Transcript Highlights:

• Uh the division of at federal level.
• Again, the federal funds are the bulk of what funds and really what's allowable within the federal program
• Again the federal funds related to it.
• Um, and direct you it in front of you.
• </c><01:14:37.360><c> care</c> we know is that growing the direct care we know is that growing the direct

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call and approval of the prior meeting minutes, with one member abstaining because of absence and one member opposing. The main informational items were a Department of Health and Human Services update on the rural health transformation grant and a public health briefing on vaccines, followed by a quarterly budget and staffing update and an annual report from the Permanent Subcommittee on Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Related Dementias. Commissioner Lori Weaver reported that the department submitted the rural health transformation grant application on November 4, described it as reflecting input from communities and providers statewide, and said CMS review and budget negotiations would follow before final approval on December 31. She said the grant could support hiring as long as administrative costs stay within the 10% cap, and that the governor’s office will oversee administration with HHS. Ian Watt then testified that New Hampshire remains committed to vaccine access, including through the universal purchase program and annual respiratory virus guidance for flu, RSV, and COVID-19. He said the state continues to use evidence-based review for vaccine policy, noted the CDC’s change regarding the combined MMRV vaccine for the first dose in young children, and said New Hampshire’s school vaccine mandates remain at nine for schoolchildren and 10 for child care, with statutory exemptions still in place. Department staff also said there have been no supply or funding problems affecting childhood vaccine access. Nathan White, the department’s CFO, reviewed the DHHS budget and vacancy trends. He said DHHS makes up a large share of the state budget, that about 31% of its budget is general funds subject to lapse, and that lapse projections are difficult because much of the budget is driven by utilization rather than personnel. He reported current projected general fund lapse of just under $20 million, compared with about $39 million in the statewide surplus statement, and explained that only about a third of DHHS general funds can actually lapse because of statutory restrictions. He also said the department has about 400 unfunded positions, contributing to roughly a $30 million general fund reduction across the biennium, and that the hiring freeze has pushed vacancy trends upward while critical direct-care positions are being prioritized. The Alzheimer’s subcommittee reported six meetings this year, presentations on state services, silver alerts, brain health awareness, and palliative/hospice care, and work toward a new state Alzheimer’s plan. The subcommittee is developing a needs-assessment survey for people living with dementia, caregivers, and service providers, with the goal of using the results and other data sources to inform the plan. Its recommendations focus on integrating Alzheimer’s and dementia materials into chronic disease and aging outreach, embedding brain health into systems of care, adding cognitive health measures to BRFSS, and continuing partnerships with statewide organizations. Members also discussed recent research and prevention efforts, and the committee noted that a separate bill is being pursued to include Alzheimer’s and dementia in existing public health awareness campaigns.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a direct hit to the general fund of every county in California.
• Law enforcement was for state and local officers, not federal agents.
• federal, local law enforcement individuals to participate in that operation.
• Please note that the federal government has canceled billions in funding.
• The other was whether we are going to follow the federal, including the federal Clean Air Act.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through confirmations and floor legislation. Three California Housing Finance Agency and State Mining and Geology Board appointments were confirmed unanimously. The chamber then took up several policy bills, with debate often focusing on housing, public safety, energy, and local government impacts. Among the major measures, SB 1173 on lesser related offense jury instructions passed after supporters argued it would give judges limited discretion and improve fairness, while opponents warned it could create inconsistency. SB 1354, barring out-of-state military or law enforcement activity in California without the Governor’s permission, passed despite objections that it conflicted with federal commander-in-chief authority. SB 1090, the Altadena disaster-speculation bill, passed to restrict unsolicited purchase offers in fire-affected areas, and SB 966 passed to preserve refinery worker safety participation rights. SB 1256, a local housing/land-use bill, passed unanimously after discussion of fire-safety concerns and ongoing amendments. The Senate also approved SB 865 on music festivals, SB 866 on homelessness planning and regional coordination for jurisdictions not receiving HAP funds, SB 938 on peace officer training requirements for certain immigration-enforcement-related applicants after the author committed to major amendments, SB 1359 on natural gas planning to reduce ratepayer costs, SB 923 on privacy rights under the CCPA, SB 1098 on utility memorandum and balancing accounts, SB 1010 on refrigerant recovery for cooling appliances, SB 937 on restricting flashbang use in crowd control and immigration enforcement, SB 1082 on inter-district pupil transfers, and SB 1087 on modernizing regional transportation planning. Several bills drew split votes and pointed debate over mandates, taxes, local control, and regulatory certainty, but most ultimately passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and be able to direct and be able to direct and<00:04:52.000><c> lead</c><00:04:52.240><c> your<
• </c> outdoor stewardship besides just direct outdoor stewardship besides just direct appropriation.<00
• That is an and federal government.
• The<01:51:21.840><c> federal</c><01:51:22.280><c> HB1</c> The federal HB1 The federal HB1 included<01
• </c> run a foul of federal regulations. run a foul of federal regulations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> defined by federal regulations. defined by federal regulations.
• :11.440><c> require</c> For example, federal regulations require For example, federal regulations require
• You pay 25% and the federal government You pay 25% and the federal government pays<00:09:16.880><c> 75%
• ><c> has</c><00:11:47.800><c> this</c> And the federal government has this And the federal government
• </c> budget's set by the federal government. budget's set by the federal government.

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• This is where the federal Congress had appropriated funding, and then the administration, the federal
• Many other states are looking at these federal changes and federal cuts and federal reductions, and they
• We have, in literal terms, federal debt. Because we print money. $37.6 trillion in federal debt.
• So that was separate federal action that was taken at the federal level.
• Speaker, as you said, this is focused in very large part either on direct federal cuts or preparing for

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, I'd like to direct my question to you, Mr.
• The federal government has passed a statute. It's 34 U.S.
• Which is not in the federal law.
• Louisiana's eligibility for federal stop formula grant funding.
• Is that super good with the federal law? We'll go ahead to stay here. with the federal law.

Bills: HB37 , HB51 , HB173 , HB180 , HB192 , HB306 , HB366 , HB393 , HB485 , HB516 , HB521 , HB526 , HB638 , HB752 , HB817 , HB976 , HB1006 , HB1044

Committee: House Civil Law and Procedure

Keywords: HB37, expropriation, eminent domain, property rights, foreign entity, foreign corporation, limited liability company, LLC, reciprocal expropriation agreement, Louisiana property law, land acquisition, utility infrastructure, public utilities, railroad, waterworks, sewerage, natural gas pipeline, electric utility, telecommunications, carbon dioxide pipeline

Transcript Highlights:

• The healthcare Authority, financially the largest state agency, will receive about $15 billion in federal
• That'll be something that we'll have to, um, look at given the current federal government environment
• More detail on what the federal medical assistance percentage is, um, the federal government's reimbursement
• with the federal government and what they're doing.
• The severity of what we were facing at the federal level.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• It would make federal agencies collaborate on this problem.
• It would make federal agencies collaborate on this problem again.
• There's direct correlation.
• That's the direction we want to go in West Virginia.
• Stein I'll direct my attention to you.

Committee: Senate Aging (Special) Committee

Keywords: opioid crisis, overdose, naloxone, drug trafficking, law enforcement, treatment, prevention, older adults, Medicaid expansion

Summary: The meeting convened to address the dire opioid crisis affecting communities nationwide, with a particular focus on the alarming rise of opioid use disorder among older adults. Key testimonies highlighted the critical need for a comprehensive approach that encompasses prevention, treatment, and strict law enforcement actions against drug traffickers. Sheriff Dennis Lima from Seminole County outlined successful strategies implemented in Florida, including increased access to naloxone and legislative changes to hold drug dealers accountable for overdoses. Various members expressed a united front on tackling this multifaceted issue, advocating for the expansion of Medicaid and better access to treatment as essential steps to curbing the epidemic.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that gets compared to federal reporting.
• I never saw the federal government as a sugar daddy.
• And of course, the federal government is going in the exact opposite direction, even though most industrialized
• We get more federal funding than we pay.
• Because the federal debt keeps rising.

Transcript Highlights:

• KRS 164.092 direction.
• </c> something that, you know, a directive something that, you know, a directive that<00:46:37.240><c
• So, uh, with changes in federal law on what we can do with the data that we get from the federal free
• </c><01:40:33.520><c> form,</c> free federal form, free federal form, and<01:40:35.320><c> we</c><01:
• </c> tuition absolutely have a direct impact. tuition absolutely have a direct impact.

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met for its first summer interim meeting, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and took roll. The first presentation came from Jerry Gels, principal of Ignite Institute in Erlanger, who focused on the rising cost of dual credit. He said dual credit tuition has increased from about $150 to $290 for a three-credit course over roughly five years, which he argued is discouraging participation, especially for working-class and low-income students. He cited Ignite data and broader college outcomes to argue dual credit improves college persistence, shortens time to degree, and reduces student debt, noting that many of his students enter college with substantial credit and that low-income students at Ignite have increasingly participated after targeted efforts and scholarship use. He also said the instructional labor is largely paid by county school systems, so he questioned the size of the tuition increase and said the committee should examine how the costs are being set and whether college tuition should be stabilizing as more students arrive with credits already earned. Members asked about who pays for dual credit, the role of state scholarship support, and whether tuition varies by institution. Gels said students in his district generally pay the dual credit cost themselves, though some districts may cover it, and he noted the dual credit scholarship now covers fewer classes than before. He said the price appears to be set centrally rather than varying by university, and he emphasized that the higher cost is creating barriers even though the courses are taught largely by local teachers on school payrolls. He also described Ignite’s efforts to expand access for free- and reduced-lunch students, saying participation among that group rose from 27% with no dual credit to about 90-92% taking at least one dual credit class. The committee then heard from the Goldwater Institute, represented by Michael Frazier and Dr. Tim Minella by Zoom. They argued Kentucky’s public universities should face stronger accountability and transparency, citing declining public confidence in higher education, rising costs, and what they described as administrative growth and research spending that does not clearly benefit students or the Commonwealth. They proposed requiring a 10-year accounting of staffing growth by category, comparing it to enrollment and low-income Kentucky enrollment, and limiting non-STEM faculty teaching releases for research unless approved under a baseline consent process. They also criticized certain university-funded research projects as examples of misdirected spending and said public reporting should distinguish Kentucky residents from non-residents more clearly, pointing to a reported decline in low-income in-state undergraduate enrollment. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• 35:37.359><c> act</c><00:35:37.760><c> that</c> the federal federal enclosures act that the federal federal
• ><c> side</c> know federal lands federal federal side know federal lands federal federal side um<00:42
• </c> legislature should direct public access. legislature should direct public access.
• </c> this direction. this direction.
• This is again directed at law enforcement. This is not directed at law enforcement.

Bills: HB0015 , HB0017 , HB0019

Committee: House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• It sets escalating administrative penalties for violations and directs fine revenue toward enforcement
• This does not apply to the federally approved, FDA-approved nicotine devices, but only the ones who are
• There is not federal or state enforcement dollars to engage with us, nor has there been FDA... ...to
• So there’s what ought to be based on the federal regulation of what is approved versus the reality, not
• Lorena Holly from the Florida Retail Federation is waving against.

Bills: S0530 , S0658 , S0608 , S1708 , S0680 , S0980 , S0204

Committee: Senate Regulated Industries

Keywords: Florida lottery, state lottery, lottery tickets, lottery retailer, Department of the Lottery, Division of Security, ball machine, lottery vending machine, instant tickets, online lottery tickets, major procurement, vendor disclosure, performance bond, retailer bond, security report, counterfeit ticket, altered ticket, false claim, ticket theft, fraud

Summary: The Committee on Regulated Industries met and reported several bills favorably. SB 530 on state lotteries, presented by Senator Pizzo, made technical changes to the Department of Lottery’s powers and duties, clarified definitions, and allowed more flexibility to purchase rather than lease machines; two technical amendments were adopted before the bill passed. SB 204, also presented by Senator Bradley, increased penalties for illegal slot machine operations to a third-degree felony and created a process for veteran service organizations to seek binding declaratory statements from the Gaming Commission about whether a machine is lawful; the bill was reported favorably after testimony from supporters and a veteran organization expressing concern about clarity and good-faith cooperation. SB 658 and SB 608 were combined into a proposed committee substitute on water safety for rental and vacation properties, requiring certain pool or water safety devices and adding enforcement provisions through DBPR; the merged bill was reported favorably after strong testimony emphasizing child drowning statistics and support from local residents and industry representatives. SB 980, as amended, created the Florida Agegate Act to restrict advertising, promotion, and display of non-FDA-approved nicotine dispensing devices around minors, with escalating penalties and inspection authority; members discussed concerns about illegal products and enforcement, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent practice requirement for out-of-state veterinarians while keeping other competency standards, and it was reported favorably with support from several animal and veterinary-related groups. SB 680, as amended, addressed double taxation of electricity used at EV charging stations by creating a sales tax exemption for separately metered electricity transferred to consumers, and it was also reported favorably. The committee also noted additional support forms for the water safety bill and adjourned after miscellaneous remarks and announcements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal law requires that a majority of members of every local workforce board come from the private
• In Madera County, they also braid, effectively, all federal, state, and local funding.
• wait for the federal government to work out how this state invests in its own workers.
• The federal grant we received A state grant that builds on this.
• And that is the federal grant that we received, and that was a four-year grant.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the very real threat of the loss of federal funding and the movement of federal funding away from
• It's that we did it in 2026 as the federal cadence requires.
• It's that we did it in 2026 as the federal cadence requires.
• Federal government, you can, from the federal government, and is that the Section 8 vouchers that—or
• . now HAAP actually has swung a little bit the opposite direction.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HAP) program, focusing on how state homelessness dollars are spent, what accountability measures are in place, and whether those measures are helping or hindering results. The chair framed the discussion around the state’s large homelessness population, the roughly $5 billion invested in HAP since 2018, and the need to balance transparency, performance, and administrative burden as the Legislature considers future funding and possible trailer bill changes for Round 7. Testimony from the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Housing and Community Development described HAP’s evolving accountability structure, including regional planning, system performance measures, housing element and pro-housing requirements, encampment policies, and public dashboards. LAO noted that added requirements have lengthened the application and award timeline, while HCD emphasized that the program is increasingly directing funds toward evidence-based housing solutions and that public reporting has improved transparency. HCD also said HAP has helped move more than 90,000 people into permanent housing statewide and that the department is working to reduce duplicative reporting and improve speed. Local officials from Oakland, Alameda County, and Riverside County largely supported HAP but urged the Legislature not to overcorrect with punitive or overly burdensome accountability rules. They argued that homelessness is driven by broader housing shortages and outside factors, that one-time funding should be stable and predictable, and that metrics should focus on program-level outcomes rather than system-wide homelessness counts alone. Several witnesses described HAP as essential to keeping shelter, interim housing, and permanent housing programs operating, with Riverside citing a 19% reduction in unsheltered homelessness and Alameda citing over 6,000 people moved into permanent housing through HAP-funded programs. Members asked about point-in-time count reporting, fraud safeguards, federal funding threats, and whether accountability requirements should be streamlined. Some members emphasized the need for faster disbursement and stable metrics, while others raised concerns about data consistency across counties and the impact of federal cuts to vouchers and supportive housing. No formal vote was taken; the hearing was informational, with members indicating follow-up discussions and future budget negotiations on HAP accountability and funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mental health parity has been federal law. Protections if federal enforcement falters.
• The 2024 federal rule was a major step forward.
• from inconsistencies at the federal level.
• AB 2011 attempts to codify an unsettled federal rule.
• ongoing federal litigation and/or through administrative action.

Committee: House Health

Transcript Highlights:

• And they would likely do so through the federal government.
• You're saying states have to resemble the federal system.
• legislation prohibiting California going in this direction?
• California going in this direction.
• Yvonne Fernandez with the California Federation of Labor Unions.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on California’s taxation of foreign subsidiaries of U.S. corporations, especially the state’s water’s-edge election versus worldwide combined reporting. Committee members and witnesses discussed how unitary taxation and sales-factor apportionment work, why multinational corporations are a small share of filers but a large share of tax liability, and how foreign income, profit shifting, and double taxation concerns affect policy choices. The Franchise Tax Board explained current filing rules, the seven-year water’s-edge election, and recent filing statistics showing about 21,562 water’s-edge returns in 2023, roughly 6% of C corporation filers but about half of corporate tax liability. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and FTB staff emphasized that revenue effects from eliminating water’s edge are uncertain because foreign affiliate income is not directly observable, and they noted possible revenue volatility and administrative complexity. Several committee members asked about foreign government pushback, the burden on FTB, whether certain industries are more likely to shift profits, and whether companies would leave California; witnesses generally said there was no strong evidence that firms would exit the state because tax liability is driven mainly by California sales. They also discussed how California already administers both methods, how the election can be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on a firm’s facts, and how federal reforms like GILTI/NCTI, CAMT, and OECD Pillar Two may affect the issue. The second panel presented sharply contrasting views. One professor and a tax policy advocate argued that water’s edge creates unfairness, encourages profit shifting, and leaves California with billions in lost revenue, while a Tax Foundation witness argued that mandatory worldwide reporting would tax the wrong income, create double taxation and litigation risk, and impose heavy compliance burdens, especially for foreign-based multinationals. A later panel from the California Budget and Policy Center supported closing the “water’s-edge loophole,” saying it would raise needed revenue for public services and level the playing field between large multinationals and smaller domestic businesses. No vote or formal action was taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal courts have said that THC. bans with respect to federal court actions on TCA bans altogether,
• nine federal courts, three U.S.
• If you take as federal law requires, and it's outlawed under federal law today, the total THC content
• government was actually enforcing the federal... federal law, we probably wouldn't be even having a
• It'll be in violation of federal law.

Bills: SB5 , SB11 , SB12 , SB9 , SB42 , SB15 , SB5 , SB11 , SB12 , SCR1

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of the federal voucher program. of the federal voucher program.
• </c> state of Minnesota opts into a federal state of Minnesota opts into a federal educational<00:54:
• </c><01:10:57.880><c> federal</c> not related to the federal federal not related to the federal federal
• </c> move in the right direction. move in the right direction.
• </c> and they're required under federal law. and they're required under federal law.

Bills: HF3119

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: teacher compensation, educational staff, unlicensed staff, minimum wage, inflation adjustment, education finance

Transcript Highlights:

• It directs WSDOT to expend funds or allocate funding from the corresponding zone account to the local
• definition of the term under federal HIPAA law.
• It limits health care information collected by the state. definition of the term under federal HIPAA
• It also directs the Department of Transportation to adopt rules and design. noncompliance.
• requests that the closure and replacement of the Fairfax Bridge be considered an emergency at the federal

Bills: SB6131 , SB6311 , SJM8016 , SB6230 , SB6032 , SB6335

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: traffic safety, roadway fatalities, Washington traffic safety commission, policy update, road safety, accident prevention, pedestrian safety, construction, accessibility, public safety, urban planning, bridge repair, infrastructure, emergency funding, transportation, cash transactions, pennies, currency, economic efficiency, financial regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think the intention was for us to go into that direction.
• It does not require direct proof of intent.
• In direct... Party. Donald Trump's Republican Party in direct violation of Florida's Constitution.
• The government, federal government, state government, local government.
• state constitution, the federal constitution dominates.

Summary: The Senate convened in special session and took up Senate Bill 8D / House Bill 1D, which would establish Florida’s congressional districts. The sponsor, Sen. Gates, explained that the Governor had transmitted a redistricting plan two days earlier and argued that mid-decade redistricting is legally permissible, citing population growth and the Governor’s view that race-based districting is unconstitutional. Much of the floor time was spent in extended questioning about the process, the lack of public hearings compared with prior redistricting cycles, the use of population estimates from the Census/EDR/ACS, compactness scores, and whether the Governor’s office used partisan data or outside consultants. Gates repeatedly said he was relaying the Governor’s proposal and legal theory rather than offering his own legal opinion, and he said any constitutional challenge would be for the courts. A major portion of the debate focused on the U.S. Supreme Court’s newly issued Calais decision and its implications for the Fair Districts Amendment and the Voting Rights Act. Senators questioned whether the decision struck down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, whether it affected Florida’s constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering, and whether the Legislature should postpone action to review the ruling. A motion to temporarily postpone the bill failed by voice vote and then by recorded vote, 12 yeas to 23 nays. Senators also raised concerns that the proposed map cracked minority communities, including Latino and Black populations in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, and that it would produce a heavily Republican-leaning map despite the state’s voter registration mix. After debate on the Senate bill, the chamber substituted the identical House companion bill, read it a third time, and proceeded to final debate. Opponents argued the map was an illegal partisan gerrymander, was based on assumptions rather than verified data, and would likely lead to litigation. Supporters maintained that the Governor had authority to propose a congressional map, that the plan was race-neutral, and that the Legislature could accept, reject, or amend it. The transcript ends during continued debate on House Bill 1D, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.