?
• that local community behavioral organizations contracted... ...for the same services that local community
• And so now all of my CBOs that contract with me for mental health services are also mild to moderate
• and all mobile crisis services delivered by unlicensed staff ...services and all mobile crisis services

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill ensures that consumers can cancel these contracts by email.
• The consumer must pay if they want to terminate their contract and end the corresponding good or service
• at 20% of the total contract costs.
• There's a lot of contracts that, and I...
• The Chavo bill deals with contracts that auto-renew. Okay.

Summary: The committee heard several privacy and consumer protection bills, with most of the discussion focused on AI and social media. AB 1405 would create a state registry for AI auditors and set basic transparency, ethics, and qualification standards for those auditors; supporters said it would build trust and provide a foundation for future AI oversight, while some members questioned whether government should define auditor qualifications instead of industry groups. The bill was moved out on a 5-1 vote to Appropriations, with the roll left open. AB 2, by Assemblymember Lowenthal, would impose enhanced financial penalties on large social media companies when their negligence causes harm to children and teens. Supporters, including a grieving parent and Common Sense Media, argued the bill would create accountability for harmful algorithms and design choices, while opponents from TechNet, EFF, CCIA, and CalChamber warned it was vague, could chill speech, invite censorship, and raise Section 230 and First Amendment concerns. Committee members debated private right of action versus public enforcement, possible shakedown lawsuits, and whether the bill should be narrowed; the bill passed 6-0 to Judiciary with the roll left open. AB 410 would expand California’s bot disclosure law so bots must identify themselves up front and truthfully if asked, rather than only prohibiting deceptive bots in limited commercial or election contexts. Supporters said the measure would help users, especially youth and vulnerable people, know when they are interacting with AI and reduce deception online; one privacy group withdrew opposition after amendments, and other industry groups said they were no longer opposed or had no formal position. The bill passed 9-1 to Appropriations with the roll left open. The committee also approved AB 1327, which lets consumers cancel home improvement contracts by email instead of only by mail and requires phone assistance for cancellations; the Contractor State License Board withdrew opposition after amendments, and the bill passed 11-0 to Judiciary with the roll left open.

Transcript Highlights:

• the service? the service?
• Uh, and due to the increase in services, we prioritize the services to the citizens.
• Uh, and due to the increase in services, we prioritize the services to the citizens.
• So we moved to terminate the contract. That contract was ultimately terminated.
• Representative Bojanowski. contract was for $2.8 million. Um, which contract was for $2.8 million.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development met without a quorum at first, so it did not approve minutes and instead heard agency capital requests. The Education and Labor Cabinet presented a $6.2 million reauthorization for renovation of the Charles W. McDow Center for the Blind in Louisville, which serves blind and visually impaired individuals through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. The project would update mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. Members asked about the number of students served and the facility’s location; the cabinet said it would follow up on the enrollment figure and explained that prior funding had been redirected to expanded services for people with disabilities and employment needs. The Kentucky Department of Education then presented its request to replace the SEEK system, the state’s primary school funding formula and calculation platform. Officials said the current in-house system dates to about 2008 and is increasingly difficult to maintain, especially as legislative changes require complex recalculations. They explained that a prior vendor contract was terminated after change orders and cost overruns made the project unworkable; the original contract was about $2.8 million, and the proposed change order would have more than doubled that amount. KDE said it is seeking additional funding while also trying to recover the prior vendor’s work product so it can potentially reuse parts of the code and proceed in modules if necessary. Members questioned the cost, the statewide role of SEEK, and whether state staff familiar with the system would be involved in any new procurement. KDE officials said they had already assigned internal staff and a project manager to the earlier RFP process and would do so again. They also noted that SEEK calculations, tax calculations, and attendance data all feed into the system, making it critical for accurate and timely district payments and data requests. The meeting ended with no votes taken, and the chair announced the next meeting would be held the following Tuesday, the 27th, at 10:00 a.m. in the same room.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can see we're kind of all over the area there, and we provide water service and wastewater service
• contract.
• contract.
• Service providers and special districts rely on property tax revenue to service debt issued to finance
• infrastructure and provide services such as water utility service or emergency services within the district

Bills: SB434, SB844, SB898, SB1177, SB1214, SB1454, SB1920, SB1927, SB1935, SB1965, SB2010, SB2046, SB2068, SB2073, SB2183, SB2260, SB3034, SB907

Keywords: SB 434, Harris County Hospital District, hospital district police, peace officers, commissioned officers, law enforcement authority, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, public safety, hospital security, county hospital district, local government, Texas criminal procedure, district police, armed security, SB 898, low income housing tax credits, LIHTC, affordable housing, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Summary: The committee heard several bills dealing with local government authority, homeowners associations, hospital district policing, school AED inspections, special district annexation, public contracting penalties, and guaranteed income programs. Senate Bill 2073 by Sen. Zaffirini would clarify that appraisal districts may finance purchases, leases, or construction of real property for appraisal offices without prior approval from taxing units; it was supported by the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts and left pending. Senate Bill 1935 by Sen. Hinojosa would increase homeowner control of property owners association boards, require more transparency, limit fines and assessment increases, and require accessible meeting locations; HOA and builder representatives opposed it, arguing it would hinder maintenance and make dues harder to manage, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 434 by Sen. Miles would authorize Harris County Hospital District police officers, was supported by Harris Health, and was left pending. Senate Bill 1177 by Sen. Alvarado, as substituted, would require school AED inspections during fire inspections and reporting to school leadership; it was left pending. Senate Bill 1214 by Sen. Perry would update Concho County Hospital District law to align with current procurement and notice rules; it was left pending. Senate Bill 1965 by Sen. Middleton, for Sen. King, would tighten notice and proximity rules for special district annexations; district witnesses warned the bill could interfere with service to noncontiguous tracts, and the bill was left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 2046 by Sen. Bettencourt, which would increase criminal penalties for county purchasing act violations involving unauthorized separate or sequential purchases to evade competitive bidding, and create a tiered penalty structure based on contract amount. Former Harris County DA Kim Ogg, Deputy Attorney General Josh Reno, and James Quintero supported the bill, citing recent Harris County bid-rigging cases and arguing the current Class C misdemeanor penalty is too weak to deter misconduct; some members questioned whether the proposed thresholds were too low and whether stronger oversight, rather than higher penalties alone, would be more effective. The bill was left pending. Finally, Senate Bill 2010 by Sen. Bettencourt would bar counties and other political subdivisions from operating guaranteed income programs and address constitutional gift-clause concerns. Testimony split sharply: Ogg and Quintero argued such programs are unconstitutional, can be used for political data collection, and should not be funded with public money, while Paige Terry Barry defended the bill as protecting taxpayers and discouraging dependency. Senators also debated whether the state can restrict use of federal grant funds and whether local governments should be allowed to run such programs; the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• want services.
• There are some contracts, for example vendor authorizations for services, that are also exempt, but we
• Remote services... Remote services are voluntary.
• remote services.
• So I do believe that we... ...we should be each service, not just say a service, but each service has

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing focused on the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), related safety-net programs, and several administration trailer bill proposals. Members and witnesses discussed the impacts of H.R. 1 on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including changes to Medi-Cal and CalFresh eligibility, the need for automatic exemption processes for people with disabilities and caregivers, and the risk that loss of health coverage could shift costs to regional centers or reduce access to services. DDS and the Department of Social Services said they are working on data matching and automation to identify exemptions, with implementation for CalFresh set to begin June 1, 2026. Public testimony from consumers and advocates emphasized that Medi-Cal, IHSS, CalFresh, and regional center services are essential to community living and that cuts or administrative barriers could destabilize households and force people back into more restrictive settings. The committee also reviewed the governor’s IHSS proposals. CDSS described three budget items: setting a baseline for average authorized hours and shifting costs above that baseline to counties, automating IHSS disenrollment and reinstatement tied to Medi-Cal eligibility, and eliminating the IHSS backup provider system. The LAO noted that if Medi-Cal or IHSS access is reduced, regional centers may have to fill gaps as payer of last resort, potentially at higher cost. Several members expressed strong concern about cost shifts to counties and warned that counties are already under severe fiscal pressure. The chair requested a harm-mitigation strategy before the May Revision and asked for more information on how the administration would prevent service reductions or instability for clients. The committee then heard a trailer bill proposal on DDS rate reform and the Quality Incentive Program. DDS asked to extend the contract exemption through December 31, 2030 and extend the deadline for finalizing rate reform regulations to December 31, 2030, saying the changes are budget-neutral and would give the department more time to complete implementation. DDS reported that about 81% of providers met the current Quality Incentive Program prerequisites, while providers and advocates said the 90-10 structure can function like a penalty and may destabilize providers that fail to qualify. Members asked for clearer guidance, more technical assistance, and redlined language before the May Revision, and indicated they may reject the proposal if concerns are not addressed. Finally, DDS presented a trailer bill to revise regional center governance and operations, including consolidating multiple contracts into one, giving DDS more flexibility to allocate funds through fiscal letters, strengthening board training and oversight, and removing barriers to provider capacity such as outdated office-location requirements and courtesy vendorization. The hearing ended without any votes, but members repeatedly emphasized protecting consumers, avoiding harmful cost shifts, and ensuring that any policy changes preserve services and community living for people with developmental disabilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Diagnostic services cover a broad range of services.
• Diagnostic services cover a broad range of services spanning imaging, radiology, laboratory testing,
• So diagnostic services cover a broad range of services spanning imaging, radiology, laboratory testing
• It's an open contract. So if the insurance company...
• It's an open contract.

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of House bills with Senate amendments, with members generally indicating the sponsors intended to concur on most measures. Topics included public health and medical regulation (HB 2086 on face coverings/vaccinations, HB 2140 on gold and silver bullion investments, HB 2195 on nursing facility complaint timelines, HB 2189 on licensed health aides, HB 2932 on Access reimbursement and prior authorization, HB 2557 on medical records timing, and HB 2641 on PFAS firefighting foam), criminal justice and courts (HB 2673 creating an inmate mental health study committee, HB 2028 on community restitution for indigent homeless defendants, HB 2662 on expert testimony in parenting-time cases, HB 2440 on prisoner transition services, and HB 2594 on address confidentiality in family court), and education-related bills (HB 2830 on prenatal development instruction, HB 2249 on parents’ rights and social transitioning, HB 2481 on school district financial record compliance, HB 2482 on school construction job-order caps, HB 2895 on Native American language proficiency, HB 2423 on automatic advanced math enrollment, HB 2621 on special education and certificates of educational convenience, HB 2592 on AI rules, HB 2379 on school board training, and HB 2380 on out-of-state travel and public meeting materials). Other bills addressed transportation, development, housing, and local government issues, including HB 2909 on distracted driving, HB 2369 on photo enforcement citations, HB 2745 on legislative subpoenas, HB 2946 on development fees, HB 2999 on infrastructure finance districts, HB 2244 on eviction record sealing, HB 2342 on HOA shade structures, and HB 2752 on Commerce Authority trade offices. Several members raised concerns or asked questions on bills such as HB 2932, HB 2249, HB 2830, and HB 2028, but no formal votes were taken in the transcript; the meeting ended with adjournment after brief discussion of the final bills on Caucus Calendar 19, including HB 2248 on medical intervention requirements for businesses and schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just then with closing, that Outcome of a contract.
• When you expand in one area, for whatever reason, you are going to contract in other areas.
• So in a year where the surplus is projected to be less than 150 under current services, what services
• The question was simple: where are we going to contract?
• So once these things keep increasing, it's going to expand and contract somewhere else.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the homeowner is contracting or licensing with the utility for service.
• Representative Connelly: Like when you contract to build a waste treatment facility, that contract would
• Why would the vendor contract with the utility contractor, or the utility contract with a vendor to install
• They have to ask the regulator that tracks all the banks in the service area.
• It also clarifies that 'out of service' applies to the permit service areas of the mitigation bank, not

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:36:38.079> I some definition regarding contracts I some definition regarding contracts
• We talk to them about contracts.
• contracts, but only for the biggest banks that are behind those contracts.
• service people in financial service service people in financial service let's<01:40:53.880> say
• <05:25:53.000> are Services many of the services are Services many of the services are self-directed

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 167, a PFAS-related measure to add ski, snowboard, and boat wax to the state’s list of banned consumer products containing PFAS. The sponsor said the product is already banned in many other places, alternatives exist, and the concern is that these products go directly into water rather than landfills. She cited high PFAS levels in several New Hampshire lakes and argued the bill would help stop further contamination. A member of the public also described personal experience with ski wax products disappearing from the market, suggesting PFAS may have been the reason. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 167. The committee next opened a hearing on House Bill 312, dealing with college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Representative Moffett explained the bill was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s NCAA v. Alston decision and was modeled on New Jersey law. He said the bill would prevent colleges from restricting NIL compensation, require athletes to use licensed attorneys or registered sports agents, and limit certain endorsements involving addictive drugs, adult entertainment, firearms, and weapons. He framed the measure as a proactive response to a changing college sports landscape and noted possible future conflicts involving schools, agents, and endorsements. Committee members raised several concerns and suggested changes. One member questioned the bill’s exclusion of two-year institutions, another objected to the weapons restriction, and others asked how the bill would affect scholarships. The sponsor said the intent was to protect scholarships, especially athletic scholarships, and clarified that need-based scholarships were not meant to be affected. He also acknowledged discomfort with the endorsement restrictions and said the committee might want to broaden or revise the language. The hearing remained open for further consideration, with no vote taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we thank them for their service. Chair Kennedy.
• So now we'll go to agenda item three. regarding outside council contracts.
• Contract for maintenance services and enhancements for the electronic filing system.
• The reason this contract is... is because the value over the life of this contract will be over a million
• Motion to approve or authorize executive director to enter into contract for the maintenance services

Keywords: Texas Ethics Commission, HB18, SB12, political contributions, civil penalties, Attorney General, criminal election offenses, legislation

Summary: In the latest meeting of the Texas Ethics Commission, significant discussions centered around newly passed legislation, specifically HB18 and SB12. HB18 introduces a civil penalty for members who accept political contributions while absent from the state, addressing potential obstructions to legislative actions. Senators and commissioners engaged in an in-depth dialogue about the implications of this bill, with many expressing concerns regarding enforcement and compliance. In contrast, SB12 expands the jurisdiction of the Attorney General to prosecute criminal election offenses, further tightening the oversight of election activities. The meeting concluded with acknowledgement of the efforts put forth by previous commission chairs, highlighting their contributions to the commission's success.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a great service.
• So in order for people to use our services and to feel comfortable in using all these important services
• <00:45:24.520> talent operations fiscal Services talent operations fiscal Services talent
• The department contracts out for our bus services to safely transport students to and from school because
• <01:09:08.759> so selected and awarded the contract so selected and awarded the contract so

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Education held an informational/budget briefing with presentations from the State Library System, the School Facilities Authority, and the Department of Education. The chair opened the meeting by outlining the order of presentations and noting that members would hold questions until after all three agencies had testified. The discussion focused on each agency’s priorities for the upcoming biennium and their budget requests. State Librarian Stacy Aldridge described library usage and services, emphasizing strong demand for physical and digital materials, internet and Wi-Fi access, programs, Kanopy streaming, and PressReader. She highlighted digital literacy classes, RFID self-check and smart shelving improvements, and the role of libraries as community hubs. The library’s budget request included an additional $1.2 million for security guards, $48.484 million for FY 26-27 to support popup libraries during temporary closures and other needs, $500,000 for repair and maintenance, $2 million for Kap planning and design, and $25 million each year for lump-sum capital funding. Mallerie Fujitani said the lump-sum funding is needed to keep roughly 50 projects moving and to avoid delays in construction. School Facilities Authority Executive Director Ricky Fujitani explained the agency’s startup history and its programs for preschools, Central Maui schools, and workforce housing. He said the authority is using standardized, prefabricated, programmatic approaches to speed delivery and improve maintainability, citing prior preschool renovations as a successful model. He reported that of $389 million appropriated, $106 million was released, with $81 million for preschools, $20 million for Central Maui schools, and $5 million for workforce housing; he also noted the workforce housing program was reduced after Maui fire-related reallocations. He said the pilot workforce housing site at Mililani High School has been awarded and pointed to University of Hawaiʻi student housing projects as a model. Superintendent Hayashi then began the Department of Education presentation, introducing DOE leadership and outlining the department’s mission to support academic achievement, character development, and student well-being. He noted the department serves more than 152,000 students in 258 public schools and employs over 42,000 people, with nearly 54% of students facing significant challenges. He framed the budget request around the department’s strategic plan to prepare graduates for college, careers, or military service. The transcript ends during the DOE presentation, before any committee votes or formal actions are taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• For involuntary inpatient and outpatient services, we invested in key services such as our FACT teams
• For involuntary inpatient outpatient services, we invested in key services such as our fact teams.
• we see that their service gaps.
• their contract, they're directed to services.
• So we do have, in terms of services, we track implementation of new services.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met to review implementation of House Bill 7021, the recent overhaul of Florida’s Baker Act and Marchman Act, and to hear from DCF Assistant Secretary Erica Floyd Thomas about how the department is using the $50 million appropriation tied to the bill. Representative Maney, the bill sponsor, gave a lengthy background on why he pursued the reforms and emphasized that the goal was to improve access, reduce unnecessary crisis interventions, and give agencies the resources needed to carry out their responsibilities. He and the chair both noted that the bill was the product of many years of work and broad bipartisan support. DCF reported several early outcomes and implementation steps, including a statewide reduction in Baker Act initiations over the past five years, strong diversion rates from crisis through 988, mobile response teams, care coordination, and forensic multidisciplinary teams, and the creation of new tools such as a Baker Act dashboard and the first annual Marchman Act report. The department described key statutory changes: law enforcement discretion in initiating Baker Acts, a single-petition process, remote appearances, stronger discharge planning, interim services, updated parent notification and hold-period rules, an ombudsman office for children’s behavioral health, and regional collaboratives to identify local service gaps. DCF said it has updated manuals, FAQs, trainings, and rules, and that the managing entities have begun contracting for services. Members asked about how the $50 million was allocated, why much of it went to crisis capacity rather than outpatient care, how much has been spent so far, whether administrative costs are capped, and how the department will measure success. DCF said most of the money was used to preserve and expand crisis beds, detox beds, CSU beds, short-term residential treatment, discharge planning, and outpatient supports, with $1.3 million for the ombudsman and regional collaboratives and $48.3 million to managing entities. The assistant secretary said the department tracks readmissions, utilization, provider capacity, and monthly and quarterly reports from managing entities, but it is still early to see full effects because contracts were only recently executed. Members also raised concerns about children, families, veterans, workforce shortages, transparency, and gaps for hard-to-place individuals, including those with developmental disabilities or dementia. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond adjournment after questions were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• But these contract services do not cover all of the toll roads.
• While Harris County contracts with constables for police response, there is no such contract in place
• Are you providing services to the toll authority, or are you providing services to the people whose tax
• hiatus without any contracts.
• with contracts with Precinct 2.

Bills: SB39, SB2129, SB2141, SB2246, SB2323, SB2439, SB2722, SB 39

Keywords: commercial motor vehicle, truck liability, motor carrier, trucking, civil liability, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, negligent loading, negligent repair, bifurcated trial, exemplary damages, punitive damages, personal injury, collision, employer liability, vicarious liability, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas tort reform, commercial truck accident

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, many of the grants and contracts, as well as special tax funds, do not allow for diversion
• And again, many of the grants and contracts as well as special tax funds do not allow for diversion of
• , diversion programs, and other rehabilitative services.
• Delta Dental, as the Senator has mentioned, has had this contract since 1984.
• And objective six focuses on reviewing CalHR's plans. terms of their contracts.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee met to hear new audit requests and receive a status update from the State Auditor. The auditor reported 10 JALAC audits in progress, noted that all 2025-approved audits are underway, said the first 2026 audit is focused on DMV license revocations, and described several statutory and high-risk audits already in progress. The committee also approved a consent calendar of four audit requests: UC library resources, law enforcement information sharing, EDD unemployment insurance claims, and Housing and Community Development housing development monitoring. The committee then considered Assembly Member DeMaio’s audit request on SANDAG road project management. DeMaio argued the audit was needed to examine whether transportation funds, including voter-approved and restricted revenues, were used for allowable purposes and whether past management failures warranted outside review. SANDAG’s CEO and CFO said the agency already undergoes extensive oversight and audits, that funds are tracked by multiple “colors of money,” and that internal controls have improved. Several members questioned whether the issues were already addressed in public records or existing audits, and the request failed on a roll call vote. Next, Senator Valadares presented an audit of the Board of State and Community Corrections’ Proposition 47 grant administration, arguing that more transparency is needed on outcomes, recidivism data, and oversight of grantees. The BSCC said it already has oversight mechanisms, that the State Controller conducts biennial audits, and that program data shows positive outcomes. The committee approved the audit unanimously. Senator Cortese then presented an audit of CalHR’s dental benefits procurement and Delta Dental contract, citing long-standing benefit caps, provider network concerns, and retiree out-of-pocket costs. CalHR said its network remains strong, that it recently completed an RFP adding MetLife as a second carrier starting in 2027, and that contracts include performance guarantees. Members from both parties expressed concern about access and competition, and the audit was approved unanimously. The committee then completed add-on votes on the consent calendar and adjourned.