Transcript Highlights:

• THAT IS THE REAL POINT OF THE COMPACT IS TRYING TO KEEP KIDS ON TRACK.
• THE UNIVERSITY'S BE PART OF THE DISTINCTION OF PURPLE STAR DISTINCTIONS MY QUESTION IS DO WE KEEP TRACK
• AND DOES THE DEPARTMENT TRACK THIS? >> Chair: YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU FOR THIS QUESTION.
• FASFA AND YOU TAKE THOSE STEPS SO I'M WONDERING BEYOND THAT I WAS HOPING MAYBE THE DEPARTMENT WOULD TRACK
• TRANSITION VERY SMOOTH SO THAT THE EDUCATIONAL CONTINUITY CONTINUES FOR THE STUDENT SO THEY ARE ON TRACK

Transcript Highlights:

• We will track them, but the impacts are decided by our policy partners.
• We'll help track those mission impacts and report them out, but they are decided upon by our policy partner
• Be tracking are loan payments, project milestones, success of the underlying loan, because that's what
• A person without a track record, what you described earlier. And so I know how tough that is.
• So we keep them on track.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• But I appreciate the fact that everything is getting on track now.
• whatever is going on so that we can really work with that family to try to help get their kids back on track
• That's part of the metrics that we track. It's one thing to bring them back home.
• What is the method or the graph that you use to be able to track the improvement?
• The main method, the main tracking is that there's not a new re-entry into foster care, so there's not

Bills: SB596 , SB961 , SB1398 , SB1183 , SB1952

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• transparency and accountability by requiring performance reporting from the Texas Water Development Board to track
• transparency and accountability by requiring performance reporting from the Texas Water Development Board to track
• progress on addressing water infrastructure Reporting from the Texas Water Development Board to track
• First, they will allow the legislature to track progress and achievement toward addressing our water
• But given that so much is at stake here, we must have performance measures that track our achievement

Bills: HB16 , HB1618 , HB2692 , HB2712 , HB2970 , HB3609 , HB3628 , HB16

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: water infrastructure, Texas Water Development Board, financial assistance, water supply projects, rural municipalities, water access assessment, aquifer storage, Edwards Aquifer, water injection, environmental regulations, groundwater management, San Antonio River, pollution control, flood management, water quality, conservation district, bonds, utility rates, ratemaking, water services

Transcript Highlights:

• allowed to submit the claims and don't have access to the system that the VSOs in the department do to track
• We've been tracking this problem for the last few years and trying to find out what can be done.
• Law enforcement at every level is tracking this. And this bill is a modest solution.
• I have the ability to message, monitor, and track a claim through the the whole process.
• Actually fill out a claim for you or can't submit and track your claim if they can call you back within

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• My kid didn't want to do track until his 10th grade year in high school.
• And then he decided to do track. And so kids changed their mind.
• It makes sure that we can track the movement of monies and other assets between series.
• have this record-keeping requirement, and if they fail to keep the record-keeping requirements and to track
• And if they fail to keep the record requirements, keeping requirements, and to track the assets and liability

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee considered a long agenda of claims bills, housing and business measures, and court-administration legislation. It reported favorably several claims bills, including SB 20 for J.N., a minor, SB 14 for the estate of Pennial Janvier, SB 10 for Sidney Holmes, SB 8 for Marcus Button, SB 22 for Eric and Jennifer Miles, and SB 26 for Kristen and Leah McIntosh. Members also approved SB 520 on curators of estates, SB 386 on self-storage lien-sale notices, SB 362 on reusable tenant screening reports, SB 316 creating series LLCs in Florida, and SB 1650 and SB 1652 on vexatious litigants and related public-records issues. SB 248, expanding eligibility for private school and homeschool students to participate in FHSAA sports at public schools, also passed after amendment. Most of the claims bills were described as settled cases with amounts above sovereign-immunity limits, and several senators spoke in support of compensating victims of catastrophic injury or wrongful conviction. SB 10 drew comments about the 34 years Sidney Holmes spent incarcerated after a wrongful conviction, and SB 8 prompted discussion about the long delay in resolving Marcus Button’s injuries from a 2006 school-bus crash. SB 26 was presented as an uncontested claim arising from a DACS employee’s fatal crash that severely injured two teenage girls, and the committee adopted an amendment placing funds for the minor claimant into trust. The policy bills drew more substantive debate. SB 386 would let self-storage operators use websites instead of newspaper ads for lien-sale notices, with newspaper representatives opposing the change and storage-industry witnesses supporting modernization and lower costs. SB 362 would let renters reuse tenant screening reports for 30 days, with the sponsor saying it would reduce repeated application fees. SB 316 would authorize series LLCs while adding record-keeping protections, and SB 1650/1652 would broaden Florida’s vexatious-litigant rules and create a public-records exemption for certain stricken filings. SB 248 passed over concerns from private-school and public-education witnesses about instructional time, funding, and fairness in athletic participation. All measures were reported favorably, with recorded votes ranging from 7-2 on SB 248 to unanimous or near-unanimous support on the other bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• entries, and we have to cap it because it has gotten so large that it takes up, you know, a three-mile track
• The horse track next to the fairgrounds, I think they just extended their contract tonight to 2042.
• These tracks and horsemen have developed their own.
• Mexico Grown added money for horses that were born and raised in New Mexico that are running on our tracks
• I'll give you an update on how we're tracking things. I'm in partnership with the executive.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• So we track when we put the competitive solicitation out that it's hitting need contemporaneously with
• different areas of the state, hitting that significant area of regional impact, and we'll continue to track
• Yes, so we only have three years of Hometown Heroes to go through right now, but we do keep track.
• quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association comes out with delinquency and foreclosure numbers, and we track
• So we tracked that pretty well.

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs held its first meeting and heard presentations focused on affordable housing implementation under the Live Local Act. Florida Housing Finance Corporation described its role in administering rental and homeownership programs, including SAIL, SHIP, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, disaster recovery efforts, supportive housing, and the Live Local funding and tax incentives. Officials said the first year’s $150 million Live Local rental allocation was fully committed to 23 developments producing 3,171 units with mixed-income set-asides, and they outlined how projects were selected through competitive solicitations tied to statutory priorities such as mixed-use development, publicly owned land, foster youth, rural areas of opportunity, redevelopment, and housing near military installations. They also discussed the tax credit contribution program, the missing-middle property tax exemption, sales tax rebates, and the year-one ad valorem exemption for qualifying affordable projects. Members asked detailed questions about the data and program design, including the use of area median income figures, per-unit subsidy levels, county targeting, tenant relocation during redevelopment, and whether the programs were helping lower-income households. Florida Housing said it uses competitive scoring and data from the Schimberg Center and that redevelopment projects are supposed to include tenant relocation plans. The homeownership portion of the presentation covered the Hometown Heroes program, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time homebuyers, with exceptions for active-duty military and veterans. Staff said the program has assisted more than 21,000 families and leveraged over $6.5 billion in first mortgages, and members asked about repayment rates, credit scores, and whether participants were staying in homes long enough to show the program was serving intended buyers. The committee then heard from OPAGA on two required Live Local evaluations: affordable housing strategies in other states and affordable housing policies in Florida. OPAGA reported that Florida has a high share of cost-burdened households, with 1.5 million households cost burdened and 1.4 million severely cost burdened, and that Florida’s counties and municipalities reported more than $1.4 billion in affordable housing expenditures in fiscal year 2023-24. The report identified 13 innovative out-of-state programs, with three considered high-potential for Florida implementation, and summarized Florida local government practices such as SHIP-funded homeownership and rental assistance, expedited permitting, mixed-income zoning, rehabilitation programs, and interlocal cooperation. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Granger, how much time and energy is currently spent on time tracking for Major League
• </c> address an impractical hours tracking address an impractical hours tracking problem<00:24:14.880
• </c> Lastly, the very idea of trying to track Lastly, the very idea of trying to track hours<00:25:15.919
• So I know what you mean about keeping track of time.
• Compensation side, um, you know, and the average tracking side.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

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

Transcript Highlights:

• We do, of course, track time, but tracking time to that level of staff so that we can estimate accurately
• ><c> um</c><01:04:27.280><c> tracking</c><01:04:27.760><c> time</c> course track time but um tracking
• time course track time but um tracking time to<01:04:28.319><c> that</c><01:04:28.559><c> level</c><
• It's something that you need to continue to develop over time and track and improve.
• </c> um tracking. um tracking.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• know the CLA from your team took the minutes and stuff yesterday, so I'm hoping that they've got the track
• ><00:01:50.880><c> the</c> hoping that they've they've got the hoping that they've they've got the track
• We can get back to them with the track.
• State program fraud was a new category that we tracked beginning in 2025.
• </c> that we tracked beginning in 2025. that we tracked beginning in 2025.

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We track this and we submit it nationally for comparisons across states and across regions.
• Uh, and then our tracking wages, etc.
• We<01:03:53.440><c> track</c><01:03:53.760><c> this</c><01:03:54.000><c> and</c><01:03:54.240><c> we<
• /c><01:03:54.400><c> submit</c><01:03:54.720><c> it</c> We track this and we submit it We track this
• </c> have been doing of course is tracking have been doing of course is tracking carefully<01:32:24.960

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.
• I just want to give you some outcomes that we are tracking—real outcomes.

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board reconvened and heard a presentation from the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control unit. AG staff described the unit’s structure and work: it investigates and prosecutes Medicaid provider fraud, and also handles abuse, neglect, and exploitation cases involving vulnerable adults in facility settings when asked to assist. They said the office has prosecutors, detectives, auditors, and support staff, works with federal partners, Commonwealth’s attorneys, CHFS, DMS, OIG, and MCOs, and uses a hotline and referral line for complaints. They also explained the MCO referral process, including monthly meetings, stand-down lists, and review of referrals for a “credible allegation of fraud” before the AG office decides whether to open a criminal or civil investigation. The presentation focused heavily on current fraud trends. Staff said behavioral health is a major concern, along with participant-directed waiver services, medically assisted treatment, cash billing for services, controlled-substance billing, and vision and dental fraud. They gave examples such as duplicate time sheets for family caregivers, questionable Suboxone counseling and urine drug screening practices, and a prior optometry case involving false claims for children’s glasses. They also discussed CMS’s estimate that about 5% of Medicaid payments are improper, noted that most improper payments are at the fee-for-service level, and said there is no reliable overall fraud-rate estimate. They highlighted a sharp shift in behavioral health billing after the cabinet’s November 1, 2024 policy changes, saying individual psychotherapy spending dropped while group billing increased, suggesting providers may have moved billing to different codes. Members asked about the scale and timing of cases, how MCO referrals are screened, and whether the data reflected more people being served or just higher spending. The AG office said investigations can take years, with some federal cases still awaiting sentencing from 2018 and 2019 matters, and that they currently had nine individuals awaiting sentencing in federal court. They also reported 58 hotline reports during the referenced period, six cases opened from MCO referrals, and four additional MCO referrals not accepted for active cases. Several members raised concerns about home-based services and the risk of abuse or fraud when family members are reimbursed, and asked whether the process could be streamlined; the AG office said it had no immediate recommendations but would be willing to return with suggestions after further review.

Transcript Highlights:

• We actually track the types of complaints we receive.
• However, we did have four individual tests that tracked different types of emergency preparedness, such
• Are we even keeping track of that? We don't keep track of that. So we take everything...
• But we haven't done tracking on all these three, and those are some of the challenges as well: would
• The second recommendation is to track the progress toward exiting, and it could do so through annual

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, Senator, are we on track to have all the dollars allocated? We are.
• That's a big one, but we would say we are on track.
• Everything overall in the construction, we're right on track.
• And this is where our contractors say we're expected, and we're on track.
• On track means we will have completion during March of 2027 is the end.

Summary: The committee first approved the December 10 minutes and then received a DEQ base budget summary and agency overview. DEQ staff explained that the agency is largely federally and special funded, with major ongoing costs in salaries, operating expenses, grants, and continuing appropriations. Director Dave Glatt and accounting director Beth Jacobson highlighted core programs, the move to a new chemistry laboratory, the new state fuel inspection program, wastewater-related funding from HB 1577, and implementation of SB 2267 for on-site wastewater rules. They also noted the agency’s spending patterns, possible federal EPA cuts, and the likelihood of some fee adjustments or program changes if federal support declines. Members asked about DEQ’s travel, field offices, future staffing, and how the agency would respond to reduced federal regulation. DEQ said most staff are based in Bismarck, with field offices in Fargo, Sawyer, and Gwinner, and that travel is driven by inspections and spill response. Glatt said the agency would continue to rely on science and law, and that any future federal retrenchment could mean more state responsibility but likely not a wholesale increase in FTEs. The committee also discussed a feedlot enforcement case in the Minot area, with DEQ explaining its role in ensuring compliance, permitting, and animal-waste management standards. The Department of Health and Human Services then presented on FTE block grant reporting, TANF balances, child care transfers, and the Rural Health Transformation Program. Donna Ockland explained that no line-item transfers had occurred yet for the new rural health work, but about 33 positions were planned and some current staff time could be reimbursed through approved cost allocation. HHS also reviewed TANF’s frozen eligibility and block grant structure, the transfer of up to 30% of TANF funds to child care, and recent program changes that increased benefits and raised the income limit. Staff said the department is using TANF more strategically to support child care and other allowable uses, while still carrying over unused funds as many states do. Finally, Pat and HHS staff gave an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, saying the first funding opportunity was being posted and that the state is on track to obligate the federal funds within the required timeline. They described priorities such as workforce retention, preceptor development, technical assistance for critical access hospitals, community wellness projects, and ambulance upgrades. Members asked about rural versus urban eligibility, immigrant recruitment, evaluation of year-two funding, and how the program would address varied local workforce needs. The meeting then shifted to an Office of Management and Budget update on the new State Hospital project, where Lindsay Ashley reported continued construction progress, updated cost information, and selected alternates, with photos and details showing work underway in multiple building sections.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public hearings with Track held as a presentation.
• </c> I was outraged when I learned that Track I was outraged when I learned that Track Land<00:12:22.560
• Public hearings with Track held as a presentation.
• Public hearings with Track held as a presentation.
• Public hearings with Track held as a presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then there are a lot of additions for quantum, and so we'll just be tracking that and return on value
• So we'll just be tracking that and return on the value. Thank you. Excellent.
• So we'll just be tracking that and return on the value. Thank you. Excellent.
• On line 113, I mean, I'm tracking, and then we get to the end of the language, and it says that the funds
• On line 113, I mean, I'm tracking, and then we get to the end of the language, and it says that the funds

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there some sort of tracking that happens about whether our recommendations are brought forth in an
• sure that what's heard every interim has continued to be discussed, but I don't know if we formally track
• or tracking that says whether<00:40:35.920><c> or</c><00:40:36.000><c> not</c><00:40:36.280><c> any<
• know<00:41:18.520><c> if</c><00:41:18.600><c> we</c><00:41:18.720><c> formally</c><00:41:19.080><c> track
• that in a way know if we formally track that in a way that's<00:41:20.240><c> public-facing.

Summary: The Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity met and first heard a presentation from Johnny Cole III, president and CEO of the African American Forum in Lexington. Cole described the organization’s 30-plus year history, its signature events and programs, and its mission to promote African American arts, culture, education, and community development. He said the group has reached more than 60,000 people through events and more than 90,000 students through its arts partnership work, and estimated its programs have generated about $4.5 million in local economic impact. He also outlined a proposed legacy project in Lexington’s First Council District that would include a facility, culinary kitchen, food court, mobile truck, and expanded communications and internship opportunities, and said the organization was seeking a $3 million state request to help purchase a building and expand its mission. The committee then discussed a juvenile justice funding proposal presented by Senator Catoria Herring. Herring said the bill would create a juvenile justice fund for prevention, early intervention, alternatives to detention, re-entry, and wraparound services, with money coming from state appropriations, gifts, grants, and federal funds. She said the proposal was based on her experience in juvenile justice and on concerns that the state has invested heavily in detention facilities but not enough in upstream services. She cited recent facility spending and said the bill would seek $9 million. Members asked how the fund would work, who could apply, and how it would be overseen; Herring said she envisioned a grant program open to local governments, law enforcement, nonprofits, and school districts, with reporting requirements and oversight through the juvenile justice system. No vote was taken, and the discussion ended with general support and a suggestion to adjust the request amount to a round $9 million figure.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would just suggest that you can pilot something statewide when you’re tracking individual students,
• We're able to monitor the spending of those funds and also track the outcomes.
• And that's tied to our program evaluation, that's tied to tracking of funds.
• The law says it should be, and it should allow us to track dollars at the district level. Mr.
• Teacher attendance: who keeps track of that, and how is that? How does that impact our students?

Transcript Highlights:

• It is sometimes difficult in tracking those hours and ensuring that it's happening.
• There are contractors who may submit the lowest bid but have a track record of not completing projects
• And then also to really start tracking contract award to final project cost.
• And then also to really start tracking contract award to final project cost.
• I think more overall, to your point, is I don't think we have established a mechanism where we track

Committees: Joint Transportation , Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Summary: The committee met in the Quad Cities area and first heard a joint presentation from public works directors from Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland on regional transportation priorities, challenges, and project delivery. The cities said their priorities align with JTC goals such as safety, multimodal access, climate resilience, and economic development. They highlighted regional coordination through the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments and Good Roads, use of multiple funding sources including TIB, REIT, impact fees, transportation benefit districts, and tax increment financing, and a shared approach to Vision Zero, complete streets, ADA access, and active transportation planning. They also described major projects such as Richland’s downtown connectivity and SR 240/Aaron Drive improvements, Kennewick’s Columbia Center Boulevard corridor and rail study, Pasco’s Court/Road 68, Sylvester Street, Broadmoor interchange, and north-south bridge concepts, and West Richland’s SR 224 Red Mountain project. The directors also described common obstacles: rising construction costs, project phasing, permitting and right-of-way delays, utility coordination, pavement preservation needs, and workforce shortages. West Richland emphasized that its SR 224 project stayed on schedule by setting clear roles, maintaining frequent communication, resolving right-of-way issues early, and reducing contractor risk through detailed plans and utility relocation. Committee members asked about sidewalk connections to schools, state-agency right-of-way timelines, apprenticeship utilization, contractor selection, and whether complete streets requirements add burdens. The cities said sidewalk gaps are most common in older infill or unincorporated areas, state right-of-way processes can be slow, apprenticeship requirements are generally built into funded projects but are hard for smaller contractors to meet, and there is no easy fix for low-bid contractors with poor performance histories. After the local presentations, staff introduced a JTC-funded study on transit-oriented development policy, and Urban Institute researcher Yona Freemark presented findings from work covering 33 cities in the Puget Sound, Spokane, and Vancouver regions near rail and bus rapid transit stations. He said Washington faces a severe housing affordability problem, with rising rents and home prices, and that TOD can help connect housing and transit but must be tailored to different market conditions. The study found that higher-cost cities near transit have seen more development but also signs of gentrification and loss of affordable housing, while lower-cost cities have had less development and still face worsening affordability. Freemark identified barriers including high debt and construction costs, limited subsidy resources, high land costs, regulatory and parking requirements, and impact fees, and he said HB 1491 and related legislation may address some zoning and parking constraints. He recommended more targeted state support for neighborhood infrastructure around stations and policies that reflect the different conditions of high- and low-demand communities.