Transcript Highlights:

• A property tax.
• a property tax.
• Again, all appraisal for property tax purposes happens at the local level per tax code section 23.01A
• Market value is defined in the tax code under Section 1.04, and all real and tangible personal property
• portion of our property taxes, um, If we allocate our property reduction, uh, property reduction money

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, all appraisal for property tax purposes happens at the local level, per tax code section 23.01A
• Find in the tax code under section 1.04, and all real and tangible personal property is... taxable, unless
• Residential property or commercial property for tangible personal property a rendition will have to be
• property value study cycle.
• versus multifamily commercial real property and also commercial personal property.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, we're seeing this increasingly become not just a property crime.
• As I'm reading House Bill 727, it makes an, it makes a, a change to 3004 of the penal code.
• it got, it was, it was, I think it was, I mean, based on this is it was originally already in the code
• And so, well, the, the actual penal code. Is I've seen it.
• That it's disconsonant with other aspects of the penal code.

Bills: HB268, HB305, HB307

Keywords: gun show, firearm sales, criminal background check, firearm regulation, gun show promoter, election procedures, voter registration, residence requirements, change of address, voter eligibility, youth camp, flood safety, life jackets, grant program, flotation devices

Transcript Highlights:

• tax code, providing limitations on the valuation of non-residential property, requiring an affidavit
• of certain real property, excluding certain real property transfers from the requirement to file an
• Code.
• owner's real property, but not to exceed the amount of property taxes paid for that property in the
• owner's real property, but not to exceed the amount of property taxes paid for that property in the

Bills: HM19

Keywords: New Mexico Aviation and Aerospace Day, aviation, aerospace, space industry, missile programs, Spaceport America, White Sands Missile Range, White Sands Test Facility, Kirtland Air Force Base, drone, unmanned aircraft systems, commercial space transportation, NASA, aircraft, STEM education, research laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, flight testing, medical evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• SJR 2-F is a governor's plan to provide property tax relief to owners of real property in the great state
• eliminate property taxes.
• paying property taxes at all.
• Actually, our property appraiser came through and had to reassess all of the properties.
• Instead of eliminating property taxes, why not cap property insurance?

Summary: The Committee on Appropriations took up SJR 2-F, a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes by lowering assessment caps on non-homestead property, expanding homestead exemptions over time, and allowing local governments to increase exemptions further. The sponsor argued the measure would provide broad property tax relief while requiring revenues to be directed to core services such as public safety, education, infrastructure, and natural resource projects, with a trust fund intended to help local governments transition. Senators raised concerns about the lack of a fiscal score, the effect on counties, cities, school districts, and special districts, and whether the proposal would shift costs to fees or other taxes. Several amendments were debated. Senator Polsky’s amendment to explicitly authorize user fees and non-ad valorem assessments to offset lost property tax revenue failed. Senator Avila’s amendment broadening permissible uses of ad valorem revenue to include county constitutional officers and other expenditures approved by local governing bodies was adopted after debate over whether the bill would otherwise underfund essential functions. Senator Smith’s sunset amendment, which would have made the constitutional changes expire after five years, failed. Senator Smith’s amendment to allow tourism development tax revenue to support public safety and education also failed. Senator Graal’s amendment removing the constitutional trust fund language was adopted, with supporters arguing the Constitution should not promise an unfunded account. Additional late-file amendments were considered. Senator Berman’s proposal to change the ballot title to more neutrally describe the measure as affecting property taxes and local community service reductions failed. Senator Trumbull’s amendment removing school board ad valorem taxes from the proposal was adopted, preserving school taxes. Senator Smith’s amendment narrowing the non-homestead assessment cap reduction to small businesses only failed. The committee then returned to the bill as amended and continued questioning the sponsor about eligibility, fiscal impacts, and whether the proposal could lead to local governments offsetting lost revenue through special assessments or other charges.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill aligns with Welfare and Institutions Code 5801, which recognizes that mental health services
• This bill is not about whether properties allow pets or not.
• North Valley Property Owners, Santa Barbara Rental Property Association, and the Small Property Owners
• North Valley Property Owners, Santa Barbara Rental Property Association, and the small property owners
• In your mind, is that a violation of the code? Is that a violation of the code? I'm not sure. Yeah.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard several bills focused on health care planning, mental health court participation, homeowners association governance, groundwater enforcement, pet-policy disclosure in rentals, and post-disaster property speculation. SB 1088 would update California’s POLST and DNR laws by renaming POLST to Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, allowing electronic signatures, clarifying who may sign on a patient’s behalf, and making clear that these forms are voluntary; it drew support from the Coalition for Compassionate Care and no opposition. SB 1242 would let original family petitioners participate in CARE Court for care coordination and information-sharing, while preserving judicial discretion to exclude them if harmful; supporters said it would improve treatment coordination, while Disability Rights California opposed it as coercive and a removal of patient consent. The committee advanced SB 1242 on a 7-0 vote, with the bill placed on call. The committee also considered SB 1007, which would require more HOA budget transparency, disclosure of evidence for violations, and a lower cap on regular assessment increases without a homeowner vote. Supporters argued it would improve accountability and protect homeowners from steep fee hikes, while HOA industry groups warned it could undermine funding for insurance, maintenance, and other operating costs. Members raised concerns about the cap and the need for flexibility for large expenses; the bill passed 6-1 and was placed on call. SB 1364, as amended, would prevent a person convicted of sexual assault from obtaining custody or visitation of a child conceived from that assault, while preserving the possibility of voluntary co-parenting and aiming to qualify California for federal grant funding; it passed 8-0 and was placed on call. Later, SB 997 would give the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency lien authority to enforce fees and its groundwater sustainability plan, addressing an enforcement gap for a GSA created by special legislation rather than a joint powers agreement. It drew support from agricultural and county groups and passed 9-0, placed on call. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies up front on applications, websites, and ads, and allow refund of an application fee if disclosure was not provided before payment; supporters said it would reduce wasted application costs and pet relinquishment, while rental housing groups said the ad disclosure requirements were impractical. The bill passed 8-0 and was placed on call. The final bill, SB 1090, was introduced to prohibit large property owners from making unsolicited purchase offers for five years in wildfire-disaster areas, responding to investor activity after the Eaton and Palisades fires; the author and a SAGE witness described it as a protection against disaster capitalism and predatory low offers to displaced residents.

Transcript Highlights:

• A parcel tax is kind of an alternative property tax, or it goes alongside a property tax, and we don't
• our uniformity requirements for property taxation.
• It has to be distinct from the property tax. The city is not a tax.
• Yeah, property taxes. There are governors on the increases in property tax allocations.
• Okay, so it's not a question of the property owner...

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Joint Transportation Committee study of transportation impacts if the Lower Snake River dams were removed. WSDOT and Jacobs described the study’s phases, including current work on geology, infrastructure risk, and a total logistics cost model. They explained that the study is examining how freight now moved by barge—especially wheat, fertilizer, and wood—could shift to rail and roads, and they outlined several scenarios ranging from no-dam future conditions to new unit-train terminals, short-line rail options, and a combined “many solutions” scenario. Members asked about irrigation, impacts in Idaho and Oregon, port capacity, emissions, competition, EV trucks, and whether the model could estimate transportation effects if grain volumes decline. The presenters said the study assumes current production levels continue, does not model irrigation changes or broader farm-economics impacts, but does account for transloading costs and can estimate transportation impacts under different volume assumptions. WSU’s independent review team said the model has improved substantially but still needed refinement, especially in routing, road data, and spatial detail, and that stakeholder engagement had been strong though delayed by model development. No votes were taken. The committee then received a presentation on the alternative sidewalk funding study. Staff and consultants said the study is exploring ways local governments could sustainably fund sidewalk maintenance, repair, and new construction, using a statewide survey, interviews, national research, and case studies in eight jurisdictions. They noted sidewalks are important for pedestrian safety and connectivity, but there is no dedicated funding source in Washington, and existing grants and local revenue tools are highly competitive or limited. The consultants highlighted sidewalk fees or utility-style charges as the most promising option to study, while a parcel tax was largely set aside because of state property-tax uniformity concerns. Members asked whether the study would duplicate existing funding or add to current taxes, and how a sidewalk fee would be collected; the consultants said the goal is to expand local options, not mandate adoption, and that fees would likely be billed through utilities rather than property taxes. A preliminary draft report is due December 15, with a final report due in mid-June. Next, staff gave a brief update on the ocean-going vessels study, which is examining shore power and emissions rules for vessels at berth. The presenter explained that federal Clean Air Act rules and California waiver authority create legal limits on how far Washington can go if it wants to adopt similar standards, and that deviations from California’s approach can increase litigation risk. The report will summarize stakeholder outreach and will be presented in draft form at the next JTC meeting. Finally, county engineers from Chelan and Douglas counties began a presentation on county transportation challenges, with the association’s director emphasizing collaboration with state agencies and local partners on issues such as fish passage barriers and infrastructure needs. The county presentation was only beginning when the transcript ended, and no committee action or votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under Sharia law, a woman is treated as property.
• This bill is also against property rights.
• It's about property rights. Every person who cares about property rights should be voting no.
• House Bill 4167, relating to the management of state properties.
• Let's get certainty for the income tax code.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge, approved the journal, and welcomed several guests in the gallery, including a high school student and an advocate connected to the domestic violence bill HB 2995. The chamber then moved through multiple Committee of the Whole calendars, first advancing HB 4155, HB 4156, and HB 4157, then HB 4164, HB 4165, and HB 4166, all with do-pass recommendations and no substantive amendments on those calendars. Later, the House also considered SB 1326, a victims’ rights measure, adopted a floor amendment, and reported it out as amended. The House corrected an earlier clerical error regarding HB 4155-4157 being referred to engrossing rather than third reading. The House then took up a long series of final passage votes on Senate bills. SB 2174, SB 2611, SB 1011, SB 1012, SB 1016, SB 1018, SB 1038, SB 1039, SB 1040, SB 1053, SB 1055, SB 1057, SB 1060, SB 1061, SB 1068, SB 1069, SB 1075, SB 1100, SB 1113 on reconsideration, SB 1160, and SB 1170 all passed. SB 2873, SB 1004, SB 1009, SB 1042, SB 1043, SB 1049, SB 1093, and SB 1143 failed. SB 2995, the emergency family-law/domestic-violence bill known as the Alec and Lydia Act, passed with the required two-thirds vote after extensive debate; supporters said it would better protect children and clarify judicial standards, while opponents argued its definitions were overly broad and could harm families. SB 1018 on foreign laws also drew extended debate over Sharia law, with supporters framing it as a defense of American values and opponents calling it unnecessary and discriminatory. Several votes included explanations focused on policy concerns. SB 1004 on sex-offender registration and monitoring drew debate over whether electronic monitoring is effective. SB 1040 on voter registration transparency prompted arguments over public access to voter rolls versus privacy and security. SB 1118 on municipal zoning and historical homes was debated as a property-rights and local-control issue, with supporters saying it could help preserve affordable housing and opponents warning it would override local decisions. The House also adopted motions to reconsider prior actions on SB 1043 and SB 1100, and it requested the Senate return SB 1552 for reconsideration. The session ended with the House still processing additional Committee of the Whole business, including HB 4158, HB 4159, HB 4160, HB 4161, HB 4162, and HB 4163, with HB 4162 and HB 4163 receiving floor amendments and do-pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• President, members, property taxes have gone through the roof.
• <00:40:50.400> through<00:40:50.640> the property taxes have gone through the property
• <00:54:18.000> versus code versus code versus uh<00:54:19.680> usurping<00:54:20.400>
• Uh it relates to a substantially Code.
• <01:40:02.719> tax individual income or property tax individual income or property tax effective

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with a call of the Senate, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then established a quorum and moved to messages from the House. The chamber received several House-passed Senate files, including SF 2814 (real estate appraisers), SF 3637 (transportation), and SF 4244 (technical corrections), and took up SF 1714 on payment transparency and public contracts. The Senate concurred in the House amendments to SF 1714, advanced it to third reading, and then passed the bill 65-0. The Senate also received House amendments to SF 3432 on public safety, but instead of concurring, it voted to send the bill to a five-member conference committee. The Senate likewise agreed to a conference committee request on HF 4188, a commerce bill dealing with consumer protections for insurance and financial products. The Senate then handled additional House messages and routine business, including first reading of several House files and adoption of committee reports. A committee report on SF 453, relating to thermal energy networks as public improvements and water works, recommended amendment and passage under Senate Concurrent Resolution 6, and the report was adopted except for the referenced resolution item. The chamber also completed second readings of several Senate bills and one House bill, and approved a motion to withdraw SF 4464 from the Committee on State and Local Government and return it to the author. The main floor debate centered on HF 1141, the housing finance and policy omnibus. Senator Port described the bill as focused on affordability, including $50 million in housing infrastructure bonds, greater Minnesota infrastructure grants, manufactured housing protections, limits on large institutional investors buying single-family homes, and increased oversight of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. The Senate adopted several amendments, including a technical A12 amendment, A7 to dedicate $5 million of bonding to manufactured home park improvements, and A4 on manufactured housing protections such as rent receipts and longer move-out time after eviction. Senator Abler then offered A14, which would limit rent increases in certain non-market-rate, tax-credit housing for seniors to CPI-based increases; supporters framed it as a humanitarian measure for elderly residents facing steep rent hikes, while opponents raised concerns about rent control, the scope of the amendment, and the need for more detail. The transcript ends during continued debate on A14, with no final vote shown on that amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• tax exemption, requiring a disabled veteran to occupy a property continuously to be eligible for the
• tax exemption, requiring a disabled veteran to occupy a property continuously to be eligible for the
• who allows a person to use fireworks on the private property in violation of the Fireworks Licensing
• tax, amending and enacting sections of the property tax code, requiring an affidavit to be filed with
• limitations on the valuation of non-residential property, and declaring an emergency.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• be an opportunity to adjust some policies or guidelines without requiring a law update in Century Code
• And then also, currently in law in this chapter of code, there is a requirement for the advertisement
• of surplus property to go back to the operating fund or the general fund if the property is over 13th
• So the bill draft amends North Dakota Century Code Chapter 48-09.
• Also, as she mentioned, we're looking at surplus property in conjunction with OMB.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• county roads that we maintain, and it just doesn't make sense for the county to raise revenue with a property
• And so I think this is good government efficiency and will help us reduce some property tax.
• ties the tax credit more closely to the federal R&D credit under Section 41 of the Internal Revenue Code
• Well, members, currently Texas imposes a real property repair and remodeling tax.
• to modernize their properties.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard several tax and economic development bills. SB 935 would exempt counties from the motor fuels tax on fuel used exclusively in county vehicles; Sen. Hall and Cass County Judge Travis Ransom argued it would save counties money without changing fund allocations, and the bill was left pending while the committee waited for the House version. SB 2206 would extend and revise Texas’s research and development incentives by tying the franchise tax credit more closely to federal law and changing the program’s effective date; supporters from business, manufacturing, and tax policy groups said it would protect innovation jobs and help startups, while the Comptroller’s office explained the fiscal note and said the committee substitute was no longer needed. The committee later withdrew the substitute and left the bill pending before ultimately voting it out favorably. The committee also heard SB 2020, which would repeal the “rehab tax” on nonresidential remodeling. Sen. Campbell said a large fiscal note led him to delay a full presentation, but builders, architects, and contractors testified that the tax raises remodeling costs, complicates audits, and discourages reuse and reinvestment in existing buildings. The bill was left pending. SB 2018 would create a two-year “strong families” tax credit for businesses donating to nonprofits that provide family support services; supporters from Family First, Buckner International, and Texas Baptist said it would strengthen families, father engagement, and upstream prevention, while the author said the Comptroller and HHSC were still working on administration details. That bill was also left pending. After a quorum was established, the committee heard and later reported several bills favorably. SB 1030 would exempt certain aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul parts from sales tax for general aviation; industry, airport, and local economic development witnesses said it would keep high-wage aviation work in Texas and improve competitiveness with neighboring states, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 214 would create a temporary sales tax holiday for qualifying residential HVAC systems; it was laid out and left pending. SB 1901 would make administrative and ethics changes to the Opioid Abatement Fund Council, including staggered terms, conflict rules, and fund reallocation procedures; it was reported favorably. SB 266 would repeal the Texas Research Incentive Program and use the appropriation to address the existing backlog of unmatched donations; the chair and Sen. Paxton said the state should honor past commitments, and the committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• and real property taxes.
• property taxes.
• Chair, and Representative Robbins, these data center properties would be subject to property taxes.
• The real property would definitely be subject to property taxes.
• <01:14:16.600> in yeah a tribe owns a property in yeah a tribe owns a property in your<01:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• found the tax code found the tax code complicated<03:22:02.840> uh<03:22:03.040> having
• I think the more that we could sync our tax code with the IRS code would be something that would be always
• I think the more that we could sync our tax code with the IRS code would be something that would be always
• if we were to simplify that tax code if we were to simplify that tax code and<03:38:47.080> the
• <03:43:42.800> is to make sure that the uh code is to make sure that the uh code is Equitable

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was an introductory Ways and Means Committee orientation led by Chair John Janigian. Members went around the room introducing themselves, with several returning legislators and several freshmen describing their backgrounds in business, education, public service, finance, transportation, journalism, military service, and nonprofit work. Janigian explained his own legislative history and professional background, and other members, including Bill Bolton, Fred Doucette, Mary Ford, Jim Tierney, Scott Brier, Thomas Oppel, Mary Murphy, Representative Spar, Susan Elberger, Dennis Malloy, Jordan Ulery, and Julius Soti, briefly described their prior experience and reasons for serving on the committee. The chair then outlined the committee’s role. He said Ways and Means is responsible for revenue estimates that Finance will use to determine how much the state can spend over the next biennium, and that the committee would spend the next five to six weeks developing its best revenue estimate, due around February 15. He also explained that the committee hears from state agencies and departments about how taxes are created, collected, and performing against expectations, and that it reviews bills affecting state revenue, including tax increases, tax decreases, tax removals, and fee-related measures. Janigian noted that the committee had five bills at the time of the meeting and expected more to be referred. He explained that most would be first-committee bills, though some second-committee bills could come over if they involved taxes or fees after passing policy committees. He used marijuana-related legislation as an example of a bill that might first go to another committee and later reach Ways and Means if it had fiscal implications. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational, and members were told how to participate in hearings and follow-up questions during regular committee work.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not anti-property rights.
• So the short answer is yes: the code does address high consequence areas, whether it’s in the gas code
• or a liquid code.
• They paid their property owners in 1924? In 1924, they paid their property owners.
• In 1924, they paid their property owners $562 million.

Summary: The committee took up public comment on a package of similar local-option bills related to carbon capture and sequestration, including House Bills 5, 6, 497, 498, 501, and 504. The bills would let parishes, or in some cases specific parishes such as Rapides and Livingston, decide by local vote whether Class VI wells, CO2 sequestration, and related pipeline infrastructure could be permitted. The chair grouped the bills together for testimony, adopted a three-minute public comment rule, and noted that the bills were not yet under consideration for a vote during the public-comment portion. Supporters, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, parish officials, local activists, and residents, argued that communities affected by carbon capture projects should have a direct voice through local option elections. They said the bills were about self-determination, local control, and allowing residents to decide whether the risks are worth the benefits. Several speakers said their parishes had passed resolutions opposing carbon capture or asking for local choice, while others emphasized concerns about eminent domain, aquifer protection, lack of public understanding, and the need for more information about project impacts and financial benefits. Some supporters also said a local vote would force industry to engage more directly with communities and could improve transparency. Opponents, including representatives of the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Louisiana Chemistry Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, warned that the bills would create uncertainty, undermine Louisiana’s primacy over Class VI permitting, and invite litigation under federal preemption and the Supremacy Clause. They said the state already has a strict permitting process with public input and technical review, and that allowing parish-by-parish approval could delay or block billions of dollars in investment, jobs, and export-related projects. The department testified that if the state adopted a local-option referendum system, EPA could determine Louisiana was not implementing the program consistently and could move to remove primacy. No committee vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• implemented by increasing the basic allotment further and adding a provision to the Texas Education Code
• Section 48.051 of the Education Code now requires, under this bill, that 40% of income increases and
• To us, a portion goes to property insurance. We're getting new bids, aren't you? Yes, every year.
• So this isn't just a 14 county issue dealing with property.
• Right, because some of that is dependent on your zip code too. Sure.

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:

• Because we have a code, we have a Fish and Wildlife Code, then we would expect that our licenses are
• The game wardens have said, no, you are in violation of the state's conservation code, century code,
• trying to turn the property over to us.
• I believe one of them is whether the property is classified as agricultural.
• IMDs are defined in the Social Security Act and code of... ...known as IMDs.

Summary: The committee met at Spirit Lake Tribe and first heard welcoming remarks and introductions from tribal leaders and program directors. Chairwoman Street and other tribal representatives outlined a range of concerns and requests for state action, including taxation of reservation lands, support for non-beneficiary students at the tribal school, homelessness funding, Indian-managed health care, gaming and e-tabs, Feather Alert improvements, industrial farming near waterways, tourism, and better state-tribal consultation. Committee members responded that the meeting was intended to improve understanding and communication, and several members suggested future legislation or resolutions could be used to advance some of the issues. The tribe also offered to provide training on treaties, IHS 638, and compact services to legislators and staff. A major portion of the discussion focused on Spirit Lake fish and wildlife jurisdiction and the lake boundary. Tribal representatives asked for an MOU or co-stewardship agreement with the state to clarify hunting and fishing rights, recognize tribal licenses, and reduce recurring disputes over “gray areas” on the reservation and lake. Committee members discussed whether to draft a bill or resolution directing the executive branch and state agencies to negotiate such an agreement, and asked that North Dakota Game and Fish be invited to a future meeting. Related concerns included aquatic nuisance species prevention, with both sides agreeing that more aggressive boat inspection and cleaning measures would be beneficial. The committee also discussed taxation and county relations. Tribal leaders raised concerns about county resistance to fee-to-trust transfers and about property and vehicle taxation affecting members living on or near reservation lands. Committee members and tribal counsel reviewed federal treaty principles and court cases, and one member noted that the committee had previously taken no formal action on similar issues. Later, Benson County’s tax equalization director explained how the county values taxable land, handles inundated land applications, and tracks land coming off the tax rolls when the tribe repurchases acreage. The discussion ended with a presentation from the president of Sisseton Wahpeton College, who described the college’s programs, economic impact, and funding needs, followed by an HHS presentation on 1115 Medicaid waivers and the IMD exclusion as the committee moved to its next topic.

Transcript Highlights:

• with the established code." with the established code."
• <02:13:30.880> So the building code review board. So the building code review board.
• And then section three talks about the Building Code Review Board amending the state building code to
• And then section three talks about the Building Code Review Board amending the state building code to
• or community solar property.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They were granted this property. And they really gave the authority to Mr. Ortega.
• We also plan to purchase property. We just missed out on 100 acres.
• Gallegos was saying, to offer us their property.
• If anyone is interested in a tour of that property, I would be happy to take you.
• ended up with the property.

Transcript Highlights:

• that could be done on the property that could be done on the property itself<00:19:53.240> to
• <00:20:34.039> and<00:20:34.559> for<00:20:35.000> that property and for that property
• <00:57:16.480> taxpayers themselves or from property taxpayers themselves or from property
• that has to be paid by their property that has to be paid by their property taxpayers<01:29:38.520
• claim Provisions in the insurance code claim Provisions in the insurance code more<01:41:31.280>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up HB 297 with a non-germane amendment proposed by the Insurance Department to create the Granite State Home Mitigation and Resiliency Program. Commissioner DJ Beton explained that the program is intended to help homeowners reduce rising insurance premiums and avoid surplus lines coverage by funding proactive home and property improvements such as roof fortification, exterior and foundation work, flood protection, and tree removal. He said the proposal was developed after leadership asked for more statutory detail and for the idea to be vetted through policy committees rather than handled only in the budget process. Beton said the program would be funded by the first $1 million collected annually from the insurance premium tax, with grants of up to $10,000 awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. He described the program as modeled on similar efforts in other states, with means testing tied to the Department of Energy’s weatherization/home heating assistance criteria. He also said the department would administer the program using one existing staff position, with coordination through Treasury, and that unspent funds would roll over for several years before reverting to the general fund. Members asked about the unusual use of a non-germane amendment and how the bill would be handled procedurally, since the underlying bill and the new insurance proposal were unrelated. The chair explained that the amendment was being used as a vehicle to move the department’s proposal through the committee process and that the committee could later accept one part, both parts, or neither. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting shown; the discussion ended with questions about administration, staffing, and the relationship between the underlying bill and the amendment.