Transcript Highlights:

• happens is, you said it perfectly, the point of sale software sometimes, if you get your receipt, it calculates
• Because the tip is just the way the software is made, and so the tip is left off and they don't calculate
• To just when it's all said and done, they can calculate that all back in there.
• Right, so, Madam Chair and Representative, in the back end of a lot of these POS systems, it's just calculated

Transcript Highlights:

• Their wages support income<04:13:39.359><c> tax</c><04:13:39.760><c> revenue.
• Their fuel purchases income tax revenue.
• It's redefining what it means to have revenue collected to support road transportation.
• to have revenue collected to support<04:51:32.798><c> road</c><04:51:33.120><c> transportation.
• </c><05:10:32.798><c> somewhere</c> and I think I calculated somewhere and I think I calculated somewhere

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a question yesterday in the IJC meeting about ADT calculations.
• There was a question yesterday in the IJC meeting about ADT calculations.
• ><c> the</c> Evaluation is calculated using the Evaluation is calculated using the following<00:26:11.040
• So, I'll go ahead and ADT calculations.
• But a lot of the ADT calculations that go into the scoring will be estimates derived from this formula

Summary: The committee met for the first interim meeting of the 2025 Budget Review Committee on Transportation and heard from Bobby Jo Lewis, commissioner of Rural and Municipal Aid at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. She reviewed the new County City Bridge Improvement Program, created in the 2024 regular session, reporting that phases one and two are complete, 45 bridges have been funded so far, and about $18.45 million has been authorized. She said roughly $6.549 million remains for phase three in the current fiscal year, with about $26.445 million in bridge applications still pending. For fiscal year 2026, the program will again have $25 million and will use four application phases. She also described a training resource, Local Bridges 101, and said a new executive advisor, Greg Meredith, has been brought in to help with the bridge program. Members asked how rollover applications would be handled, whether they would be re-evaluated with new applications, how the program would account for bridge longevity and load posting, and how isolated communities would be prioritized. Lewis said applicants not funded in FY25 would be contacted and could choose to roll their applications into FY26, and all applications would be evaluated together at the end of each phase. She said preservation projects are assessed for how much they extend a bridge’s life, and isolated community access bridges or closed bridges with no detour access receive priority. She also said the department aims for equitable distribution across regions and plans to produce a map showing where funds have been awarded. Lewis then turned to the County Priority Projects Program and the Local Assistance Road Program established in House Bill 546 and related resolutions. She said the application cycle opened June 1 and closes October 1, with 106 memoranda of agreement being prepared for awards in House Joint Resolution 46. She described updated application and reporting forms, a scoring matrix, and a County City Pavement Evaluation Manual used to rate projects based on preservation of assets, average daily traffic, recent improvements, safety, cost, and district priority. She said projects must be rehabilitation projects designed to restore the original condition of the road, cannot exceed $500,000, and must use local match percentages tied to the economic development grant program formula. She also reported on funding status for prior road projects, including completed, partially completed, pending, and underrun amounts that may be reauthorized. Committee members asked about photo documentation, online access to project materials, how to measure whether projects truly restore roads to original condition, and what happens when project costs exceed estimates. Lewis said the department is still working on how best to store and share the large volume of photos, and that projects are certified through district offices and local sign-off after completion. She said overages are the responsibility of the applicant because the state does not have additional money beyond the awarded amount. No formal votes were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I didn't bring a calculator.
• That practice would only include the scores of students who take the assessment in that calculation.
• into that that's not zero is calculated into that that's not an<01:14:32.560><c> accurate</c><01:14:
• </c><01:14:43.040><c> into</c><01:14:43.400><c> that</c><01:14:43.600><c> final</c> are are calculated
• into that final are are calculated into that final number<01:14:44.840><c> and</c><01:14:45.000><c>

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• they are engaged solely in administrative billing services, billing administrators facilitate calculations
• Billing administrators facilitate calculations, allocations, and transmissions of utility charges as
• Our role is strictly limited to calculating utility charges, preparing invoices and statements, and providing
• Our role is strictly limited to calculating utility charges, preparing invoices and statements, and providing

Committee: House Banking and Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• different from earned income and have taken steps to exclude disability benefits from household income calculations
• Legislature and Congress acted to remove disability income from government housing eligibility calculations
• Legislature and Congress acted to remove disability income from government housing eligibility calculations
• SB 888 simply excludes VA service-connected disability compensation from the calculation of household

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard two main bills before taking up a consent calendar. SB 1053 by Senator Nilo would allow county boards of supervisors in counties affected by a governor-declared disaster on or after January 1, 2026, through January 1, 2031, to extend by up to three years the five-year period for transferring a property tax base-year value to replacement property. The author said the measure responds to recent wildfires and other disasters that make rebuilding within five years difficult, and committee members broadly supported local control and disaster recovery flexibility. No opposition was heard, and the bill was approved 5-0 and sent to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 888 by Senator Seardo, as amended, which would exclude VA service-connected disability compensation from household income calculations for the low-income disabled veterans’ property tax exemption. The author argued that counting disability benefits as income creates a catch-22 for disabled veterans and can disqualify them from tax relief despite fixed incomes and high medical costs. Members described the bill as a common-sense, bipartisan fairness measure that would help veterans remain housed in California. No opposition was presented, and the bill passed 5-0 to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. The committee also adopted the consent calendar, which included SB 999, SB 1073, and SB 881. After the consent items, SB 1053 was again called up and confirmed out of committee on a 5-0 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:14:04.560><c> and</c> with any associated revenues and with any associated revenues and proceeds
• </c><02:15:52.400><c> associated</c> uh transfer market revenues associated uh transfer market revenues
• </c><05:13:28.240><c> of</c> if you have any sort of calculation of if you have any sort of calculation
• So it revenue from the energy market.
• </c> loss of revenue. loss of revenue.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Summary: The committee met on April 14 and began by welcoming a new member, Representative Samban Denier, who briefly described his background as a Clarkson University environmental engineering graduate and Air Force veteran. The committee then moved into a work session on five energy-related bills, starting with Senate Bill 65 on stormwater management for solar arrays. Representative McGee presented amendment 1594H, which would exclude projects in shoreland areas from the bill’s permit-by-notification process and require the standard alteration-of-terrain permit review instead. Members asked for clarification, and McGee explained the amendment was requested by the New Hampshire Lakes Association and others to preserve the fuller review process for shoreland projects. The committee appeared satisfied with the explanation and moved on. The committee next discussed Senate Bill 230 on electric utility restructuring and investment in distributed energy resources. Members concluded that section one was unnecessary because a better definition of advanced nuclear resources had already been added to House Bill 710, and that section two would allow investment in advanced nuclear resources in a way they had already rejected in another bill due to ratepayer risk. Several members agreed the bill was redundant and supported an ITL motion. They also discussed Senate Bill 232 on net metering terms and conditions, focusing first on whether hydroelectric generators could be listed in ISO New England while also taking net metering credits. Granite State Hydropower Association representative Heidi Kroll testified that generators are subject to checks and balances, that double-dipping is not occurring, and that rules and tariffs already require participation in one market arrangement or the other. Discussion on Senate Bill 232 then shifted to section two, which would bar retroactive changes to net metering tariffs in place as of January 1, 2025. Representative McGee proposed alternative language to protect existing customer generators, group hosts, and municipal hosts from retroactive changes, while others said the language was needed to provide stability for current participants operating on thin margins. Some members supported the clearer wording; others argued the committee should not tie the hands of the PUC and DOE, noting future circumstances could require regulatory flexibility and that conflicts could be resolved in court if necessary. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cloud, with revenues of less than $10 million a year, from the gross revenue provider tax.
• Cloud, with revenues of less than $10 million a year, from the gross revenue provider tax.
• Cloud, with revenues of less than $10 million a year, from the gross revenue provider tax.
• Cloud, with revenues of less than $10 million a year, from the gross revenue provider tax.
• </c> revenue estimate. Um, Senator House, Mr. revenue estimate. Um, Senator House, Mr.

Bills: HF1746 , HF2585 , HF1159 , HF2574 , HF2839 , HF157 , HF158 , HF160 , HF338 , HF512

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: Oakdale, tax increment financing, local government, funding, urban development, tax increment, St. Paul, redevelopment, housing authority, housing trust fund, low-income housing, property taxation, Minnesota statutes, vacant property, housing, commercial to residential conversion, Minneapolis, urban redevelopment, public parks, tax capacity

Transcript Highlights:

• S. 1363 is aimed to close the loophole in the prevailing wage calculation.
• Requiring the prevailing wage calculation to include the full verifiable cost of providing comprehensive
• By adjusting the health care and welfare calculation to reflect the real cost and quality coverage, we
• to include wonderful. ...guarantee a quality standard of life, requiring the prevailing wage calculation
• By adjusting the health and welfare calculations to reflect the real cost of quality coverage, we protect

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on legislation concerning unemployment insurance, non-compete agreements, prevailing wage, and minimum wage issues. Committee leaders outlined the hearing process, asked witnesses to keep oral testimony to three minutes, and invited written testimony through November 20. No votes were taken during the hearing; it ended with a motion to adjourn and notice of the next hearing on November 20. Much of the testimony focused on bills to expand unemployment insurance for striking workers, including H. 2168 and S. 1319. Labor leaders, union members, and legal advocates argued that workers who are out on strike for more than 30 days should be able to receive UI benefits, saying the policy would help workers and families meet basic expenses, reduce employers’ ability to “wait out” strikes, and encourage good-faith bargaining. Speakers cited recent strikes, including the Republic Services strike, and said the proposal would not meaningfully increase strike activity or strain the UI trust fund. Another major topic was minimum wage legislation, especially H. 2107/S. 1349 to raise the minimum wage to $20 by 2029 and index it to inflation, and H. 2191 to create a $25 enhanced care worker minimum wage. Supporters said current wages are not keeping pace with housing, food, and childcare costs, and that care workers, direct support staff, and human service employees face chronic vacancies, burnout, and turnover. Testimony also supported H. 2126 on prevailing wage by adding apprenticeship and training contributions to the wage calculation, and H. 2159 and S. 1363 on prevailing wage-related issues. One witness, Russell Beck, testified against S. 1336, which would ban non-competes, and against H. 2118, arguing Massachusetts’ current non-compete law is a balanced compromise that should not be disrupted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so I think there was just a discrepancy in how we calculated it originally.
• In fact, if we are calculating the cost of the people we tax or assess, If we are calculating the cost
• Going forward, one, do you think it would be appropriate and ethical to calculate how much it costs the
• Would you agree that going forward that would be a great calculation for not only your state agency but
• all state agencies to calculate the impact on those that we regulate, tax, and assess fees?

Bills: SJR50 , SJR51 , SJR52 , SJR53 , SJR54

Committee: Senate Administrative Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Administrative Rules met with a quorum and considered five Oklahoma Health Care Authority and OMMA rules resolutions. Senate Joint Resolution 50 was presented as a federal-law conformity change allowing licensed professional counselors, LBHPs, and licensed alcohol and drug counselors to work as eligible providers in federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics; despite questions about the fiscal estimate, it passed 9-0. SJR 51 was amended to correct rule citations related to human genome sequencing, then failed on a 4-5 vote after members noted an estimated $860,000 fiscal impact tied to legislation. SJR 52, removing physician visit limits in Medicaid, was described as an access-to-care and rural health measure that could reduce ER use; it passed 8-1. The committee then took up SJR 53 from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, which would align rules with statutes requiring prepackaging of medical marijuana products and other provisions. Members questioned OMMA extensively about the economic impact, the discrepancy between the agency’s estimate and Loft’s much larger estimate, and whether the rules were already being implemented under emergency authority. OMMA said the rules mirrored existing statutes and that the cost would fall on the industry and ultimately consumers, not the agency. After debate about regulatory fairness and the effect on the industry, the resolution passed 5-4. Finally, SJR 54, a non-major OMMA rule change renaming the adjudicator from administrative law judge to hearing examiner to match the Administrative Procedures Act, drew concerns about independence and whether OMMA should be required to contract for outside adjudicators. The director said the change was only a terminology alignment and would not alter current practice, and Senator Bergstrom said he would pursue legislation next year to require outside contracting. An amendment changed the committee’s position from disapprove to approve, but the underlying resolution still failed 4-5. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're going to be able to see exactly the revenue that they're negotiating through the budget, what
• Obviously, there's revenue through taxes, and of course there's expenditures, and this bill, I think,
• If we want to try to find ways to increase the revenue in NICA, we're all ears.
• COVID is over, but the necessary calculated negative reputation of ivermectin is not.
• COVID is over, but the necessary calculated negative reputation of Ivermectin is not. calculated negative

Bills: S0036 , S0620 , S0796 , S0934 , S1080 , S1096 , S1366 , S1536 , S1548 , S1580 , S1588 , S1620 , S1756 , S7034 , S7044

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The committee first took up SB 354, the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, which creates a framework for large planned communities on at least 15,000 contiguous acres with 60% reserved area and a streamlined local review process. Senator McLean presented the bill and a strike-all amendment, and members raised concerns about local control, conservation enforceability, data centers, concurrency, multi-county projects, and whether reserve lands could later be converted. Audubon Florida and 1,000 Friends of Florida opposed the bill, arguing the conservation protections were not permanent enough and that the reserve areas could be changed later; small-county representatives also worried about tax-base impacts. Supporters argued the bill would better manage growth, preserve green space, and provide a more orderly alternative to sprawl. After debate, the committee voted to report the bill favorably. The committee then approved SB 620 on candidate qualifying, which requires candidates for federal, state, county, district, judiciary, school, and school board offices to disclose any non-U.S. citizenship. Amendments added disclosure about whether federal candidates intend to trade stock if elected and adjusted 2026 congressional qualifying procedures in the event of redistricting, including a new qualifying window and petition rules. The bill was reported favorably after brief support from a member of the public and discussion about candidate vetting. The committee also reported favorably CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, a Department of Financial Services bill with amendments addressing My Safe Florida Home notices, condo pilot eligibility, firefighter hiring, unclaimed property, and related financial-services provisions. Next, the committee approved CS/CS/SB 1620, a school board members’ bill of rights. A substitute amendment narrowed the bill to access to records, fiscal transparency, and nondisclosure agreements, while preserving board members’ rights to timely documents, budget information, and public comment, and setting deadlines for records requests. Superintendents and a school board member testified in support, saying the bill clarifies roles and prevents board members from being frozen out. The committee also passed CS/HB 245, which replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material”; one senator supported the terminology change but warned about preserving legal precedent and avoiding appellate issues. The committee then reported favorably SB 1548, an update to the Live Local affordable housing law expanding eligible sites and clarifying setbacks, airport proximity, and fair-housing protections. Finally, the committee took up the veterinary medicine bill creating veterinary professional associates. The bill allows trained master’s-level VPAs to perform limited veterinary services under a veterinarian’s supervision, and an amendment tightened the standard to immediate supervision on premises. Supporters said the measure would expand access to care, especially in rural areas with vet shortages, while opponents argued it added unnecessary regulation. After testimony from veterinary educators and others, the bill continued with support expressed by committee members, including praise for the direct-supervision amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So to respond to that with no additional revenue coming in, we cut our fleet.
• Department of Revenue, Schedule 12. Schedule 13. Department of Environmental Quality. Schedule 13.
• And then the rest of it is calculated by population and by square, by area that you're covering.
• And for this past fiscal year, it shows us, you know, our revenues being, you know, $18 million.
• Our revenues being, you know, $18 million.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several budget requests tied to health and human services. Louisiana Children’s Advocacy Centers asked for continued support and a supplemental appropriation of $1.173 million for infrastructure and standardization, explaining that the money would expand use of the Guardify digital evidence system, improve chain of custody, and reduce reliance on DVDs. Baton Rouge and statewide CAC leaders said prior funding helped eliminate a therapy wait list and speed services for abused children. Members asked detailed questions about the digital system, MDT coordination, and how the request related to SB 237, which would strengthen multidisciplinary review of child abuse cases. The Alzheimer’s Association sought $824,000 to sustain the dementia care specialist program, saying it helps families navigate services, keep loved ones at home longer, and reduce Medicaid costs. AARP and the Live at Home Coalition also testified for 750 additional Community Choice waiver slots at a state cost of $3.3 million, arguing that home- and community-based care is cheaper than nursing homes and that the current wait list is more than 11,000 people. Legislators discussed the size of the need, the state’s long-term care spending mix, and whether more support should go to family caregivers and community-based options. Testimony also focused on disability support services, substance use treatment, and developmental disability provider rates. A parent and direct support worker described the Children’s Choice waiver’s 20-hour cap and low pay, saying it makes it hard to retain caregivers and meet the needs of medically fragile children. Odyssey House and O’Brien House asked for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates under ASAM 4, warned that removal of room-and-board payments and weak Medicaid eligibility pathways are reducing access, and called for more oversight of sober living homes; members questioned outcomes data, length of stay, and links to homelessness. Finally, the Arc of Louisiana said the LDH rate study confirmed underfunding and supported a $53.6 million increase in state general funds, with local ARC leaders describing the services they provide and the need for higher direct support professional wages.

Transcript Highlights:

• This severely limits our ability to generate revenue.
• ><c> generate</c> severely limits our ability to generate severely limits our ability to generate revenue
• 08:44.080><c> time,</c><00:08:44.720><c> we</c><00:08:44.959><c> are</c><00:08:45.120><c> the</c> revenue
• At the same time, we are the revenue.
• </c><00:53:03.680><c> and</c> pages have to get out a calculator and pages have to get out a calculator

Bills: HF4421 , HF1937 , HF4675 , HF4715 , HF4684

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• but<00:15:57.680><c> how</c><00:15:58.079><c> have</c><00:15:58.320><c> you</c><00:15:58.560><c> calculated
• 59.199><c> and</c><00:15:59.440><c> you</c><00:15:59.600><c> said</c> &gt;&gt; but how have you calculated
• and you said &gt;&gt; but how have you calculated and you said depending<00:16:00.240><c> on</c><00:
• You know, we're going to get a revenue from somewhere else and give y'all what's left over, and then
• </c> You know, we're going to get a revenue You know, we're going to get a revenue from<01:29:21.520>

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it sounds like in many cases you have to do some amount of mass balancing in order to sort of calculate
• which we crafted intentionally to clarify that this bill protects important and useful tools used to calculate
• I'll close by noting that combined, this bill is calling for less than 10% of average GGRF revenue.

Summary: The committee heard several bills and one resolution focused on recycling, housing affordability, air quality, coastal protection, wildfire resilience, and nuclear policy. AB 2559, by Assembly Member Ward, would require local governments to return refundable construction and demolition permit deposits if compliance documentation is submitted within three years of final inspection; supporters said it would prevent homeowners and developers from losing deposits due to mismatched local deadlines, and it passed unanimously as amended to Appropriations. AB 1704, by Assembly Member Gonzalez, would require CARB to assess the cost of lower-embodied-carbon building materials and pause the embodied-carbon program if cost parity is not reached; supporters framed it as a housing affordability safeguard, while environmental groups argued it would delay implementation of a key climate law. The bill passed on a party-line vote to Appropriations. AB 2349, by Assembly Member Solache, would create regional air quality incident response centers for emergency monitoring and coordination; it drew strong support from air district and local government representatives and passed unanimously to Appropriations. ACR 149, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act and Coastal Conservancy, highlighted coastal access, habitat protection, and climate adaptation; it passed the committee, though some members voted no. AB 1960, by Assembly Member Bennett, would let Cal Fire fund community-level wildfire hardening projects through the Wildfire Prevention Grants Fund; members raised questions about funding and implementation, but it passed to Appropriations. AB 2254, the Coastal Monarchs Protection Act, would require coastal local governments to add monarch overwintering protections when updating local coastal plans; supporters cited steep monarch declines and economic benefits, while local government groups opposed the mandate as duplicative and burdensome, and it passed to Water, Parks and Wildlife. AB 2253 would restrict deceptive recycled-content claims and mass-balance accounting practices; supporters said it would protect consumers and real recyclers, while business groups argued it would conflict with recognized accounting systems and EPR programs. The transcript also included AB 1757, which would create a limited carve-out from California’s nuclear moratorium for microreactors; supporters said it could provide clean, local power and support data centers, while opponents warned of cost, waste, and safety risks. The committee ultimately rejected AB 1757 on a divided vote, then granted reconsideration, and the discussion continued without a final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it sounds like in many cases you have to do some amount of mass balancing in order to calculate
• which we crafted intentionally to clarify that this bill protects important and useful tools used to calculate
• I'll close by noting that combined, this bill is calling for less than 10% of average GGRF revenue.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• 2017, and the court ruled that schools must provide an IEP, an individualized education program, calculated
• 2017, and the court ruled that schools must provide an IEP and individualized education program calculated
• House Revenue and Taxation Committee will not meet Wednesday, March 25. Cannon, Chairman.

Transcript Highlights:

• The reforms have also produced substantial fiscal gains to the state: $200 million in state tax revenue
• There's pain and suffering and those kind of things that enter into the calculation, correct?
• And those kind of things that enter into the calculation, correct? Absolutely.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1645, which would reduce Missouri’s general personal injury statute of limitations from five years to two years for claims after August 28, 2026, while also extending the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims from 10 years to 20 years after the victim turns 21. Representative Overcast and supporters from the insurance and business communities argued the change would improve Missouri’s business climate, lower insurance costs, and align the state with most others; opponents, including trial lawyers and victim advocates, warned that shortening the filing window would harm injured adults and sexual abuse survivors who need more time to come forward. Representative Sites supported the child sexual abuse expansion but said broader retroactivity work was still ongoing. No vote was taken in the hearing itself, but the bill drew both support and opposition testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 1610 and House Bill 2182, both of which were described as similar proposals to shorten the general civil statute of limitations, with HB 1610 moving from five years to three years and HB 2182 moving from five years to two years. Supporters repeated the same business-climate and insurance-rate arguments, while opponents repeated concerns about access to justice and the time needed to investigate complex injuries. Several witnesses from the insurance, chamber, farm bureau, railroad, and business groups testified in support, and some said they preferred two years over three. The chair noted the testimony was largely repetitive across the bills, and the hearings concluded without recorded votes in the transcript. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2714, which would change Missouri from a pure comparative fault system to a modified comparative fault system, barring recovery if a plaintiff is found more than 50% at fault. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would make Missouri more business-friendly and more consistent with neighboring states, while opponents from the trial bar argued it would unfairly cut off recovery for injured people and that juries already apportion fault under current law. Testimony focused on how fault percentages are determined, the effect on settlements and trials, and examples such as car crashes and product liability cases. The hearing ended with continued opposition testimony and no final committee action reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• They focus on actual patient revenues and reputation because they really don't get subsidies from the
• They used different econometric methods for difference-in-differences calculations, so I won't bore everybody
• And I guess when we're thinking about the calculations, how these hospitals are owned and the way that

Bills: HB99 , HB49 , HB164 , SB30 , SB43 , SB50 , SB136

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• They focus on actual patient revenues and reputation because they really don't get subsidies from the
• They used different econometric methods for difference-in-differences calculations, so I won't bore everybody
• And I guess when we're thinking about the calculations, how these hospitals are owned and the way that

Bills: HB99 , HB49 , HB164 , SB30 , SB43 , SB50 , SB136

Committee: House House Judiciary

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 99, which would make changes to the Medical Malpractice Act, especially around punitive damages. The chair and sponsor said the bill would not be voted on that day and that public comment would wait until Monday, when a fuller presentation and any recommended substitute would be considered. Dr. Brooke Baker, a physician-lawyer, gave a long presentation on physician wellness, malpractice stress, and the effect of litigation on staffing and burnout, while also discussing hospital ownership structures, private equity, and rural hospital vulnerability. She argued that punitive damages are often pled too broadly in New Mexico, that the amendment language was unclear about which entities would be capped, and that better oversight and internal quality systems—not punitive damages—are the better tools for addressing bad actors and unsafe care. Committee members from both sides asked extensive questions about the patient compensation fund, indemnification, corporate structures, the effect of caps on insurance and recruitment, and whether the bill would protect physicians’ personal assets. No vote was taken on HB 99, and the committee recessed before moving to the next bill. The committee then returned to House Bill 49, a public safety measure increasing penalties for felons who possess firearms. The sponsors and law enforcement witnesses said the bill is aimed narrowly at serious violent felons who are already prohibited from having guns, and that it would align state sentencing with federal law and give police and prosecutors a stronger tool against repeat violent offenders. An amendment was offered to narrow the bill further, add destructive devices, and make the offense a second-degree felony rather than escalating to first degree on repeat offenses. The amendment was adopted without opposition. Public testimony on HB 49 was largely opposed. The Law Office of the Public Defender argued the bill criminalizes possession without a new act of violence, that current law already punishes felon-in-possession conduct, and that New Mexico has repeatedly increased penalties without evidence of reduced gun crime. The ACLU of New Mexico also opposed the bill, saying increased penalties are not a proven deterrent. The transcript cuts off as additional online opposition testimony was beginning.