Transcript Highlights:

• Let me read recommendation 12 again.
• Let me read Recommendation 20.
• <00:34:34.720> to Constitution what the words I read to Constitution what the words I read
• The count was then read as 15 to 0, with five absent.
• :33.360> the I very honestly I haven't read the I very honestly I haven't read the entire<05:48

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The public hearing opened on HB 728-FN, which would authorize video lottery terminals at charity gaming facilities and repeal historic horse racing licensing. Representative Om explained that the bill would convert the current historic horse racing terminals into true video lottery terminals/slot machines and change the revenue split, reducing the operator share from 75% to 70% while increasing the state share from 25% to 30%. He also noted the bill would increase the amount going to charities and other state beneficiaries. Former State Rep. Pat Brammy, who had served on the Charitable Gaming Study Commission, testified in support of the bill’s basic structure. He said a consultant’s report found historic racing machines cost facilities 12% to 18% more to operate because of totalizer and track-related fees, and that slot machines would be cheaper because there are more manufacturers and more competition. He argued that although the operator share drops by 5%, facilities could still benefit from lower operating costs, and he said the commission concluded that moving to slot machines would increase revenues to facilities, charities, and the state. He also said the bill would create a more stable stream of funding for problem gambling, since the current HHR “breakage” funding mechanism is limited and dependent on a single vendor. Brammy also discussed the commission’s concerns about market concentration in HHR machines, saying the commission found the market was dominated by only a few manufacturers and recommended legislation to address that issue under Article 83 of the state constitution. He interpreted the bill as allowing a phase-in of slot machines upon passage, with the remaining HHR provisions phasing out by January 1, 2028, and said facilities would likely transition as leases expire. Committee members asked about HHR contracts, machine programming, testing, and whether removing HHR would reduce competition; Brammy said he believed leases were likely short-term, machines are tested by a lab, and the legislature could decide whether the change is appropriate. No vote or final action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• become further entrenched and endure, especially in rural environments and in individuals who have difficulty

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on February 23, 2026, approved the January 12 minutes, and then focused primarily on Kentucky Medicaid’s coverage and potential expansion of GLP-1 drugs, especially for weight loss. Department for Medicaid Services Commissioner Lisa Lee explained that Medicaid currently does not cover drugs for weight loss, anorexia, or weight gain, but the department had filed a regulation to remove that blanket exclusion so GLP-1s could be covered when used for an underlying health condition. She said the administrative regulation review subcommittee found the regulation deficient, and the co-chairs wanted the board to discuss the policy and financing implications before any change. DMS also said it would be open to adding caveats to ensure coverage would not extend to cosmetic weight loss alone. The department provided several data points on current utilization and spending. In 2025, Kentucky Medicaid paid for appetite-stimulating drugs such as Megestrol, Dronabinol, and Marinol, but did not pay for weight-loss drugs. For GLP-1s, DMS said coverage began in 2025 and is limited to FDA-approved medical conditions, with prior authorization requiring a type 2 diabetes diagnosis code and A1C documentation. DMS reported $234.6 million in GLP-1 spending in 2025 before rebates, about 240,931 prescriptions, and said GLP-1s accounted for 7.3% of pharmacy spend in 2024 and 8.3% in 2025. It also said there were 24,844 expansion members and 13,638 non-expansion members using GLP-1s, with spending of about $156 million and $78.5 million respectively, and that 10 pediatric weight-loss prescriptions were covered under EPSDT. The department said outcome analyses, including whether GLP-1 use reduces insulin or other diabetes treatment, are underway and should be completed in a couple of months. Members asked about cost, rebates, and whether the state should wait for more outcomes data before expanding coverage. DMS said average reimbursement to pharmacies was $975 per prescription and the average dispensing fee was $109; it also said 2025 rebate invoices totaled $90.8 million, with $7.6 million collected so far. Several members expressed concern about the high cost and the need to evaluate whether the drugs improve health outcomes before expanding access, while others noted the potential benefits for obesity and diabetes treatment. Some members also discussed whether GLP-1s are effectively being used for weight loss in diabetic patients and whether broader data collection should be used to assess long-term value. After the Medicaid discussion, Eli Lilly executive Tracy Sims presented on obesity as a chronic disease and the economic burden it creates in Kentucky. She said Kentucky’s adult obesity rate is a little over 37%, that obesity is linked to about 200 diseases, and that untreated obesity costs the state billions in GDP and hundreds of millions in state budget impact. She highlighted recent federal access programs for GLP-1s, including a Medicaid-related program that she said could lower the state share of a Zepbound prescription to about $71 per month after federal matching. No votes were taken on the GLP-1 policy question during the meeting, and the main action was the receipt of testimony and discussion of the department’s proposed regulatory change.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is no wonder that we have difficulty recruiting and retaining therapists for our program because of

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• lookup used in the old version, and he is concerned that taxpayers affected by the measure will have difficulty

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures related to housing, homelessness, caregiving, and tax relief. On HB 431, which appropriates funds for the CAL initiative and HHFDC, the Department of Human Services supported the bill and noted the Governor’s request for $50 million per year for HMS, the need for more permanent supportive housing, and a technical issue with establishing a special fund in session law. The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions strongly supported the measure, describing it as unprecedented funding for CAL projects and linking it to goals of reducing homelessness and expanding housing inventory. Catholic Charities Hawaii, the ACLU of Hawaii, and the Reimagining Public Safety in Hawaii Coalition also supported the bill, emphasizing permanent supportive housing, diversion from jail, and public safety benefits. The chair redirected one testifier to stay on the measure when testimony drifted to another program. Written support was also noted from several organizations and agencies. The committee then heard HB 225 on squatting. DHS said it appreciated the intent and deferred to the Attorney General and task force members, while noting that outreach on public lands differs from private land, where owner consent is required. The Office of the Public Defender supported the bill and wanted a voice in finding a solution. The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions also said it supported the intent, while opposition from the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands and support from one individual were noted. For HB 280, which would make the community outreach court permanent and appropriate funds, the Judiciary strongly supported the bill, describing the court as a mobile, community-based program serving vulnerable populations and connecting participants to services. The Office of the Public Defender also supported the measure, saying the program has helped people move off the streets and into stable housing and that permanent funding would allow expansion. Written support from the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition was noted. The committee then moved to HB 71, creating a refundable family caregiver tax credit, where the Department of Taxation provided comments, the Executive Office on Aging and AARP Hawaii supported the measure, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii raised concerns about duplication with an existing dependent care credit and the lack of incentives for cost control. The committee next heard HB 753, which would increase the applicable percentage for the household and dependent care services tax credit. Support came from the Executive Office on Aging, Catholic Charities Hawaii, AARP Hawaii, and Hawaii Children’s Action Network, while the Tax Foundation again raised technical concerns about complexity and administration but noted the bill adds guardrails against abuse. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• He then read a note from MCCD saying it had had requests for lower amounts, including $30,000 and lower
• Um, the major issue that we were finding with this program was that enrollees were having difficulty

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Folks, read the bill, page 14.
• Folks, read the bill, page 14.
• Read the bill. to vote, you are fine. Read the bill.
• Uh I've read the bill many times, much.
• Third reading.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, April 10, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:35.200> of While I've been clear in my reading of While I've been clear in my reading
• They are not meant to be read by humans.
• They are not meant to be read by humans.
• <03:41:33.840> those<03:41:34.080> minutes, to read those minutes, to read those minutes
• And if you read but it was racebased.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this meeting is being streamed live on YouTube and in the unlikely event we experience technical difficulties
• this meeting is being streamed live on YouTube and in the unlikely event we experience technical difficulties

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational briefing on the Public Utilities Commission’s performance-based regulation (PBR) framework and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ whistleblower complaint process. Chair Jared Kohole opened the meeting, noted it was informational only with no public testimony, and explained that members would hear presentations and then have an opportunity for questions. The committee heard first from Ulupono Initiative, which provided background on why utilities are regulated, how Hawaii’s cost-of-service model and rate cases work, and why PBR was adopted to shift utility incentives away from a capital-investment bias and toward performance, efficiency, cost control, and policy goals such as renewable energy and reliability. Ulupono described Hawaii’s PBR structure as a five-year multi-year rate plan with annual revenue adjustments, a customer dividend, a Z factor for extraordinary exogenous events, and an exceptional project recovery mechanism for large projects. It also outlined performance incentive mechanisms tied to renewable portfolio standard progress, interconnection speed, reliability, and shared savings. The presentation said the current docket is evaluating a possible hybrid approach that would combine forward-looking forecasting with historical results, and Ulupono advocated for stronger incentives, arguing the current rewards are too small relative to utility revenues and should be more meaningful to better align utility behavior with legislative intent. The PUC then presented its own overview, emphasizing that the PBR docket is open and active and that the briefing was limited to the record to avoid ex parte concerns. The commission described the development of PBR in Hawaii through multiple phases beginning in 2018: an initial collaborative phase to set goals, a formal contested-case phase that produced the initial framework, later phases adding scorecards, reported metrics, and additional performance incentive mechanisms, and subsequent refinements including sunset of some mechanisms and adjustments after the August 2023 Maui wildfires. The PUC said the framework is intended to be customer-centric, administratively efficient, and protective of utility financial integrity, and that current work includes evaluating how to balance forward-looking and historical test-year approaches within the rebasing process. No votes or formal actions were taken at the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know you will read what I've provided you.
• I'm not intending to read through all of it.
• I'm not intending to read through all of it.
• I'm not intending to read presentation.
• I haven't read the letter, I'm aware.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With your unanimous consent, the bills will be read by title unless there is a request for reading a
• So, let's read a couple.
• So, let's read a couple. So, let's read a couple.
• Uh, and I commend our reading clerk for reading that title.
• reading clerk for reading that title. reading clerk for reading that title.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• relatively smooth filing season, millions of taxpayers experienced delays receiving their refunds or difficulties
• the Committee on Foreign Affairs or his designee, that the concurrent resolution be considered as read
• the concurrent resolution be considered the concurrent resolution be considered as<07:15:20.798> read
• > that<07:15:22.000> the<07:15:22.160> previous<07:15:22.558> question as read
• and that the previous question as read and that the previous question be<07:15:23.200> considered

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, April 27, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:48:37.040> Notices<00:48:37.599> are seen and read by anyone.
• Notices are seen and read by anyone.
• /c> Sarah Strong, Minnesota Newspaper Association: There are still 242 of them, and Minnesotans do read
• Eighty-six percent of Minnesota adults read their local print or digital newspapers each month.
• Um, sorry, I'm I did not read this bill because it wasn't on our agenda.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:29:34.000> the if but if you read the if but if you read the uh<00:29:36.000> the
• Okay, let me read 79 just for grants here. Um, inserting, because this is a new section, right?
• Yeah, I read it and it looked generally okay to me, but I'm going to read it again here.
• I have now read RSA 31-A; it's completely obsolete.
• representative evil but when I'm reading representative evil but when I'm reading 155<03:44:52.279

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met to continue work on House Bill 2, with the chair saying the goal was to finish the bill as given by the governor, though additional amendments were expected. Members first discussed the bail section and agreed to hold it for later because a separate House bail bill was expected on Thursday and could have significant county cost impacts. They also generally accepted the proposed reorganization of positions between Fish and Game, DNCR, and the Department of Environmental Services, but noted the need to review effective dates and funding details, including a possible double appropriation of $275,000 for a scientist position already funded in HB 1. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on environmental review and native plant-related sections moving functions from DNCR to DES. Members discussed changing the rulemaking timeline from 180 days to 90 days, and clarifying that “begin” means the public hearing stage. They also reviewed how fee revenue would shift between agencies in HB 1 so the budget impact would be net zero. The committee indicated it would prepare amendments reflecting these changes and revisit them at a later vote. The longest discussion concerned the boathouse provisions. Members debated whether the new definitions and construction standards were appropriate in a budget bill, with one member arguing they should be in a separate bill, while others said the provisions were urgent because of a lawsuit and the lack of clear guardrails. Concerns included the February 20, 2025 effective date, which some thought might be retroactive, the detailed limits on what may be stored in a boathouse, and a fee increase that some felt could discourage homeowners from seeking permits. The committee also questioned whether the fee structure should be tiered for smaller projects and whether permit-by-notification projects should be exempted. No final votes were taken on these sections during the discussion; instead, members agreed to seek legal and policy answers and to return with amendments and public hearing input before voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• . reading. reading.
• Why mathematics and they aren't reading.
• not something that um as long as I read not something that um as long as I read the<01:58:47.599
• That's the way I read it.
• I'm just need me to read it to you.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill shall be considered as read.
• The bill shall be considered as read.
• Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read.
• It's my 20th year in Congress, and I would like to read it and remind you, Mr.
• Is this place capable of dealing with difficulties?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:55.680> uh instead of it reading uh instead of it reading uh the<00:09:57.600> school
• So there may be some, reading, writing, and arithmetic as I've reading, writing, and arithmetic as I've
• <01:43:57.119> this see that as that or am I reading this see that as that or am I reading
• , get back to teaching them to read, get back to teaching them to read, write,<03:14:35.680> and
• results, the students are not reading results, the students are not reading well,<05:43:29.200><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Shall be considered as read.
• All points of order against read.
• Read the first sentence.
• Read the first sentence. is agreed to. Read the first sentence. She's<05:15:19.200> here.
• Third reading.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, given sort of the difficulty with being able to tie that contact initiation to the mobile crisis

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, given the difficulty with being able to tie that contact initiation to the mobile crisis service

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a May Revision hearing covering several health-related budget proposals and broader concerns about the state’s budget structure. The Chair opened by praising some May Revision changes, such as added health IT funding, county administration support tied to Medi-Cal changes, a delay in Medi-Cal cuts for some lawfully present immigrants, and additional support for Covered California subsidies, while criticizing proposed increases in Medi-Cal premiums, changes to senior eligibility, the lack of a Medi-Cal dental solution, and other reductions affecting counties, mobile crisis units, workforce incentives, and physician shortages. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state’s budget condition remains weak despite progress on the structural deficit, and the Department of Finance said the May Revision uses a mix of reductions, reforms, revenue proposals, and fund shifts to cut out-year deficits. The committee first heard Department of State Hospitals proposals, including adjustments to county bed billing authority, contract exemption language for online clinical/pharmacy subscriptions, reversion of unspent funds, a revised Metro Central Utility Plant replacement project, electronic health record implementation, and workforce development funded partly through Behavioral Health Services Act resources. DSH also described savings and realignments in incompetent-to-stand-trial and conditional release programs, including extending the independent placement panel program and shifting funds to support additional bed capacity and a mental health rehab center. Members asked about the use of BHSA funds for workforce programs, and the department said the proposal would replace General Fund support with BHSA reimbursements. The Emergency Medical Services Authority proposed funding for statewide behavioral health crisis response guidance and for enterprise system development, and the Department of Managed Health Care proposed modernization of its complaint system and claims-settlement data system to improve oversight and comply with AB 3275. The largest discussion centered on the administration’s BHSA spending plan under Proposition 1, including state-directed prevention, workforce, and other uses, plus General Fund offsets for existing programs. The LAO questioned whether some proposed offsets fit Proposition 1’s non-supplant and eligible-use requirements, while the administration argued the uses were consistent with the measure and that the state-directed share can be adjusted annually. The Commission for Behavioral Health’s proposals drew the most public and member concern. The administration proposed cutting the commission’s Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and reducing the Community Advocacy Program by $6.7 million, while redirecting BHSA dollars to other state purposes and direct services. Commissioners, advocates, and several members argued the cuts would weaken community voice, reduce support for underserved populations, and disrupt grants already in process; they also objected to using BHSA funds to backfill General Fund commitments. Public commenters, including youth, disability, behavioral health, LGBTQ, tribal, veteran, immigrant, and community-based organization representatives, overwhelmingly opposed the cuts and urged preservation of prevention, advocacy, mobile crisis, and innovation funding. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it speaks to the difficulty that this kind of change requires. Right?

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 24 February, 2026; 1:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: Legislative leaders opened the hearing by focusing on statewide technology issues affecting agencies, including rising IT costs, cloud migration, cybersecurity risks, procurement delays, and the need for better coordination across government systems. They said the meeting was intended to hear from agency directors about current challenges and possible legislative solutions. The ITS director described the state’s IT structure as decentralized but increasingly moving toward shared services. He highlighted recent legislative and executive actions on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, procurement modernization, and data sharing, including House Bill 1491, Senate Bill 2426, Senate Bill 2267, House Bill 958, and an executive order on AI. He said ITS has worked with large agencies on a cloud center of excellence, a procurement modernization advisory council, and a state data exchange, and noted plans for a master contract, potentially with OpenAI, that could be available to all public entities. He also emphasized cybersecurity, saying the state is seeking a secure operations center and a broader “cyber maturity” approach after recent incidents. On procurement, he said the goal is to speed up purchasing while keeping it safe, and on optimization he pointed to potential savings from consolidating duplicate agreements, such as multiple Microsoft enterprise contracts. In response to questions, he said exceptions to centralization would be based on business and technical architecture and regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, CISA, or FERPA, rather than ad hoc decisions.