Transcript Highlights:

• It does contain positions. Refer to personnel.
• It also contains positions. Refer to personnel.
• It contains positions. Refer to personnel.
• It contains positions. Refer to personnel.
• Those amendments contain both positions and special language.

Summary: The committee met briefly to review a long list of agency and governor’s letters and determine which items should be referred to subcommittees. The chair explained that the main purpose of the meeting was referral only; any letters not acted on would be carried over to next Tuesday’s agenda. Under agency communications, letters from the Auditor of State, Supreme Court, Secretary of State, and Lieutenant Governor were referred to personnel because they contained positions. Under the governor’s letters, several items were referred to personnel or special language, including requests involving the Department of Education, Department of Health, multiple DHS divisions, the Department of Correction, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Safety, Shared Administrative Services, Workforce Services, Energy and Environment, and the Department of Finance and Administration. No substantive debate or votes were described beyond the referral decisions. The chair then announced a busy schedule for the following week, with personnel, JBC, claims, peer review, and special language meetings set across Tuesday through Thursday, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are already vacant positions, or what are these positions?
• We have to still continue isolating patients that are positive for COVID-19, but the positive rates are
• The positions that we primarily gave up were positions associated with units that we had been able to
• Lows, and the positions were vacant. So they were vacant positions.
• Six for each HCAI, so 12 positions total.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Did you put the position out? How many people applied?
• That predates my tenure in this position.
• Those 20 are primarily administrative and support positions, not enforcement positions.
• So we've offered up those six and a half positions, plus one more where we had a long clerk two position
• There's not a lot of positions in there.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review agency travel, budget reduction exercises, and member reports from agency meetings. Early discussion focused on the Department of Management Services (DMS), where members questioned the cost of travel for four out-of-state data/cyber staff and the secretary’s absence. DMS defended the hires as highly specialized enterprise cybersecurity and data personnel, said the positions were lawfully paid and posted, and explained that the staff work on statewide data cataloging and cyber risk reduction rather than agency-by-agency systems. Members also raised concerns about fleet inventory discrepancies and requested follow-up information on hiring, travel, and data inventory timelines. The chair said she would consider travel guardrails and possible reductions, and noted that DMS, the Lottery, and the Florida Commission on Human Relations did not meet the requested reduction target, while the Public Employee Relations Commission did not submit reductions. The committee then heard from the Florida Lottery about the secretary’s trip to Paris for the World Lottery Convention. Lottery staff said the trip was reimbursed through the multi-state lottery organization and was intended to share best practices and improve operations, though members questioned the value of the travel and requested reimbursement records and the trip agenda. The subcommittee also reviewed agency reduction exercises from several agencies. The Department of Revenue exceeded its target and was praised for frugality; DFS, the Florida Gaming Control Commission, the Office of Financial Regulation, the Office of Insurance Regulation, the Public Service Commission, the Division of Administrative Hearings, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation each described how they met or approached their reduction goals, often through vacancies, reversions, or expense cuts. OIR warned that further reductions could hurt insurance regulation capacity, while OFR and PSC said their reductions were based on historical reversions and lower post-COVID travel or vacancy levels. Members then reported back on agency meetings. DMS members raised fleet tracking, real property audits, salary studies, and health plan savings ideas, and asked for follow-up on the Florida PALM project, cybersecurity grants, and state IT modernization. DFS members said the agency was efficient and that its Palm-related work and insurance consumer programs were important. Lottery members emphasized the agency’s revenue generation for education and its low administrative overhead. Gaming Control members highlighted storage costs for seized gaming equipment and suggested technology-based alternatives. PERC members said a union-related law had doubled their workload and asked for more staffing and possible AI assistance. OIR members stressed the need for a Tampa satellite office and more resources to recruit and retain specialized staff. The chair closed by saying the committee would continue reviewing travel, staffing, and reductions with an eye toward taxpayer value and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• by nine positions, going from the 86 proposed positions for the 2025 session to 77 proposed positions
• The ones with checkered marks on are the vacant positions.
• position to fill.
• specialist position.
• So that's why I've proposed adding that position.

Summary: The Legislative Procedures and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The committee first considered and adopted a Joint Rule 211 change clarifying the deadline and statutory references for bill drafts involving health insurance mandates, after discussion that the process is still somewhat cumbersome but improved by the clarification. The committee then reviewed a revised draft addressing confidentiality protections for certain legislators and candidates, but members expressed concerns about the breadth, enforceability, and transparency implications of the proposal, and the committee chose not to advance it at this time. The committee received an informational update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is applying for the grant, which could provide about $200 per legislator for home security or related safety expenses, subject to Emergency Commission approval and reimbursement procedures. Members asked about eligible expenses, administrative burden, and whether new legislators would be covered; staff said guidance would be provided if funding is approved. The committee also approved the 2027 timing for the State of the Judiciary, tribal-state relationship message, and State of the State address on January 5, and set the Commerce Department and agricultural commodity reports for January 13 and 14, respectively, as required by statute. A major portion of the meeting focused on legislative staffing and organizational planning. The committee approved a recommendation for 36 Senate staff positions and 41 House staff positions, along with a 3% compensation increase for session staff. Discussion centered on replacing some procedural clerk duties with permanent policy analyst staff, retaining quality assurance roles for now, and adding or repurposing positions in IT, program evaluation, legal, and administration. Members also discussed expanding program evaluation capacity and the need for clearer oversight of new programs, with staff noting upcoming training and model-sharing with other states. Finally, the committee reviewed a proposed new legislator orientation day on November 30 and broader organizational session training changes, including mock committee and floor sessions, security training, and more robust budget/appropriations instruction, but took no final action on the agenda items and adjourned after completing the budget-related recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• and OPM has recommended the two new positions.
• The request includes three growth pool positions as well as two swap pool positions from the higher ed
• Review of this request will increase the total authorized positions by three.
• Do you know what those positions are that have that type of salary?
• Do you know what those positions are that have that type of salary?

Summary: The committee reviewed several personnel and appropriation items, including Item C, which involved a two-for-two position swap with no net increase in authorized positions and was approved after motion. Item D for South Arkansas College added three net positions through a mix of growth and swap pool requests, including food service, public safety, housing support, and compliance-related roles; it was also approved. Item E moved positions and $3 million in salary and match appropriation within Workforce Services to consolidate shared services, with no net change in positions, and was approved. The committee then took up Items F through O as continuation requests for previously approved or reviewed positions and differentials to carry into FY27. These included growth and surrender pool positions at several agencies, various pay differentials such as second-language, on-call, hard-to-fill, certification, and labor market adjustments, as well as continuation of grant-funded classifications tied to ARPA and IIJA grants and other federal grants. After no questions, the committee approved the continuations in a single motion. Under the supplemental agenda, the committee suspended the rules and approved Item A-1, which authorized salary increases above grade maximums for 92 employees due to merit increases. A senator asked about several public safety classifications listed as Med 14, 16, 14, and 15, and staff indicated they were likely crime lab medical examiner positions. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• we we really man so many positions? we we really man so many positions?
• , position, position, >> right?
• position. Whereas, you know, you can position.
• Whereas, you know, you can have have have part-time part-time part-time positions, positions, positions
• is an elected since the position is an elected position. position. position.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, we recommend rejecting the remaining positions. positions.
• These positions and duties are being repurposed with a renewed focus on community. positions.
• , medical... ...custody, parole, and health care institution positions, medical institution positions
• The request is for 26 positions and $12.6 million in 2026-27, 26 positions and $46.8 million in 2028-
• The request is for 26 positions and $12.6 million in 2026-27, 26 positions and $46.8 million in 2028-

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:

• department, has a position that's been unfilled for 150 days, so half a year, that position is going
• , as... ...have positions that, and they might be higher-paying positions, as you mentioned about DPS
• I'm not going to pull you out a number of positions right now, but I'm just saying there are positions
• And so if it's that critical of a position that you have to have this position, and it's going to go
• by that position be eliminated?

Bills: HB2086, HB2248, HB2688

Keywords: vaccination mandates, mask requirements, public health, government entities, COVID-19, medical freedom, healthcare mandates, employment requirements, government regulation, vacant positions, state budget, government efficiency, employment, full-time equivalent positions, 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard three bills, all on medical freedom or government staffing. HB 2248 would prohibit governmental entities, businesses, schools, and ticket issuers from denying employment, entry, services, or participation based on whether a person has received or used a medical intervention. Supporters framed it as protecting bodily autonomy and parental rights; opponents, including physicians, child care and public health advocates, warned it was drafted too broadly and could undermine vaccine-related protections, school and daycare illness policies, and hospital safety. After debate, the bill received a do pass recommendation on a 3-2 vote. HB 2086 would bar government entities and businesses from requiring vaccination or masks/face coverings, with stated exceptions for long-standing workplace safety and infection control measures, and it would apply to certain government-owned health care facilities. Supporters argued it was needed to prevent coercive mandates and protect individual freedom and business autonomy; opponents said it would interfere with private employers’ ability to protect customers and workers and could conflict with public health practices. The committee approved the bill on a 3-2 do pass vote. HB 2688 would require the Arizona Department of Administration to identify state budget-unit positions vacant for at least 150 days and eliminate those positions each fiscal year, with some exceptions such as corrections and DPS. The sponsor said the bill would reduce waste and prevent vacant positions from functioning as slush funds, while members raised concerns about specialized or hard-to-fill jobs. After brief testimony in support, the committee passed the bill on a 3-2 do pass vote, then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• them those positions just because those them those positions just because an<00:09:53.279> agency
• Is that the budget has to authorize the creation of a new position, and that position will have, you
• The thing that adds positions looks very similar, yes, and the numbers are the position numbers.
• Position numbers.
• Position numbers.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was an introductory Division One budget briefing led by Legislative Budget Assistant staff Melissa Rollins and Jack Mullen. They explained staff roles and agency assignments within Division One, noting that Jack is taking over the General Government category while Melissa handles Categories 2 and 3, and that members can contact either staffer with questions. They also reviewed the upcoming budget calendar, including the governor’s budget presentation expected in mid-February, agency hearings beginning around February 17–20, a Division One deadline around March 26, and House Finance reporting deadlines in early April. A major portion of the discussion focused on how to read fiscal notes and the difference between expenditures and appropriations. Staff used sample language to explain that a bill may show an expenditure estimate without actually authorizing funding or new positions, and that a zero appropriation means the agency is not authorized to spend the estimated amount unless the bill is amended. Members asked questions about why a bill could show costs but still not authorize spending or hiring, and staff clarified that new positions require specific legislative authorization and classification detail. They also noted that many bills will have expenditure lines without appropriations, and that amendments may be needed if the committee wants to fund or authorize the program. The rest of the meeting walked members through the HB 1 and HB 2 tracking documents used by the division. Staff explained that HB 1 tracking sheets record additional agency requests not included in the governor’s budget, including requests that may be zero-net transfers, corrections, or new spending items, and that grayed-out items indicate actions already taken. They said HB 2 will be handled through a similar tracking process, with amendments routed through LBA staff and the Office of Legislative Services. Members were told that the division will review agency budgets, class lines, and proposed changes over roughly six weeks, with the goal of preparing a detailed change report for full House Finance.

Transcript Highlights:

• positions.
• The request includes three growth pool positions as well as two swap pool positions from the higher ed
• Review of this request will increase the total authorized positions by three.
• match appropriation within the department to support reallocation of positions.
• Do you know what those positions are that have that type of salary?

Summary: The committee reviewed several personnel and appropriation requests. Item C was a two-for-two position swap with no net increase in authorized positions and was approved. Item D, for South Arkansas College, added three net positions through a mix of growth and swap pool positions, including food service, public safety, housing, and compliance support roles, and was approved. Item E moved positions and $3 million in salary and match appropriation within Workforce Services to consolidate shared services, with no net change in positions, and was approved. The committee then considered a group of continuation items for FY27, covering previously approved growth and surrender pool positions, various differentials, hard-to-fill and on-call pay, a labor market adjustment for crime lab medical examiners, and continuation of grant-funded classifications tied to ARPA and IIJA grants across several agencies. These items were reviewed together and approved. Reports on the agenda required no action and were simply reviewed. On the supplemental agenda, the committee suspended the rules and approved OPM’s request for salary increases for 92 employees whose merit raises would place them over their grade maximums. Senator Dotson asked about several public safety medical examiner positions listed on the salary schedule, and staff indicated they were likely crime lab medical examiner roles. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:25.600> uh permanent accountant uh six positions uh permanent accountant uh six positions
• <00:07:54.960> especially time filling those positions especially time filling those positions
• The next request is for a position, but this is for a trust-funded position within the ERS and/or the
• We're adding the fifth position.
• and the next request is for a position and the next request is for a position uh<00:15:05.000>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:02.400> uh 2021 for all security positions uh 2021 for all security positions uh within
• . positions. positions.
• /c><00:14:29.199> filled positions, we we had filled positions, we we had filled 157. 157. 157
• of those 524, we have 450 positions of those 524, we have 450 positions filled<00:14:47.760>
• The requested funding includes the annual cost for one new attorney position and a paralegal position

Keywords: 00:05 Call to Order and Roll Call 01:42 Department of Corrections 04:14 Department of Juvenile Justice 16:22 Kentucky Law Enforcement Council 28:01 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard budget-related testimony from the Department of Corrections on a request for additional funding to take over operations of the Lee Adjustment Center, including $2.2 million in fiscal year 2027 and $5.2 million in fiscal year 2028. The witness said the governor’s budget did not recommend the request. Members asked about the cost savings of private operation versus state operation, the facility’s role in the department’s long-term goals, and whether the state intends to move toward operating all adult correctional facilities directly. The Department of Juvenile Justice then presented on staffing, recruitment, retention, and facility planning. Officials described recent pay increases and other investments, including a 10% security pay raise in 2021, an 8% state employee raise in 2022, higher youth worker starting salaries, and $4.8 million in 2023 funding to sustain salary increases. They said DJJ has also expanded mental health and medical staffing, improved recruitment efforts, and seen an upward trend in hiring. In response to questions, the commissioner said barriers to recruitment and retention include the Tier 3 retirement system, the structured and restrictive nature of detention work, and competition from other employers. He also said the department wants to move toward a regional model for female facilities under SB 162 and believes those facilities can be staffed. DJJ provided staffing figures showing 1,339 funded positions, with 157 filled and 182 vacant at a January benchmark, and 524 detention positions with 450 filled and 74 vacant. Officials said 30 correctional officers were in basic training and expected to join posts soon. Members also asked about the feasibility of staffing additional facilities and the department’s vacancy trends. Finally, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council testified on a funding request for one attorney, one paralegal, one additional monitor, higher costs for existing monitor positions, and Lexington office rent. Officials said the request is needed to handle a growing decertification caseload and expanded oversight responsibilities as the number of academies has increased to about eight, with more than 2,100 instructors requiring biennial review. They said KLEC currently has one attorney and about 15 total staff, with roughly 180 cases pending, more than 50 complaints left to file, and another 30 cases expected soon. Members asked about current staffing, attorney salary, the number of academies, and the move to a separate Lexington office. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned without a quorum for approving minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• million um higher than the JAC position million um higher than the JAC position and<00:03:14.159
• the way in between those two positions. the way in between those two positions.
• It's down to $810 million on the Senate position, $991 million on the House position.
• So, that's one of the largest reductions. position, uh there is a transfer uh to position, uh there is
• The House position is double dip.

Bills: SF0032, SF0010, SF0001, HB0001

Keywords: 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, Wyoming, budget, funding, education, wildfire prevention, healthcare, community colleges, grants, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• 14.440> our<00:14:14.560> resources positions and refocusing our resources positions and
• positions were created. positions were created.
• We did eliminate some of the positions. We had some vacant positions that were eliminated.
• > that<00:21:28.600> were had some vacant positions that were had some vacant positions
• , with staff that are in those current positions or similarly situated positions.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of House Bill 504, the judicial branch budget, and court facility projects. AOC leaders said they do not anticipate problems balancing the outgoing biennium or fiscal year 2026, and explained that the budget changes were driven by the need to reduce costs while preserving required constitutional, court-rule, and statutory services. They also said the new filing fee increases authorized by HB 504 took effect that day and are expected to generate up to $5 million, while the reorganization is projected to save about $3 million in general fund dollars. The bulk of the presentation focused on a major reorganization of the Office of Statewide Programs, which includes specialty courts, family and juvenile services, and pretrial services. AOC said the plan eliminates 170 positions and creates 109 new ones, mainly by reducing middle-management layers, expanding regional service delivery, and cross-training staff. Officials said 110 employees had already been offered or accepted placements, 24 had chosen voluntary separation, and the final number of employees leaving remains fluid until the process concludes around August 1. They emphasized that specialty court programs were not eliminated, but state-funded treatment court contracts and behavioral health liaison positions were removed, with treatment costs shifted to Medicaid or participants where appropriate. Members asked about the process, staffing impacts, specialty court participation, juvenile services, and how AOC will monitor the changes. AOC said the reorganization was developed by leadership, HR, and legal staff under direction of the Chief Justice and approved by the Supreme Court, and that it is intended to improve efficiency and frontline support rather than reduce services. They said specialty court participant levels are being watched closely, that CDW services will continue to use outside providers for programming, and that the agency will keep judges and stakeholders informed as the new structure goes into effect. No votes were taken, and the committee did not approve minutes because a quorum was not present.

Transcript Highlights:

• And our nursing positions, we have some nursing positions there, were outrightly declined by nurses due
• > positions<00:14:41.040> there,<00:14:41.839> were have some nursing positions
• In addition, we all nursing positions.
• <00:19:06.080> for and especially in hiring positions for and especially in hiring positions
• 56.080> headcount field positions 23, current headcount field positions 23, current headcount

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 4 February, 2026; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Board of Dental Examiners on its FY27 budget request. Board staff said the agency licenses and regulates dentistry and dental hygiene in Mississippi, with nearly 7,500 licenses and permits. They described recent accomplishments, including implementation of a new database and completion of sedation-permit inspection requirements, and said those changes created about $80,000 in savings. The board’s main remaining request was a 3% staff progression costing $20,539; members also discussed a possible $29,000 ITS charge tied to House Bill 1491, though staff said that cost might no longer be needed if the funding shifts back to ITS. The board also explained its revenue sources, including dental, hygienist, and dental assistant x-ray permits, and clarified that the “radiology” permits are for dental assistants authorized to take x-rays. Members asked about fees, renewal cycles, sedation permit classes, and continuing education requirements, and the board said it was fully staffed and did not need vacancy funding. The committee then heard from the Board of Nursing, which said it regulates about 80,000 LPN, RN, and APRN licenses and oversees workforce programs and disciplinary matters. The board emphasized its Office of Nursing Workforce, noting more than $4 million in grants to nursing programs from 2019 to 2024 and thousands of scholarships awarded to nursing students, with recipients required to work in Mississippi for a period after graduation. It said staffing remains a major problem because salaries are not competitive, leading to difficulty filling positions; between October and December, 10 positions were posted and only two were filled. The board said the legislative budget recommendation would eliminate five positions, and it requested $112,466 in salary funding to restore and support staff pay, including a maximum 7% progression for nursing positions, a 4% increase for nonexecutive staff, and a 2% increase for executive staff. The nursing board also requested additional contractual and technology funding. It said House Bill 1491 would increase annual fees by $49,486 plus a one-time $3,000 data migration charge, and it requested $13,800 for an ongoing subscription tied to the military medics program assigned to the board in the prior session. It also said a proposed human trafficking bill would require another $10,000 if enacted. Members asked about the board’s cash balance, renewal cycles, and staffing structure, including investigatory and compliance functions, and the board said it had about 39 current employees and was monitoring roughly 130 people in compliance, including about 30 in a confidential monitoring program for substance use or severe psychiatric conditions. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with members thanking both boards and inviting follow-up questions before appropriations decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• , holding an elected position while you are a DLA or taking on an elected position when you are serving
• I'm very sorry, Representative Armstrong, that your DLA had to resign her position.
• Looking at it from their position and vantage point, there's no job security in these positions.
• And that became a real problem because I'm now assigned to a position where you can't fill that position
• Nonpartisan positions. Even currently, staff is discouraged from posting anything.

Transcript Highlights:

• because they're part-time positions and people don't want to take part-time positions.
• because they're part-time positions and people don't want to take part-time positions.
• positions.
• They're in permanent positions.
• position if I'm already in a permanent position and I lose some of the benefits of that permanent position

Summary: The committee hearing focused heavily on CARB’s broad trailer bill request for regulatory fee authority. Finance and CARB argued the proposal would let CARB develop fees to recover reasonable costs for implementing and enforcing regulations, while the LAO recommended rejection because the authority was too broad, could apply to an entire division of code, and would delegate core legislative taxing/fee-setting power without enough guardrails. Members from both parties raised concerns about the breadth of the authority, accountability, affordability impacts, and whether the Legislature would be put in an up-or-down position after CARB had already developed regulations. CARB responded that fees would still go through a budget change proposal and legislative approval before collection, and cited existing examples such as transport refrigeration units and commercial harborcraft fees. The committee then reviewed CARB’s request for permanent resources to implement SB 905 on carbon capture, utilization, storage, and carbon dioxide removal. CARB said the Legislature had previously authorized limited-term positions and funding, but it had struggled to recruit and retain staff with specialized regulatory and technical expertise, and that the work had included pre-rulemaking contracts, technology review, and permit-related preparation. Members questioned the pace of work, the use of limited-term positions, and whether additional permitting authority would be needed. CARB said it hoped to begin rulemaking later in the year if permanent resources were approved. Members also discussed the cap-and-trade spending plan, noting lower-than-expected auction revenues but higher interest earnings, and the need to monitor the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and possible May Revision changes. The committee then heard overviews of the zero-emission vehicle package, the Community Air Protection Program, demand-side grid support, and e-bike incentives. CARB described ongoing investments in community-based transportation equity, drayage trucks, harbor craft, and other clean technology demonstrations, while members pressed on affordability, program duplication, and whether enough funding was being directed to incentive programs. No formal votes were taken during the portion provided, and the chair repeatedly indicated that the hearing was intended to surface concerns for later budget negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have the um Senate Senate position.
• So the house is has as their position.
• <00:04:05.760> as um moving to that position as um moving to that position as well.<00:04:
• no none of its position from the original<00:04:25.840> House<00:04:26.160> position<00
• :04:26.560> regarding original House position regarding original House position regarding transfers

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2 separately establishes the supervisor position. It's a new position.
• > and four position six positions moving and four position six positions moving and one<00:34:
• establishes the supervisor position establishes the supervisor position position<00:34:28.159>
• positions.
• there's a position cost of the position there's a position yes<02:43:30.160> there's<02:43:30.319

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from the Department of Environmental Services on proposed changes in House Bill 2 and related technical changes in House Bill 1 tied to the governor’s permitting realignment initiative. The proposal would move environmental review staff from Fish and Game and DNCR to DES to create a more centralized “one-stop shop” for applicants needing DES permits, especially for wildlife and natural heritage reviews. DES said the goal is to speed permitting, support a 60-day review clock, and improve coordination among agencies while keeping the substantive review work in place. Members asked about staffing impacts, the scope of the transferred duties, and whether the change would create redundancy or weaken the other agencies. DES said most of the affected staff work primarily on these reviews, though Fish and Game staff also handle other state and federal reviews, which is why the proposal was adjusted to keep one of the four Fish and Game positions there and move three to DES, along with two positions from DNCR. DES also described a new supervisory position in HB 2 to manage the transferred staff within its land resources bureau. Officials said the reviews would still be done by specialists, but under DES supervision, and that the agencies would continue to coordinate recommendations on species impacts and mitigation. The committee also discussed fee increases intended to offset costs, including a 50% increase in wetlands fees and a 100% increase in alteration-of-terrain fees, with the department saying the changes would cover the new positions. Members raised concerns about impacts on private homeowners, possible incentives to work without permits, and whether fines should be used more as a revenue source or for mitigation. DES said wetlands permits are roughly split between homeowner-related and commercial projects, that permit-by-notification already creates a two-tier structure for smaller projects, and that enforcement relies partly on public complaints and online permitting systems. The department also said most fines currently go to the general fund and vary widely year to year, with about $75,000 budgeted, and that the proposal would also create permit-by-notification authority for alteration-of-terrain projects between 100,000 and 150,000 square feet, mirroring language in Senate Bill 110. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• going back in a TRS covered position. going back in a TRS covered position.
• <00:39:00.800> allowed non-critical shortage positions allowed non-critical shortage positions
• of those positions are being used. of those positions are being used.
• those positions.
• 10.240> the currently um these positions the currently um these positions the employers<01:00:

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:09 Attendance Roll Call: 00:01:42 Approval of Minutes: 00:03:23 Overview of Actuarial Audit Process: 00:03:47 Overview of Reemployment After Retirement Provisions: 00:25:26 Teachers’ Retirement System: 00:25:26 Kentucky Public Pensions Authority: 00:50:32 Adjournment: 01:02:55, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with quorum, approval of the prior minutes, and an announcement that the June meeting had been canceled and replaced by this combined May/June meeting; the next official PPOB meeting was announced for July 21 at 2:30. Staff then gave an overview of the Public Pension Oversight Board’s required actuarial audit process, explaining that House Bill 238 requires a review every five years of the retirement systems’ actuarial assumptions and methods, funded by the systems themselves. The presentation distinguished this audit from a financial or forensic audit, described the three possible audit levels (full replication, limited/spot review, or basic review), and noted that the last audit in 2021 was a level one performed by Milleman Consulting at a cost of about $190,000. Members discussed timing for the next audit cycle, with a request to LRC likely needed in July or August to target the June 30, 2026 valuation, and several members expressed interest in another level one review. Questions also addressed whether prior audits found major issues; staff said the 2021 review was generally clean but recommended more consistency in reporting and assumptions across systems. The committee then welcomed new staff and interns, including Odet Guanzi of KPPPA and Team Kentucky intern Amamira Bowman. Bo Barnes of the Teachers Retirement System presented an overview of the statutory framework for reemployment after retirement under KRS 161.605. He explained that the law is intended to let retirees return to help with staffing needs, do so in an actuarially sound way through required contributions, and keep TRS compliant with federal tax rules for a qualified plan under section 401(a). Barnes described the required breaks in service and earnings limits for retirees returning part-time or full-time, including the three-month or 12-month break depending on the employer, the 6,900-day limit, and the daily wage threshold based on years of service. He also noted a lightly used critical shortage program that allows school districts to hire retirees without a wage cap, while still observing the break-in-service rules. Members asked questions about who decides the scope and level of the actuarial audit, how the audit would treat leave balances and other benefit-related items, and whether the prior level one audit identified substantial problems. Staff said the committee would request the audit, but LRC would handle contracting, and that the audit scope could include items like sick leave and annual leave costs if requested. On the reemployment topic, Barnes emphasized that the rules are designed to avoid pre-arranged retire-and-return arrangements that could jeopardize TRS’s tax-qualified status. No formal votes were taken beyond approving the minutes, and the meeting concluded with the presentations and discussion of these pension oversight issues.