Transcript Highlights:

• we cover from the program fees.
• fees.
• My question may be a little off base, but when you get a complaint filed, Mr.
• It relies on fee revenue and animal care and facility funds.
• They haven't had a fee increase going back to 2013.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes an inspection and supervision fee, as well as application fees.
• Anytime a utility files an application with us, they pay a fee.
• Currently, utility fees go into the general fund.
• And right now you said that the fees that you are.
• The fees would go into the fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• The second amendment conforms the bill to the House cross-file.
• Uh, looking at the measures of sale prices and the fees, can you maybe talk a little bit about the fees
• Here's the cross-file in memory of Melanie Diaz.
• Excellent report on that cross-file.
• professional dispensing fee.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened with a quorum present and proceeded through a series of committee reports and floor actions, mostly on House bills. Several measures were advanced without opposition, often after brief floor explanations and unanimous adoption of committee amendments. Topics included behavioral health rate-setting modernization (HB 772), expedited Medicaid eligibility for relocated individuals with developmental disabilities (HB 1015), perinatal behavioral health screening and coverage (HB 1118), mammogram notices about breast arterial calcification (HB 1364), menopause provider training and coverage (HB 1365), cannabis licensing and training changes (HB 622), cemetery sale and transfer oversight (HB 892), travel services insurance requirements (HB 994), cash transaction rounding authorization (HB 1026), specie as legal tender (HB 1312), menstrual hygiene product ingredient labeling (HB 1357), health care quality reporting and a health centralization commission (HB 1372), special pediatric hospital transfer and review procedures (HB 1376), telehealth continuity of care for out-of-state counselors (HB 1483), and child placement protections for unlicensed settings and pediatric overstay patients (HB 1559). Most of these bills were ordered passed for third reading after the chamber adopted the committee amendments and favorable reports. The Senate also considered environmental and consumer-related measures. HB 146 would delay implementation dates for onsite wastewater system regulation and licensing requirements, while striking provisions on inspections and pumping for rental properties and sales. HB 254, a Department of Natural Resources bill, was described as facilitating community engagement in planning and development of departmental projects. HB 969 on retail electric vehicle fuel sales and charging equipment requirements was also taken up and reported favorably. In each of these cases, members noted no committee opposition and no fiscal impact, and the bills were advanced. Two bills were set aside rather than immediately acted on. HB 1037, concerning a Public Service Commission study on broadband and voice over internet protocol service, was special ordered until Friday at the request of a senator. HB 1312, the specie/legal tender bill, prompted questions about the definition of specie and was also special ordered for consideration the next morning. No roll-call votes were recorded in the excerpt; actions were taken by unanimous consent on amendments and committee reports, with multiple bills ordered to third reading.

Transcript Highlights:

• Other states leverage a combination of taxes, fees, assessments, or other sources of income to pay for
• This includes things like interest income, exchange user fees, and personal responsibility fines.
• assessments or other sources taxes fees assessments or other sources of<00:10:15.480> income<
• exchange user fees and personal responsibility responsibility responsibility fines<00:10:24.360>
• Plans also pay a 3.5% change fee to fund MNET?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• bill to come before us is Senate File bill to come before us is Senate File 22,<00:12:33.600>
• There doesn't have to be a filing with the secretary of state to trigger it.
• There doesn't have to be a filing with the secretary of state to trigger it.
• on line 20 about supervisory fees on line 20 about supervisory fees because<00:41:51.680> the
• Chairman, this is a roll call vote for Senate File 55.

Bills: SF0021, SF0022, SF0054, SF0055

Keywords: stable token, liquidity, trust account, Wyoming, fund distribution, financial regulation, state commission, decentralized, nonprofit association, merger, conversion, liability, membership, governance, indemnification, banking regulation, special purpose depository institution, conversion process, Wyoming state laws, financial services

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill also has language that allows any circuit court to collect a civil case filing surcharge not
• But doesn't your fee cover that?
• We have a fee for that, but if we move to a sales tax model, we were concerned that fee would also be
• cover that we have a fee for that but I if we move to a sales tax model that fee would we were concerned
• that fee would also be reconsidered and that'd be part of that discussion about how do we on have an

Summary: The Committee on Local Government held a public hearing on Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1023, sponsored by Senator Justin Brown. Brown explained that the bill would expand existing authority for certain public library districts to seek voter approval for a sales tax, with property tax reductions tied to the sales tax in some cases. He noted special provisions for Cass and Johnson counties, where the sales tax rate would be capped at 0.33% and would replace real and personal property taxes, and also described a separate provision allowing circuit courts to collect a civil case filing surcharge of up to $15 for law library maintenance. Library representatives and supporters testified in favor. They argued that libraries rely heavily on property tax revenue, that the bill would let local voters choose a more diversified funding mix, and that it would help libraries respond to growth and facility needs. Witnesses from Scenic Regional Library, St. Charles City-County Library, Marshall Public Library, the Missouri Library Association, and the Kansas City Public Library described local circumstances, including St. Charles County’s three-year phase-out and rollback requirement, Marshall’s voter-approved sales tax and concerns about county reclassification, and Kansas City’s request for fiscal-year flexibility. Committee members raised questions about the fairness of shifting library funding to sales tax, especially for nonresidents, and one member objected to the tone of the senator’s questioning during the hearing. No one testified in opposition, and the chair closed the public hearing. The committee announced it planned to executive the bill on Monday, with notice to follow. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• here uh house file here uh house file 2561<00:12:08.560> um<00:12:09.560> in<00:12
• house file house file 2561<00:15:06.639> and<00:15:06.759> with<00:15:06.920> that
• agenda for today is house file agenda for today is house file 2767<01:14:45.719> which<01
• Please support House File 2767.
• for house file for house file 2767<01:20:05.440> children's<01:20:05.920> Minnesota

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , official personnel files.
• , official personnel files.
• And so if records are kept in their, what we call their personnel files, official personnel files.
• proposal, among states that charge fees.
• Only seven states had lower 911 state fees than California.

Summary: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 heard the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the judicial branch, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget remains structurally imbalanced and urged the Legislature to avoid new ongoing spending unless offset by reductions elsewhere. In the judicial branch discussion, the Judicial Council highlighted language access funding, appellate court security, a backfill for the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation room mandate; Finance supported most items but suggested reporting language on interpreter costs and reducing the General Fund backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial vacancies, long-term salary freezes, remote hearings, and the lack of progress on court staffing in some counties. For the Board of State and Community Corrections, the administration proposed $10 million one-time each for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People grant program and a human trafficking vertical prosecution grant program. The LAO said both should be weighed against other priorities and suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and asked whether ongoing support would be considered. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said BSC was a good fit because of its grant administration experience and prior vertical prosecution work, while legislators asked why the program was not placed with the Office of Emergency Services as originally contemplated in prior legislation. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse staffing, completion of organized retail criminal enterprise cases, and trailer bill language for a continuous appropriation from the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO supported the antitrust account use but questioned the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s ability to cover the full request without General Fund repayment, and recommended against a continuous appropriation for the restitution fund in favor of a more limited mechanism with legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. In the CDCR portion, the largest discussion centered on the Boston Consulting Group efficiency review and sharply reduced savings estimates; LAO said the department had not fully explained the proposed position eliminations or future $100 million savings target, while Finance said the work reflected deeper analysis and ongoing efforts to find savings. Members repeatedly pressed CDCR and Finance on the gap between earlier promised savings and the revised figures. CDCR also outlined population projections showing continued declines in prison and parole populations, while LAO again urged the state to close an additional prison to save ongoing costs. The department then walked through several May Revision items, including workers’ compensation funding, a Corcoran honor housing dorm, incarcerated firefighter pay implementation, an incarcerated menopause program, mental health receiver staffing, mental health resource teams and crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing changes, and AI note-taking for the electronic health record. LAO generally recommended limiting-term funding and more reporting for many of these proposals, while Finance defended them as necessary ongoing investments or court-ordered obligations. Members questioned the cost of workers’ compensation, the need for more prison closures, the lack of funding for women’s facility violence prevention, and the timing and transparency of the BCG savings process. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Estimating conference, fiscal analysis on all tax bills filed, staff analysis to support that drafting
• and the form filings that we get from the health and life and property and auto insurers that exist
• fees are established by commission rule, all subject to due process, as you would expect.
• And on the other hand, we have appeals that can be filed by public employees who are protected under
• And we also receive complaints filed under the Drug-Free Workplace Act and whistleblower cases.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met for an introductory overview of the agencies under its jurisdiction and their current-year budgets. Chair Vicki Lopez welcomed members and staff, and each member briefly introduced themselves and identified areas of interest, with recurring themes including fiscal restraint, insurance regulation, revenue administration, condominium issues, and government efficiency. The chair then outlined the subcommittee’s overall budget, about $3.1 billion, and noted major recent policy areas affecting the budget such as condominium legislation and emergency communications funding. Agency heads then presented high-level summaries of their missions and budgets. The Department of Revenue described property tax oversight, tax administration, and child support enforcement; the Department of Management Services reviewed state purchasing, telecommunications, fleet, state insurance, retirement, and digital services; DBPR highlighted licensing, enforcement, condominiums, and building code work; DFS covered insurance consumer services, risk management, unclaimed property, fire marshal functions, and criminal investigations; the Gaming Control Commission discussed pari-mutuel and tribal gaming oversight and enforcement; OIR explained insurer solvency and rate review; the Lottery emphasized education funding and record sales; OFR described regulation of banking, securities, lending, and money services; DOAH outlined administrative and workers’ compensation adjudication; PSC covered utility rate regulation and consumer complaints; PERC described labor relations and career service appeals; and FCHR summarized discrimination complaint investigations and outreach. Several members asked questions about utility returns, insurance regulation staffing, DMS’s state employee health plan deficit and prescription drug formulary management, agency recommendations for reducing regulatory burden, and state facilities usage. Responses generally emphasized that utility rates and insurer filings are determined through evidentiary and actuarial processes, that OIR has reduced vacancies but still seeks specialized staff and a Tampa office expansion, and that DMS acknowledged rising health plan costs and said the issue likely requires broader budget-level discussion. The chair also pressed multiple presenters to stay focused on agency operations and budgets rather than broader policy issues. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• district, require candidates for trustee to confirm they are not subject to this restriction when filing
• district, require candidates for trustee to confirm they are not subject to this restriction when filing
• The Texas tuition fee waiver offers a life-changing opportunity for former foster youth.
• Although I was fortunate enough to utilize the tuition and fee waiver right after high school, so many
• Bills have been filed in past sessions to attempt to band-aid this issue.

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:10.720> this frozen section four uh as on fees this frozen section four uh as on fees
• <00:23:10.440> 8 to the perming process in house file 8 to the perming process in house file
• House File 8 will not address all of our permitting challenges.
• We urge you to support House File 8.
• <00:50:32.920> 8 threatened by this bill house file 8 threatened by this bill house file 8

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These things have not been fully investigated, but we know thanks to the Twitter files that this was
• CFPB has improved American lives by capping credit card late fees, bank overdue... draft fees, reduced
• junk fees, has banned medical debt on credit reports.
• And it's not just a little bit of waste, it's humongous waste. $189 million in those fees alone.
• We saw in the Twitter files, we saw with the CTIL files which we which a whistleblower gave to us that

Keywords: fiscal responsibility, government waste, foreign aid, funding resolution, legislative oversight

Summary: The committee meeting addressed government spending and foreign aid, with a particular emphasis on perceived wasteful expenditures. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing a funding resolution for the committee, which received unanimous support from the members present. The chair noted a quorum at the beginning of the meeting, signaling that the committee was ready to conduct its business. Discussions highlighted ongoing debates concerning fiscal responsibility and the necessity of legislative oversight, notably regarding foreign aid allocations and their implications for domestic fiscal health.

Transcript Highlights:

• and assessments all the terms and fees and assessments all the terms and conditions<00:02:53.680>
• different um bail bills that were filed. different um bail bills that were filed.
• pays, is not part of the fees authorized under the statute.
• Um, and then the last thing would be, I'm not sure on the $35,000 pay-to-go-home fee.
• Senator Johnson filed the bill for them. Senator Johnson filed the bill for them.

Keywords: Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 3 February, 2026; 9:00 A.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several criminal justice and public safety bills. Senator Sparks explained SB 2416, which would let a law enforcement officer who tests positive on an initial drug screen obtain a more invasive follow-up test at the officer’s expense; if the second test is negative, the first result would be treated as a false positive and the officer’s certification would not be put at risk. The committee also heard SB 2228, which would reduce the waiting period for certain felony expungements from five years to three years, following a recommendation from the criminal justice task force. Members discussed how expungement remains discretionary with the court and does not change which offenses are eligible; the bill passed committee after a motion and voice vote. The committee then considered a committee substitute for SB 21108, a combined bail bill. Counsel said it would require suspension of a bail agent’s license when there is a civil judgment, exclude credit card transaction fees from authorized bail fees, clarify requirements for cash deposits in lieu of surety or property bonds, bar unsecured judicial release for bail-restricted offenses, and allow courts to assess service-of-process costs against bail agents in certain failure-to-appear cases. A reverse repealer was added, and the committee voted to pass the committee substitute. Finally, the committee heard SB 2114, which would expand state immigration enforcement efforts by allowing DPS to collect information on illegal aliens, codifying participation in the federal 287(g) program, and creating state penalties for certain unlawful entry and criminal conduct by undocumented persons, including enhanced penalties for violent or sex offenses. The sponsor and counsel said the bill is intended to work with federal law and includes exemptions for certain federal immigration statuses and a provision allowing some nonviolent defendants to agree to deportation in lieu of prosecution. Members raised concerns about enforcement, probable cause, and unintended consequences, but the sponsor said the bill would require proof of entry through the Gulf of Mexico for the new entry offense and that the measure would enhance cooperation with federal authorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was also a fee associated with each individual check, and now that fee is not there for election
• Lawsuits filed in the District of Massachusetts, and then there were private party lawsuits filed in
• , and thus far this year, we've only filed 11, so it slowed down a little bit to pace of the filings.
• We filed two challenges to changes on student loans, and we filed a couple of housing cases.
• How do we choose the cases to file?

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 2561.
• will move that House File 2151 be laid over.
• Please support House File 2767. House File 2767.
• So I am going to bring House File 2908 before the committee, and I will move that House File 2908 be
• Discussion on House File 2908.

Transcript Highlights:

• for all case files. for all case files.
• Um, so our role goes far beyond filing Um, so our role goes far beyond filing paper<00:59:31.920
• veterans and their families, filing veterans and their families, filing disability<01:04:02.000>
• Under state law, when we file a claim, we're actually either filing it through the Minnesota Department
• <01:09:04.319> a county veteran service officer files a county veteran service officer files

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened its first meeting of the session with member introductions and a statement from the chair that veterans issues would remain distinct and receive separate attention. The first item was an update on the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum at Camp Ripley from Executive Director Randall Dietrich. He said the museum has operated for nearly 50 years, has outgrown its current space, and is building a new 40,000-square-foot facility with $32 million in state support plus several million more in private funding. He described construction progress, planned exhibits including restored military artifacts and the USS Ward gun, and said the museum is scheduled to open on September 12. In response to Senator Kunish, Dietrich said the museum is actively incorporating stories and flags representing women, tribal nations, and other underrepresented groups, including 11 tribal flags at the entrance, and is working to integrate those stories throughout the galleries rather than isolating them. The committee then received an update from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs on the veterans suicide prevention plan from Rachel Johnson, Veterans Committee Health Director, with John Kelly later answering questions on department impacts. Johnson said the plan is a coordinated statewide framework built with legislative support, expanding regional coordinators, veteran health navigators, data analytics, and community partnerships, including a suicide mortality review pilot in Hennepin County. She said Minnesota loses about 100 veterans a year to suicide, that firearms remain the primary mechanism, and that prevention must address community connection, economic stability, and access to care, not just clinical treatment. She also said the plan aligns with state and federal strategies and is intended as a living roadmap. In response to questions, Johnson said the department is exploring data-sharing policy issues, has not seen a direct financial impact from federal VA staffing changes, and is tracking federal proposals affecting VA advisory groups. She also said 988 data is available in general but more Minnesota-specific data on the veteran option is still being gathered. Members asked follow-up questions about trends in veteran suicide, the role of families in identifying warning signs, and the Hennepin County mortality review pilot. Johnson said the annual number has remained around 100 for about 15 years, with a dip in 2024 and a return to that level in 2025, and that the Hennepin County pilot was chosen because it offers a manageable geography and existing coalition work, with an initial review expected by May or June. The final item began a presentation from the Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers. Legislative chair Larry Fonder said the group’s priorities are protecting veterans from fraud and modernizing the property tax benefit for disabled veterans, but the presentation would focus on educating the committee about the role, training, certification, and accountability of county veteran service officers. President Tom Anderson, the Winona County VSO and a Navy veteran, began describing his background and office staffing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then also if somebody were to file a lawsuit saying that no, you cannot prohibit guns from my local
• This is where we flag if there's a fee increase that hasn't been authorized by statute.
• This is where we flag if there's a fee increase that hasn't been authorized by statute.
• increase that a fee that there's a fee increase that a fee that hasn't<00:14:23.360> been<00:
• there's a lawsuit filed. there's a lawsuit filed.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The continued conference on House Bill 609 focused on reconciling House and Senate drafts dealing with firearms and other personal defense tools, local government preemption, and agency rulemaking. Representative Leyon walked through amendment 21107H, explaining that it narrows undefined terms, clarifies that the General Court has supremacy over local regulation, allows damages actions for violations of preemption law, and adds language limiting agency rules unless specifically authorized by statute. She also described a three-year sunset and a delayed effective date for new rules so existing rules could continue temporarily while the legislature considers any needed statutory carveouts. Members then debated the practical effect of the language, especially whether it would bar agencies from adopting internal employment rules or instead require those rules to come through JCAR and be tied to express statutory authority. Several examples were discussed, including state plow drivers, corrections employees, and other workers who may need to carry personal defense tools in the field. The committee also discussed a provision making a plaintiff a prevailing party if a municipality changes a challenged policy after suit is filed, and a clause stating that good faith or advice of counsel is not a defense, though it may be considered in mitigation. The discussion narrowed to the difference between the House approach, which some members read as an absolute prohibition on agency rules in these areas, and the Senate approach, which some members said would allow rules only when an agency can point to express enabling authority and JCAR can review them. Members agreed that the goal was to prevent agencies from adopting rules that conflict with the statute while still allowing legitimate safety-related regulations where the legislature has authorized them. The conference took a recess and later resumed with the chair stating the parties had reached an agreement in principle based on the latest Senate language, and Representative Leyon was asked to continue reviewing the draft line by line for remaining concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• All of our operators have to file a report with our office.
• , ability to set the source market fee, ability to set the source market fee, which<00:48:10.319>
• fee on. fee on.
• So, they file a not a weekly basis.
• <02:43:04.640> for At that time when it was filed for At that time when it was filed for introduction

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So they billed more... ...million in fees and penalties billed.
• Right now, as amended, it's just only one service as originally filed.
• Right now, as amended, it is just one service as originally filed.
• You go to the ambulatory surgery center, you have three charges: a facility fee, an anesthesia fee, and
• a professional fee.

Bills: HB198, HB325, HB488, HB719, HB749, HB755, HB797, HB823, HB1028, HB1194, HB1222

Keywords: Medicaid, reimbursement, ambulatory surgical centers, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, healthcare funding, Louisiana Department of Health, surgical procedures, TOPS-Tech, scholarship, education, eligibility, college credit, dual enrollment, state funding, HB 488, Belle Chasse Bridge, Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund, Plaquemines Parish

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:36:15.760> So, they will have to pay a dollar fee.
• So, they will have to pay a dollar fee.
• <01:36:57.920> Is there would be the same exact fee.
• And there are over 80 similar cases filed in New Hampshire alone.
• does not file charges in the case. does not file charges in the case.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all