Transcript Highlights:

• And again, many of the grants and contracts as well as special tax funds do not allow for diversion of
• An audit to evaluate the Department of Human Resources dental benefit procurement process and contract
• Since 1984, the state of California, through CalHR, has contracted with Delta Dental to provide dental
• Delta Dental, as the senator has mentioned, has had this contract since 1984.
• Our contracts include performance guarantees with financial penalties, which are contractual provisions

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee met to hear status updates from the state auditor and consider several new audit requests. The auditor reported 10 JALAC audits in progress, including a new 2026 audit on DMV license revocation, and noted other statutory audits on the State Bar exam rollout, CSU/UC Title IX implementation, tobacco tax, state financial statements, federal compliance, and high-risk issues such as late financial reporting, Medi-Cal eligibility, and water infrastructure safety. The committee approved a consent calendar covering audits on UC library resources, law enforcement information sharing, EDD unemployment insurance claims, and Housing and Community Development housing development monitoring. The committee then considered Assembly Member DeMaio’s request to audit SANDAG’s road project management and use of transportation funds. DeMaio argued the audit was needed to examine whether restricted funds, voter-approved revenues, and project commitments were properly used and documented, citing prior problems with tolling and financial oversight. SANDAG’s CEO and CFO said the agency already undergoes extensive oversight and audits, has improved internal controls, and believed its funding uses were appropriate. Several members questioned whether the audit duplicated existing reviews and whether the issues were already public, and the request ultimately failed on a roll call vote. Next, Senator Valadares presented an audit of the Board of State and Community Corrections’ administration of Proposition 47 grants. Supporters said the audit would assess whether grant recipients comply with requirements and whether outcome and recidivism data are reliable, while BSCC said the program already has oversight, including biennial State Controller audits, and pointed to reported reductions in homelessness, unemployment, and recidivism. The committee approved the audit. Senator Cortese’s request to audit CalHR’s dental benefits procurement and Delta Dental contract also passed, with supporters citing rising out-of-pocket costs, provider network problems, and the long-running contract’s lack of competition; CalHR responded that most members have nearby access, it recently ran an RFP, and it will add MetLife as a second carrier in 2027. The committee then approved the remaining consent items and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have an amendment. I'll sign the amendment. And so we'll let you introduce the bill.
• Questions on the amendment? Senator Shindle. Just looking at the language in the amendment.
• So, it's all having the amendment, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Any other questions on the amendment?
• Can I have a motion on the amendment? Senator Campos moves the motion on the amendment.
• But I did notice in the amendment, and I probably should ask this in the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So here's a slide that just shows the contracts that are completed and the contracts that are ongoing
• Contract 5C, Oscar Renda, has 7.5 miles in the ground of an 8.1-mile contract.
• of those contracts were.
• So this is just a look at the contracts, Contract 5C, Oscar Renda.
• of those contracts were.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . contracting. contracting.
• and making sure that we have contracts and making sure that we have contracts in<00:10:42.040>
• With that, moving the A1 amendment?
• The amendment is adopted to your bill as amended, Senator. Thank you very much. Thank you, Chair.
• Uh the A3 amendment you, Mr. Chair.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You have an amended bill? Well, we're on amendments.
• Amendments.
• It's not a substitute as amended. It's not a substitute yet. It's an amendment.
• There is an amendment. There's an amendment and a sub, so I'm not sure.
• Kate, that's just a striking amendment. Three. Strikes the amendment, the money. Yes.

Bills: SB241, SB145

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• but they're looking at the contract but they're looking at the contract language<00:10:12.800>
• Senator Rosen Wall, will you uh second the amended motion? >> Yes.
• Wall, will you uh second the amended Wall, will you uh second the amended motion?
• Amended motion on the floor. Uh, all in favor? >> I. >> Unanimous.
• I also would hope that uh we keep contract maintenance as a potential possibly have an audit.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Legislative Performance Audit and Oversight Committee met to accept prior minutes and receive updates on ongoing audits. Audit staff reported progress on three education-related reviews: special education (34 of 71 observations completed, draft expected in the second quarter and final in the summer), education freedom accounts (22 of 41 observations completed, draft expected in the second quarter and final in the summer), and the doorway program (5 of 13 observations completed, draft expected by the end of February and final by April or May). No committee questions were raised on the audit status update. The committee then discussed possible future oversight topics, beginning with SNAP and concerns about fraud and work requirements. Members suggested inviting DHS officials and contract administrators to explain program operations and compliance, and also discussed whether the Department of Justice Medicaid fraud unit or other experienced officials could provide useful context. Members noted New Hampshire’s existing oversight layers, including the Executive Council and the joint HHS oversight committee, while also expressing interest in hearing more directly from department staff about staffing and contract management capacity. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on whether to pursue an audit of special education at the local school level. Members debated whether to wait for the ongoing statewide special education review and a legislative study commission report, or to begin scoping a local audit now so work could start sooner. Supporters argued that local-level spending, identification rates, and effectiveness vary widely by district and that an audit should examine both costs and outcomes; others cautioned that the scope would need to be manageable given limited audit staff and that the statewide report may help narrow the focus. The committee also briefly discussed a potential audit of the Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, but no decision was made on that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• a third reading amendment. a third reading amendment.
• amendment again. amendment again.
• Discussion on the amendment. amendment. amendment. Any<00:44:06.240> questions?
• Discussion on the amendment. amendment. amendment.
• amendment. Senator ID. amendment. Senator ID.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We contract with them to take care of these horses.
• Okay, we have moved that amendment for discussion, so go ahead and explain to us what the amendment is
• Yeah, the amendment does two things.
• Okay, any issues with this amendment? Move the amendment. Okay, you have an amended bill. Great.
• And we administer the contracts. We do all the administrative work.

Bills: HM26, HB243, HB109

Keywords: insects, ecosystem, education, public awareness, wildlife conservation, state agency involvement, New Mexico, equine welfare, animal rescue, shelter funding, trust fund, veterinary care, water project fund, water project finance act, New Mexico Finance Authority, water infrastructure, water grants, water loans, regional water planning, water rights adjudication

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll move on to amendments. There's an amendment at the desk. The clerk will report the amendment.
• Her moves to amend House File 2403, the first engrossment as amended. The amendment is coded A13.
• The amendment is adopted. There's an amendment at the desk.
• The first engrossment as amended. amendment is coded A13. I recognize a amendment is coded A13.
• The amendment is adopted. The amendment is adopted.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then they're leaving, and the nurses are leaving so that they can get travel contracts and...
• Within provider contracts, funding also tends to be front-loaded, as shown on Chart 4.
• , meaning Provider A's expenditures minus their revenues totaled the amount that they contracted for.
• Number four is a bill to make amendments to the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund.
• The other thing is an amendment that I'm going to offer on the DOT bonding bill, and the amendment is

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:29.519> It and the contracts in your language.
• It and the contracts in your language.
• everything related to the contract everything related to the contract itself<00:10:14.720> um
• Can I get a motion on the bill as amended by the sub?
• I've got a a >> as amended by the sub?

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:29 Discussion SB 153 01:25 Vote SB 153 10:35 Discussion SB 118 11:36 Vote SB 118 12:48 Discussion HB 380 13:40 Vote HB 380 40:12, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance met with a quorum and took up three bills. Senate Bill 153, sponsored by Sen. Greg Elkins, aimed to combat insurance fraud tied to post-disaster contractor scams. Testimony from the Attorney General’s Office and committee members described problems involving roofing, siding, and debris-removal scams, including vandalism used to create claims and companies that disappear before victims can recover losses. The bill would expand enforcement tools by making certain vandalism-related conduct criminal, giving the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction with local prosecutors, creating a post-disaster contractor registry, and banning door-to-door solicitation during declared emergencies. The committee approved the bill by roll call and sent it forward with a favorable recommendation. Senate Bill 118, sponsored by Sen. Brandon Storm, addressed credit property insurance offered by consumer loan companies. The sponsor and a representative of the Kentucky Consumer Finance Association explained that the product has been offered for years and that the bill would provide statutory authority for its continued use. The committee raised no substantive objections, and the bill passed on a roll call vote with a favorable recommendation. House Bill 380, sponsored by Rep. Tom Smith, focused on regulating cryptocurrency kiosks in convenience stores to curb fraud against seniors. The committee heard emotional testimony from a sheriff and a fraud victim describing scams that led victims to deposit cash into crypto kiosks, often under pressure from callers posing as authorities or relatives. AARP Kentucky supported the bill, citing widespread losses to older adults and the need for guardrails. A committee substitute was adopted that would cap daily transactions at $2,000, require fee disclosure and customer consent, impose licensing and compliance requirements, mandate identification for transactions, and add criminal penalties and Attorney General enforcement. Members discussed the bill’s scope, including that it would not address gift card scams, and noted the delayed effective date was requested so regulators could write rules. The committee adopted the substitute and then passed the bill favorably on roll call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are there questions on the amendment meant as amended no appearance forms for the amendment as amended
• the amendment to the amendment?
• The amendment to the amendment is adopted. Now we're back on the Risen amendment as amended.
• as amended. >> Waive close on the amendment to the amendment. >> All in favor of the amendment say yea
• Amendment as amended.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The A3 amendment is adopted.
• The A3 amendment is adopted.
• The A1 amendment is adopted.
• And you do have the DE2 amendment. Did you want to explain the amendment or adopt it first?
• to the amendment? to the amendment?

Bills: HF2354, HF3407, HF4359, HF4192, HF3356, HF3695, HF1597, HF3155, HF3871, HF4437, HF4446, HF3990

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, ghost guns, unserialized firearms, 3D-printed guns, 3D printer firearms, CNC milling, home-built firearms, firearm serialization, serial numbers, unfinished frame, unfinished receiver, ghost gun ban, gun control, firearm design files, CAD files, digital gun blueprints

Transcript Highlights:

• We will go up to five if you need to amend it for whatever reason.
• One of the examples that we have here is that we have contracted trail crews.
• It became unsafe, and one of the state-contracted crews worked on this for us.
• The proposed amendment to Senate Bill 1519 would create an additional class.
• Like I said, I'm trying to bring things together with the bill and with the amendment.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee met to review the state’s off-highway vehicle program, with opening remarks focused on balancing recreation, safety, tourism, and land-use conflicts among OHV users, hikers, bikers, ranchers, and land managers. Arizona State Parks and Trails reported on OHV fund revenues, grant balances, and process changes intended to speed up mitigation and law enforcement spending. The agency said it has tightened grant oversight, eliminated informal grant “buckets,” increased delegated authority for quicker project approval, and is using contracted trail crews for expedited maintenance and mitigation. Examples discussed included fencing and signage at Bulldog Canyon, erosion-control work at Charlew Gap, and a mitigation project at Windmill Mountain Ranch. Members emphasized that prior committee discussions helped recover nearly $4 million from stale grants and redirect it to current priorities. Arizona Game and Fish reported that OHV education and enforcement activity has increased. The mandatory online safety course has been taken by more than 149,000 people through ADOT and 15,000 through Game and Fish, and officers said compliance, especially helmet use by children, has improved. Game and Fish also described its OHV enforcement role, including seven dedicated officers and 97 field officers, training for about 40 agencies, and a new requirement that OHV law be included in police academy curricula starting in 2026. The department said most citations involve no decal, helmet issues, cross-country travel, habitat damage, and reckless driving. Members asked about speeding standards, road use, and a helmet-law conflict involving children in side-by-sides; Game and Fish said it is currently harmonizing the statutes and has treated children in side-by-sides as exempt under the newer provision. ADOT explained the decal and registration process, including the required safety course, the $25 decal, and the new non-resident 30-day permit for certain out-of-state OHVs. Staff also clarified that the course is required for owners, not every occasional operator, and that rental companies are not statutorily required to have each renter take the course, though some do so voluntarily. The committee then heard a legislative overview of recent OHV bills: 2024’s SB 1576 on safety, age, and helmet requirements; 2025’s SB 1517 creating the temporary non-resident permit and extending the study committee; and this year’s SB 1519, which would raise the OHV weight limit from 2,500 to 3,500 pounds and add a proposed new fee class. Members and stakeholders discussed whether the higher weight limit would broaden the OHV category, affect revenue, and better reflect newer, heavier side-by-sides, while some cautioned against blurring the line between OHVs and regular vehicles. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is an amendment at the desk. The clerk will report the amendment.
• West moves to amend House File 9. The amendment is coded A25-000098.
• The A25 amendment puts a sunset on the 50% increase to the cannabis tax.
• It was offered as an amendment by one of the members on your side of the aisle.
• It was offered by as an amendment bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill sponsor concurs with the new amendment, and with that I'm available for any questions.
• Madam Chair, members, the amendment that my constituent was advocating for was put on in the Senate.
• Madam Chair, members, the amendment that my constituent was advocating for was put on in the Senate.
• Additionally, the Senate amended the bill to add new advertising and packaging requirements.
• The Senate amendment requires a retailer to keep all kratom products behind the counter.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 10006 by Schoolcraft relate to the amendment of the restrictive convenience of applicability to certain
• 1018 by Wilson relating to the establishment of a certification program for the public work and contracting
• HAR 77 by Raymond proposing a constitutional amendment providing honesty and state taxation, refer to
• HJR by 78 by Raymond proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the taxation or sale or use of
• HAR 85 by Lambert proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of funds to support

Transcript Highlights:

• There are no amendments. I move date. There are no amendments.
• fix to fix the amendment amendment to fix to fix the amendment we're<00:42:31.119> discussing.
• committee amendments. committee amendments.
• There were two amendments. The first amendment was technical.
• There were two amendments. The first amendment was technical.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, quorum call, and several introductions recognizing guests, including Reverend Jennifer Carsner and her daughter, President Kirk Schmoke, representatives from Maryland independent colleges and universities, students from Stevenson University, Howard and Anne Arundel counties, Washington College, a constituent, and the Greater Washington, D.C.-Maryland chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The chamber also adopted a resolution honoring Damatha Catholic High School for winning the 2025 WCAC football championship and another recognizing the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce on its 100th anniversary. Both resolutions were adopted unanimously after brief remarks and roll calls. The Senate then took up executive nominations, separating nominee 16 from the main report. The chamber voted 42 in favor on the remaining nominations and then 42 in favor on nominee 16, giving all nominees the Senate’s advice and consent. On third reading, the Senate passed several bills, including SB 46, SB 25, SB 58, SB 163, SB 170, SB 188, SB 247, SB 356, and SB 379, with recorded affirmative votes ranging from 36 to 42. These measures covered topics such as veterans cemeteries, tax credits and tax modifications, education funding, transportation revenue bonds, biotechnology incentives, a stillborn child tax credit, and recovery residence grant funding. The chamber also advanced numerous second-reading bills, generally adopting committee reports and amendments without objection. Among the measures discussed were collective bargaining for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission police officers; adoption of the 2022 Uniform Commercial Code amendments for controllable electronic records; cemetery sale and transfer oversight; an additional license for electronic smoking devices; collective bargaining for Baltimore County Public Library supervisory employees; payroll processor exemptions under the Money Transmission Act; scalp cooling coverage for chemotherapy patients; orthoses and prostheses coverage under health and Medicaid plans; an online database of elevator inspection certificates; service animal program disqualification standards; extension of the State Board of Environmental Health Specialists; disclosure of lapsed professional liability insurance for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and nurse midwives; and revisions to massage therapy licensure rules. Most reports were favorable, with several technical or substantive amendments adopted and bills ordered printed for third reading. A notable policy discussion occurred on SB 56, which would allow the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center to share individual-level student and workforce data with a third-party data center for multi-state reporting. The sponsor explained the bill as a way to compare Maryland outcomes with other states while using data-sharing agreements and oversight to protect privacy; a minority whip raised concerns about the type of third-party data center and whether the practice was new. The sponsor said the bill was intended to formalize and safeguard data sharing, and noted a technical amendment would be offered to correct the amendment language.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I move the amendment as amended and described by counsel.
• I declare the amendment adopted. Are there further amendments? Mr.
• Amendments.
• Further amendments to the strike-and-insert amendment?
• The amendment is adopted. Are there further amendments to the bill? The amendment is adopted.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 4198, which would require employers to use E-Verify to confirm new hires’ work authorization and impose escalating penalties for violations, including warnings, debarment from state contracts, loss of business licenses, and other sanctions. Counsel and senators raised extensive drafting concerns, including circular language, conflicts with existing record-retention provisions, unclear references to “seeks to employ,” possible application to babysitters, lawn care, and other casual or household arrangements, and uncertainty about how the bill would work for employers who never actually complete a hire. The bill sponsor defended the measure as a way to strengthen compliance with existing law, protect employers who use E-Verify in good faith, and deter illegal hiring. After debate, a motion to table the bill failed on a roll call vote, 6 in favor and 10 opposed, and the chair then announced the bill would be sent to a subcommittee to be cleaned up, with instructions to resolve the drafting conflicts and other ambiguities. The committee then turned to House Bill 4710, with an amendment, which would require a person to be registered with a political party or as an independent 210 days before filing a certificate of candidacy. Counsel explained that the change would lengthen the current 60-day requirement and would affect both party-switching and independent candidacies, making it harder for candidates to change affiliation shortly before an election. Senators asked about how the 210-day period would work relative to the primary and general election filing deadlines, and counsel clarified that it would be measured backward from the relevant filing dates. The discussion focused on the practical effect of the bill as a “sore loser” measure and on the timing rules for candidacy filings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that as amended or just with the amendment that you just talked about? Thanks.
• Um and that you can see the amendment Um and that you can see the amendment there<00:22:06.480><
• "There's significant monitoring of the contracts, but on this specific contract, I'll go back to the
• Um but I do think that it's um it..." what the contract is for the state that what the contract is for
• :03:19.000> should<01:03:19.240> be the the contract itself should be the the contract

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission on the costing of special education met to review several documents and updates, including draft materials on residential placements, an LBA dispute resolution report, prior minutes, rate-setting rules, and a letter involving Senator Hassan. The minutes from March 16 were approved by motion, second, and one abstention. Members also received an update that the LBA special education performance audit is still pending; the report is expected to be very large, NHED and the Board of Education must review and comment before release, and it likely will not be available until late summer or early fall. The separate EFA audit was also noted as still unreleased, and members said they may return later to issues involving EFA costing and differentiated aid. A major focus was HB 1099, which would create a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities. The chair explained that the House version had passed unanimously and the bill was headed to a committee of conference. Members discussed a proposed amendment to add the phrase “including but not limited to” so the study would cover not only court-ordered or treatment-related placements but also other residential placements, including those tied to school district decisions. Some members said this was a substantial expansion, while others said it would simply give the committee broader latitude. Jason Stock of the Winnisquam Regional School Board described how the issue arose during budget work at Winnisquam, where the district was trying to determine who should pay for educational services for students living at Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield. He said the district had 10 students attending Winnisquam, including three foster students and seven students connected to Spaulding, and that Spaulding-specific invoicing for 2024-2025 totaled $141,417.05 for eight students. Members also discussed rising private placement tuition costs and the difficulty of determining residency and fiscal responsibility for students placed in residential settings. Department counsel explained that under RSA 193:27 and 193:28, children placed in a home for children may attend the local district school, and that special education cost responsibility depends on whether the student is identified as disabled and on the nature of the placement. Spaulding representatives had not yet presented by the end of the excerpt, and the committee was still working through the residency and funding questions.