Transcript Highlights:

• It does calculate cap.
• So, each year we put in what cap is cap.
• You've reached cap or they get to cap.
• them if they have reached cap. them if they have reached cap.
• Well, are you subtracting it from cap? It gets subtracted from cap, right?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met for its third discussion on special education aid under retained bill 742, with the chair noting that no action would be taken at the meeting. The chair reviewed prior hearings on Medicaid and local special education funding shortfalls, saying the committee was trying to understand why districts are facing proration of special education aid and how to reduce unfunded costs. He raised a series of questions for the Department of Education about the Nessus system, eligibility and ineligibility, invoices and vouchers, audit procedures, reimbursement rates, out-of-state placements, and who enters data at the district level. Rebecca Fdet, director of special education services at the Department of Education, explained that Nessus is the statewide special education information system and that every child in special education must be entered into it. She said most districts use it to develop IEPs and track services, while six districts use it only as a data reporting tool. She described which fields are required, how the system connects IEP development to the financial section, and how districts submit invoices when seeking special education aid, court-ordered placement payments, or episode-of-treatment placements. She said the department reviews invoices against the IEP, pays only for allowable services, and uses a cap that notifies districts when they reach the annual limit. Members asked about who submits the information, how districts decide when to seek aid, and how costs are calculated for individual or group services. Fdet said the district, usually an administrative assistant in the SAU office, submits the documentation electronically, and districts decide when to track students for aid based on their own circumstances. She said reimbursement is based on actual costs tied to the IEP, with group services split among students, and that the department does not generally set rates for local services. The only rate-setting she described was for approved private special education providers, which submit annual cost spreadsheets for tuition rates. She also said out-of-state providers must be approved by their own state, and the department checks licensure and certification through monitoring and investigations if concerns arise. The department also described its monitoring process, called Program Approval and General Supervision Monitoring, or PAGS. Fdet said districts are reviewed on a six-year cycle, with more intensive review for districts needing assistance or intervention and fewer file requests for districts meeting requirements. She said the department can review up to 65 data points on an IEP and that districts must submit special education aid paperwork by July 31, with superintendent verification due by August 15. The meeting ended with continued questions about procurement, audit procedures, and how the department handles out-of-district and out-of-state placements.

Transcript Highlights:

• bonds is capped.
• ,<00:05:12.800> um credits, the amount is not capped, um credits, the amount is not capped
• So, it can go to 30 years, the cap? cap? cap?
• <00:13:34.040> on I mean to cap just put a flat cap on I mean to cap just put a flat cap on
• cap on the maximum bond um limitation. cap on the maximum bond um limitation.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had some questions about putting a limit or a cap because caps oftentimes become the bottom.
• Is there a way to maybe not put a cap? You're recognized. Thank you for the question.
• And just to clarify on that too, you have a cap to prevent a third party from jacking up prices on a
• people end up going at the cap and just charging a $10 flat fee.
• I just hope this cap doesn't end up being an option. Automatic. And I love you, Ty.

Transcript Highlights:

• The correct reduction should be 125.8, which would provide a revised FTE cap of 2,840.5 FTEs.
• In a nutshell, is CAPS the statewide HR system that you use to process payroll?
• What's your projection of having every state employee on the CAP system? Do we have?
• So it's an interface for our legacy systems back to the Comptroller's CAP system.
• So, it's an interface for our legacy systems back to the Comptroller's CAP system.

Bills: SB 1, SB1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, and about cap the cap, lift the cap.
• So, so I'm curious about capping the cap and then lifting the cap.
• So, so I'm curious about capping the cap and then lifting the cap.
• I'm curious about capping the cap and then lifting the cap.
• I don't know what capping the cap and lifting the cap means.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• into it without the cap and without with the cap, because with the cap there's nothing moving over there
• Is the 10% cap the recommended amount that we should be keeping in?
• Can you go over some of the, are there various spending caps or is there just one spending cap?
• Earlier when we talked about, sorry, the names of the different caps are.
• In a state facility, that cap is approximately $20 an hour, roughly.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , our families are capped at a million dollars for non-economic damages.
• I don't support caps.
• But when you, this caps to me are the antithesis of accountability.
• So why don't we just cap the, why don't we cap everybody's life?
• So why don't we just cap the, why don't we cap everybody's life for whatever we insure against?

Summary: The Florida Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including interns, Denim Day awareness for sexual assault survivors, a resolution honoring Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and a memorial proclamation for former Senator Karen Johnson Gendron. The chamber then moved to special-order bills, with senators also briefly discussing the session’s pace and thanking staff and colleagues for their work. The first major bill, on driving and boating offenses, was amended and passed 37-0. As amended, it increases penalties for repeat DUI/BUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide/vessel homicide offenses, and adds notice requirements and misdemeanor penalties for refusing lawful breath or urine tests. Senators also passed SB 306 on Medicaid providers 37-0, requiring Medicaid managed care plans to offer more after-hours and holiday access and ensuring more primary care appointment availability outside regular business hours. The Senate then passed a major condominium and cooperative associations bill, also 37-0, after extensive debate and multiple amendments. The measure extends deadlines for structural integrity reserve studies, adds flexibility for reserve funding and budgeting, tightens rules for managers and inspectors, limits certain requirements to buildings of three or more habitable stories, and extends the rescission period for condo purchases. Senators from both parties praised the bill’s sponsors for years of work responding to post-Surfside safety and affordability concerns. The longest and most contentious item was SB 7016/HB 1205 on constitutional amendment petition procedures. Sponsors said the bill responds to fraud and abuse in the citizen initiative process by tightening circulator rules, requiring faster submission of signed petitions, adding voter notification, increasing penalties, and shifting costs to sponsors. Opponents argued it would burden volunteers and make it harder for citizens to qualify initiatives. The chamber adopted a series of amendments, including changes to the petition-circulator threshold, volunteer protections, submission timing, invalid-signature investigation thresholds, and notice/cure provisions, while debate continued over whether the overall package would protect election integrity or suppress citizen-led amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• was increased to $220 million as the cap was increased to $220 million as the cap in<00:04:59.919
• So what I mean is that the cap is we put the cap in so that we're going to have a line of credit up to
• So what I mean is that the cap is we put the cap in so that we're going to have a line of credit up to
• So what I mean is that the cap is we put the cap in so that we're going to have a line of credit up to
• So what I mean is that the cap is we put the cap in so that we're going to have a line of credit up to

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're capped at 7 years.
• And so that 5% cap actually penalizes us. So. Right now we have a project.
• I don't think the debt cap has anything to do with like ignoring the will of the voters.
• And so my recommendation would be no cap happen to remove that off of there.
• can get more under the cap or to go out and just finance things long term.

Transcript Highlights:

• It keeps the 3% cap intact.
• For non-homestead properties, it replaces the 10% annual cap with a 15% cap over a three-year period.
• So right now, this 3% cap is in current statutes and in the law.
• And why not cap the essentials?
• It's simply a cap.

Transcript Highlights:

• six districts that are seeing growth above that 10% cap.
• Well, for this year, if they weren't to reach the cap next year, then they wouldn't have...
• If they weren't to reach the cap next year, then they wouldn't have that extension, obviously.
• With lifting of the 10% enrollment cap, are you proposing a new cap that's at a different level, or are
• So there's really, at the moment, two caps: there's a cap based on statewide growth and there's a cap

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance held a hearing focused on California Community College budget proposals. Chair Alvarez opened by emphasizing the system’s role in access, transfer, workforce training, and serving more than 2 million students, while also noting persistent challenges in enrollment, persistence, transfer, and graduation. Public commenters and system representatives broadly supported COLA, enrollment growth funding, deferred maintenance, student support block grants, and additional flexibility for districts facing uncertainty. The first major panel covered the student-centered funding formula, COLA, and enrollment growth. The Department of Finance said the Governor proposes a 2.43% COLA ($230.4 million) and 0.5% enrollment growth funding ($30.4 million). The LAO said the COLA was reasonable and recommended funding at least the proposed growth amount, citing uneven enrollment recovery and regional differences. The Chancellor’s Office supported both proposals and asked for additional changes, including using the greater of current-year or three-year average for apportionments and lifting the 10% local enrollment cap, arguing these would better fund growing districts. Members questioned how the formula works, whether SCFF is improving outcomes, and how much additional funding would be needed under different growth scenarios. The committee then reviewed categorical program COLAs, Rising Scholars, career education proposals, IT proposals, and student housing. The Governor proposed a 2.43% COLA for selected categorical programs ($31.9 million). For Rising Scholars, the Governor proposed $30 million ongoing and removal of the cap on participating colleges; the LAO urged waiting for outcome data before doubling funding, while the Chancellor’s Office said the program is serving more students and supports equity for justice-impacted students. On career education, the Governor proposed $50 million for credit for prior learning and $50 million for a career passport; the LAO supported more reporting on credit for prior learning but recommended rejecting the career passport as too undefined, while the Chancellor’s Office supported both. On technology, the Governor proposed $162.5 million for a common cloud data platform and $168 million for a common ERP system; the LAO said both were premature or lacked sufficient planning and recommended rejection, while the Chancellor’s Office argued they would improve real-time data, security, and systemwide efficiency. The committee also heard an update on student housing: the administration said the 2024 shift to a lease-revenue bond model remains in progress for 13 approved projects, with 11 still active, and members asked about withdrawn projects and possible use of any returned funds. No votes were taken, and several items were held open for further discussion and May Revision updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• What are the caps? What is the minimum build?
• I really want to talk about a cap.
• We're used to having caps... ...what the issue is with capping a GRT deduction.
• We're used to having caps on tax credits.
• process at all to impose a cap on a deduction.

Bills: SB151, HB8, SB177

Keywords: corporate income tax, franchise tax, gross receipts tax, tax credit, tax deduction, controlled foreign corporation, CFC, bonus depreciation, interest expense, apportionment, unitary group, high-wage jobs tax credit, local journalism, news media, newspaper printer, physician incentive, health care workforce, affordable housing, multifamily housing, construction materials

Transcript Highlights:

• The cap is unethical.
• The cap is unethical.
• The cap is unethical.
• The cap is unethical.
• The cap is unethical.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair. which is um the cap on which is um the cap on spending<03:00:25.359> in<03:00:25.800>
• <03:00:30.600> is districts um and the cap is districts um and the cap is um<03:00:33.279>
• One of the reasons to have a cap, one of the measures for the cap, is the percentage change in the ADM
• 66% requirement to override the cap 66% requirement to override the cap which<03:06:25.680> is
• <03:07:49.080> a have the option to vote in in a cap a have the option to vote in in a cap

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The executive session focused primarily on HB 563, which revises the school funding formula, especially the adequate education grant amounts for special education students and the treatment of fiscal capacity disparity aid. Representative Ladd moved OTPA on Amendment 06508, explaining that FY 26 would largely hold the current formula steady, while FY 27 would increase several per-pupil amounts, including base cost, free and reduced-price meals, English language learner aid, and special education differentiated aid. He said the special education change was based on estimated case loads across disability categories and that the amendment also reinstates fiscal capacity disparity aid, using a formula intended to better assist property-poor communities. Several members supported the amendment as a step in the right direction, saying it better recognizes special education costs and separates property wealth from low-income student counts. Others raised concerns about the lack of time and the absence of a printed spreadsheet showing how the fiscal capacity disparity aid would affect each town. In response, sponsors said the spreadsheet existed, that the LBA had copies, and that the amendment would help about 40 target towns, while Manchester would be the main community receiving less under the new formula because of prior shifts in the extraordinary needs grant. Discussion also covered the broader impact of the bill, with members noting that about 200 of the state’s 245 cities and towns would see an increase and 45 a decrease under the proposed FY 27 changes. Supporters argued the bill was a compromise given limited revenues and that it should move forward so it can be considered by the full House and then Finance. No final vote on the amendment or bill was taken in the portion provided, and the chair indicated the committee was still deciding whether it had enough information to proceed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Recommendations include an increase in the FTE cap from 1,124.6 FTEs to 8 1,140.6 FTEs.
• Do you have any thoughts, because we're getting close to the cap or near the cap or at the cap, and so
• Um, do you, do you have any thoughts, uh, because we're getting close to the cap or near the cap or at
• Recommendations include a decrease in the FTE cap from 225.2 FTEs to 205.2 FTEs.
• Issue number 1 is the FTE cap reduction and compensation requests.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• So once it gets to cap, then beyond that, we know these 10 students, it says they have reached cap, but
• system will tell us when they get to cap system will tell us when they get to cap so<00:45:18.040
• department is counting towards the cap department is counting towards the cap for<01:00:30.680><
• <01:05:17.160> for that particular case meets the cap for that particular case meets the cap
• was above the cap as a student, but it was split between different schools?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The work session focused on special education, especially the differentiated aid component and special education aid, which members noted is still often called “catastrophic aid.” The chair said the committee was trying to better understand how special education costs are growing, how districts are delivering services through SAUs or internally, and how reimbursement formulas affect local costs. Members also discussed the need for better data before making decisions on several education funding bills, and Representative Brown was tasked with capturing questions for follow-up information from the department or elsewhere. Testimony from the state special education director, Becky Fad, centered on why student counts in various disability categories have shifted over time. She said the categories themselves have not changed much, but autism has increased because of greater understanding and identification, developmental delay has grown because it applies to children under age 10 who may not yet have a clear diagnosis, and some students previously classified under speech/language or other health impairment are now identified in more specific categories such as autism. She emphasized that the IEP is based on a child’s individual needs, so a change in category would not necessarily change services, though it may help educators support the student differently. Members asked about whether the shifts reflect better diagnostic capability, whether the department should gather more data on the reasons for the changes, and whether autism-spectrum data could be broken down further. Fad said the department does not currently have data on the causes of the shifts or on where students fall within the autism spectrum, but that collecting and analyzing such data is on its list of priorities and a new data manager had recently been hired. She also explained that each child is counted only once on the chart by primary disability, that the IEP or eligibility team determines the primary category based on evaluations, and that any child can be referred for special education by a parent, teacher, or doctor, after which the district must meet within 15 days to decide whether to evaluate. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is about direct air cap. This is about making limestone out of cement production.
• California enacted the cap-and-trade program with AB 32 in 2006.
• SB 840 only deals with one small part of the cap-and-trade program.
• In the cap-and-trade program, you can comply three ways. You can reduce your emissions.
• I'm the issue with not having facility caps is not ...the issue with not having facility caps is not

Summary: The committee first established a quorum, adopted the consent calendar for SB 423 and SB 581, and then heard a series of bills, most of which were presented as streamlining or safety measures tied to transportation, climate, public lands, health care, and higher education. SB 71 by Senator Wiener would extend and expand a CEQA exemption for sustainable transportation projects, adding modes such as microtransit, paratransit, shuttles, and ferries, while also accepting committee amendments that narrowed a Tier 4 diesel rail provision, restored existing right-of-way language with utility protections, and set a new sunset date. Support came from transit agencies, local governments, and advocacy groups; some members raised concerns about the diesel rail language and possible interactions with housing-related legislation, but the bill advanced on a due pass vote as amended. The committee then heard SB 614 by Senator Stern on carbon dioxide pipeline safety. The bill would direct the State Fire Marshal to adopt safety standards for intrastate CO2 pipelines, building from federal draft rules and adding state discretion and possible enhanced protections such as planning zones and more detailed exposure modeling. Supporters argued California needs to fill a federal regulatory gap to advance carbon capture and climate goals, while environmental justice and conservation groups opposed unless amended, citing risks from CO2 leaks and asking for stronger siting restrictions and more specificity. The bill passed on a due pass vote to Appropriations, with members noting the need for continued work on the safety provisions. Senator Arreguín also presented SB 304, which would temporarily lift public trust use restrictions on specific land at Jack London Square to allow the Port of Oakland more leasing flexibility under conditions and annual reporting. The measure was described as a limited, time-bound effort to address high vacancy and revitalize the waterfront, and it drew support from Oakland city and county representatives with no opposition in the room. The committee then approved SB 304 on a due pass vote. Arreguín’s SB 830 followed, creating CEQA streamlining for Sutter Health’s new Emeryville hospital campus and designating the City of Emeryville as lead agency; supporters said it would preserve East Bay hospital access before seismic deadlines, and the bill passed with broad support and no opposition. Finally, Senator Caballero presented SB 486, a higher education planning bill intended to align UC and CSU enrollment growth with regional sustainable communities plans and to remove the need to analyze a no-project alternative in certain long-range development plans. Supporters said the bill would better integrate university enrollment forecasting into regional planning, while opponents warned that eliminating the no-project analysis could weaken accountability for housing and infrastructure impacts around campuses. Committee members expressed mixed views and asked for further clarification, but the bill was moved out on a due pass as amended vote to Appropriations. The transcript then shifted to SB 629, a fire response and rebuilding bill, with the author describing amendments to apply fire safety requirements in wildfire-burned areas, update fire mapping, and require annual defensible space inspections, though the discussion was cut off before any final action was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:50.079> at<00:10:50.680> 1,500 next year. uh but we kept a cap at 1,500 next
• year. uh but we kept a cap at 1,500 in<00:10:52.000> our<00:10:52.240> bill.
• in the event that there's a surplus cap in the event that there's a surplus which<00:11:00.720> I
• the current cap at 1,500 which is great. the current cap at 1,500 which is great.
• whatever that federal cap is. whatever that federal cap is.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A new bill aims to cap property taxes at the rate of inflation.
• Um, but it would cap property tax growth at the rate of inflation.
• But this bill would cap the growth.
• So, it would cap you're proposing.
• So, no more would cap the growth.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The segment focused heavily on affordability and fraud prevention in the Minnesota Senate. Senator Michael Kreun discussed his proposal to cap city and county property tax growth at the rate of inflation, with a small allowance for population growth, and to require voter approval by referendum for increases above the cap. He said property taxes rose by nearly $1 billion statewide last year, blamed part of the increase on unfunded state mandates, and said the bill would curb surprise double-digit hikes. Kreun said the proposal has been well received by constituents and homeowners, while cities and counties are concerned about losing revenue; he also said relief could begin as soon as the next property tax statement if the bill passes this year. He noted related affordability ideas, including increasing disabled-veteran exemptions and deferring property taxes for seniors, and said he is open to bipartisan work on other measures such as ending taxes on tips and overtime and reducing tab fees. The program also highlighted climate and infrastructure funding. Senator Ann Johnson Stewart argued that worsening weather is driving costly infrastructure damage and said a proposed climate superfund would shift some of those costs from taxpayers to major polluters. She said the fund could support storm sewer upgrades, pavement reinforcement, and erosion prevention, and noted that Senate File 4126 is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee. On fraud prevention, Senator Julia Coleman’s bipartisan bill would require at least one unannounced, on-site inspection for state grants over $10,000, with recurring check-ins for grants lasting more than a year. The bill is pending in the Senate State and Local Government Committee. Senator Heather Gustafson then discussed her push for an independent Office of Inspector General, saying it would provide oversight over any public or private entity receiving public dollars. She said the Senate previously backed the idea with 60 votes, that the governor’s coordinated council is only an interim step, and that she has not yet seen a Republican fraud package to review. The segment also noted that the Senate unanimously passed Senator Johnson Stewart’s school bus safety bill, Senate File 3623, by a 67-0 vote, clarifying that drivers must stop when school bus lights flash even if the stop arm is only partially extended; the bill now awaits House action.

Transcript Highlights:

• The PTE tax helps mitigate the impacts of the federal SALT deduction cap first instituted as part of
• summer, uh which increased the SALT cap summer, uh which increased the SALT cap to<00:14:48.120>
• Oh, the other the the the cap went up.
• the cap goes back to $10,000 in 2030. the cap goes back to $10,000 in 2030.
• So it it's going to be salt cap or not.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all