Transcript Highlights:

• for third reading.
• Sheep, of order for third reading. Mr.
• <00:47:23.280> reading move House Bill 1039 on third reading move House Bill 1039 on third
• third reading and final passage. third reading and final passage.
• 1135 on third reading and final passage. 1135 on third reading and final passage.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:22:08.720> standing, And uh, the third gentleman standing, And uh, the third gentleman
• We're two-thirds complete.
• We're two-thirds complete.
• We're two-thirds complete.
• And this contributes to our payment error rates.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the third is statewide research and reporting. We can't solve what we don't measure.
• This is the fourth hearing of the Joint Committee that I've attended, and the third time I've testified
• Massachusetts ranks third highest in health care spending per capita.
• fully on the person in front of us, rather than navigating insurance bureaucracy or justifying care to third-party
• I want my brother to not have to think about administrative errors costing him $88,000.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on 16 bills, with the chairs noting a busy legislative day and asking speakers to keep testimony brief. The committee first heard testimony on Senate 860/House 1405, the Medicare for All bill, with Sen. Jamie Eldridge and many advocates, clinicians, municipal officials, and patients arguing that a single-payer system would make care a right, reduce administrative waste, lower costs, and protect residents from rising premiums, medical debt, and hospital closures. Several speakers cited the Steward hospital crisis, affordability problems, and polling or ballot questions showing public support for single-payer coverage. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then took testimony on S. 863, a bill on non-opioid options for chronic pain. Pain specialists, patients, and advocates said the bill would improve care coordination for MassHealth members, expand access to non-opioid medications, require provider education, and collect data on chronic pain. Testifiers described long delays in diagnosis and treatment, stigma toward pain patients, and the need for multidisciplinary care and transportation support. Again, the committee heard testimony only and took no action. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 1360/S. 869, which would prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in health care. Disability advocates, clinicians, and patients described being denied or delayed care, pressured into DNR orders, or treated based on assumptions about quality of life rather than medical facts. Speakers referenced COVID-era crisis standards of care, discriminatory metrics, and personal stories involving canceled procedures, inadequate accommodations, and poor treatment in hospitals. Committee members thanked speakers for their testimony and said they would review the bill and its implications, but no vote was announced. The committee also heard testimony on H. 1399, an individual Medicare marketplace option for municipal retirees, where supporters said it would give cities and towns a lower-cost alternative for retiree health benefits through HRAs and individual Medicare plans. The hearing then returned to Medicare for All testimony, with additional supporters repeating arguments about cost, access, municipal budget pressure, and the need for global budgeting and universal coverage. The transcript ends with continued testimony and no recorded committee vote or final action on any bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the third and fourth items regarding the California State Payroll System, or CSPS project, SCO was
• This is a recent piece of legislation that now requires that third-party franchise brokers that conduct
• We have long regulated franchise offerings, but this law explicitly requires the third-party brokers
• It's a system we call Francis, and this would facilitate the capture of third-party franchise broker
• The third concept is that of a silent second mortgage, which would be a subordinate deferred-payment

Summary: The committee opened with the State Controller’s Office May Revision requests, including funding for Fiscal book-of-record stabilization, a Broadcom IDMS licensing adjustment, the California State Payroll System, ACFR reporting automation, and $3 million for unclaimed property outreach. Testimony emphasized progress on Fiscal becoming the state’s accounting book of record in July, faster ACFR publication, and the move to electronic unclaimed property claims. Members asked about the size of the unclaimed property fund and how quickly money is transferred to the General Fund; the Controller’s office said about $15 billion is held, with most excess transferred regularly, and the LAO noted the fund is the General Fund’s fourth-largest revenue source. No concerns were raised by Finance or the LAO, and the item was closed after no public comment. The committee then heard the administration’s proposal to tax prewritten digital software and software-as-a-service, with Finance saying it would modernize sales tax treatment and raise an estimated $450 million General Fund and $560 million local revenue in 2026-27. The LAO supported modernizing the tax but suggested broader digital goods coverage and a business-use exemption; industry and taxpayer groups opposed the proposal, warning of higher costs for consumers and businesses. Members also heard CDTFA’s administrative request tied to the proposal, plus a separate CDTFA budget reduction reflecting lower operational needs; that reduction was presented as a savings item and drew positive reactions. Next, the committee considered federal conformity for “Trump accounts,” which would align California tax treatment with federal rules for tax-deferred children’s accounts and avoid tracking burdens for families. The LAO recommended approval, and the item drew no opposition. The committee also heard a proposal to cut the first-year $800 annual business tax to $400 for LLCs, LPs, and LLPs; Finance argued it would lower startup costs and encourage new business formation, while the LAO said the benefit was not well targeted and could subsidize entities that would form anyway. Members discussed the policy tradeoff, and public commenters split between support for small business relief and concern about revenue loss. The final major revenue item was a permanent business tax credit limitation, capping credits at the greater of $5 million per corporation or 50% of pre-credit liability, while excluding the low-income housing tax credit and personal income tax credits. Finance said it would raise significant revenue from large profitable corporations, and the LAO said it was a reasonable option but noted it would mainly affect the R&D credit and could have future implications for programs like California Competes. Public testimony was sharply divided, with business groups opposing the cap and anti-poverty advocates supporting it as a way to recapture revenue. The committee also heard FTB’s CalFile realignment request, which would return most of the direct-file-related resources to the General Fund while retaining a smaller staff to improve CalFile, and the California Arts Council’s request to reauthorize the Keep Arts in Schools voluntary contribution fund, which members and advocates supported despite relatively modest annual donations. The hearing continued with GoBiz proposals on civic media funding, CA RISE reappropriation, and a semiconductor facility reversion, with the LAO supporting the latter two and members raising questions about the civic media program’s scope, outreach, and inclusion of broadcast and ethnic media.

Transcript Highlights:

• After she'd lost third of her savings.
• about a third of her savings. about a third of her savings.
• So when we filed the third go-round, which was at the end of last year, we had formed the third commission
• So when so we filed the third business.
• last year um we had formed the third last year um we had formed the third commission<00:56:43.440

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 302, which would allow the state treasurer to invest public funds in precious metals and digital assets. The sponsor was not present, so Representative Urs introduced the bill briefly and said he did not know much about it. No one from the Treasury Department testified, and members repeatedly noted the treasurer’s absence. Susan Elme testified against the bill, arguing that these investments are highly volatile and contrary to the treasury’s duty to remain stable and liquid. She said the bill should be killed. In questioning, she estimated the 5% cap in the bill would amount to roughly $10 million, depending on available funds, and said such investing would be more appropriate for an individual day trader than for the state treasury. Members also discussed prior legislative experience with Bitcoin-related proposals and raised concerns about whether the treasury had the staff expertise to manage commodity or digital asset investing. The committee did not take a final vote; instead, it agreed to hold a work session and seek additional information from the treasurer, with a plan to revisit the bill on April 1.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got the first order, second order, third order.
• :36:53.760> order,<00:36:54.079> second<00:36:54.320> order,<00:36:54.640> third
• the first order, second order, third the first order, second order, third order.<00:36:55.200>
• 19.280> occasionally<01:05:19.839> in<01:05:20.240> include<01:05:20.799> errors
• <01:05:21.039> or and occasionally in include errors or and occasionally in include errors

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Legislative Budget Office Oversight Commission met on January 22, 2026, with a quorum present and approved the minutes from the December 17, 2025 meeting. The main presentation was by Erikica McKeler of the National Conference of State Legislatures on dynamic fiscal notes, dynamic scoring, and how they differ from static fiscal notes. She explained that dynamic analysis tries to capture broader economic and behavioral effects of policy changes, but that most states have experimented with it only briefly, often for tax bills, and many have later scaled back or abandoned the practice because it is staff-intensive, expensive, and difficult to validate. McKeler highlighted examples from Texas, Utah, and Arkansas. Texas requires dynamic fiscal impact statements for certain large tax or fee measures and for the biennial appropriations bill; Utah has done such analyses on request during the interim but only when staff time allows; and Arkansas recently began producing dynamic fiscal notes with thresholds and request limits. She noted that these states generally use REMI software, though Utah switched to IMPLAN for cost reasons. She also outlined common challenges, including the need for strong staff expertise, the sensitivity of results to assumptions, the expense of software licenses, and the difficulty of measuring accuracy over time. Members then discussed whether dynamic scoring could be useful for health and human services programs where a policy may shift costs between settings rather than create a simple new expense. Senator Marty raised a Medicaid example involving home-based blue light therapy for newborns, arguing that dynamic analysis might better capture potential savings from avoiding longer hospital stays. Legislative Budget Office and Minnesota Management and Budget staff responded that such effects may be better understood as direct program substitutions rather than true dynamic effects, and emphasized the need for reliable data and caution because savings estimates could reduce appropriations if they do not materialize. The discussion also touched on whether dynamic models would capture local government impacts, but no formal action was taken beyond the approval of minutes and receipt of the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We think this was a scrivener error, and we want to point that out.
• uh prior to 2011 we think this was a uh prior to 2011 we think this was a scrier<00:06:34.080> error
• Was that intended, or is that a scrivener error?
• So I'm just deducing it's a scrivener error there, and that's what they mean, okay?
• <04:09:16.840> thing Facility this would it be a third thing Facility this would it be a third

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 2 retirement provisions, focusing on Group Two/Tier B changes in pages 25-39. Jan Goodwin of the New Hampshire Retirement System and deputy chief counsel Mark Kavanaugh explained that the 2025 bill is largely similar to prior versions, but it restores certain pre-2011 benefit rules for Tier B members, including changes to average final compensation and earnable compensation, and it also addresses the annuity multiplier for years of service. Members discussed the tier structure, with Tier A referring to vested members, Tier B to those hired before 11/1/12 who were not vested, and Tier C to later hires. Several members expressed concern that the bill’s purpose was to restore Tier B benefits, not to change Tier A rules or create broader changes affecting newer hires. The retirement system flagged two likely drafting problems. First, it said a provision appears to omit a special-duty/earnable-compensation limitation in the Group Two section, which they believed was a scrivener’s error caused by moving language out of the Group One definition without adding it back for Group Two. Second, they noted the bill’s multiplier language overlaps with changes already enacted in HB 1647, which increased the multiplier for service beyond 15 years for Group Two and carried an estimated $26 million cost. The committee discussed that HB 1647 was originally broader in the House, but the Senate narrowed it to Tier B only. The actuary’s comparison of the 2023 and 2025 HB 2 versions showed the bills are close, but the 2025 version differs in funding and timing. Staff said the 2025 bill appropriates $2.5 million more per year for 10 years, and that, together with updated actuarial assumptions and a larger share of the affected tier having already retired or otherwise left service, results in a larger reduction in unfunded liability than the 2023 bill: about $98.2 million versus $68.5 million. Employer contribution impacts were described as small overall, though the 2025 bill was said to be somewhat more favorable than the 2023 version. Members also questioned why House Bill 1 only funds $5 million in the first year, and staff said that was tied to the governor’s revenue estimate and that the full funding does not begin immediately. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the committee mainly received testimony, asked clarifying questions, and noted that some issues would be addressed in the fiscal note worksheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sure, not quibbling with the roundoff error.”
• “Can I ask whether you’re up to—” “Sure, not quibbling with the roundoff error.
• I feel under attack by your party. And I feel under attack by this bill.
• My middle child, my daughter, third child, third grade, started school.
• My middle child, my daughter, third child, third grade, started school.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Members from both parties emphasized education as a major issue, while several Republicans framed the committee’s work around school choice and parent empowerment. Senator West and other Democrats stressed protecting public schools, listening to Texans, and considering the effects of vouchers or education savings accounts on school districts and communities. Chairman Creighton laid out Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, describing it as a universal education savings account program modeled on similar programs in other states. He said the bill would provide about $200 million for a universal eligibility pool and additional funding for students with disabilities and lower-income families, with priority weighting for former public school students. He also highlighted anti-fraud measures, vendor pre-approval, criminal background checks, cybersecurity protections, annual testing requirements for participating students, and the use of the Comptroller rather than TEA to administer the program. Creighton repeatedly said the bill is not a voucher and argued it would not take money from public schools, which he said would receive separate historic funding increases. Members questioned Creighton about the 500% of federal poverty line definition, the adequacy of the $10,000 ESA amount, whether the program would favor students already in private school, how microschools and homeschool pods would fit, and whether the bill protects religious liberty and private-school autonomy. Democrats raised concerns about disability protections, 504 students, foster children, public-school funding, open records, and the historical context of vouchers. Republicans generally supported the bill as a way to expand options for parents and students, while also asking about administration, fraud prevention, and data security. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, with EdChoice President Robert Inlow presenting in support of SB 2 and citing the growth and reported success of school choice programs nationwide.

Transcript Highlights:

• More than one third of youth who identify as gay or lesbian have suicidal ideation.
• More than one third of youth who identify as gay or lesbian have suicidal ideation.
• It's the third leading That provides care for youth with substance use disorders.
• It's the third leading It's the third leading cause of death among youth in the U.S., according to the
• My colleague Jamie, a previous panelist, mentioned before that two-thirds of adolescent...

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery opened its first public hearing of the 2025–26 session with remarks from the Senate and House chairs outlining the committee’s priorities. They noted recent work on addiction and recovery legislation, the ongoing youth behavioral health crisis, and that members might need to leave periodically for floor votes. The chairs explained hearing procedures, including three-minute testimony limits, written testimony deadlines, and reporting deadlines for Senate and House bills. The hearing then focused on several bills related to youth mental health, overdose prevention, and psychedelic treatment research. A major portion of the hearing centered on bills to improve youth crisis response and overdose prevention. Testimony strongly supported bills to print the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on student ID cards, with speakers from mental health organizations, crisis centers, and individuals sharing personal stories of depression, suicide attempts, and the importance of making 988 as familiar as 911. Another set of bills would require schools to stock naloxone and provide overdose prevention education. Physicians, harm reduction advocates, students, and grieving family members testified that school-based Narcan access and education could save lives, reduce stigma, and help students recognize overdoses and understand Good Samaritan protections. Senator O’Connor and Tamika Perry also testified for a bill to strengthen substance use prevention education and reduce overdose abandonment, emphasizing the need to teach students about overdose risks and the legal protections for calling 911. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to authorize a pilot program for psychedelic treatment in licensed facilities. Senator Friedman and several medical and behavioral health professionals argued the proposal was a narrow, research-based approach distinct from the broader ballot question rejected in 2024. They said the bill would allow only a small number of supervised clinics to use psychedelics for conditions such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders, with data reporting and Department of Public Health oversight. Supporters described it as a cautious way to study promising treatments while avoiding unsupervised or commercialized use. Finally, the committee heard support for a bill to create a special commission and five-year strategic plan for children’s behavioral health services, with testimony that the current system is fragmented, difficult for families to navigate, and strained by workforce and funding challenges. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, as regarded in the EFA statutes, the third party that administers the program, which is currently
• > a the third party that administers a the third party that administers a program<00:39:12.560
• those things, report those things back to the state, though we may have to travel over to another third-party
• > site<00:50:48.680> to third party management software site to third party management
• I am third pathway.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 115-FN, which would remove the income cap from New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account eligibility rules. Representative Valerie McDonnell, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure is intended to fund students rather than systems and to expand educational choice regardless of income or zip code. She described the change as a small statutory edit but argued it would have significant benefits, including helping families afford alternative education settings and testing costs such as AP exams. She also cited testimony from families who said EFAs helped children with special needs or difficult circumstances, and she argued the program is popular and cost-effective. Committee members questioned McDonnell about the bill’s fiscal impact and administration. One member asked whether removing the income cap would extend vouchers to families above the statewide median income and whether the change could cost more than $100 million annually; McDonnell said she did not agree with that estimate and pointed to Arizona as a comparison. Representative Wendy Thomas asked whether the bill should require stronger data-sharing from the Children’s Scholarship Fund, which administers the program, so the Department of Education and taxpayers could better track spending; McDonnell said the program already uses ClassWallet and regulated expenditures, and that the question was better directed to the administrator. Several members testified in opposition. Representative Wendy Thomas said the bill would increase costs for public schools, raise local property taxes, and worsen oversight problems. Representative Heath Howard argued the proposal would function as a subsidy for wealthy families already paying private tuition and said public education and special education should be funded first. Representative Megan Murray also opposed the bill, emphasizing the lack of a legal reporting requirement for EFA spending and the need for transparency, accountability, and attention to special education needs. Representative Sam Farrington supported expansion, sharing a constituent story about a student who left public school after harassment and benefited from private school placement. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates processes for patients to dispute billing errors.
• One example of this came last year when Brightspeed Solutions, a third-party payment processor, knowingly

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• happy to run that amendment on third happy to run that amendment on third reading.<00:21:20.880>
• Hearing the bill be read a third time?
• Hearing the bill be read a third time?
• shall the bill be read a third time? shall the bill be read a third time?
• the bill be read a third time hearing? the bill be read a third time hearing?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• even with, if you make an error on that behalf, and that's a big error.
• <00:17:25.039> So<00:17:25.520> where error because it does happen.
• So where error because it does happen.
• > behalf<00:18:12.960> and if you make an error on that behalf and if you make an error
• So I just I that's a big error. Yeah.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was just simply an administrative error.
• language of the bill was worded, only the appraiser themselves had the opportunity to correct the error
• You know, as uh, I’m in my second year, third year now as the Commissioner of Public Safety, and one
• year now as the second year third year now as the commissioner<01:05:07.440> of<01:05:07.599>
• or or not um and uh but our own party or or not um and uh but I'm<01:37:10.639> I<01:37:10.880

Bills: HF2335, HF2400, HF2401, HF2522

Keywords: Medicare, health insurance, supplement policies, preexisting conditions, medical assistance, premium classification, real estate, appraisers, disciplinary actions, sanction matrix, Minnesota Statutes, continuing education, out-of-state, licensing, commerce, fraud prevention, automobile theft, law enforcement, insurance crimes, 1183

Transcript Highlights:

• Alzheimer's is not only a growing crisis, but Texas ranks third in the nation. and second in the nation
• This isn't a party deal, and it's not a conservative deal or a liberal deal. deal or whatever.
• Women are two-thirds of the population. that have dementia and Dr.
• We have developed psychological interventions designed to support both parties.
• The Republican party. Texas has a platform.

Bills: HB5, HJR3, HB155, HB513, HB5, HB155

Keywords: dementia, research, health care, Texas Institute, grants, medical breakthroughs, oversight, prevention, funding, healthcare, Texas, autopsy, confidentiality, public records, medical examiner, law enforcement, HB 513, surgical smoke, surgical plume, smoke evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• So we would, we have no, you know, essentially it'd be a private- A third party bonding entity.
• Recommendations do not include implementation of this third finding. Turning to page five.
• The third most commonly used service, it's emergency shelter.
• And we are becoming, really, the third coast. in cancer research because of this investment.
• A third of them saying they're staying in their job because of the retirement plan.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to say, everybody, apologies for just one little error in that investment.
• more ad hoc than standing, so we removed that and then...” “...instead replaced it with, upon a two-thirds
• That way, you know, it’s more than just a simple majority too, so two-thirds of you, because you’re building
• And in that onboarding process, who would be the responsible party to ensure the onboarding occurs?

Keywords: Virginia Commission for the Arts Board Meeting, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, it is to correct a minor drafting error in requiring that these plans must be posted publicly
• Third is to clarify that the bill only applies to campgrounds in a floodplain or along the waterway.
• uh, Representative Burdell's point, um, I think we do have to have a, a secondary and maybe even a third
• This is not a, this is not a one party or or a one discipline only solve or solution.

Bills: HB1, HB 2, HB18, HB19, HB20

Keywords: youth camps, emergency preparedness, safety standards, health regulations, camp licensing, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license

Transcript Highlights:

• But to deflect blame on skin influencers ignores the one party that is making all the profit, the cosmetic
• Countless Californians go through an age of error process for their purchases.
• However, it also offers a huge opportunity to reclaim valuable materials and create a truly sustainable third
• This permit would divide. the pie into, not necessarily equal thirds, but provide the commercial properties

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, 1582<00:33:45.600> is<00:33:45.720> the<00:33:46.000> third 1582 is the third
• quarterly reporting is in the third quarterly reporting is in the third month<00:46:28.960> of
• The two-thirds. And second room to put two-thirds. Yeah, that's fine. I guess it's me.
• Okay.<04:39:50.360> The<04:39:50.440> two-thirds.
• <04:39:57.200> Yeah, And second room to put two-thirds.

Keywords: 1189, house, all