Video & Transcript : 'academic fresh start' :

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LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Apr 21st, 2026

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • All right, we're going to get started.
  • So listening to the discussion, this to me is a starting point. We have to start somewhere.
  • So I do believe that Representative Carpenter's right, this is just a starting point, a small starting
  • Yeah, I'm starting it today.
  • Members, I'd like to start off by publicly thanking you, Mr.
Bills: HB12 , HB42 , HB205 , HB222 , HB324 , HB325 , HB350 , HB416 , HB482 , HB610 , HB749 , HB797 , HB807 , HB821 , HB979 , HB992 , HB1193
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance. (3-17-26)

Banking & Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm going to call this meeting to order, and if I can get Madam Secretary to call the roll, we'll start
  • Uh, today we're going to start with the All-American from Taylor County, Campbellsville.
  • You may start. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee.
  • It was started back, believe it or not, during World War II, when there were some families in Kentucky
  • There was a potential group talking about maybe starting something like that that we were not aware of
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance. (3-11-26)

Banking & Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • We'll get started with the agenda.
  • Uh, let's start with Senate Bill 158.
  • I am will get started with the agenda.
  • We will let's start with Senate Bill.
  • of things that we start in to do uh it of things that we start in to do uh it begets<00:03:47.040><c>
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance. (3-4-26)

Banking & Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Start with, do I have any members of the committee who have guests that they would like to introduce?
  • We will start work done and move along.
  • So before I get started, I'd like the guest to introduce themself and then I'll start with the sheriff
  • So before I get started, I'd like the guest to introduce themself and then I'll start with the sheriff
  • So before I get started, I' I'd like the guest to introduce their self and then uh I'll start with the
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance. (2-10-26)

Banking & Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • We'll start with Senate Bill 118.
  • Senator Storm, if you want to get started. >> Sure. >> If you have any guests to bring to the table,
  • I don't know if you want to do that now or after you start your bill. You can do what you prefer.
  • point where you’re ready to finish out your project so you can go back and return to your home and start
  • point where you’re ready to finish out your project so you can go back and return to your home and start
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • So, I'll go ahead and get started.
  • Looks like our first uh agenda started.
  • So, let me start out with the bad news.
  • And starting back in January of 2025, our national association, the leadership, started contacting Congress
  • And starting back in January problems.
Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September 16 minutes, and then received an update from Insurance Commissioner Sharon Clark and staff on the Department of Insurance. Clark reviewed department activity, including growth in premium volume and licensing, consumer complaints and recoveries, and a rise in fraud referrals. She said the department has 66 open fraud cases and described common schemes such as staged auto accidents, inflated repair or cleanup charges, and roofing scams. She also said the department’s investigators often prepare strong cases but face reluctance from local prosecutors, especially in Fayette and Jefferson counties, to pursue them. Clark reported favorable workers’ compensation news, saying rates will decrease 9.7% next year for the 20th straight year. She contrasted that with a difficult property insurance market driven by storms, reinsurance costs, inflation, labor shortages, and litigation, but said Kentucky’s market remains relatively stable, citing the Kentucky Fair Plan’s small number of policies. She then warned of significant 2026 health insurance premium increases on the exchange: 16.1% for Molina, 23% for Anthem, and 37% for WCare, after CareSource withdrew. She said the rates were reviewed by actuaries and found fair, but that the biggest pressure point is the scheduled expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, which she said could leave about 90% of exchange enrollees facing a compounded increase. Members questioned Clark about fraud prosecution, the number of people in commercial versus public coverage, and the impact of expiring subsidies. Clark said the prosecution issue is mainly with Commonwealth attorneys and that rural counties are more cooperative than urban ones. She also said the health market is individually rated and that older enrollees would be hit harder, while the loss of tax credits could push some people out of the marketplace. One member asked about the attorney general’s recent opinion on SB 188, the PBM bill; staff said attorneys were still reviewing it. Clark closed by noting that Kentucky’s fraud and towing/storage legislation has become a model for other states.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • and then it takes really where you start and then it takes from<00:11:16.160><c> the</c><00:11:16.399
  • in today's topic which is retired start in today's topic which is retired teachers<00:19:29.440><c>
  • </c><00:19:32.559><c> with</c><00:19:32.720><c> and</c> first thing I'm going to start with and first
  • And that open enrollment for those retirees starts on October 1st.
  • </c><01:18:42.719><c> on</c> enrollment for those retirees starts on enrollment for those retirees starts
Summary: The Public Pension Oversight Board received updates from the Kentucky Public Employees Deferred Compensation Authority and the Teachers Retirement System. Chris Biddle reported that deferred compensation assets had grown to about $4.787 billion with roughly 88,000 participants, crediting auto-enrollment, targeted marketing around pay raises, and retiree-focused services. He said the board’s self-directed brokerage account, authorized by last year’s legislation, is being designed around a $40,000 account-balance threshold with up to 25% transferable into the brokerage window, tentatively for July 1 of the coming year. He also described the free financial planning program, which has been used by about 3,300 to 3,500 participants with an 87% return rate, and noted that the plan is currently in a fee holiday; members asked about the fee structure and whether the CFP service is provided through Nationwide, which Biddle confirmed. Board members praised the deferred compensation program’s growth and asked for the legislation referenced by Biddle. He said the plan’s annual fees are capped, with a $1 monthly fee plus other charges up to a $225 cap, for a maximum of $237 per year absent a managed account. He also said the program is seeking unified payroll access to expand participation, especially among teachers, and that prior lineup changes saved about $6 million annually in participant fees. Bo Barnes of TRS then addressed retired teachers’ health insurance, first clarifying a prior question about declining federal contributions to the retirement annuity trust. He explained that federally funded school positions generated contributions that rose from $72 million in 2019 to $109 million in 2022, then fell to $85 million this year, with a projection of $80 million over the next three years; if those dollars do not come from federal sources, they would have to be replaced through the SEEK formula. Barnes then reviewed TRS health coverage, explaining that the statutory contract guarantees access to group coverage but not fixed premium levels, and that TRS administers two retiree plans: KEHP for retirees under 65 or otherwise not Medicare-eligible, and MEHP for retirees 65 and older or Medicare-eligible. Barnes said TRS completed RFPs for the 2026 plan year, retaining Express Scripts for prescription drugs and switching the Medicare Advantage medical provider from UnitedHealthcare to Humana, while keeping plan design, provider access, out-of-pocket costs, and benefits materially unchanged. He noted a modest hearing-aid improvement of $500 per ear beginning in 2026. He also reported that the TRS Board approved the maximum state contribution for KEHP at $1,044.96, up from $930.76, an 18% increase that he said would require about $15 million to $16 million more annually, while the MEHP premium would drop from $210 to $200 per month because of the new contract. Using the 2024 valuation, he said the KEHP increase would slightly reduce the health trust funded ratio from 80.4% to 80.1% and raise unfunded liability from $4.036 billion to $4.051 billion. Barnes closed by reviewing the 2010 shared-responsibility reforms that shifted retiree health costs away from a pay-as-you-go model, including phased employee and district contributions and Commonwealth stabilization funding. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • When we collect too much fees, then we fee holiday and it falls back and we start again.
  • When we collect too much fees, then we fee holiday and it falls back and we start again.
  • </c><00:12:54.399><c> So</c><00:12:55.040><c> in</c><00:12:55.279><c> the</c> back and we start again
  • So in the back and we start again.
  • </c><00:32:04.960><c> meeting</c> board instructed staff to start meeting board instructed staff to start
Summary: The Public Pension Oversight Board met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and heard updates from the Kentucky Public Employees Deferred Compensation Authority and the Teachers Retirement System. The deferred compensation update highlighted continued growth in assets to about $4.787 billion and roughly 88,000 participants, strong retention from auto-enrollment, a marketing campaign tied to pay raises that generated additional participation, and a new self-directed brokerage account expected to launch July 1 of the coming year for participants with at least a $40,000 balance, allowing up to 25% of their account to be moved into the brokerage window. The director also described the free financial planning service, which has been used by about 3,500 participants with a high return rate, and said the plan is currently in a fee holiday; if fees are charged, they are capped at $237 per year for most participants. Members asked questions about who provides the CFP service, the fee structure, and the brokerage eligibility threshold. The director said the CFP service is provided through the authority’s service bundle with Nationwide, not as a separate paid service, and explained that the fee cap and current fee holiday are intended to keep the program low-cost. Board members praised the deferred compensation program’s performance and asked for a copy of the legislation referenced in the presentation. TRS then presented on retired teachers’ health insurance. Barnes first clarified how declining federal contributions for federally funded school positions affect the retirement annuity trust, explaining that if those federal dollars fall, the amounts would need to be covered through the SEEK formula and that the projection for those contributions is about $80 million over the next three years. He then reviewed TRS retiree health coverage, distinguishing between KEHP for retirees under 65 or not Medicare-eligible and MEHP for Medicare-eligible retirees, and explained that TRS recently completed RFPs for both prescription drug and medical coverage. TRS will keep Express Scripts for prescription drugs, but will move the Medicare Advantage medical plan from UnitedHealthcare to Humana on January 1, 2026, while keeping the plan design, provider access, and out-of-pocket structure largely unchanged, with a new hearing-aid benefit of $500 per ear. Barnes also reported the 2026 premium and contribution changes: the maximum TRS contribution toward KEHP will rise to $1,144.96 from $930.76, an 18% increase that he said will require roughly $15 million to $16 million more in the state budget, while the MEHP premium will drop to $200 per month from $210. He said the TRS board has statutory authority to set these amounts and that the changes will have mixed actuarial effects, with the KEHP increase being negative overall and the MEHP decrease positive.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • uh same<00:04:15.400><c> as</c><00:04:15.640><c> the</c><00:04:16.160><c> a</c><00:04:16.320><c> starting
  • </c><00:04:16.919><c> Trooper</c><00:04:17.440><c> on</c><00:04:17.680><c> the</c> same as the a starting
  • Trooper on the same as the a starting Trooper on the vacation<00:04:18.919><c> and</c><00:04:19.079>
  • </c><00:16:42.759><c> by</c> surrounding states I'd like to start by surrounding states I'd like to start
  • I worked in the tobacco fields when I first started practice. The lead physician smoked.
Summary: The Senate State and Local Government Committee met and first took up House Bill 30, which addresses pension spiking and retired state troopers returning to work. The sponsor and Kentucky Public Pensions Authority staff said the bill would codify court language clarifying that across-the-board raises from the General Assembly do not count as pension spiking, and the committee substitute would also give retired troopers rehired on a year-to-year basis the same vacation, sick leave, and bereavement benefits as new troopers. The committee adopted the substitute and a title amendment, and HB 30 passed 9-0. The committee then considered House Bill 27, which removes an arbitrary 2023 date from the Planned Communities Act that had created confusion over political signage rules in HOA and planned community phases. The sponsor said the change would preserve HOA authority to regulate sign size, duration, and placement while eliminating inconsistent treatment of neighboring properties. The bill passed 10-0. House Bill 45 followed, proposing to ban foreign funding in Kentucky elections and ballot measures and to require disclosure for express advocacy ads related to ballot measures. Supporters said the bill would put ballot measures on the same footing as candidate and PAC restrictions and prevent foreign nationals from influencing Kentucky elections; one senator raised concerns that the language could unintentionally chill participation by noncitizens, especially in one-on-one discussions, and the sponsor said he would work on that issue. The committee adopted the bill as amended, and it passed 8-1. The final major item was House Bill 211, which would create a narrow exemption allowing cigar bars under defined conditions, including a revenue threshold, age restrictions, ventilation requirements, and local permitting options. The sponsor said the bill would not roll back general smoke-free laws but would allow tightly regulated cigar bars and grandfather existing ones from some requirements. Public health witnesses, including a nurse, a physician, and a thoracic surgeon, opposed the bill, warning it would weaken strong smoke-free protections, harm workers and patrons, and reverse progress against tobacco-related disease. The transcript provided did not include a final vote on HB 211.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • So it's my constituents that are going to be affected, and while, you know, when you start doing this
  • </c> and while uh you know when you start and while uh you know when you start doing<00:10:50.360><c>
  • I'm saying this is how it starts.
  • I'm just saying I think we how it starts I'm just saying I think we need<00:19:24.720><c> to</c><00:
  • at 9:00 if meeting so uh I try to start at 9:00 if we<00:25:08.200><c> can</c><00:25:08.320><c> get<
Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first considered House Bill 88, which was described as a short bill to clarify procedures for Waste Management boards, including term limits, appointments, and making sure consolidated governments actively recruit community members and make openings easier to find. The sponsor said the bill was intended to resolve confusion about members staying on after terms expire. The bill received no opposition, passed the committee unanimously, and was reported favorably for the floor. The committee then took up House Bill 346, as amended by a committee substitute. The sponsor explained that the bill responds to a dispute over air emission fees, especially for emergency generators and backup generators used for worker safety and limited non-emergency testing. The bill would exempt emergency generators and backup generators operating 100 hours or less for maintenance/testing from fees, while also removing an existing 4,000-ton cap so the per-ton fee would drop for most permitted sources. Members discussed the possible impact on utilities and ratepayers, with concerns raised that costs could be passed through to consumers and affect coal-dependent areas. The sponsor and another member argued the change would generally reduce fees for most sources and incentivize emissions reductions; the cabinet was described as neutral, and the affected utilities were identified as TVA, LG&E, East Kentucky Power, and Big Rivers, with only TVA having raised comments. The committee substitute was adopted, and the bill passed the committee with a favorable recommendation, though one member voted no and several members explained yes votes while expressing ongoing concerns about future rate impacts. At the end of the meeting, members briefly discussed broader concerns about utility surcharges and the need to monitor the effects of legislation on ratepayers, but those comments were not part of the bill under consideration. The chair noted that future meetings may include more bills and could start earlier if needed, and the committee then adjourned.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Before you start, you need to state your name for the record, and then you can take off.
  • CTE students have the opportunity to get a head start on employment training as well, with over 13,500
  • you need to state uh before you start you need to state your<00:04:21.799><c> name</c><00:04:22.040>
  • </c> have the opportunity to get a head start have the opportunity to get a head start on<00:05:47.199
  • First, I'd like to start off with some thanks. The first is to you, Mr.
Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and heard a presentation from Parker Keys, Northern Kentucky State Vice President for Kentucky FFA, on the value of career and technical education (CTE). He highlighted enrollment of more than 143,000 secondary students in CTE, work-based learning, dual credit, industry certifications, and the role of student organizations such as DECA, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA, Educators Rising, TSA, and SkillsUSA. Senators praised CTE as important for workforce readiness and resume building, and encouraged continued engagement with the committee. The committee then considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 43, sponsored by Senator Steve West, supporting a Southern Regional Education Board initiative to expand crisis counseling and recovery support for schools and colleges after tragedies and disasters. Dr. Steven Puit and Linda Tyrie described a regional network of trained counselors modeled on Kentucky’s response after Marshall County, emphasizing long-term recovery, psychological first aid, and deployment support for up to a year after an event. Members spoke in strong support, citing the lasting impact of Marshall County and Heath, and the resolution passed 13-0 and was reported favorably. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 77, a cleanup bill relating to the Education Professional Standards Board. Senator Matt Deneen and Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities representative Mr. Dyer explained that the bill clarifies that small independent colleges and universities may designate a qualified education department representative, not only a chief academic officer, to serve on the board. The committee adopted a committee substitute by voice vote, and the substitute was approved.