Transcript Highlights:

• year they're here, and they claim homestead, and it's their private, more specifically, it's their primary
• I used to be able to deduct all $56,000 a year I pay for my primary residence in property taxes, and
• A year I pay for my primary residence and property taxes. And then I got capped at $10,000, right?
• new homestead exemption, and then limit the property tax increase to the annual inflation rate for primary
• revenue... ...responders, these promises ring hollow, because budgeting 101, without the primary revenue

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the testifiers really around the Marriage and Family Therapists, and I'll just cover briefly the primary
• NPs and CNSs lead clinics and private practices all over the state, especially in primary care and mental
• NPs and CNSs lead clinics and private practices all over the state, especially in primary care and mental
• NPs and CNSs lead clinics and private practices all over the state, especially in primary care and mental
• NPs and CNSs lead clinics and private practices all over the state, especially in primary care and mental

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the primary thing that consideration.
• So the primary thing that this<01:07:38.000> amendment<01:07:38.480> does<01:07:38.720>
• The primary way this law would work is actually to prohibit a defense.
• The primary way this law would work is actually to prohibit a defense.
• The primary way this law would work is actually to prohibit a defense.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's a primary concern of our office and what we do.
• So that's a a primary<00:37:24.240> um<00:37:24.960> concern<00:37:25.280> is<00
• 37:25.440> not<00:37:25.599> the<00:37:25.760> maybe<00:37:25.920> it primary
• um concern is not the maybe it primary um concern is not the maybe it is<00:37:26.160> the<00
• concern of of our of our office primary concern of of our of our office and<00:37:28.880> and

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on State Government met for its first meeting and heard a presentation from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KY Stats) by Executive Director Matt Barry and Legislative Director Calli Arnold. The presentation reviewed KY Stats’ statutory background, its evolution from KESUS, its board membership, and its role in housing Kentucky’s longitudinal data system and labor market information office. Barry explained that KY Stats links data from multiple state sources, validates and cleans it, deidentifies it, and uses it to produce reports, evaluations, and responses to data requests for policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Barry described the scale of the system, noting more than 6,000 active data elements, 178 unique file types, and data from 48 sources across 26 agencies. He highlighted the agency’s privacy and security practices, including separate servers for source data and deidentified reporting data, and said KY Stats does not use real-time data. He also outlined the types of reports produced, including the annual high school feedback report and a recent life outcomes report tracking the 2017 public high school cohort’s postsecondary education, completion, wages, and employment outcomes. Members asked about the timeliness and availability of data, especially SNAP and Medicaid information, and Barry said most data arrive annually or quarterly and that Medicaid data had been used in a limited one-time project rather than as an ongoing feed. Questions also focused on artificial intelligence; Barry said KY Stats has not integrated AI but is exploring it cautiously because of privacy and security concerns. Several members encouraged further work with AI tools, while Barry emphasized that any use would need to protect confidentiality. The committee also discussed staffing and funding, with Barry saying KY Stats has about 49 total staff and annual funding of roughly $3.1 million in state general funds, plus federal labor-related funding. Committee members praised the agency’s work and suggested legislators may not fully understand its capabilities. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Montero specializes in primary care sports medicine.
• She explained that the screening tests for 37 primary conditions and about 27 secondary conditions, and
• And we have a really, we test for 37s of primary conditions and about 27 secondary conditions.
• Senator Rodriguez, what are the primary goals of your bill in terms of education policy?
• down the road and did a campaign event, and there was an assassination or attempted killing of the primary

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and heard several member introductions before moving to the special order calendar. The chamber first took up SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, which directs DEP to develop a statewide recycling strategy by 2026 with stakeholder input and a three-year implementation roadmap; the House bill was substituted and passed 38-0. Senators then approved CS/CS/SB 492 on mitigation banking and land development after adopting two McLean amendments, including one on out-of-service credits and another incorporating phosphate mining lands provisions; the bill passed 35-3 after debate over possible constitutional issues. CS/SB 494 on aggravated animal cruelty was also amended and substituted with the House companion to add a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers and a sentencing multiplier, with an agriculture-related exemption; it passed 37-0. The Senate next passed CS/CS/SB 500/HB 711 creating the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, including training and coordinated alert procedures, with a House amendment to align implementation timing and funding; it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 524/HB 1089 added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening tests and passed 36-0. CS/CS/SB 592/HB 393 revised the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program by lowering approval thresholds, clarifying eligibility and ownership issues, and adding sliding-door wind-driven rain mitigation devices; it passed 37-0 after discussion about funding and insurance premium credits. CS/SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education allowed charter schools direct access to grant funding and expanded money-back guarantees for certain programs, and it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 822/HB 443 on charter schools generated extensive debate and multiple amendments, including a Jones amendment requiring parent acknowledgment of school rules; the bill would expand charter autonomy, reporting flexibility, enrollment capacity, and governance provisions, and it was placed on the calendar for third reading after the amendment process. Later, the Senate passed HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, which would examine job displacement, wages, vulnerable regions, and training needs, by a 35-0 vote. It also passed CS/CS/SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, CS/SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, and CS/SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment and digitally forged intimate images, all unanimously. CS/CS/SB 1156 on a Home Health Aid for Medically Fragile Children Program was amended to clarify training requirements and passed 37-0 after supportive debate about helping parents care for medically fragile children. Finally, CS/CS/CS/SB 1240/HB 1091 on substance abuse and mental health care was amended to allow designated facilities to retain certain stabilized patients during the 72-hour involuntary examination period and passed 37-0. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, and the chamber also recognized guests and interns throughout the session.

Bills: HCR158, HCR159, HCR160, HCR161, HCR162, HCR163, HCR164, HR174, HR427, HR790, HR810, HR857, HR866, HR882, HR883, HR962, HR966, HR1001, HR1045, HR1085, HR1097, HR1127, HR1138, HR1141, HR1150, HR1152, HR1292, HR1296, HR1304, HR1305, HR1306, HR1308, HR1309, HR1310, HR1311, HR1312, HR1313, HR1315, HR1317, HR1318, HR1320, HR1321, HR1322, HR1323, HR1324, HR1325, HR1327, HR1328, HR1329, HR1330, HR1331, HR1332, HR1333, HR1334, HR1335, HR1338, HR1340, HR1341, HR1342, HR1343, HR1344, HR1345, HR1346, HR1347, HR1348, HR1349, HR1352, HR1353, HR1354, HR1355, HR1358, HR1359, HR1360, HR1361, HR1362, HR1363, HR1364, HR1365, HR1366, HR1368, HR1369, HR1370, HR1380, HR1383, HR1384, HR1385, HR1386, HR1387, HR1388, HR1389, HR1390, HR1392, HR1393, HR1396, HR1397, HR1398, HR1399, HR1400, HR1402, HR1403, HR1404, HR1405, HR1406, HR1407, HR1408, HR1409, HR1410, HR1411, HR1412, HR1413, HR1414, HR1415, HR1417, HR1418, HR1419, HR1420, HR1421, HR1422, HR1424, HR1425, HR1426, HR1427, HR1428, HR1429, HR1430, HR1431, HR1432, HR1433, HR1434, HR1435, HR1436, HR1437, HR1438, HR1440, HR1441, HR1442, HR1443, HR1444, HR1445, HR1447, HR1448, HR1449, HR1450, HR1452, HR1453, HR1454, HR1455, HR1456, HR1458, HR1459, HR1460, HR1461, HR1462, HR1463, HR1464, HR1465, HR1466, HR1467, HR1469, HR1470, HR1471, HR1472, HR1473, HR1475, HR1477, HCR132, HCR154, HR17, HR49, HR170, HR275, HR355, HR356, HR364, HR369, HR672, HR690, HR755, HR756, HR759, HR762, HR763, HR781, HR785, HR848, HR1240, HR1265, HR1303, HR1307, HR1314, HR1316, HR1319, HR1326, HR1336, HR1337, HR1350, HR1351, HR1367, HR1371, HR1372, HR1373, HR1374, HR1375, HR1376, HR1377, HR1378, HR1379, HR1382, HR1391, HR1395, HR1451, HR1457, HR1468, HR1474, HR1476, SB1637, SB2878, HB2885, HB2017, HB5246, SB8, SB2308, SB1405, HB 119, SB3059, SB15, SB568, SB2900, HB3642, HB3909, SB268, HB493, SB2217, HB2516, SB650, HB2963, SB1610, HB705, SB2972, SB1540, HB40, SB2753, SB1660, SB2024, HB1545, HB46

Keywords: World War II, V-J Day, Victory over Japan Day, Japan surrender, atomic bomb, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, USS Missouri, Douglas MacArthur, Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Potsdam Conference, Pacific Theater, Greatest Generation, veterans, military history, commemoration, concurrent resolution, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• Because then in the high school, we have the requirement that if you're teaching a primary subject area
• Because then in the high school, we have the requirement that if you're teaching a primary subject area
• Because then in the high school, we have the requirement that if you're teaching a primary subject area
• Because then in the high school, we have the requirement that if you're teaching a primary subject area
• Then in the high school, we have the requirement that if you're teaching a primary subject area, that

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:39:22.560> purpose<03:39:23.359> used alimony because the primary purpose used
• alimony because the primary purpose used to<03:39:23.760> be<03:39:24.880> um<03:39:25.920
• <04:38:34.719> can't<04:38:35.119> be<04:38:35.279> the<04:38:35.600> primary
• or national origin can't be the primary or national origin can't be the primary factor<04:38:37.039
• which English is not their primary which English is not their primary language<04:44:14.798>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But our primary care is of most importance at this time to be sure we continue to allow for access to
• primary care to keep us healthy.
• Help Wahiwa to continue serving as the only primary care FQ in Wahiwa, Mililani, and our agricultural
• primary care to keep us healthy.
• primary care to keep us healthy.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing on Act 310 grants and aid focused on organizations describing how federal funding cuts, Medicaid/SNAP changes, and related policy shifts are affecting their services and budgets. Committee members explained there would be no Q&A, testimony would be limited to one minute, and in-person participants would be heard before Zoom callers. Members repeatedly asked testifiers to identify the amount of federal funding lost or at risk. Testimony came from a wide range of nonprofits and community providers, including Aloha Care, Hawaii Bicycling League, Hawaii Literacy, Hawaii Youth Symphony, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, the Tsunami Museum, The Kohala Center, West Hawaii Community Health Center, West Hawaii Region Hospital Foundation, Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, Dynamic Community Solutions, Feeding Hawaii Together, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaiian Lending and Investments, Homana, Honolulu Theatre for the Youth, Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, and Kokua Kalihi Valley. Most described reduced or threatened federal support and requested state funding to maintain services such as health care access, food security, disaster preparedness, literacy and digital inclusion, youth mentoring, arts education, housing, and climate or agricultural resilience. Several speakers emphasized direct impacts on vulnerable populations, including kūpuna, low-income families, immigrants, homeless youth, and people with disabilities. Requests ranged from relatively small planning or program grants to multi-million-dollar stabilization asks, with some organizations citing specific losses such as reduced Medicaid or USDA funding, canceled EPA or FEMA support, or expiring federal grants. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• <04:46:15.760> airports<04:46:16.400> serving<04:46:16.798> smaller non-primary
• For years, the FAA has required even our smallest non-primary airports, those serving aircraft under
• And while she lost the primary in that race, she continued to serve in Congress for another 11 years.
• And while she lost the primary in that race, she continued to serve in Congress for another 11 years.
• And while she lost the primary in that race, she continued to serve in Congress for another 11 years.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• same section, it says establish and maintain a policy to contract with providers just delivering primary
• same section, it says establish and maintain a policy to contract with providers, just delivering primary
• Preserving health care is a primary objective we all share, and we appreciate as much as you were able
• Craig Scholler on behalf of the California Primary Care Association. Chair and members, thank you.
• Craig Scholler on behalf of the California Primary Care Association.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll provide information, if requested, with the Louisiana Dental Association and Louisiana Primary
• We'll provide information, if requested, with the Louisiana Dental Association and Louisiana Primary
• They're not trying to follow the primary thing. It's come here legally.
• They're not trying to follow the primary thing. It's come here legally.
• They're not trying to follow the primary thing. It's come here legally.

Summary: The committee first heard SB 145, which would require adult residential care providers, especially assisted living centers, to have generators or other backup power arrangements and to submit preparedness plans to LDH. After technical amendments and testimony from the sponsor, LDH, and the assisted living industry clarifying the bill’s scope and cost concerns, the committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably. It then took up SB 433, which would require Medicaid coverage of medically necessary FDA-approved weight loss drugs, including GLP-1 medications, subject to appropriations and fiscally sustainable coverage criteria; the bill was reported favorably after discussion of current Medicaid coverage and costs. The committee also approved SB 52, which requires better coordination between DCFS and LDH so SNAP and Medicaid benefits can follow children more quickly when they are removed from or returned to a home. Technical amendments changed reporting deadlines and required written notice, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 4 on public water fluoridation was amended to allow local governments or voters to opt out through a petition and election process, with support from the Louisiana Dental Association and others after compromise language was adopted; it was reported favorably with amendments. SB 152, which would prohibit the sale of cultured or lab-grown food products for human consumption, was also reported favorably with amendments after brief testimony in support and opposition. The committee next approved SCR 37, which asks the Surgeon General to review Louisiana’s informed consent laws and report back on any gaps, after discussion that the existing medical disclosure panel had not met since 2018. It then considered SB 194, a public assistance bill aligning Louisiana Medicaid and SNAP rules with recent federal changes on non-citizen eligibility and tightening Medicaid’s reasonable opportunity period for citizenship verification. After extensive debate over immigration, emergency care, and whether the bill could harm eligible applicants or rural hospitals, the committee adopted an amendment allowing LDH discretion for emergency health care services and reported the bill favorably by an 8-3 vote. Finally, HCR 113 created a task force to study gestational carrier agreements and assisted reproductive regulation; after debate over surrogacy, ethics, and referral to Civil Law, the committee rejected the referral motion and then reported the resolution favorably, and the meeting moved on to SB 333 on child-in-need-of-care proceedings and legal representation funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the same time, the Lifeline’s primary revenue stream was reduced drastically without consulting us
• The five-year plan envisions 988 centers acting as the primary dispatch for non-law-enforcement response
• We can't ask 988 to be the state's primary 911 diversion engine while simultaneously cutting the surcharge
• The primary goal of the proposed designation process is to create a pathway to add new 988 centers while
• Prior to Medi-Cal mobile crisis, the primary avenue that we had to know when someone was in crisis and

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When you jail a person who is the primary breadwinner for a family, that means there's a ripple effect
• When you jail a person who is the primary breadwinner for a family, that means there's a ripple effect
• When you jail a person who is the primary breadwinner for a family, that means there's a ripple effect
• When you jail a person who is the primary breadwinner for a family, that means there's a ripple effect
• When you jail a person who is the primary breadwinner for a family, that means there's a ripple effect

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But there are two primary clinical definitions: the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, put out
• Roughly 75% of our children have been through family trafficking, their primary caregiver, their mother
• We know that one of the barriers, one of the primary barriers, not just in Louisiana but in other states
• Our primary concern was exactly what yours was, Chairwoman Villio, and the issues with Bearden.
• I do also, though, for the benefit here, want to raise the primary concern that I have and the time it

Summary: The committee first handled several housekeeping items, voluntarily deferring HB 123, HB 255, and HB 994 without objection. It then took up SCR 3 by Senator Brock Myers, which would delay and revise implementation of a state police rule affecting criminal history background checks for licensed ambulance personnel and certain health care workers. After adopting Amendment Set 434 to remove a provision involving parish and local law enforcement checks, the committee reported SCR 3 as amended favorably. The committee also heard HB 978 by Rep. Lecombe, which as amended raises the population threshold for municipalities required to remit certain special costs to the District Indigent Defender Fund from under 5,000 to under 9,000; with support from the town of Addis and related stakeholders, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then considered HB 967 by Rep. Moore, which sought to remove language limiting parole eligibility for certain pre-July 2, 1973 life-sentenced offenders to those who had pleaded guilty, thereby allowing a small group of elderly inmates convicted at trial to seek parole consideration. Supporters argued the bill would only create an opportunity for review, not release, and cited rehabilitation and fairness concerns; opponents, including district attorneys and corrections officials, argued the 2022 law already addressed the intended group and that the current bill would reopen cases involving serious violent crimes. After extended debate, the motion to report HB 967 favorably failed on an 8-3 vote. Finally, the committee took up HB 1107 by Rep. Melerine, a bill on determining intellectual disability in capital cases. The bill, as amended, raised the burden of proof to clear and convincing evidence, set an IQ threshold framework, required expert reports and Daubert-type reliability review, and limited the article to post-conviction capital cases. The Attorney General’s office and district attorneys supported the bill as a way to create clearer procedures and speed resolution of Atkins claims, while criminal defense lawyers, disability advocates, clergy, and medical experts opposed it as inconsistent with current clinical standards and potentially unconstitutional, warning that rigid IQ cutoffs and presumptions could wrongly expose people with intellectual disabilities to execution. The transcript ends during closing remarks on HB 1107, with no final committee vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• But there are two primary clinical definitions: the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, put out
• Of our population, roughly 75% of our children have been through family trafficking... ...their primary
• We know that one of the barriers, one of the primary barriers, not just in Louisiana but in other states
• Our primary concern was exactly what yours was, Chairwoman Villio, and the issues with Bearden.
• I do also, though, just for the benefit here, want to raise the primary concern that I have and the time

Bills: HB91, HB123, HB167, HB255, HB264, HB321, HB884, HB955, HB967, HB968, HB969, HB978, HB985, HB994, HB1005, HB1104, HB1107, HB1109, SCR3

Keywords: criminal procedure, disclosure, criminal records, witness protection, trial rights, electronic monitoring, GPS ankle monitor, ankle bracelet, pretrial release, post-conviction supervision, bail monitoring, house arrest, corrections, criminal justice, law enforcement, prosecuting authority, court reporting, provider registration, LCLE, Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee first handled housekeeping by voluntarily deferring HB 123, HB 255, and HB 994 without objection. It then took up SCR 3 by Sen. Myers, which sought to delay implementation of a State Police rule change affecting criminal history background checks for certain health care workers and authorized agents until October 1, 2026, to avoid hiring delays. An amendment was adopted to remove language authorizing parish and local law enforcement to perform checks during the interim. After testimony from health care stakeholders who supported the delay, SCR 3 as amended was reported favorably. The committee next considered HB 978 by Rep. Lecombe, which as amended changed the bill from a town-of-Addis-specific exception to a broader adjustment in the population threshold for municipalities required to remit special costs to the district indigent defender fund, raising the threshold from under 5,000 to under 9,000 population. Supporters said the change would relieve small mayor’s courts and similar local courts of a $45-per-violation burden that was not well suited to those systems. The bill drew support from local officials and was reported favorably as amended. HB 967 by Rep. Moore, which would have expanded parole eligibility for certain long-serving offenders convicted before July 2, 1973 by removing language limiting eligibility to those who had pleaded guilty, generated extensive debate. Supporters argued the bill would only allow elderly prisoners to be considered by the parole board and would not guarantee release, while opponents, including district attorneys and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, argued the 2022 law already covered those who pled guilty and that the bill would extend relief to people convicted at trial of serious violent crimes. After discussion, the motion to report HB 967 favorably failed on an 8-3 vote. The committee then heard HB 1107 by Rep. Melancon, a post-conviction procedure bill for capital cases involving claims of intellectual disability. The bill, as amended, raised the burden of proof to clear and convincing evidence, required expert reports and IQ information, applied Daubert-style reliability screening, and clarified that it only applies in death penalty cases. Supporters from the Attorney General’s office and district attorneys said the bill would create a clearer procedure and speed resolution of Atkins claims; opponents from disability-rights, criminal defense, and medical groups argued it would replace clinical standards with a rigid statutory definition, rely too heavily on a 75 IQ cutoff, and risk excluding people with genuine intellectual disabilities. Testimony continued through the end of the transcript, with no final committee vote shown on HB 1107.

Transcript Highlights:

• And at the same time, I taught hundreds of students with differing abilities, primary languages, races
• AB 2496 is to prioritize and streamline the California School Dashboard as the state's primary transparency
• In my role, the California School Dashboard is the primary tool I use to communicate school performance
• For families deciding where to move and send their children to school, the dashboard is a primary source
• By designating the dashboard as the state's primary accountability tool, this bill ensures that families

Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with the most extensive discussion focused on AB 2189, AB 2615, AB 2496, AB 1750, and AB 1644. AB 2189 would create an $800,000 grant program through the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to support a statewide parent network for special education advocacy and training. Supporters said families need stronger coordination and information to navigate special education, while an opponent argued the bill could duplicate existing family-led organizations. The bill passed 6-0 and was sent to Appropriations, held on call for add-on votes. AB 2615, a cleanup bill to AB 715 on antisemitism and instructional materials, drew the most controversy. The authors said it was intended to clarify prior commitments by removing references to professional responsibility standards, refining the “factually accurate” language, and clarifying how discriminatory materials are handled. Supporters said it would help protect students from discrimination, while many educators, civil rights groups, and other organizations opposed it unless amended, warning that the factual-accuracy language could chill teaching and be applied too broadly. The committee chair and members raised concerns about implementation but ultimately supported moving the bill forward; it passed 5-0 and was held on call. AB 2496 would streamline school accountability reporting by making the California School Dashboard the primary transparency tool, phasing out the School Accountability Report Card over time, and making mid-year LCAP reporting optional. Supporters said this would reduce duplication and administrative burden while preserving access to key data; opponents worried families could lose the simplicity and accessibility of the current SARC and that the mid-year update still serves an important purpose. The bill was approved 3-0 and held on call. AB 1750, which would extend full salary for an additional five months for school employees who exhaust sick leave due to illness or injury, was supported as a dignity and retention measure but opposed by administrators over staffing and cost concerns; it passed 4-0 and was held on call. AB 1644 would require a bell-to-bell smartphone ban in TK-8 and recommend it for high school, with exceptions for instructional and safety needs; supporters said phones are harming attention and learning, while opponents argued districts had just adopted local policies and needed more flexibility. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will allow two minutes each for two primary witnesses in support and opposition of the bill.
• As a reminder, primary witnesses in support must be those accompanying the author or who will otherwise
• have registered a support position with the committee, and the primary witnesses in opposition must
• The ATP is our state's primary funding source for biking and walking infrastructure, supporting projects
• to motorcycle-like devices, or e-bike-like devices called e-motos, not traditional e-bikes, as the primary

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's our primary goal. No one shouldn't get them that who doesn't deserve them.
• the goal would bring in all of the inspector general or the criminal divisions, which are in the 10 primary
• are<00:42:21.040> in<00:42:21.200> the<00:42:21.359> 10<00:42:21.599> primary
• divisions which are in the 10 primary divisions which are in the 10 primary agencies.<00:42:22.960

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are two of the primary issues, and the administrator told me he has literally thousands of these
• Those are two of the primary issues, and the administrator told me he has literally thousands of these
• Those are two<00:29:57.440> of<00:29:57.600> the<00:29:57.760> primary<00:29:58.640
• > uh<00:29:59.520> issues<00:30:00.559> and<00:30:00.960> the two of the primary
• is uh issues and the two of the primary is uh issues and the administrator<00:30:02.080> told

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on House Bill 396, which would exempt meat and meat food products slaughtered and prepared in-state for in-state sale from certain inspections. Representative Comtois explained her amendment, saying she tried to address prior concerns by limiting the number processed monthly, adding a registration and disclaimer requirement, and folding beef, swine, sheep, and goats into the bill’s framework. Members discussed whether some sections from earlier language on bison, elk, and red deer had been inadvertently struck, and Comtois said she did not intend to remove those protections and would restore them if needed. Several members raised drafting and policy concerns. Representative Miner suggested the waiver language should be a signed, notarized statement kept on file rather than filed with the Department of Agriculture, and Comtois agreed. Representative Gruber and Representative Scully discussed labeling and wording, including clarifying that the meat would not be “exempt” from federal inspection in the same way as non-amenable species, and adding language that any prosecution would be federal rather than state. There was also discussion about whether ground meat should be included for the amenable species, with Miner and Comtois indicating that excluding ground meat would reduce risk. Commissioner Sean Jasper of the Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food testified strongly against the bill, saying it was a step in the wrong direction, lacked consumer protections, and could jeopardize food safety and the state’s meat processing system. He argued that the federal exemption for non-amenable species could not simply be extended to new species by state law, warned that USDA could respond by withdrawing federal inspections, and said the bill would not solve the real bottlenecks in slaughter capacity. He also said he did not believe there was a general shortage of inspectors, and that the practical issue was producers not scheduling animals year-round, which forces facilities to scale to the slow season. No vote was taken during the work session, and members continued discussing possible amendments and wording changes.