Transcript Highlights:

• That's certainly more than a car payment.
• The last topic is early payment discount. And prior to the passage of HB 3 in 19.
• This is something that corporate taxpayers enjoy. at a different percentage level pre-payment discount
• T.I.A., calls for inflation adjustments, resisting reinstating the early payment for reCAPTCHA, lots
• and pay it in payments versus being able to pay it all at once, that's key for us because in August we

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• ITL on House Bill 402, an act relative to liability as taxable income on Education Freedom Account payments
• ITL on House Bill 402, an act relative to liability as taxable income on Education Freedom Account payments
• Program staff verifies eligibility through the application process, reviews and approves payment of eligible
• c> approves application process reviews and approves application process reviews and approves payment
• of eligible expenses and payment of eligible expenses and approves<00:47:04.640> educational<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first met in a revenue estimate work session to approve an LSR codifying the committee’s revenue estimates. Members reviewed the process for turning the LSR into a House Resolution and discussed how the adopted estimates would be used to amend House Bill 1. After a brief question-and-answer about current revenue splits and the governor’s proposed video lottery and tax-split changes, the committee voted 19-0 to approve the revenue estimates. The committee then moved into executive session on HB 669, which would require all revenue from the statewide education property tax to be deposited into the education trust fund and set an equalized statewide tax rate. Supporters argued the bill would better direct education funding, while opponents said it was unnecessary or duplicative. The committee voted 12-7 to retain the bill (ITL), and a minority report was noted. Next, the committee considered HB 290, which would raise cigarette and electronic cigarette taxes and create a study committee on tobacco and nicotine taxes. Testimony focused on revenue needs, inflation, public health, and concerns that a higher tax could reduce sales or drive purchases across state lines. The committee voted 11-8 to ITL the bill, with a minority report. The committee also ITL’d HB 402, dealing with whether Education Freedom Account payments are taxable income, after debate over unintended consequences and whether the bill’s language was misleading; that vote was 11-8 with a minority report. Finally, the committee opened HB 483, and Representative Tierney moved ITL, arguing the bill’s requirement that the scholarship organization be incorporated in New Hampshire would likely violate the Commerce Clause; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know if many people know that, but that prevent plant payment helps tremendously in dealing with
• and the Missouri River, downstream damages by claims of landowners, and then Devils Lake seepage payments
• and the Missouri River, downstream damages by claims of landowners, and then Devils Lake seepage payments
• So you can't get a payment there.
• The state, Hoven, started the deal where they'd pay, like, water storage payments or whatever for your

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid and hospitals specifically, we have been... ...incredibly successful through the Directive Payment
• hundreds of new families who will be buying their first home in Florida because of that $35,000 down payment
• The timing portion is that it's based on the wholesale payment and collection process.
• Very briefly, I want to ask you about the nursing home quality payment program.
• missed that last year, under this program, the lowest-performing nursing homes will still receive the payment

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the model that all of our existing down payment assistance programs follow, because CalHFA cannot
• Like, the state cannot be communicating, you know, are you not getting your full insurance payment or
• sure, but I mean, you know, as taxpayers in California often ask why they have to pay for electronic payment
• beneficiaries, I would argue at least as much as the local agency, but we're not assigning them any payment
• we're not assigning, we're not under the beneficiary pay's principle, we're not assigning them any payment

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Continuous appropriation will effectuate A.B. 1366 by ensuring timely payments to victims.
• Restitution request, given the variable and unpredictable timing of settlements and restitution payments
• To administer the payments and avoid delays.
• return-to-work planning, reducing annual fees charged by the State Compensation Insurance Fund and payments
• These include all claim payments as well as associated administrative fees.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Continuous appropriation would effectuate AB 1366 by ensuring timely payments to victims.
• Continuous appropriation will effectuate AB 1366 by ensuring timely payments to victims.
• continuous appropriation authority provides the operational flexibility necessary to administer the payments
• return-to-work planning, reducing annual fees charged by the State Compensation Insurance Fund and payments
• These include all claim payments as well as associated administrative fees.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What's more, there is a perverse incentive with the way that our per diem payments are set up, which
• of them anyway, from keeping us in session as long as possible to continue to draw down per diem payments
• the kitty to spend so that we can waste more of the people's money. with the way that our per diem payments
• of them anyway, from keeping us in session as long as possible to continue to draw down per diem payments
• of them anyway, from keeping us in session as long as possible to continue to draw down per diem payments

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• dollars a year in what we call dollars a year in what we call availability<00:19:54.840> payments
• c><00:19:56.080> because<00:19:56.320> they<00:19:56.440> just availability payments
• because they just availability payments because they just aren't<00:19:57.280> making<00:19:57.680
• , which greater incentivizes and allows borrowers to buy down their mortgage rates, making their payments
• , which greater incentivizes and allows borrowers to buy down their mortgage rates, making their payments

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, then established a quorum, approved the prior journal, and excused absent members. The chamber received second readings of several bills and resolutions, including measures on ad valorem taxes, planning and zoning, tax-dollar restrictions, provisional medical licensing, Medicaid oversight, environmental regulations, municipal financial reporting, nuclear workforce development, and county law libraries. Committee reports advanced bills on economic development, education, judiciary, and veterans/public protection, and the body also received a list of newly filed bills and resolutions covering topics such as rural revitalization, athletics, SNAP eligibility, diaper tax exemption, domestic violence, middle school math, pedestrian bridges, constitutional amendments, education, and several honorary resolutions. The Senate then took up House Bill 314, which would reorganize the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (Kentucky Wired) by moving it under the Commonwealth Office of Technology, restructuring its board, and adding members representing cities and counties. Supporters said the bill was an administrative change, not a funding measure, intended to focus the network on students, teachers, and public users while awaiting an audit. Critics argued the project has been a costly taxpayer burden and called for stronger oversight. The bill passed final passage 32-6. The chamber also passed Senate Bill 157, which aligns Kentucky law with federal mortgage rules so that certain rate buy-down payments do not count against borrower fee caps, with supporters saying it would help housing affordability and reduce costs for borrowers. Senate Bill 214 also passed unanimously; it allows the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to accept non-federal funding for grants without routing those funds through the Department of Finance. The Senate later adopted several resolutions, including Senate Resolution 61 recognizing Links Incorporated Day, Senate Resolution 114 commemorating the 80th Southern Legislative Conference, and Senate Resolution 118 honoring Joseph H. Mattingly Jr. Additional remarks highlighted a Black History Celebration event and a lengthy floor speech criticizing the Kentucky Hospital Association’s reserves and urging investigation, followed by consideration of Senate Resolution 55 on Profound Autism Day in Kentucky.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bond and insurance payments is 464,341,274. Senate Bill 3101 is Veterans Affairs Board.
• The bond and insurance<00:53:02.559> payments<00:53:02.880> is<00:53:03.280> 464,341,274
• We put in that no funds are to be used for employee premium payments.
• <00:59:35.839> also<00:59:36.799> um employee premium payments. also um employee premium
• payments. also um section<00:59:38.720> 19<00:59:39.040> as<00:59:39.280> a<00:

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 18 February, 2026; 11:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee began with process instructions about using committee substitutes, identifying bills with reverse repealers, and taking up noncontroversial items in blocks. It then approved Senate Bill 3051, the DFA budget, which included LBR-level funding with a reverse repealer and agency-by-agency allocations for the status of women, DFA, tort claims, state property insurance, BEAM, and Mississippi Home Corporation. Senate Bill 3052, the governor’s support budget, was also approved as a final-action bill without a reverse repealer, with members noting the reduction from the prior year was tied to lower federal funding. The committee then handled the IHL budget bills. Senate Bill 3053, the general support bill, included a 3% across-the-board raise for IHL professors and $20 million for repair and renovation at universities, plus $5 million for UMMC; it passed as a committee substitute with a reverse repealer. Senate Bill 3054, the original IHL-related bill, passed without a committee substitute. Bills 3055 through 3059 were taken up in block and approved, providing 3% increases for A units at Alcorn State and Mississippi State. Senate Bill 3060, student financial aid, added about $7.7 million for scholarship costs, including MESG, MTAG, and Winters-Reed loan repayment, and passed as a committee substitute. The committee also approved the larger IHL budget bill with a reverse repealer and discussed, but did not fund, a UMMC cancer center request at that stage. Subcommittee 3 presented education-related bills. Senate Bill 3062 was approved at LBR with a reverse repealer and included a large transfer from the education enhancement fund. Senate Bill 3063 added $15 million for repair and renovation and $8.11 million for faculty pay raises, and passed as a committee substitute with a reverse repealer. On Senate Bill 3064, the Employment Security Commission budget, members discussed whether the committee substitute included a reverse repealer and noted they might revisit that on the floor if needed; the bill was advanced. Subcommittee 4 then took up Senate Bills 3065, 3066, 3068, and 3069 in block and approved them: Ethics Commission funding increased for salary realignment and a database; Judicial Performance Commission language was tightened to freeze the director’s salary and ensure youth court oversight funds were used solely for that purpose; Tax Appeals Board funding was increased to restore cuts and vacancy funding; and Workers’ Compensation Commission funding rose to cover commissioner salary increases and related language changes. Later, the committee approved Senate Bill 3067 for the Department of Public Safety, which included a reverse repealer, LBR-level funding, additional money for furniture for the new headquarters, and reappropriation language. Senate Bill 3071, the GCRF bill, was approved with a reverse repealer and reappropriation language for prior-year projects. Senate Bill 3072, the Department of Mental Health budget, was approved with a reverse repealer and included $12 million for the Canopy project, prior-year invoice funding, and language tied to mental health-related legislation. Finally, Senate Bills 3073 through 3075 were taken up in block for licensing boards, with increases for the Chiropractic Examiners, Dental Examiners, and Pharmacy boards, including funding for licensing system updates, vacancy funding, and expansion of the pharmacy recovery program.

Transcript Highlights:

• , bonding companies will have a safety, bonding companies will have a bond and then take partial payments
• from bond and then take partial payments from bond and then take partial payments from a family to make
• you'd like and set up a money back if you'd like and set up a money back if you'd like and set up a payment
• But most people payment arrangement. But most people payment arrangement.

Bills: HB265, HB146, SB254, HB202, HB3, HB42, SB18

Keywords: resisting arrest, penalties, criminal justice, law enforcement, public safety, youthful offender, capital murder, victims' rights, SB254, Alabama, statute of limitations, civil procedure, civil action, sex offense, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, survivor rights, tolling, disability, minor plaintiff

Transcript Highlights:

• We pay the managed care organizations per member per month, capitation payment, and out of those capitation
• payments they have to deliver all of the services to our Medicaid members, including behavioral health
• So we do pay that capitation payment, and out of that capitation payment all of the non-emergency transportation
• So we do pay that capitation payment, and out of that capitation payment all of the non-emergency transportation

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services held its first meeting and received an overview from the Department for Medicaid Services on Medicaid’s behavioral health and substance use disorder services. Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Beal said Kentucky Medicaid serves about 1.4 million members, including over half of Kentucky children, with 485,000 expansion members, more than 69,000 enrolled providers, and total fiscal year 2024 expenditures of $18.5 billion. They said Kentucky covers a broad range of behavioral health services, and behavioral health provider enrollment has grown from a little over 4,500 in 2019 to nearly 8,000 in 2024. They also described how Medicaid spending and utilization are tracked through claims and encounter data, with most members served through managed care organizations. Members focused on sharp increases in certain behavioral health billing codes, especially peer-to-peer services, and asked about reimbursement, utilization review, and whether the growth reflected increased need or expanded coverage. DMS said the rise was partly tied to combining facility and nonfacility behavioral health fee schedules in 2023, choosing the higher reimbursement rate to avoid cuts, and that the department has seen an uptick in peer-to-peer services. In response to concerns about overutilization, DMS said it mailed a letter to behavioral health providers, is considering limits and prior authorizations for some services, and plans to create a standardized monthly behavioral health report to monitor trends consistently and identify when controls may be needed. Lawmakers also asked whether the provider network is sufficient and whether access is adequate, especially for children. DMS said provider enrollment has expanded because behavioral health services were added to Medicaid in 2014 and because demand increased after COVID, but acknowledged studies showing children have less access than adults and said that would be an area of focus. The department said managed care organizations are required to ensure access to needed services and that current trends indicate access is available, though one member disagreed and said workforce shortages remain a major concern. Another member asked about non-emergency medical transportation spending, and DMS explained that it is handled through a capitated arrangement administered by the Transportation Cabinet rather than directly by the managed care organizations.

Transcript Highlights:

• forfeiture laws as a result of a prosecution for human trafficking are to be applied first toward the payment
• We made sure that there was a safe harbor for estimated quarterly payments, and we appreciate that making
• a $60.75 billion budget, $6 billion in surplus, record-setting property tax relief, full pension payment
• again, $60.75 billion budget, $6 billion in surplus, record-setting property tax relief, full pension payment
• It imposes cost recovery payments on certain fossil fuel companies for funds needed for climate change

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• see too often, can happen when the adoptive parent is still collecting Adoption Assistance Program payments
• and later kicked out of her adoptive home at 17 while her adoptive parents continued receiving AAP payments
• No more should the provision of AAP payments be a barrier to youth like Zara to reenter foster care.
• That agreement would trigger the suspension of those payments going to adoptive parents no longer providing
• to reenter foster care under a voluntary reentry agreement that triggers the suspension of those payments

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and all the other forms that they try to slow down treatment of injured workers and slow down the payments
• And part of the reason provides and slow down the payments to doctors.
• data, then we can make sure everybody is paid consistently and they're in a certain class or area of payment
• We're going to take that part on this side of the equation and offset some of the payments.
• You're getting electronic payments now. You got fewer employees and besides that completely.

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 408 by Senator Myers, a major workers’ compensation overhaul centered on creating an all-claims medical database, requiring electronic reporting and billing, and modernizing fee schedule and claims data collection. Myers said the bill was designed to improve transparency, reduce disputes, address outliers and abuse, and help injured workers return to work faster. The committee adopted technical amendments, then considered a large amendment set combining portions of House bills 780 and 1101, which added preliminary determination procedures, fraud language, temporary total disability and supplemental earnings benefit changes, and a fallback deadline for the department to establish a fee schedule if no agreement is reached by 2029. Several members and witnesses objected that the amendments were dropped late and would turn SB 408 into an omnibus bill; supporters argued the package was the best chance for comprehensive reform. After debate, the committee adopted the amendments and reported SB 408 favorably as amended. Testimony on SB 408 was sharply divided. Supporters, including some providers and injured-worker advocates, said the bill’s core value was transparency through the database and that the system needed modernization and a better fee schedule. Opponents argued the added amendments would burden pro se claimants, expand litigation, and weaken injured workers’ rights, especially through fraud and preliminary hearing provisions. Committee members also questioned whether the combined package was germane and whether it should be allowed to move as a single reform measure. Louisiana Workforce Commission staff explained the timeline for data collection, electronic billing, dispute rules, and eventual fee schedule rulemaking, and said the department could execute the law as amended. The committee then turned to House Bill 585 by Representative Chasson, concerning workplace violence and safety plans for small-box discount retailers. The bill was revised through a substitute that required covered retailers to develop and submit a written workforce safety plan, or submit an existing plan if one already existed. Representative Glorioso raised concerns that requiring a written safety plan could create new civil liability under Louisiana’s assumption-of-duty doctrine and increase litigation and insurance costs. Chasson responded that the intent was simply to encourage safety planning and that businesses already had such plans. The committee discussed possible narrowing language, but the transcript ends before a final disposition on HB 585 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• This payment mechanism no longer works in three counties, but I want to make sure you hear from me that
• I'm here today to advocate for the full payment of the $157 million in-lieu vehicle license fees owed
• just want to note for the record that since 2012, the state has provided over $300 million of these payments
• administration, again, is just looking at this from the perspective that this is not a statutorily required payment
• We are in support of payment in full and a legislative fix.

Summary: The hearing began with a vote-only agenda and then focused first on San Mateo County’s request to restore in-lieu vehicle license fee (VLF) funding. County officials, city leaders, labor representatives, nonprofits, and public safety advocates argued that the loss of roughly $157 million would force major cuts to homelessness services, housing assistance, mental health programs, libraries, parks, fire and police staffing, and other local services. They described the current formula as outdated and unfair, tied to school funding and basic-aid dynamics that no longer work for San Mateo County, and urged both an immediate budget restoration and a permanent legislative fix. The Department of Finance said the payments are discretionary, not statutorily required, and noted the administration does not view the expenditure as sustainable in the current fiscal climate. Committee members expressed sympathy, questioned the formula, and said they would keep the issue under consideration; the committee later voted to move the two vote-only items on the agenda. The committee then received an update from the Department of General Services on state property redevelopment, including the Hillcrest DMV site in San Diego, the Fell Street DMV site in San Francisco, and other state-owned properties. DGS explained that Hillcrest is not currently an active project, while the Fell Street project shifted from an integrated DMV-housing plan to a more feasible relocation of the DMV into leased commercial space, with a budget change proposal pending. Members pressed DGS on the slow pace of redevelopment, the potential for housing on state sites, and the costs and feasibility of adaptive reuse. DGS said many state buildings are aging and that adaptive reuse depends heavily on building design, floorplate depth, light, and risk from unknown conditions behind walls. The Government Operations portion then turned to the California Education Learning Lab, which supports intersegmental higher education innovation grants. The Lab asked for permanent restoration of $4 million in ongoing funding and a move of its home agency from the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps, along with technical trailer bill changes. Supporters said the program has funded more than 120 projects reaching thousands of faculty and hundreds of thousands of students, including work on generative AI in higher education. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended rejecting the restoration and continuing the wind-down, citing the state’s projected deficit and suggesting the California Education Interagency Council could pursue non-state-funded grant opportunities instead. The committee held the item open. Finally, GovOps presented the new California Education Interagency Council staffing request, seeking four ongoing positions to support the council, with funding already included in last year’s budget. The department said the governor has appointed Debbie Cochran as executive officer and that the remaining positions are being recruited. Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee began questions about how the council will be staffed and organized.

Transcript Highlights:

• avoids lenders having to take over properties because it gives more time to reinstate, make up the payments
• reinstate,<00:28:36.159> make<00:28:36.400> up<00:28:36.520> the<00:28:36.640> payments
• <00:28:37.120> in reinstate, make up the payments in reinstate, make up the payments in arrears
• We made a down payment on that last year, and we're going to continue, and I think you'll see some spending

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• fund rather than dedicated to paying down the PSPRS, and the town continued making only minimal payments
• And the town continued making only minimal payments, allowing the liability to grow from $16 million
• money for different things that it would have been very difficult for the town to make those bond payments
• money for different things that it would have been very difficult for the town to make those bond payments
• information, pension information, income and employment information, child support information, and payment

Bills: HB2070, HB2129, HB2227, HB2439, HB2667, HB2745, HB2773, HB2825, HB2873, HB2876, HCR2005, HCR2044, SB1002, SB1036, SB1054, SB1271, SB1432, SB1435, SB1437, SB1439, SCR1022, SCR1031, SCR1033

Keywords: flood relief, Gila County, emergency funding, public safety, environmental cleanup, municipal libraries, annual reporting, state legislation, transparency, government accountability, chiropractic, chiropractor, chiropractic board, state board of chiropractic examiners, license discipline, unprofessional conduct, patient records, record retention, HIPAA, conflict of interest

Transcript Highlights:

• to support charter schools by providing grants that cover either part or the full amount of lease payments
• agreements for lease assistance can last up to 30 years; they can include principal and interest payments
• and allow for pre-payments of any loans.
• Lastly, saving for facility down payments also comes out of operational dollars.
• We have an annual debt service payment of $1,551,401, and our lease assistance is $600,000.

Transcript Highlights:

• There were non-recurring expenditures that represent the rebate payments that we made in response to
• somewhat regressive, but the personal income tax intentionally makes up for that regressivity with payments
• Similarly, the Medicaid Trust Fund will get half of that same windfall from the federal royalty payments
• Chair, is I think Izzy might be able to answer this: do you know what our latest federal royalty payment
• So our federal royalty payment is split that way. That's right, Madam Chair.