Transcript Highlights:

• We also believe in pay parity. A course is a course is a course.
• So pay parity is important.
• That a single course is one portion of a full timers for pay.
• So pay parity is important.
• I've made a dedication to paying out of pocket for my PhD.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its fourth public hearing, opening with remarks about the importance of protecting and expanding access to higher education amid federal disinvestment. The chairs also announced future informational hearings on the impact of federal cuts and on ASAP models. The hearing then focused on several bills, beginning with S. 951/H. 1462, An Act to Support College Students in Recovery, which would require recovery-focused housing on public campuses and expand naloxone access and overdose training. Senator Rausch, medical professionals, students, and advocates testified in support, emphasizing the prevalence of overdose risk among college students, the value of recovery housing, and the need for campus naloxone; committee members asked about implementation details and the existing state pilot program. Deb Schmill and Rep. Tarski gave especially personal testimony in favor of the bill, and the committee discussed broadening the naloxone language to opioid reversal agents. The committee also heard testimony on H. 1461, which would expand MassReconnect scholarships to practical nursing students at vocational and technical schools to help address the long-term care workforce shortage. Rep. Stanley argued that vocational schools graduate more practical nursing students than community colleges and serve many low-income students in areas without nearby community college programs. The committee then took up H. 1433, which would require public higher education institutions to accept IEPs and 504 plans as sufficient documentation for disability accommodations. Advocates from the National Center for Learning Disabilities described the high cost and burden of repeat testing, the lifelong nature of disabilities, and the need for more uniform access across campuses; committee members raised questions about documentation freshness, campus autonomy, and how to preserve the integrity of accommodations. Later, the committee heard S. 919/H. 1454 on modernizing the Community College Endowment Match Program so community colleges could receive state matching funds for current-use donations as well as endowments and capital gifts. Community college foundation leaders said the change would help fund immediate student needs such as food pantries, child care, emergency aid, and equipment. The hearing then moved to faculty-related bills: S. 933 on UMass faculty rights and tenure transparency, S. 930/H. 3948 on contingent faculty rights and career advancement, and S. 940/H. 1429 on an Adjunct Bill of Rights. Testimony from faculty and union representatives focused on low pay, lack of benefits, job insecurity, and the need for clearer pathways to full-time positions and fairer treatment for adjuncts who teach large shares of courses. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and asked clarifying questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• and paying to the state.
• One of them is a bakery, and they charge less if you pay cash, more if you pay credit.
• Gas stations frequently charge less if you pay cash, more if you pay with a credit card.
• So they build it... ...less if you pay cash, more if you pay with a credit card.
• You do pay some fee; you don't pay all of the fee, but you still have the interchange fee as well.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held an informational hearing focused on the conditions facing small and micro businesses in Massachusetts and the state programs intended to support them. Chairs Andy Vargas and Adam Gomez opened by emphasizing equitable economic development, the importance of CDFIs, and the need to help underserved entrepreneurs, especially women, minorities, veterans, immigrants, and other groups facing barriers. Committee members noted the hearing would not take up bills, and testimony was limited to 10 minutes per organization. State and quasi-public agency witnesses described current programs and funding. Dico Gibral of the Executive Office of Economic Development highlighted the Business Front Door, multilingual access, small business office hours in Gateway Cities, and funding in the Mass Leads Act, including support for CDFIs, small business technology, and capital grants. Tom Hooper of Commonwealth Corporation described workforce training programs such as the Workforce Training Fund, Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, and Career Technical Initiative, saying they help small businesses train workers, fill labor shortages, and support returning citizens and people with disabilities. Committee members asked about federal funding uncertainty, workforce migration, training schedules, and program uptake. Business and advocacy groups focused on cost pressures and regulatory burdens. The Massachusetts Restaurant Association urged continuation of outdoor dining and takeout alcohol sales, and pressed for relief from high credit card swipe fees, support for surcharging, and streamlining municipal licensing. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts cited survey results showing inflation, utility costs, payroll taxes, health insurance, and interchange fees as major concerns, and said many members might sell or close within five years; it also backed ending the state prohibition on surcharging and creating an Office of Main Streets Massachusetts. MACDC, BECKMA, and the Coalition for an Equitable Economy emphasized the need for more technical assistance, CDFI and small business funding, and protections against rising costs, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and immigration enforcement impacts on immigrant-heavy business districts. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So off the bat, if you’re paying 2 percent and my bill goes through and now you only pay half of a percent
• If you do business in the state, you can pay sales tax.
• It's millages are high, and teacher pay needs to go up.
• And we pay; the state pays for their business model.
• So what he's paying in business taxes, what he's paying just to live in Florida compared to what, hypothetically

Bills: HB214, HB217, HB253, HB411, HB440, HB514, HB515, HB543, HB614, HB620, HB658, HB812, HB898, HB961

Keywords: property tax, blighted properties, urban rehabilitation, tax exemption, local government, financial incentives, blighted property, derelict property, property tax exemption, local redevelopment plans, rehabilitation standards, ad valorem tax, community development, income tax, tax repeal, individuals, estates, trusts, tax reduction, state revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• Homeowners are paying sometimes their monthly fees and homeowners pay their monthly fees and they have
• And lastly, this becomes ultimately a pay now or pay later situation for homeowners.
• And they gave me five days to fix it or pay a fee.
• They have to pay for that.
• We obviously have the right to evict for failure to pay rent.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Their community would like to pay for that problem.
• I'm in opposition to this bill because I think that I already pay 12%, my guests pay 12% for lodging
• I'm in opposition to this bill because I think that I already pay 12%, my guests pay 12% for lodging
• So it's actually helping us pay our mortgage.
• in Seattle for a tax right now that an Airbnb guest pays.

Bills: HB2559, HB2135, HB2133, HB2442

Keywords: affordable housing, local government funding, housing programs, community development, financial assistance, adaptive housing, disabled veterans, tax preferences, housing affordability, retail sales tax, property tax, senior citizens, tax exemption, permanent legislation, local government, tax authority, sales tax, use tax, real estate excise tax, REET

Transcript Highlights:

• And your self-pay is significant.
• How does the self-pay work, and we'll say typical charges for self-pay?
• So what they pay out the claims on the other end, but we're obviously paying for the individual to have
• We don’t pay for airtime or billboard ads.
• The average pay for a kid in foster care?

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation on LSU Health Care Services Division and Lallie Kemp Medical Center. Staff reviewed HCSD’s roughly $74.7 million budget, much of it tied to legacy obligations for former LSU hospital systems and support for Lallie Kemp. Committee members asked about prisoner care, risk management costs, declining admissions and emergency visits, and the hospital’s 340B drug program. Lallie Kemp officials explained that prisoner care serves multiple state and local facilities, that lower admissions largely reflect more patients being placed in observation status, and that the in-house 340B program provides major savings to patients and the prison system. Members also asked about care for unhoused patients and the hospital’s discharge practices, and the hospital said social services works to find placement when possible. The committee then moved to the Louisiana Department of Health budget, which was presented as just under $23.5 billion, with Medicaid making up more than 90 percent of the total. The presentation covered the Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Health, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Medicaid. Major items included the new Rural Health Transformation Program, the transfer of several functions from DCFS to LDH under the One Door initiative, changes to SNAP administration, and large Medicaid adjustments driven by enrollment, utilization, and federal policy changes. Testimony also highlighted the statewide crisis hub and 988, the commodity food program for seniors, women’s health and maternal outcomes, and the department’s efforts to modernize technology and reorganize services. Members questioned LDH officials on a wide range of budget and policy issues, including the rural health grant, crisis services, Medicaid redeterminations, provider taxes, physician and hospital supplemental payments, nursing home rates, HCBS funding, and the impact of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. LDH said the rural health grant would support workforce, technology, and care-delivery improvements; that the crisis hub and mobile crisis units are being expanded to improve access and reduce emergency room use; and that the department is working to keep the SNAP error rate below 6 percent to avoid a projected state cost increase. Officials also said they expect to return next year with additional funding requests for HCBS and other programs, while emphasizing that current budget changes are largely meant to realign funding with actual expenditures and new federal requirements. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we've got to look at better ways to pay these young people to pay off this immense student loan
• issue when we were talking about what is the right level of pay, you know, what do you need to pay somebody
• It's not pay per se. That's part of it.
• Um, it's not just a pay issue.
• The city or the county pays the the settlement.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. ...and making them pay for a public service and no one else has to pay for.
• public service and no one else has to pay for.
• When you take a look at who pays, it's not just the taxpayer that's paying.
• When you take a look at who pays, it's not just the taxpayer that's paying.
• When you take a look at who pays, it's not just the taxpayer that's paying.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held the first of several hearings on the Governor’s May Revision for health care, with opening remarks focused on the state’s projected $12 billion deficit, looming federal Medicaid changes, and the potential impact on Medi-Cal, public health, reproductive health, and safety-net providers. Several members criticized the proposal as balancing the budget on vulnerable Californians, while others defended the need for cost containment and questioned the administration’s assumptions. The chair set ground rules for respectful, focused questioning and outlined three topics: the Medi-Cal proposals, Proposition 35, and Proposition 56. DHCS Director Michelle Baas presented the May Revision’s Medi-Cal package, saying the department’s budget totals $200.6 billion overall, including $45.2 billion General Fund, and that the proposals are intended to address rising caseloads, pharmacy costs, and managed care spending. She described proposed changes for adults with unsatisfactory immigration status, including a freeze on new full-scope enrollment for those 19 and older, $100 monthly premiums beginning in 2027, elimination of adult dental and long-term care coverage, removal of PPS/RAP payments to FQHCs and rural health clinics for that population, and a pharmacy rebate aggregator. Other proposals included eliminating certain OTC drug classes, removing GLP-1 coverage for weight loss, prior authorization and step therapy changes, reinstating the Medi-Cal asset test, eliminating acupuncture as an optional benefit, allowing utilization management for hospice, raising the managed care minimum medical loss ratio to 90%, reducing PACE capitation rates toward the midpoint of the actuarial range, eliminating the skilled nursing facility workforce and quality incentive program, and suspending the SNF backup power requirement. The LAO said the revised Medi-Cal spending estimate is about $2.5 billion higher than the Governor’s Budget in the budget year, and that the increase appears driven more by higher per-enrollee costs than by caseload alone. The LAO said the budget solutions are concentrated in a few areas, are largely ongoing, and should be considered in light of federal uncertainty, but suggested the Legislature could explore alternatives such as more targeted income thresholds for the undocumented expansion and simpler asset-test rules. Department of Finance officials said the proposals are difficult but necessary to address a third consecutive deficit and rising Medi-Cal costs. Members then pressed the administration on the methodology and impacts of the proposals, especially the enrollment freeze, premiums, asset test, hospice controls, PACE reductions, and the elimination of benefits and provider payments. No votes or formal actions were taken at this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• the budget process every year by first taking care of our county employees, making sure that their pay
• If you don't pay your workers enough.
• Joan Barish: ...find their real job, then they need to pay us like they believe that. Thank you.
• Texas is losing experienced, talented workers because we're not paying them what they're worth.
• Texas workers shouldn't have to choose between paying their bills or putting food on the table.

Keywords: Texas state employees, retirees, compensation, House Bill 343, House Bill 247, Senator Sarah Eckhardt, Representative John Busey, cost of living, workforce, legislative session

Summary: The committee meeting focused on critical issues facing Texas state employees and retirees, highlighting the need for increased compensation and improved benefits. Senator Sarah Eckhardt and Representative John Busey presented new legislation aimed at addressing these longstanding problems, including proposed House Bills 343 and 247, which seek a $10,000 across-the-board pay increase for state employees. Senator Eckhardt emphasized the growing wage gap between public sector jobs and private sector offerings, which has led to high turnover rates and the loss of institutional knowledge. Public testimonies underscored the urgency of the issue as retirees shared their struggles with stagnant pensions amidst rising living costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• In essence, the taxes data centers will pay will offset our gas tax.
• I want the data centers to pay for it. The only thing it will impact is who's going to pay for it.
• I want the data centers to pay for it. Others want Pennsylvanians to pay for it.
• We don't even know what they pay because they get to pay a different rate and we never get to know about
• We don't even know what they pay because they get to pay a different rate and we never get to know about

Summary: The Senate returned from recess and first handled routine calendar matters, laying several bills on the table or over in their order without objection. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 1400, which addresses sentencing for second-degree murder in response to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Commonwealth v. Lee decision. Senator Street offered an amendment to replace mandatory life without parole with parole eligibility after 25 years and individualized review, but the Senate tabled the amendment by a 26-24 roll call. The bill then advanced to final passage after extended debate over whether it adequately met the court’s constitutional ruling and how it would affect victims, culpability, and retroactivity. It initially passed 31-19, then after reconsideration and a correction to one member’s vote, passed 30-20 and was sent to the House. The Senate next considered Senate Bill 1212, which tightens the handling of sexual assault evidence kits by removing discretionary language that had contributed to inconsistent testing practices. Supporters said it would improve statewide consistency, preserve a survivor’s right to decline testing, and help reduce the rape kit backlog. The bill passed unanimously, 50-0, and was sent to the House. The chamber then moved through additional calendar items, including re-referrals of several House bills to Appropriations and multiple bills being passed over. Later, the Senate took up House Bill 1667 on a supplemental calendar after suspending the rules. The bill became the vehicle for several amendments tied to affordability and tax policy. Senators adopted a back-to-school sales tax holiday amendment, a data-center tax exemption repeal amendment, and a school-choice-related amendment transferring EITC provisions and increasing scholarships by $25 million. Other proposed amendments, including a digital advertising tax and a combined reporting corporate tax reform, were tabled. After further debate on the bill’s impact on electric bills, data centers, and the state budget, House Bill 1667 was agreed to as amended and the Senate recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do not pay a single dime in corporate taxes here.
• In essence, the taxes data centers will pay will offset our gas tax.
• The only difference, and the only thing it will impact, is who's going to pay for it.
• I want the data centers to pay for it. Others want Pennsylvanians to pay for it.
• We don't even know what they pay because they get to pay a different rate, and we never get to know about

Keywords: Scheduler, 972, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have to pay it also.
• And that's how we know if you owe or not, to pay your fair share.
• And that's how we know if you owe or not, to pay your fair share.
• And that's how we know if you owe or not, to pay your fair share.
• With your permission as the owner of the vehicle, the insurance company would pay the tower and pay the

Summary: The committee approved the March 9, 2026 minutes and held HB 29 and HB 2939 at the sponsor’s request. It then took up HB 2016, which would bar late-filing penalties when a taxpayer’s income tax liability is zero; after an amendment narrowed the bill to income tax filers, the Department of Revenue was neutral on the bill but supported the amendment, and members debated whether removing the penalty would reduce incentives to file. The committee adopted the amendment and returned HB 2016 with a do-pass recommendation on a 4-3 vote. The committee also heard HB 2289, which updates the property-value examples used in bond/override election pamphlets and truth-in-taxation notices from older low values to a $300,000 home example. The sponsor and Arizona Tax Research Association said the update would better reflect current home values and improve voter understanding, while some members argued the bill could confuse voters or that the second example should be closer to the current median home price. The committee passed HB 2289 on a 4-3 vote. Several bills related to school district bonding and agricultural property classification were then considered. HB 4103 would prohibit school districts from calling bond elections if enrollment is below 50% of capacity; supporters said districts should use or monetize excess space before seeking more debt, while school administrators and several senators argued it would block needed maintenance and local voter choice. HB 2104 and HB 2105 would give agricultural property owners a temporary reprieve from repeated reclassification and inspections after winning an appeal, with farm groups supporting the measures and county assessors opposing them as limiting oversight; both bills passed 4-3 after amendments. The committee also passed HB 2256 on a 7-0 vote, which creates a process for salvage auction dealers to obtain abandoned titles when insurers do not complete salvage title transfers, and HB 2979 and HB 2996 unanimously, addressing credit union regulatory timelines and clarifying that certificates of insurance do not alter policy coverage. Finally, the committee heard HB 2174 on insurance modeling organizations and HB 2477 on AZ 529 plan updates, with HB 2174 discussed at length over regulatory treatment of models and HB 2477 described as a conformity bill expanding K-12 and credentialing uses and rollover options.

Transcript Highlights:

• If 60% of teachers are paying their dues, is it?
• I don't know, but 60% are paying their dues.
• dues, or 6% of the class is paying their dues.
• paying the dues for them.
• their dues, and then exactly 60% are actually paying dues.

Summary: The committee took up several bills and confirmations. It reported favorably SB 332, as amended, on a narrow public-meetings/public-records exemption for legal strategy and settlement communications during the pre-suit period in Burt Harris claims; SB 464, requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day; SB 984, clarifying firefighter cancer/death-benefit provisions and related prevention language; SB 576, expanding and codifying the local government cybersecurity protection program under Florida Digital Service; SB 964, revising how certain gifts and honoraria are reported to the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612, requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with exceptions and a delayed effective date; SB 830, creating public-records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096, clarifying the filing deadline for Florida Civil Rights Act complaints; and SB 1656, designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. The committee also considered a large confirmation package. Jeffrey Aaron’s appointment to the Public Employees Relations Commission was discussed separately after Senator Polsky raised concerns about his political connections and prior work; the committee still recommended him favorably. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably in one vote. The longest and most contentious item was SB 1296, with a committee substitute, on the Public Employees Relations Commission and public-sector unions. The PCS would change union certification/recertification rules, require a recent showing-of-interest form, create different voting thresholds for public safety and non-public safety employee organizations, limit paid union leave for non-public safety unions unless reimbursed, require equal access to certain employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for legislatively funded salary increases. Senators raised constitutional concerns, especially about the single-subject rule and collective-bargaining rights, and many speakers opposed the bill as union-busting and harmful to teachers, bus drivers, nurses, utility workers, and other public employees. Supporters argued it would improve accountability, ensure genuine member support, and prevent taxpayer-funded union activity. The committee continued debate on SB 1296 after extensive testimony, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Can we find $110 million there by requiring certain income levels to pay their own way, or at least pay
• million dollars there by requiring certain income levels to pay their own way or at least pay some of
• 600%, pay your own way.
• Our communities are paying the price.
• Employ and pay people the wage they deserve.

Summary: The committee first took up the proposed 2026 tax package, Senate Bill 151, and adopted a committee substitute after discussion of the package’s funding capacity and included measures. The substitute bundled five bills: a physician tax credit, a quantum facility infrastructure tax credit, a construction materials gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing, a local journalist employment tax credit, and a health equipment gross receipts deduction. Members discussed amendments that raised the physician credit from $4,000 to $10,000, narrowed the housing deduction to project-based certification, and reduced the journalist credit threshold from four stories to three. Concerns were raised about the fiscal impact on municipalities, especially Albuquerque, and about the funding mechanism, but the committee voted 6-4 to give the substitute a do pass recommendation. Senator Sanchez explained his vote, saying he wished more could have been included in the package. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets and direct the Environment Department and Environmental Improvement Board to develop plans and rules for emissions reductions. The sponsors said the bill builds on the governor’s 2019 executive order, includes a 10,000-metric-ton threshold for covered emitters, allows certified offsets, and is intended to protect public health, reduce climate-related costs, and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters argued the bill would help communities facing wildfire, drought, health harms, and rising insurance and utility costs, and that it would encourage clean-energy investment and long-term economic stability. Opposition testimony came from mining, oil and gas, rural electric cooperatives, construction, agriculture, auto dealers, chambers of commerce, banks, water recycling companies, and realtors. They argued the bill functions like a carbon tax or broad regulatory mandate, would raise energy and compliance costs, could reduce investment and jobs, and would disproportionately affect rural, tribal, agricultural, and low-income communities. Several witnesses warned of higher electricity and fuel bills, revenue losses for local governments, and uncertainty from delegating major policy decisions to rulemaking. Supporters included public health advocates, educators, local officials, clean-energy businesses, tribal and environmental advocates, and residents affected by wildfire and drought, who said the bill is necessary to address climate harms and protect public health and the economy. No final committee vote on SB 18 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You pay three insurance policies.
• You pay probably one. I pay flood insurance. Property and windstorm. My windstorm may be $35,000.
• That's a third of what we pay just for property insurance.
• Yet we had to pay all that money.
• So right now, we would be paying by August 15th as opposed to... So we're paying six months early.

Bills: HB178, HB178, HB1551, HB1939, HB2040, HB2354, HB2674, HB3029, HB3460, HB3631, HB3662, HB5201, HB5381

Keywords: efficiency audit, political subdivision, tax rate, fiscal management, government accountability, Texas education, public schools, curriculum, social studies, high school graduation requirements, State Board of Education, Education Code, ethnic studies, world history, world geography, U.S. history, government, economics, personal financial literacy, free enterprise

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:47.440><c> a</c> And what's missing for me is we pay a And what's missing for me is we pay
• >> What are we paying for, and what are we actually paying for it? And who's paying what?
• </c> paying for it? paying for it?
• And And the And who's paying what?
• </c> So, we we cannot dictate what they pay. So, we we cannot dictate what they pay.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on January 12, 2026, to approve the December 10, 2025 minutes and continue finalizing its findings and recommendations. Members reviewed findings on administrative inefficiencies, Medicaid and workforce participation under HR 1, Medicaid budget growth, rural health transformation fund development, and provider tax/state-directed payment changes. The board approved a motion to change “pilot” to “partnership” in the workforce-related recommendation, and also adopted a technical amendment clarifying overlapping HCBS services by removing reference to adult daycare waiver services and revising the language to focus on reducing duplication, simplifying provider contracting, and standardizing processes across programs. A separate technical correction was noted to change “DMS” to “DPH” in the rural health transformation finding, to be handled in the final edits. Several findings drew discussion but no final substantive vote during the meeting. On the rural health transformation fund, Dr. Berg said Kentucky had done well in federal funding and noted limits on what could be shared publicly, while Commissioner Lee said a public website had been created and recommended the department reference be changed to the Department for Public Health. Finding five prompted extended discussion about provider taxes, state-directed payment reductions under HR 1, and whether the board should address the relationship between actuarial studies, MCO payments, and actual provider reimbursement more directly. Senator Meredith and others argued for a broader, more transparent baseline review of rates across provider groups, while Commissioner Lee said CMS will require certain fee schedule comparisons to Medicare beginning July 1, 2026, and that quarterly expenditure reports already go to LRC. The board did not finish resolving finding five during the meeting and agreed to return to it after staff prepared more explicit language. Members also discussed the possibility of an all-payers claims database as a better way to understand what is being paid across payers and services. No final vote on the full findings package was taken in the portion of the meeting provided, but the board did adopt the noted amendments and continued working through the remaining language.

Transcript Highlights:

• They wanted an opportunity to be able to pay that electronically.
• They wanted an opportunity to be able to pay that electronically.
• They wanted an opportunity to be able to pay that electronically.
• </c><00:30:21.200><c> this</c> opportunity for a taxpayer to pay this opportunity for a taxpayer to pay
• </c><00:32:05.200><c> for</c> also have the opportunity to pay for also have the opportunity to pay for

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:02 Roll Call 00:00:23 HB 414 Discussion 00:01:58 HB 414 Vote 00:22:34 HB 43 Discussion 00:24:56 HB 43 Vote 00:26:37 HB 518 Discussion 00:27:37 HB 518 Vote 00:45:20 Adjournment 00:46:35, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• before their plan pays for covered services, with limited exceptions for free preventive care.
• Most pay between $35 and $45 for a specialist visit, and some pay up to $60 or more for a visit.
• an additional co-pay for antibiotics.
• Today I will share stories of families who cannot afford those co-pays currently.
• Some months co-pays hit $6,000.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee met on January 13, 2026, and heard several two-year bills, with AB 634 (Gonzalez) and AB 298 (Bonta) receiving the most discussion. The chair also announced consent items AB 96 (Jackson), AB 1126 (Patterson), and AB 1366 (Flora), all with motions to do pass to Appropriations. Committee procedures, witness limits, and conduct rules were reviewed at the start of the hearing. AB 634 would prohibit the manufacture, distribution, or sale of tianeptine in California. Assembly Member Gonzalez described the drug as a dangerous substance sold in retail settings and said the bill had been amended to shift penalties from criminal to civil, narrow its scope so employees without authority over sales would not be targeted, allow cost recovery, and avoid a Commerce Clause issue. The California Narcotic Officers Association supported the bill, and there was no recorded opposition. The committee voted the bill out on a do pass to Judiciary motion. AB 298 would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for children’s health care services in large group commercial plans. Bonta argued that deductibles, copays, and coinsurance deter care and create financial strain for families, while noting the bill would not change provider reimbursement and that he would pursue cost-saving amendments in Appropriations, especially for CalPERS. Support came from Health Access California, Family Voices of California, and several medical and pediatric organizations, while the Chamber of Commerce and health plan groups opposed it, warning of premium increases and possible employer shifts to self-insured coverage. The committee advanced the bill on a do pass to Appropriations vote, and the chair later noted the bill was on call before final add-on votes were completed. The consent calendar items were also approved, and the hearing adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The real betrayal is to the working people in this country Who will pay the price so billionaires pay
• I can't go—if I miss work, I'll miss pay, and I can't afford to miss the pay.
• How will we pay for it?
• HOW WILL WE PAY FOR IT?
• And the American people are paying attention. The American people are paying attention.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do they pay a 25% surcharge? Yes.
• Do they pay a 25% surcharge? Yes.
• And so I thought that it was fair that both residents pay the same amount.
• And then pay something toward our police protecting the building?
• To pay even more. This is clearly a statewide issue in a conversation.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several bills, reporting each favorably after hearing sponsor presentations, public testimony, and member questions. SB 578 would allow wine to be sold in recyclable containers, aligning wine with beer container rules; it received support from Americans for Prosperity and passed without debate. SB 606 clarified when guests in public lodging or food service establishments may be removed for nonpayment, updated notice and checkout provisions, and removed a mandatory arrest requirement, with support from hotel and restaurant industry groups; it also passed favorably. Members then heard SB 202, which addresses a municipal water utility surcharge issue affecting Miami Gardens and North Miami Beach by requiring the utility to charge residents where the plant sits the same rate it charges its own residents. The sponsor and supporters described it as a fairness issue, while North Miami Beach argued it would shift costs and threaten utility finances; the bill was reported favorably. SB 570 modernized and clarified the scope of work for swimming pool and spa contractors, and SB 928, as amended, regulated non-approved disposable nicotine devices by restricting advertising and display, increasing inspections and penalties, and adding a school-buffer provision; both were reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 346, which repeals state preemption over local regulation of hoisting equipment and cranes, prompted by concerns after Hurricane Milton and a crane collapse in St. Petersburg. Supporters said local governments need authority to address storm-related crane safety, while industry representatives warned against patchwork regulation and said local oversight already exists in some areas. Finally, the committee took up SB 652, creating Veterinary Professional Associates to perform certain tasks, including limited surgeries under veterinarian supervision; animal welfare groups supported it as a way to expand access, while some veterinarians opposed the surgery provisions. The bill was reported favorably after amendment. The committee then began SB 354, a major overhaul of Public Service Commission oversight, including expanding the commission, adding financial expertise, tightening rate-setting and storm-hardening review, and increasing transparency for nonprofit water and wastewater utilities; the substitute amendment was adopted and public testimony was heard from consumer advocates and utility-related groups, but the transcript ends before final action on the bill.