Transcript Highlights:

• The response was that they would get less, $600 or less, under the proposed fee schedule.
• In other lines of business, fees and cost schedules are paid at extraordinary numbers, but this is pennies
• We pay some fees and cost schedules and other lines of business, this extraordinary number.
• We’re on a schedule. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.” “Thank you. Representative Barral. All right.
• We’re on a schedule. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Challenge accepted.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on April 27 and first took up House Bill 175 and its companion House Bill 165, both dealing with lottery proceeds for veterans. HB 175 was amended to create a Veterans Service Grant Board within the Department of Veterans Affairs and direct $500,000 annually from Louisiana Lottery net proceeds into a Veterans Service Grant Fund, with unused money returned to the lottery proceeds fund that supports the MFP. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, The Boot Louisiana, LDVA Secretary Charlton McGinley, and Bastion Veterans Organization, argued the grants would help veteran services, workforce placement, mental health, housing, entrepreneurship, and retention of veterans in Louisiana. Members raised concerns about drawing from lottery proceeds that traditionally support education, but the committee adopted amendments and reported HB 175 favorably as amended. HB 165, the constitutional amendment companion, was also amended for technical and ballot-language changes and then reported favorably as amended for voter consideration. The committee then considered House Bill 457, which would authorize the Louisiana Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal to set minimum housing standards for homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes. The sponsor said the bill responded to a state auditor recommendation and to unsafe conditions in some facilities; he also explained an amendment changing the Fire Marshal’s duties from mandatory to permissive to reduce fiscal impact and allow agencies flexibility. Some members questioned whether local standards already existed and how enforcement and funding would work, while others supported the need for statewide minimum standards for human housing. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 457 favorably as amended. House Bill 488, by Representative Brough, sought to create a Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund using recurring severance tax revenues from Plaquemines Parish to help buy out the Belle Chasse toll bridge and end what the sponsor described as excessive tolls and fees. He and several local witnesses, including business owners, a YMCA representative, and a parish council member, testified that the tolling arrangement had harmed access, businesses, and quality of life. The committee adopted a technical amendment clarifying the revenue source and then reported HB 488 favorably as amended. House Bill 566, which would prohibit state funds from supporting net-zero greenhouse gas initiatives tied to the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan, drew significant debate over whether it would interfere with agency funding and economic development efforts; the sponsor argued the plan lacked legislative approval and should be repudiated, while members urged caution and suggested hearing from affected agencies. The sponsor agreed to consider deferring the bill, and the committee did not advance it at that time. House Bill 603, a constitutional amendment authorizing investment of state funds in digital assets and precious metals, was discussed as a way to hedge inflation and preserve value; members asked about limits and safeguards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then began hearing House Bill 763, a transparency measure creating a public database for settlement agreements involving state agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• With regard to scheduling, the committee is still working to determine the rest of our interim schedule
• new pipeline takeaway capacity coming in the fourth quarter of this year, if everything goes as scheduled
• , and then another big chunk of Quarter of this year, if everything goes as scheduled.
• incremental relief, but that's several months and maybe longer away depending upon their commissioning schedule

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, committee, hopefully we have a busy day, because if you look, most of the schedule is committee
• Okay, we're already behind schedule. It's 10:00 a.m.
• So if you go on to the second-to-last page is where the numbers start in a schedule there.
• Okay, so you'll see the fall FTE undergraduate census is the first line of numbers in this schedule.
• So you'll see the fall FTE undergraduate census is the first line of numbers in this schedule.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• vaccines can be administered and that there can be that discussion in true informed consent about the schedule
• True informed consent about the schedule that you would like to have your child vaccinated on.
• The more we tell people that they have to... true informed consent about the schedule that you would
• And I think that, for me, the component about really having real conversations about a schedule—I think
• the schedule that exists now, I've heard many different reasons why it exists.

Summary: The Senate began with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognitions, including the doctor of the day and a lighthearted “Cannoli Day” introduction. The chamber then held an extended farewell celebration for Senator Joe Gruters, with numerous senators, colleagues, and family members praising his loyalty, political skill, family focus, and service in the Legislature and Republican Party. Gruters was presented with a commemorative gift recognizing his work on a 2019 public-safety and immigration bill that prohibited sanctuary cities and required local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The Senate adopted a motion to spread Gruters’s remarks upon the journal and then recessed briefly. After recess, the Senate returned to regular business and took up third-reading bills. Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 354, relating to blue ribbon projects, was temporarily postponed. The chamber then considered Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1758, relating to public assistance, with Senator Gates explaining that it contained five reforms to the public assistance system discussed earlier in session. During debate on SB 1758, Senator Berman opposed the bill, saying he could not support it in its current form because he believed the Medicaid-related provisions would create a coverage cliff after the one-year transition period and could leave people without care while increasing costs to hospitals and taxpayers. He also said SNAP error reduction should be a priority, but argued the state should focus on fixing administrative errors and fraud rather than imposing a work requirement whose costs and effects were uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• the notice, and recommitting the bill back to this committee for a further public hearing to be scheduled
• And just so that we're clear, I don't think the bill was introduced or scheduled with the underlying
• don't think the bill was<00:37:55.440> introduced<00:37:55.920> or<00:37:56.320> scheduled
• <00:37:56.720> with<00:37:56.960> with was introduced or scheduled with with was introduced
• or scheduled with with the<00:37:58.079> underlying<00:37:58.640> assumption<00:37:59.119

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up a short-form administrative licensing measure requested by the administration to correct and clarify renewal provisions in a prior bill. Members raised no questions, and the committee voted to adopt the proposed Senate draft and recommit the bill back to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee for a further public hearing. The committee then heard SB 2876 on natural hair braiding, which would exempt natural hair braiders from licensing under certain conditions. The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology said it views hair braiding as within the broader scope of cosmetology, but agreed that people who only braid hair should not need a license because the training and exam requirements are minimal. The board warned, however, that exempting braiders could create consumer protection gaps involving sanitation, training, and enforcement, and noted that related services such as waxing, cutting, coloring, shampooing, and relaxing would still require licensure. Supporters included the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and the Institute for Justice. The committee also heard SB 2950 on captive insurance and SB 2951 on insurance proceeds. On SB 2950, the Insurance Division opposed the bill, saying captive insurance is designed for formal self-insurance for companies and that allowing captives to insure the public would not fit the existing regulatory framework; a fire survivor advocate supported the measure as a way to expand disaster-related insurance options. On SB 2951, which would require mortgage servicers to follow certain rules for disbursing insurance proceeds after residential damage or destruction, United Policy Holders strongly supported the bill, citing delays in releasing funds and the need to help survivors rebuild, while banking and financial industry groups submitted opposition or comments. Finally, the committee heard SB 2952, SB 2960, and SB 2964, all related to property insurance and disaster recovery. SB 2952 and SB 2960 would extend the time policyholders have after a declared disaster to submit documentation and recover replacement cost value, with supporters arguing that rebuilding after major disasters takes far longer than standard policy deadlines allow and that the bills would improve consumer protection and transparency; the Insurance Division, the Insurance Council, and national insurance groups opposed the measures. SB 2964 would require annual disclosures of replacement cost value and coverage sufficiency; the Insurance Council opposed it as costly and unnecessary because policies already include inflation-related adjustments, while United Policy Holders and fire survivors supported it, saying many homeowners are underinsured and do not understand their coverage.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we do have a full executive session scheduled for the 12th.
• full of do today. uh we do have uh a full executive<00:11:02.480> session<00:11:03.040> scheduled
• <00:11:03.440> for<00:11:03.600> the executive session scheduled for the executive
• session scheduled for the 12th.<00:11:04.399> If<00:11:04.640> everything<00:11:04.959>
• 26.080> have<00:31:26.640> redetermination Will have redetermination on their regularly scheduled

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think we have a time scheduled for our execs. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
• It's not um scheduled on the calendar.
• here early since we didn't It's<00:56:35.119> not<00:56:35.599> um<00:56:35.839> scheduled
• It's not um scheduled on the calendar. It's not um scheduled on the calendar.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, uh, Ed will be—I think Ed's on vacation—and we appreciate him adapting his schedule.
• <00:37:01.520> uh<00:37:01.680> adapting<00:37:02.320> his<00:37:02.640> schedule
• <00:37:03.440> I<00:37:03.599> hope him uh adapting his schedule.
• I hope him uh adapting his schedule.
• I appreciate your time prior to this meeting, and I appreciate you carving out time in your schedule,

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The interim task force on disaster prevention and resiliency met for its fourth meeting and focused heavily on insurance markets, affordability, and mitigation. Cochairs noted they are working toward recommendations for a later fall meeting. The main presentation came from David Snyder of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, who said the insurance industry sees itself as part of the problem and part of the solution because it ultimately pays for losses created by natural conditions, development choices, and construction practices. Snyder described rising losses from natural catastrophes, inflation-driven increases in rebuilding and repair costs, more development in disaster-prone areas, wildfire exposure, severe convective storms, hail, and roof damage. He argued that Kentucky should avoid the mistakes he attributed to California, where regulatory responses contributed to a strained insurance market and greater reliance on the FAIR Plan. He said Kentucky’s private market appears to be functioning better, with relatively few FAIR Plan policies, and urged lawmakers to preserve that market through risk-based rates and policies that do not worsen availability. He recommended a broad mitigation strategy involving stronger building codes, land-use decisions, stormwater infrastructure, public access to risk data, and incentives for resilient construction. He highlighted programs such as the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, fortified-home standards, wildfire-prepared community practices, and examples from Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida showing that mitigation can produce quick returns and insurance discounts. He also suggested catastrophe savings accounts, flexible coverage options, and a whole-of-government approach that includes the insurance department, building-code agencies, first responders, FEMA, NFIP, and NOAA. In questions, a legislator asked about the prognosis if carriers continue exiting markets and if nothing is done to address affordability and accessibility. Snyder said he could not predict market exits but stressed that regulators should monitor the market closely, use available data, and focus on loss prevention and mitigation. He said insurers want to do business in Kentucky and that the long-term solution is coordinated action among public and private stakeholders to reduce risk and keep coverage available.

Transcript Highlights:

• What I'd like to do, so we'll stay on schedule, we'll go ahead and invite PED and LESC up unless members
• But don't schedule a meeting and then schedule it with your staff and the analyst and then him show up
• But when we schedule a meeting with legislators and agree to meetings and agree to do things in LFC,
• But while this wasn't on the schedule, I did think it is very important and appreciate them both being

Transcript Highlights:

• commercially available to further support firefighter well-being, the bill would promote implementing work schedules
• that do not exceed 42 hour per regularly scheduled work week.
• We are in regular replacement schedules right now in the bill.
• they're already in city in municipal budgets, money put aside to replace that gear on a on a regular schedule
• This bill except side losing from scheduled one in 3 for veterinary uses creates a first degree felony

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Trials in civil cases are often set out six to nine months in advance, and we just had to schedule. additional
• from both sides of the aisle who either don't vaccinate. or adhere to what's known as an altered schedule
• expected to get three mRNA shots by the time they're nine months That is on the pediatric vaccine schedule
• We chose, she was on a delayed selective the schedule, my oldest was on the full schedule initially.

Bills: HB 1181, HB3704, HB1363, HB1610, HB1615, HB1620, HB3223, HB1317, HB2884, HB2176, HB4027, HB1664, HB933, HB2613, HB3353, HB2086, HB4101, HB3441, HB4145, HB3455

Keywords: judiciary, judges, justices, retired, legal assignments, judicial conduct, notary public, criminal offense, education requirements, official documents, record retention, implicit bias, bias training, judicial training, judge education, court personnel, continuing legal education, CLE, state bar, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, the chair announced that SB 950, relating to trauma-informed care, had originally been scheduled
• Seeing none, I'd like to announce that I understand that originally we had scheduled SB 950 for the Monday
• that I understand that originally<00:15:18.399> we<00:15:18.600> had<00:15:18.839> scheduled
• <00:15:19.480> SB<00:15:20.079> 950<00:15:20.920> for originally we had scheduled
• SB 950 for originally we had scheduled SB 950 for the<00:15:21.240> Monday<00:15:21.720> calendar

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony on several measures related to child welfare, health care access, overdose response, disability services, and waste management. For SB 710 on child welfare, the Department of Human Services, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Attorney General’s office, and multiple advocacy groups testified in support, with the Governor’s office noting support but deferring to the Attorney General on implementation because of separation-of-powers concerns. For SB 952 on child welfare services, DHS, the Governor’s office, and child- and trauma-informed care advocates supported the bill, saying it would help families access services, provide basic material support, and reduce strain on the child welfare system. SB 954 on a home health services rate study also drew support, including from DHS, the Hawaii Healthcare Association, and a public testifier who said the study would help ensure funds reach low-income, disabled, and kupuna recipients. SB 957 on overdose prevention received support from the Department of Health and the Attorney General, who said overdose prevention centers are evidence-based but raised federal-law concerns and recommended amendments; the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center and others also testified in support. The committee then moved to the 1:00 regular calendar and heard SB 850 on disability health disparity, which was supported by the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, self-advocates, and others. Testimony emphasized that a disparity study could improve workforce development, training, and services for people with disabilities. SB 838 on continuous glucose monitoring drew support from health agencies and advocates, with testimony stressing that monitors can be critical for some diabetes patients. SB 829 on health care was supported by the Department of Health and health care stakeholders, who said it would help rotating physicians serve neighbor islands without local hospital privileges and align with CMS rules. SB 446 on waste management drew mixed testimony: the Department of Health and several public entities provided comments, the County of Maui opposed, and environmental advocates urged stronger aquifer protections and limits on ash reuse. During decision making, the committee adopted recommendations to pass SB 298, SB 322, SB 299, SB 450, SB 451, SB 949, SB 710, SB 957, SB 69, and SD 952 with various amendments, including technical changes, blank appropriations, and defective dates. SB 323, SB 324, SB 712, SB 950, SB 954, and SB 959 were deferred, largely because companion House measures were moving or similar Senate measures had already passed. The chair also announced recesses to find quorum and noted that some bills from the earlier Monday calendar were being deferred to avoid duplication.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it does that on a schedule, so moving it up from the 3% that currently goes to SCORE for the purposes
• and it does that uh in just a moment um and it does that uh on<00:22:10.240> a on a on a schedule
• :22:12.799> up<00:22:12.919> from<00:22:13.080> the<00:22:13.279> 3% schedule
• um so moving it up from the 3% schedule um so moving it up from the 3% that<00:22:14.360> currently
• The schedule you can see on lines 114 through 117, in increasing amounts starting with 7% up to 20%,

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But with this additional $1 billion scheduled for the supplemental bill, now we're talking about it being
• distributed to the 56 emergency communication districts, and a smaller portion, $22.2 million, is scheduled
• functions that we perform, again, with regard to records management, is that we set records retention schedules
• We have a team of eight analysts who work with stakeholders across Texas to determine those schedules
• Analysts work with stakeholders across Texas to determine those schedules, but it is very complicated

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Legislative Budget Board and agency officials on several agencies, starting with the Texas Historical Commission. LBB described a large biennial reduction driven mainly by the removal of one-time funding and discussed capital projects, rider changes, and exceptional items including Presidio La Bahia and the National Museum of the Pacific War. Senators asked about heritage trails, courthouse grants, unexpended balance authority, and the status of historical-site funding. Historical Commission leadership emphasized preservation, courthouse restoration, heritage tourism, coordination with the Alamo and other Texas Revolution sites, and requested additional IT, staffing, and vehicle funding. No votes were taken. The committee then reviewed the Pension Review Board and the Employees Retirement System. The Pension Review Board’s budget was largely unchanged aside from IT maintenance and salary adjustments, with an exceptional item for additional IT enhancements. Members discussed the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s funding dispute and the need for a workable restoration plan. ERS presented a much larger budget, including funding for the retirement system, the group benefits plan, and the legacy payment intended to reduce unfunded liability. Senators focused heavily on pension investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health-care costs, especially pharmacy spending driven by GLP-1 drugs; ERS said the plan covers about 540,000 lives and that premiums would rise 8% while benefits remain unchanged. ERS also said it had no exceptional items, and committee members requested more detailed benchmark information. The committee also heard from the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. TESSORS reported an unfunded liability, an infinite amortization period, and requested additional state support, staffing, and IT funding, including a statutory change to allow a higher contribution level; the agency warned that without more funding it may have to cut benefits. CEPRIT’s presentation covered its bond-funded cancer research and prevention portfolio, revenue-sharing from funded projects, and a request to increase salary limits for its CEO and chief scientific officer. Senators questioned CEPRIT’s accomplishments and return on investment, while CEPRIT cited screening, prevention, and research outcomes, including tens of thousands of detected cancers and precursors and hundreds of thousands of first-time screenings. The meeting ended after these presentations and questions, with no recorded committee action or vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the legislature sets our schedule. Y'all determine who we review and when we do it.
• Agencies, the legislature sets the schedule for reviewing agencies.
• Some are still scheduled for or having some of that software implemented.
• Members, maybe if you could give us the schedule of whatever was last, but.
• Yeah I have a scheduler. You have a scheduler. Does your scheduler help?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have statutory requirements to examine certain entities for certain things on a set time schedule
• So a couple of different ways that we'll do it: some of them are on a set schedule, others are driven
• <00:20:54.720> for things on a set time schedule for things on a set time schedule for example
• <00:22:15.760> others<00:22:16.039> are of them are on a set schedule others are of
• them are on a set schedule others are driven<00:22:16.679> by<00:22:17.279> whatever<00

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Insurance Commissioner DJ Bettencourt on the New Hampshire Insurance Department budget. He said the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers based on New Hampshire premium volume, with about $8 billion in premiums written in the state and a department budget of roughly $15.5 million. He explained that the department has 88 authorized positions, eight vacancies, and that three full-time positions were unfunded after the governor’s requested 4% reduction exercise. He also said the department is trying to balance staffing needs with not overburdening carriers during a hard insurance market. A major topic was the department’s $2.6 million rebate to industry from the prior fiscal year, which Bettencourt described as a credit against the next assessment rather than a direct cash payment. Members questioned why that credit was not reflected as a reduction in the upcoming budget, and Bettencourt and staff explained that the budget assumes full staffing and full spending, with any year-end surplus returned to insurers. The commissioner said the department had added staff in recent years for succession planning and to preserve institutional expertise, and that the rebate reflects careful budgeting rather than excess spending. Members also asked about staffing changes by division, including positions unfunded in fraud, property and casualty examinations, life and health examinations, and tax. Bettencourt said fraud investigations remain strong and that the department can use outside contractors for examinations, with those costs billed to the company being examined. He also described the department’s examination process, including periodic financial exams and targeted market conduct reviews triggered by consumer complaints or trends. Additional questions covered OIT transfers, the department’s oversight of fully insured health coverage, the insurance premium tax and fines going to the general fund, and the department’s limited role in auto repair reimbursement disputes, where he said complaints have recently declined.

Transcript Highlights:

• we are uh a little bit behind schedule. we are uh a little bit behind schedule.
• Um scheduled to be completed back to.
• We have workshop scheduled.
• Chair, I know I didn't make the schedule and I know it's tough.
• make the schedule and I know it's tough. make the schedule and I know it's tough.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened its labor hearing on SB 655 and outlined the day’s schedule, including a later working session on SB 416 and an executive session planned for 2:30 p.m. Senator Dan Innis introduced SB 655, describing it as a technical bill affecting employee leasing companies/professional employer organizations (PEOs), workers’ compensation coverage, and a Senate-added minimum wage exemption for minor league baseball players covered by a collective bargaining agreement. He said the PEO change would let either the PEO or the client business hold workers’ comp coverage, while still requiring coverage, and argued it would align New Hampshire with most other states and reduce barriers for small businesses and multi-state employers. He also said the baseball provision would clarify wage treatment for minor league players and support the Manchester team. Justin Warell of Insperity testified in support of the PEO portion, explaining that PEOs provide HR, payroll, benefits administration, and workers’ compensation administration through a co-employment model. He said the bill would preserve mandatory coverage while allowing flexibility for the client or PEO to maintain the policy, which could help clients who already have preferred coverage or who face cost or administrative issues in multiple states. He noted that most clients would still remain under the PEO’s policy and said Insperity would submit written comments. Committee members asked about how the arrangement would work, whether the client or PEO would pay, and whether the bill would affect liability insurance packaging; Warell said the employer still bears the cost and that the bill mainly gives larger clients an option. One member asked him to remain available for possible follow-up after hearing from the labor department. Stephen Gonzalez of Major League Baseball testified in support of the minor league baseball exemption. He said MLB and the MLB Players Association negotiated a collective bargaining agreement that already provides players with salary, housing, meals, per diems, health and retirement benefits, disability continuation, tuition assistance, and signing bonuses. He argued that treating players as hourly workers creates impractical time-tracking problems because players do work-related activities on their own time, and said the bill would recognize them as salaried workers and avoid litigation over what counts as hours worked. Committee members questioned why the exemption was needed if players are already salaried and whether MLB could simply amend its CBA; Gonzalez said the bill would help prevent wage-and-hour lawsuits and noted that similar exemptions have been enacted in other states. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the chair indicated the bill would be considered for executive action later that afternoon.

Transcript Highlights:

• A Schedule I drug.
• And if for those of schedule one drug.
• <00:08:27.520> one you who don't know what a schedule one you who don't know what a schedule
• A<00:08:35.599> schedule<00:08:36.000> one<00:08:36.680> drug.
• <00:09:44.880> one uh uh be uh getting off a schedule one uh uh be uh getting off a schedule

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• What's your schedule? And we put all of this together into a comprehensive water development plan.
• So when we schedule our basin-hosted meetings, we do it per basin.
• So when we schedule our basin-hosted meetings, we do it per basin and have that particular commissioner
• We're also providing, for your awareness, a schedule of our basin-hosted meetings.
• And then we also want them to prepare an estimate of probable costs and a proposed project schedule so

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 14 requires the cabinet to initiate a full redetermination, which is in addition to any regularly scheduled
• 14 requires the cabinet to initiate a full redetermination, which is in addition to any regularly scheduled
• 14 requires the cabinet to initiate a full redetermination, which is in addition to any regularly scheduled
• 14 requires the cabinet to initiate a full redetermination, which is in addition to any regularly scheduled
• 14 requires the cabinet to initiate a full redetermination, which is in addition to any regularly scheduled

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:15 HB 1 Discussion 00:02:00 HB 1 Vote 00:15:05 HB 2 Discussion 00:17:20 HB 2 Vote 01:13:20, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on House Bill 1, which would implement Kentucky’s participation in the federal education freedom tax credit program. Sponsors said the bill would allow donors to receive a federal dollar-for-dollar tax credit for contributions to scholarship granting organizations, with no state dollars involved, and that public school districts could potentially create their own SGOs. Members asked about the removal of state tax language in the committee substitute, the meaning of the 11th Amendment waiver, whether SGOs could serve only public school students, and whether data collection could be added. The sponsors said the state tax language was unnecessary because the credit is federal, the waiver would allow federal-court litigation over the act, and a district could establish an SGO if it met federal requirements. The committee adopted the substitute and then reported HB 1 favorably with 16 yes votes, one nay, three pass votes, and one abstention. The committee then took up House Bill 2, an act relating to Medicaid and making an appropriation. The sponsor described the bill as a response to federal HR 1 and to concerns raised by the Medicaid oversight board, saying it would address program integrity, eligibility redeterminations, cost sharing, and managed care organization contracts. He said the bill would require periodic eligibility verification for expansion Medicaid enrollees, add modest cost-sharing for some services to encourage use of primary care over emergency rooms, and strengthen enforcement of MCO contracts, with penalties going into a restricted compliance fund. Members asked about the committee amendment, and the sponsor explained it restored flexibility on the number of MCOs in future procurement rather than locking in a reduction. Members also asked whether the bill had gone before the Medicaid oversight advisory board and whether a fiscal note was available; the sponsor said the board’s recommendations were incorporated and fiscal notes were included in the packet. After discussion, the committee adopted committee amendment one to PHS2 and then adopted PHS2 as amended for consideration. The sponsor continued outlining the bill’s provisions, emphasizing that it applied to the expansion population and was intended to align Kentucky law with federal requirements while improving oversight and accountability.