Transcript Highlights:

• It takes the disjointed structure that currently exists within the Department of Corrections and puts
• it into an organizational structure that is responsive to the needs of the department, that is flexible
• It's pretty straightforward and simple in structure.
• It's pretty straightforward and simple in structure.
• and we were intending to try and bring some language forward and make some wholesale change to the structure

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 316 brings the payment model back to its original structure, which will allow PBMs to still
• Currently the way our structure is set up, not only in statute but also is that when it comes to this
• Currently the way our structure is set up in not only in statute but also is, is that structure is set
• States are from just six PBMs, and they use this power to drive up costs through opaque rebate structures

Bills: AB93, AB204, AB414, AB504, AB598

Keywords: public employees, police officers, benefits, appropriation, law enforcement, medical debt, collection agency, healthcare, consumer protection, financial assistance, occupational safety, air quality, greenhouse gases, employee monitoring, safety program, hemp, hemp products, cannabidiol, CBD, cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• not a high wildfire hazard area, we had a high market share in the Eaton Fire of the homes, the structures
• , not the homes, the structures that were in that fire area.
• Of the homes, the structures, not the homes, the structures that were in that fire area, we insured 13%
• So we had 23% of those structures.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee held an oversight hearing on the California Fair Plan, focused on the plan’s rapid growth, its financial stability after the January Southern California wildfires, and its role as the insurer of last resort. Fair Plan officials explained that the plan was created in 1968, is a not-for-profit involuntary association of licensed property insurers, and is intended to be a temporary safety net until policyholders can return to the admitted market. They emphasized that the plan is not a state agency or taxpayer-funded, but is regulated by the Department of Insurance and supported by member-company assessments if claims exceed available funds. Victoria Roach and Armand Feliciano said the Fair Plan has grown sharply since 2018 and especially after market pullbacks by major insurers, reaching about 575,000 policies and roughly $600 billion in exposure by spring 2025. They noted that growth is increasingly occurring in lower wildfire-risk areas, where the plan can sometimes be cheaper than the voluntary market, and said this undermines depopulation back into the private market. They also discussed recent policy expansions, including coverage for farms, higher residential and commercial limits, and pending or proposed changes such as AB 290, SB 525, and AB 226, which would add tools like a line of credit and bond access. A major portion of the hearing addressed the January wildfire losses and the plan’s financial response. Fair Plan officials said they assessed member insurers for $1 billion after determining claims and cash flow would exceed available resources, and that the process was approved quickly and paid smoothly, with more than 80% of the assessment collected within 10 days. They also described the reinsurance tower, the plan’s limited surplus, and the need for actuarially sound rates to reduce future reliance on assessments. On claims handling, they said the plan has received over 5,500 claims from the fires, has paid more than $2.9 billion so far, expects total payments near $4 billion, and has focused on advancing payments quickly for total losses and other urgent needs. Members questioned the plan’s solvency, the growth in non-wildfire areas, claim denials, smoke-loss coverage, and how depopulation works. Roach said most closed claims without payment were duplicates rather than denials, and that smoke claims require direct physical loss under the policy, with coverage determined case by case. Public commenters from the California Building Industry Association and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of California said the Fair Plan’s growth reflects a weak voluntary market, inadequate rates, and insurer fear of future assessments, and urged support for rate increases and AB 226. The hearing concluded with no vote, but with a commitment from Fair Plan officials to follow up on unanswered questions and continue providing more transparency through public data and website disclosures.

Transcript Highlights:

• And because of its unique structure, Duval is reported under Jacksonville and not separately as a county
• And because of its unique structure, Duval is reported under Jacksonville and not separately as a county
• I think is important is not only do your counties not match each other in terms of how they're structured
• Of each local government's exercise of discretion over its fiscal structure.
• your cities have evolved the way they have, why they look like they do in terms of their financial structure

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for a listening session focused on a presentation by Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research on local government revenues and expenditures. Baker reviewed statewide financial data for counties, municipalities, and independent special districts, using 2018-19 as a baseline year because it was stable and pre-COVID. She explained that counties rely heavily on taxes, with ad valorem taxes making up about 73% of county tax revenue and about 24% of total county revenues statewide, while municipalities rely more on charges for services and have a lower statewide ad valorem share of about 14.7%. She also noted wide variation across local governments, with some counties and cities highly dependent on property taxes and others using them minimally or not at all. Special districts were shown to be very different from counties and cities, with hospital-related revenues and expenditures dominating many of them, while water management districts were more reliant on ad valorem taxes and focused expenditures on the physical environment. Baker also summarized expenditure patterns: counties spent the largest share on public safety, while municipalities spent the largest share on general government services, followed by physical environment and public safety. She emphasized that local government structures vary widely and that the committee should study what characteristics are associated with greater property tax reliance. She said the next research steps would be to extend the analysis through later years, including the COVID and inflation period, and to examine institutional and legal factors that shape local fiscal structures. Members asked about unfunded mandates, fuel taxes, reserves, school taxes, millage rates, and how property taxes relate to specific services such as police and fire. Baker said the current analysis did not yet account for mandates or school taxes and that further work could examine links between revenues and expenditures, commercial versus residential tax burdens, and other factors. After the presentation, members reported back on local meetings with counties and municipalities. Several described large differences in millage rates, revenue mixes, and the impact of any property tax changes on fiscally constrained counties versus larger, wealthier ones. Concerns were raised about how local governments would replace lost revenue, especially for public safety and emergency response, and members discussed the need to consider both revenue replacement and ways to rein in spending. The co-chairs said the committee would continue gathering information, send members follow-up homework and requests for panel suggestions, and invite additional input from constituents, stakeholders, and local governments. The meeting ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• These efficiencies can be achieved in the areas of procurement, land use, rate structures, workforce
• So, how do you structure that financial piece to make it attractive for each of those, while you're meeting
• There are opportunities for alternative rates. structures.
• Code 13.182 that allows the commission to authorize a reduced rate structure for customers who are age
• I had to do it in English and Spanish and... ...and trying to translate complicated rate structures,

Bills: HB29, HB685, HB1633, HB1689, HB1690, HB1918, HB2010, HB2500, HB2608, HB2626, HB29

Keywords: water audit, water loss, water loss mitigation plan, municipally owned utility, municipal utility, water conservation, Texas Water Development Board, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water leakage, leak detection, billing data accuracy, utility validation, water audit validation, water scarcity, water management, infrastructure, public utility, conservation plan, administrative penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• Just one last statement: this bill is structured to provide equitable distribution, recognizing that
• that has been vetted through the interim process and would help to stabilize unpredictable funding structures
• They had gotten the structures from the Department of Energy; they were offloading some of their assets
• is part of this statute, it explicitly lists, Improvements, which are included, is a subsurface structure
• So the way it's structured is we can bring in up to 3/8 of a cent exclusively for the purpose of bonding

Transcript Highlights:

• manufacturer, DEP, and FDOT guidelines to keep these electric vehicles away from other vehicles and structures
• manufacturers themselves state that when an electric vehicle is in a crash, there cannot be any structures
• segregate these vehicles in an area that they're not with other vehicles, obviously, or near any structures
• They're not with other vehicles, obviously, or near any structures, and that's a safety aspect, and we
• there was an electric vehicle in the middle of this room right now, there would not be allowed any structures

Summary: The Transportation Committee met and considered a series of bills, beginning with SB 266, which would exempt sales and use tax on electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft sold from manufacturers to operators. Senator Harold said the measure is intended to help Florida attract an advanced air mobility industry and create jobs. The committee adopted an amendment clarifying the definition of EVTOL aircraft and excluding drones, then reported the bill favorably. SB 350, by Senator DeSigley, was also reported favorably after a minor amendment; it allows local governments to permit vehicles to travel slowly on flooded streets without being treated as unlawfully impeding traffic. Supporters from the Florida PBA and Florida League of Cities waived in support. The committee next approved SB 706, designating part of U.S. 92/Gandy Boulevard as the Senator James A. Sebesta Memorial Highway. SB 628, Lucy’s Law, was heard with extensive emotional testimony from Lucy Fernandez’s parents and others. The bill strengthens boating safety by increasing penalties for reckless boating, requiring boating safety education after certain violations, and aligning some boating penalties more closely with motor vehicle laws. A substitute amendment was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 872, dealing with county and municipal price controls for the removal and storage of electric vehicles, was also amended and reported favorably after testimony from towing industry representatives about the added costs and storage constraints posed by damaged EVs; the Florida Insurance Council spoke in opposition. The committee then approved SB 650, which expands hazardous walking condition criteria for elementary school students to include walkways along freeways, ramps, and interchanges, regardless of speed limit. SB 1318, the hands-free driving bill, generated substantial testimony from safety advocates and families affected by distracted driving; it would rename Florida’s texting law as a hands-free driving law and prohibit handheld use of wireless devices while driving. The committee also passed SB 994, increasing driver education requirements for standard and learner’s licenses, and SB 662, designating a portion of West Beaver Street in Duval County as Harry Frisch Street. Several senators recorded affirmative votes on bills after the roll calls, and the meeting adjourned after all listed measures were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Beyond these, Florida's foster care system offers a tiered placement structure tailored to children's
• And for children requiring a more structured environment, group homes provide 24-7 supervision and support
• the development of the behavioral qualified residential treatment program to provide specialized, structured
• transition into the most appropriate, least restrictive setting while still receiving the services and structure
• Additionally, the department established local review teams and a state review team as a structured unified

Summary: The committee heard three presentations focused on child welfare workforce development and the needs of children in Florida’s dependency system. First, the Florida Institute for Child Welfare described its Grow Center and related initiatives, including academic curriculum enhancements, simulations, virtual reality training, coaching, on-demand learning, advanced certifications, and the planned Tallahassee learning lab opening in January 2026. Members asked about conflict resolution, domestic violence, addiction, and microcredentials; the presenter said the institute is expanding training in those areas and is working with DCF to align advanced certifications with the department’s career ladder. The Department of Children and Families then presented on the Continue the Mission initiative, which recruits veterans, military spouses, and former law enforcement officers into CPI, API, and case management roles. DCF said it has held more than 240 hiring events and hired 372 such workers since launch, while also improving recruitment and retention through higher starting pay, streamlined hiring, rebranding, wellness supports, and enhanced pre-service training. Senators asked about PTSD concerns, staffing levels, caseloads, hotline vacancies, and salaries; DCF said it had not seen direct PTSD issues from the hiring effort and provided figures including a $50,000 starting salary for CPIs, $37,000 for APIs, and average caseloads of 12 to 15 investigations for CPIs and about 10 for APIs. Finally, DCF discussed the increased acuity of children in the dependency system, explaining that fewer children are entering care overall but those who do often have more complex behavioral, mental health, developmental, or medical needs. The department highlighted a new Behavioral Qualified Residential Treatment Program (BQRTP) designed for youth who need more intensive support than traditional foster or group home settings but do not require inpatient psychiatric treatment; one facility is licensed with 12 of 14 beds filled, and DCF said it is seeking funding for placement for 230 youth total. Members pressed for details on licensure timelines, standards, funding, and the handling of crossover youth and lockouts, and DCF said it uses braided funding and works with DJJ, APD, and lead agencies through local and state review teams. A representative of the Florida Coalition for Children also testified, saying the issue is complex and multi-year, and that the coalition is working on possible legislative and programmatic solutions. The committee took no formal votes and adjourned after the presentations and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is in their structures where ownership might not be fully attorneys.
• This is in their structures<01:11:59.360> where<01:12:00.000> ownership<01:12:00.880>
• > might<01:12:02.239> um<01:12:03.280> not structures where ownership might um not
• structures where ownership might um not uh<01:12:04.719> uh<01:12:04.960> be<01:12:05.199
• We also changed the structure of the travel fix definition and struck reasonable relocation expenses.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we should have a structure on how that happens.
• We have heard from MPCA they want more authority; we would like it to be in a collaborative structure
• We have heard from MPCA they want more authority; we would like it to be in a collaborative structure
• We have heard from MPCA they want more authority; we would like it to be in a collaborative structure
• , reasonable here with the fine structure, reasonable here with the fine structure, but<01:13:00.280

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It implements the dental payment rate structure that the recommendation was required in House File 1934
• Thank you. payment rate structure that the payment rate structure that the recommendation<00:02:33.040
• meeting to discuss the rate structure. meeting to discuss the rate structure.
• And finally, I want to emphasize that the rate structure in this bill would apply for fee-for-service
• And finally, I want to emphasize that the rate structure in this bill would apply for fee-for-service

Bills: HF4401, HF4466

Keywords: HF4401, Minnesota Medical Assistance, dental reimbursement, dental rates, critical access dental providers, Medicaid dental, MinnesotaCare, managed care plans, county-based purchasing plans, fee-for-service, oral health access, safety-net clinics, federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Indian health services, state-operated dental clinics, low-income patients, children's dental care, provider reimbursement, dental access

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:57:08.480> clarifying<00:57:08.960> some the financing structures clarifying some
• the financing structures clarifying some of<00:57:09.200> those<00:57:09.359> pieces<00
• residents should not be structurally residents should not be structurally disadvantaged<01:01:14.160
• That disconnect is not necessarily incidental but structural.
• Sections 25 through 33 repeal outdated deed structures.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet our formula still largely assumes a uniform cost structure.
• When labor markets differ significantly, districts in higher-cost regions are placed at a structural
• Yet our formula still largely assumes a uniform cost structure.
• Over the last 10 years, that compounding gap has become structural.
• The compounding gap has become structural.

Bills: HF3790, HF3654, HF3371, HF3470, HF1099

Keywords: education finance, lease levy authority, graduation ceremonies, school districts, Minnesota Statutes, local revenue, funding increase, education, state appropriation, local control, HF3371, local optional revenue, school finance, general education aid, school district funding, referendum revenue, referendum market value, equalization aid, state aid, property tax levy

Transcript Highlights:

• that is durable fully create a structure that is durable uh<01:14:42.400> and<01:14:42.719>
• And, um, without a structure that's durable and understandable, and I think there's also something to
• be said about setting up a structure that is more easily understood by the average bear.
• has been in mechanism and structure has been in process<01:29:40.400> of<01:29:40.639> being
• and without a structure that's durable and uh<01:30:31.440> understandable.

Bills: HB1617

Keywords: carbon emissions, tax credit, fossil fuel, agriculture, food security, environmental tax, greenhouse gas, 910, house, all

Summary: The committees heard testimony on HB 1949, which would create a public dashboard for the green fee to improve transparency and accountability. Testimony from the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, and many community and conservation groups was generally supportive, with several speakers urging that the governor’s project recommendations remain largely intact and that community-driven projects continue to guide spending. One amendment was suggested to place the dashboard at the Department of Budget and Finance for fiscal expertise, while other testimony favored keeping it with the commission. Members asked about procurement, ETS involvement, recurring hosting costs, and whether the dashboard could be funded from green fee revenues; the commission said it could work with ETS and that green fee funds could reasonably be used. The committees then voted to pass HB 1949 with amendments. The committees also heard HB 2618, which would require the governor to submit a separate bill for amounts tied to any increase in the transient accommodations tax and, in later discussion, was expanded into a broader restructuring of future green fee allocations. Testimony from the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition, and others supported the bill and emphasized the value of more predictable, dedicated funding for conservation and climate-related work. During decision-making, the chair described amendments creating several special funds under DLNR, including a watershed biodiversity and wildfire risk reduction fund, an aquatic resources conservation fund, a coastal restoration fund, a cesspool conversion revolving loan fund, and a green fee special fund for remaining revenues, with recommended amounts discussed for some of the funds. The committees voted to pass HB 2618 with amendments. The hearing then moved to HB 1644, a consumer protection measure for residential solar sales that would require compliance with consumer protection laws, licensing or contractor affiliation for sellers, and a standardized disclosure form. Testimony in support came from the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, and several solar companies and individuals. Supporters said the bill would address complaints about third-party sales practices and improve disclosure, especially around financing. The committee then began hearing HB 2243, which would require electric utilities to provide public, electronic customer bill impact analyses and annual reports to the Public Utilities Commission; the Division of Consumer Advocacy and the PUC offered comments supporting the measure’s intent.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just don't know how you would structure that one for this. Okay.
• you would structure that one for this. you would structure that one for this.
• <00:41:46.319> And by having a new structure in place.
• And by having a new structure in place.
• <00:47:58.880> integrity<00:47:59.359> is that structural integrity is that structural

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:31:40.039> already branch compensation structure already branch compensation structure
• to be completely disrupted and integrated into another existing social structure and another facility
• to be completely disrupted and integrated into another existing social structure and another facility
• to be completely disrupted and integrated into another existing social structure and another facility
• um that whole structure um as we<01:25:29.440> move<01:25:29.679> forward.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The conference committee met late on Friday evening to discuss the Public Safety and Judiciary budget agreement, beginning with a brief exchange among members about concerns that the executive branch had been delaying the committee’s work by waiting to approve legislative decisions. Members emphasized that the legislature should retain its independence while still allowing normal collaboration with the governor’s office. The committee then moved through several outstanding policy items and adopted them without opposition, including the A38 amendment addressing data-sharing concerns involving disability-related information, a study of firefighting services by the state fire marshal, and an A46 amendment governing access to unredacted portable recording system data in collision investigations, with guardrails on disclosure and use. The committee next reviewed the spreadsheet and budget targets. Fiscal staff explained the judiciary side of the agreement, including funding for court operating costs, a one-time Justice Partner Access Program appropriation, forensic exam rate increases, guardian ad litem funding, public defense, human rights, the competency attainment board, the cannabis expungement board, and fee increases for civil filings and motions. On the public safety side, staff described the target as well as the discretionary items funded, including nonprofit security grants, BCA staffing changes, fire marshal initiatives, a 10-year arson statute of limitations, prosecutor training grants, legal representation for children, E911 funding for critical infrastructure, Philando Castile Training Fund support, corrections-related savings from the Stillwater phased closure and sentence-to-serve elimination, a mandatory minimums task force, a victims of crime account transfer, a decommissioning study, in-service use-of-force training, and extensions of several expiring appropriations. The committee also noted a correction to a spreadsheet label related to the Stillwater closure item. After the spreadsheet walkthrough, the committee took testimony from Chief Justice Natalie Hudson and State Court Administrator Jeff Shorban on behalf of the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Hudson thanked the committee for its work and said the agreement covers some unavoidable costs, including insurance, lease expenses, forensic examiner pay, and the new access system, but argued it does not adequately address the judiciary’s most urgent problem: staffing and judicial compensation. She said court employees are leaving for better-paying jobs, judicial salaries are frozen for two years, and applicant pools for judgeships have declined, especially in greater Minnesota. She also said the judicial branch was not meaningfully consulted on the budget target and urged lawmakers to recognize the courts as a constitutional obligation rather than a discretionary program.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bridge isn't just a structure. It's part of our families.
• Unfortunately, since the closure in 2016, due to structural concerns, the bridge has been left to decay
• The bridge isn't just a structure. It's part of our families.
• The bridge isn't just a structure. It's part of our families.
• uh which large structure fires uh which overburdened<01:01:33.440> the<01:01:33.599> system

Bills: HF2418, HF1666, HF232, HF344, HF402, HF431, HF468, HF547, HF583, HF1476, HF1711, HF2787, HF2788, HF3207

Keywords: capital investment, political subdivisions, state assistance, funding, project grants, child care, Slayton, state bonds, economic development, extended time revenue, school funding, state aid, career and technical education, CTE, STEM, secondary credit, after-school programs, summer school, learning year program, extended day

Transcript Highlights:

• The goal of recovery is driven by one core belief: rebuilding Lahaina means more than restoring structures
• it means returning restoring structures it means returning people<00:12:57.000> to<00:12:57.199
• The county also funded another 89-unit multifamily structure that was destroyed in the fire.
• Similarly, for Hānae Stadium, we are requesting additional funding to be used for structural and safety
• <00:33:58.799> and<00:33:59.000> safety be used for structural and safety be used for

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Beginning at a California Community College can be the start of a structured, supported route to a CSU
• Beginning out of California Community College can be a start of a structured, supported route to a CSU
• The ADT gives California an opportunity to simplify the current structure and expand students' options
• This exclusion creates a structural disadvantage for districts trying to hire full-time counselors whose
• We can get this right if transfer is and remains a priority for these systems and structures.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The building authority—there's the option to do the lease payments, to do the bonding and structure as
• know how much funding will actually be needed for it because of the way that funding mechanism is structured
• This is, the CERC is structured so that there is a contract that is executed with the Industrial Commission
• might be another consideration if this is moving forward again to remove that match requirement and structure
• what I would consider improving our governance model with some additional clarity, some additional structure

Summary: The committee took roll, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a compliance-report update on the Industrial Commission and related funds and programs. Staff reviewed the status of one-time appropriations and grant programs, including electric grid resiliency, lignite research, enhanced oil recovery, the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, the salt cavern business-case study, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members asked about funding balances, reimbursement timing, matching requirements, and how some commitments would affect the State Investment Fund and future biennia. Industrial Commission staff then gave a broader update on the agency’s administrative office, grant management system, leadership transitions at several commission agencies, and active grant rounds. They reported that the grant management system is nearing completion, that several agency leadership searches have concluded, and that the commission’s grant programs currently have 108 active grants totaling more than $165 million. They also described the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority round, the oil and gas research program’s enhanced oil recovery awards, the grid resiliency grants, the salt cavern study, and the research technology park program, noting that some projects are awaiting federal funds or additional matching cash. Ron Ness, speaking for the Oil and Gas Research Council, focused on the state of the oil industry and the enhanced oil recovery “Bakken 2.0” effort. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on better infrastructure, longer laterals, and new EOR methods such as CO2, natural gas, and surfactants. He emphasized the importance of the Bakkeneast pipeline and related gas-utilization projects, the recent DOE funding that will return some money to the research council, and the need to modernize tax and incentive rules for CO2-based recovery. Members discussed the potential economic benefits for oil, agriculture, and manufacturing. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and a broader strategic update. Bank leadership reviewed the bank’s mission, governance, participation lending, student lending, disaster programs, and legislatively directed programs, and said the bank is managing for a flatter deposit base and stronger liquidity because of fintech competition and changing market conditions. They reported improved earnings, with net income rising to about $231 million, and described Rough Rider Coin as a new internal payment rail for North Dakota banks and credit unions, not a public cryptocurrency. Members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster lending, and the bank’s capacity to support state programs while maintaining its balance-sheet and liquidity requirements.