Transcript Highlights:

• It provides that payment refunds by the Department of Revenue, data kept pursuant to those refunds, are
• Um, as we all know, this bill was dropped by me and authored by me in response to seeing uh payments
• for individuals or promises for payments to individuals to sign petitions.
• </c> um in response to seeing uh um payments um in response to seeing uh um payments for<00:32:55.360
• </c> for individuals or promises for payments for individuals or promises for payments to<00:32:57.760

Transcript Highlights:

• The majority of our expenses and expenditures are for claim loss payments and contracted services.
• The majority of our expenses and expenditures are for claim loss payments and contracted services.
• The majority of our expenses and expenditures are for claim loss payments and contracted services that
• So we're probably 50% to 60% of those may have some actual payment associated with them, but probably
• We paid out in total last year, about 150 million in loss payments, and about 110 million of that was

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, then returned to its ongoing budget workshop with the Department of Management Services. DFS’s Division of Risk Management described its role as the state self-insurance fund, covering about 200,000 employees and 27,000 vehicles, paying roughly $150 million in claims last year, and managing a pilot ETS treatment program for veterans and first responders that had 49 patients and 804 treatments as of the latest report. The Division of State Fire Marshal outlined its fire prevention, training, emergency response, and grant programs, including hurricane deployments, the Florida State Fire College, and several capital and grant requests for roof, courtyard, memorial, and equipment needs. The Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation explained how it handles insolvent insurers under Chapter 631, currently administering 14 estates with $1.2 billion in assets and $3.7 billion in liabilities, and said no new receiverships had been opened since February 2023. Members asked about grant backlogs, fire truck procurement delays, memorial repairs, and whether affiliate transfers were occurring in insurer liquidations. Secretary Griffin then updated the committee on DBPR’s implementation of House Bill 1021 on community associations. He said the department had used the new authority to expand education, complaint handling, and ombudsman services, including 10 free standardized courses, a new condo website, and a four-hour board certification course that had already drawn more than 12,000 attendees. He reported that outreach to condominium communities had increased by more than 60%, that complaint filings were up 39% while jurisdictional dismissals dropped to 11%, and that about 81% to 82% of the 65 new positions had been filled. Members pressed him on whether the department had enough authority and funding, how condominium counts are determined, how self-reported structural integrity reserve study data is verified, and whether more public-facing complaint tracking and better reporting from local governments or developers would improve the system. The committee then resumed questioning Secretary Allende of DMS about outstanding budget and operations issues. Members focused on the delayed People First contract extension required by statute, with the secretary saying the delay involved technical and contractual complexity in moving a legacy hard-coded system to the cloud. They also revisited the state data team and data catalog project, asking why a statutory 2022 deadline had not been met, how the four-person team and broader data staff were organized, how many applicants were considered for key positions, and what each role was doing. The secretary said the catalog work was being simplified into six metadata fields and supported by a broader community of practice, but no firm completion date was given during the exchange.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:42:24.640><c> withhold</c> example if there was a payment withhold example if there was a payment
• </c><01:43:00.000><c> are</c> know is that uh stop payments are know is that uh stop payments are um<
• so stop payment is to 79 CCAP providers so stop payment is a<01:43:47.119><c> tool</c><01:43:47.679>
• </c> earlier tools such as pausing p payments earlier tools such as pausing p payments or<01:43:53.960
• 01:43:57.280><c> the</c> or reviewing payments um before the or reviewing payments um before the ability

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• was notified by one of the banking institutions that the name on the account and the name on the payment
• from the bank, and the vendor agreed to reimburse the district $204,890 with monthly installment payments
• was notified by one of the banking institutions that the name on the account and the name on the payment
• from the bank, and the vendor agreed to reimburse the district $204,890 with monthly installment payments
• Talk about the issues on altered checks, electronic payments being, you know, any type of banking information

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Summary: The Legislative Audit Education Institution Subcommittee met to adopt the previous minutes and review 57 education audit reports, 52 of which had no findings and were filed as reviewed. The committee heard several findings involving school district spending and internal control issues, including Camden-Fairview’s use of operating funds for an employee awards banquet and unauthorized credit card charges, Forest City’s use of operating funds for an end-of-year celebration and entertainment event, Nettleton’s fraudulent vendor payment scheme involving $1.9 million in attempted transfers, Cedar Ridge’s misallocation of Title I funds and payroll/bank reconciliation errors, and Green County Technical’s diverted vendor check that was recovered. Three of the reports had been referred to the prosecuting attorney and attorney general. Members asked questions about whether district officials were present, how the questionable expenditures were broken down, and whether school boards had prior knowledge or approval. The committee deferred the Camden-Fairview, Forest City, and Nettleton reports to the June meeting and requested district representatives attend to answer questions. Cedar Ridge and Green County Technical were not deferred; Cedar Ridge was filed, and Green County Technical was reviewed without further action. Staff also discussed recurring fraud and banking-control issues seen in school audits, including altered checks, email-based banking changes, and the use of positive pay and in-person verification for deposit changes. Members encouraged better communication with school districts and noted that clean audits should be recognized. The committee then filed the remaining no-finding reports and adjourned with no new business.

Transcript Highlights:

• we've got today in front of you, Senate Bill 1500 does pertain to PBMs and it has to do with prompt payments
• Addressing is slow reimbursement payments from pharmacies to pharmacies from PBMs.
• This bill requires that those payments be made timely.
• who will choose how it impacts the patient's overall cost and if it's passed along directly to the payment
• As you can see by the difference in the payments that we've talked about here to PBM-owned pharmacies

Bills: SB1673 , SB1500 , SB1447 , SB1646 , SB2007 , SB1275 , SB2074

Committee: Senate Business and Insurance

Keywords: prosthetics, health insurance, medical necessity, patient rights, insurance liability, pharmacy benefits manager, healthcare providers, claims processing, reimbursement, insurance regulation, employees insurance, contract awarding, certifications, state procurement, insurance plan, mental health, substance use disorders, utilization review, benefit coverage, pharmacy

Transcript Highlights:

• S 269, an act relating to excluding supplemental security income payments from household income, introduced
• S 269, an act relating to excluding supplemental security income payments from household income.
• excluding supplemental<00:05:34.639><c> security</c><00:05:35.199><c> income</c><00:05:35.840><c> payments
• </c> supplemental security income payments supplemental security income payments from<00:05:36.639><c

Transcript Highlights:

• That's given to the homeowner for a down payment for homeownership.
• And so that access to capital in order for the down payment is really kind of a big barrier.
• Down payment assistance is important.
• We're incurring costs from taxes, insurance, the holding, and the payment of those loans.
• Then we are tasked with making sure that we are... ...and the payment of those loans.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability held its first hearing of 2025 to examine how California finances affordable housing and homeownership. Co-chairs opened by describing the state’s severe housing shortage, high costs, and the need for the committee to identify practical recommendations. Panelists from the California Housing Partnership, the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, the Treasurer’s housing finance committees, CalHFA, and Related discussed the layered financing structure used for affordable housing, including federal low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, state subsidies, local funds, and rental assistance. Witnesses emphasized that affordable housing projects typically require multiple funding sources and that the system is often slowed by complex applications, overlapping rules, and too many layers of financing. Several speakers noted recent federal changes that expanded the 9% and 4% tax credit programs, including a lower bond-financing threshold for 4% credits, which should allow more projects to move forward. State officials also highlighted ongoing efforts to streamline the system, including the SuperNOFA, AB 519’s one-stop-shop working group, and the planned California Housing and Homeless Agency, which is intended to align housing, homelessness, and civil rights functions. CalHFA described its homeownership and multifamily programs, including My Home, Dream For All, Cal Assist Mortgage Fund, and the Mixed Income Program, and said its financing tools help first-time buyers and developers. Related and other housing providers said the state has made real progress through land-use reform, accountability enforcement, and faster tax credit allocation, but argued that funding remains far below need. They called for more state and permanent funding sources, more efficient administration, more support for ADU and modular financing, and better attention to deeper affordability, the “missing middle,” and equity impacts on renters, women, and communities of color. The hearing was informational only; no votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I have a question regarding the waiver of payment of residual receipts.
• The waiver of payment of residual receipts. First of all, what are residual receipts?
• Payments during that loan for the 55-year term of the loan.
• That's the residual receipts payment. So in this case, we have a property that's struggling.
• This bill would give HCD the ability to waive that payment, to waive that payment requirement.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development heard a long agenda focused mainly on housing production, higher education facilities, homelessness, and permitting reform. Early items included AB 6, which would direct HCD to convene a working group on allowing three- to ten-unit “missing middle” housing to be built under the Residential Code rather than the Building Code; AB 48, a higher education bond proposal that would fund campus repairs, modernization, disaster recovery, and student/employee housing; and AB 76, which would clarify a Chula Vista university innovation district exemption so the project can include academic buildings and housing without conflicting with surplus land rules. Supporters emphasized affordability, cost savings, student housing needs, and access to education, while members raised questions about implementation, affordability requirements, and project scope. The committee later took votes on these items, with AB 6, AB 48, and AB 76 all moving forward on unanimous or near-unanimous votes to Appropriations. Members also heard AB 595, which would create a state homeownership tax credit pilot to support affordable for-sale housing. The author and supporters argued that California’s homeownership rate is at historic lows and that the bill would help close racial wealth gaps by financing homes working families can buy. The committee approved AB 595 and sent it to Appropriations. The consent calendar, including several other housing-related bills, was also approved unanimously. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to AB 1165, the California Housing Justice Act of 2025, which would require ongoing state investment and a financing plan to address homelessness and housing affordability. The author and witnesses described the scale of homelessness, the limits of one-time funding, and the need for sustained, accountable funding streams. After testimony from housing advocates and people with lived experience, the committee passed AB 1165 on a 10-0 vote to Appropriations. Finally, the committee heard AB 609, a CEQA reform bill that would create a simplified exemption for qualifying infill housing projects in already developed areas. Supporters framed it as a targeted way to reduce delays and costs for housing near jobs and transit, while opponents from environmental justice, labor, and tribal groups warned it could reduce public participation, weaken protections for disadvantaged communities, and create consultation concerns for tribal cultural resources. The author said the bill would not change zoning or affordability tools and would continue to work with opponents on amendments. The bill was moved forward after extensive discussion, with members noting ongoing negotiations on tribal consultation and labor concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• Specifically around the payment error rate, we actually think the department's doing a good job.
• We expanded it in January 2023, and again, you just heard, the payment error rate has come down since
• The department has significantly brought down the payment error rate.
• We expanded it in January 2023, and again, you just heard, the payment error rate has come down since
• </c> an option to either use the payment an option to either use the payment error<00:54:53.119><c> rate

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• It wasn't a payment error to the provider or any fraudulent activity.
• It wasn't a payment error to the provider or any fraudulent activity.
• It wasn't a payment error to the provider or any fraudulent activity.
• The average payment data, meaning the number of claims and the total cost for payments, is also increasing
• </c><00:18:01.600><c> um</c> expected uh fee for service payments um expected uh fee for service payments

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• It explicitly lays out how tenant rent payments should be applied.
• His landlord brought a non-payment case against him.
• His landlord brought a non-payment case against him.
• Lastly, they are least able to... to make a down payment and pay a mortgage.
• I had to work all the extra hours I could to be able to keep up with my rent payment.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Housing

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held a hybrid hearing on a broad slate of landlord-tenant and home rule bills, with most testimony focused on rent stabilization, tenant opportunity to purchase (TOPA), tenant fees, access to counsel, algorithmic rent fixing, and tenant protections in subsidized housing. Chairs Cyr and Haggerty outlined the hearing procedures and noted that written testimony could also be submitted. Several members and invited speakers emphasized that the committee was hearing from both local officials and residents affected by housing instability, especially in Somerville and other communities facing high rents and displacement. Supporters of rent stabilization and local-option rent control argued that Massachusetts needs tools to prevent displacement while new housing is built. Senator Eldridge, Senator Jalen, Somerville officials, tenant organizers, and residents described steep rent increases, no-fault evictions, and the loss of naturally occurring affordable housing. Somerville’s home rule petition was described as allowing annual increases tied to CPI plus 2%, capped at 5%, with exemptions for owner-occupied two- and three-family homes and a 15-year exemption for new construction. TOPA supporters said it would let tenants or their designees buy buildings before speculative buyers, preserving affordable housing stock; opponents, including small landlords and property managers, argued rent control would reduce supply, discourage investment, and that TOPA could delay sales and harm properties. The committee also heard testimony on bills to curb junk fees and regulate tenant charges, including limits on late fees, lease renewal fees, payment portal fees, attorney’s fees, and other add-on charges. Advocates said these fees can add hundreds of dollars a month and disproportionately harm low-income renters and renters of color. Another major topic was algorithmic rent fixing: Senator Moore and Representative Sabadoza said landlords should not use software such as RealPage to coordinate pricing, citing federal antitrust actions and arguing that competition is essential to lowering rents. Additional testimony supported a statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, with legal services providers saying representation dramatically improves outcomes and can save the state money, and a bill to create an office of tenant protections to better enforce sanitary code violations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It changes the alternative compliance payments for classes one, three, and four to just above the other
• So the utilities end up having to make alternative compliance payments to make up the shortfall.
• </c><00:04:38.400><c> that</c><00:04:38.720><c> they</c> uh it will reduce the payments that they uh
• </c> compliance payments compliance payments uh<00:05:24.479><c> to</c><00:05:24.720><c> make</c><00:
• The remainder of the payment is not distributed to them until they submit their final report.

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 219, which would revise the renewable portfolio standard by changing several class definitions, eliminating Class 2, lowering the utility obligation for Class 1 thermal renewable energy certificates from 2.2% to 1.7%, and adjusting alternative compliance payments. Representative Vose said the bill would save ratepayers an estimated $5.7 million annually, arguing that Class 2 is already saturated and that the changes would not materially affect renewable energy development. Members questioned the fiscal impact, with an amended fiscal note cited as showing a $1.2 million reduction in general fund revenue, and some members raised concerns that the bill could weaken one of the remaining incentives for renewable investment. The committee also reviewed the bill’s history, including that it had been added to HB 2 and then removed in conference committee. No vote was taken in the work session. The committee then heard House Bill 164, concerning local records retention and the creation of a local records manager position. Secretary of State David Scanlan testified that the position has existed in statute for years but has never been funded, and said the need has grown as records management has become more digital and ADA accessibility has become more important. He described the bill as a way to help towns preserve and digitize records, especially for smaller communities with limited resources, while keeping records locally when possible. Members asked about the fiscal note, the potential cost of a public website and storage system, and whether the state could start by funding the position alone; the secretary said the staffing cost estimate remained accurate but that storage costs could rise over time. Several members expressed support and suggested further discussion with the Department of Information or other agencies. The work session was then closed without action. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 365, which would provide proof of U.S. citizenship assistance for indigent voters. Secretary Scanlan said the bill is intended to help voters comply with the new voter registration documentation requirements by allowing the state to verify eligibility through federal, private, and other state databases, and by providing vouchers to cover the cost of obtaining documents such as birth certificates. He compared the proposal to the earlier voter ID law, which he said was successfully implemented with accommodations for voters lacking acceptable ID. Members asked how “indigent” would be defined and how the process would work for out-of-state-born applicants; the secretary said indigency would likely be based on a voter’s statement of inability to pay and that the state would help identify where to obtain records and, if necessary, verify them through outside databases. The discussion continued as the transcript ended, with no vote recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate came up with a construct to increase payments to primary care providers who used to get payments
• Who used to get payments from the accountable care organization that went away, and we were able to find
• the CLA. ...in terms of what is voted locally because you are receiving the education opportunity payment
• Section 17 was extending tax credits for a down payment assistance program with...
• Section 17 included a down payment assistance program with the Vermont Housing Finance Agency.

Transcript Highlights:

• department obtains information indicating that an employer may be violating requirements of the Wage Payment
• Under 6058, the department is given discretion to investigate wage complaints under the Wage Payment
• pay amounts owed, the department may also assess penalties for willful violations under the Wage Payment
• This is the bill on language access providers and makes payments for missed appointments part of economic
• This is the bill on language access providers and makes payments for missed appointments part of economic

Bills: SB6136 , SB6188 , SB5944

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: workers' compensation, industrial insurance, premium rates, rate transparency, actuarial rates, contingency reserves, Department of Labor and Industries, L&I, risk classifications, employer premiums, insurance regulation, rate setting, premium increase limits, workers' compensation advisory committee, retrospective rating, state insurance fund, accident and medical aid funds, SB 6188, asbestos, asbestos training

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the changes I think Jackie will address is the timing of the payments.
• County treasurers need to be in timely receipt of funds in order to make debt payments, and we suggest
• aligning payments with tax dates, April 30th and... ...to make debt payments.
• And we suggest aligning payments with tax dates, April 30th and October 31st.
• And when we looked at doing this, we really wanted to make sure that lifetime tax payments were going

Summary: House Finance met on Friday, January 23rd, and heard three bills. On House Bill 2194, staff explained that the bill would allow a county and a city within that county to both impose the cultural access sales and use tax at the same time, with the county providing a credit for the city tax. Representative Parsley said the change would let more jurisdictions support cultural, arts, science, and school-related programs. Olympia and Thurston County officials testified in support, describing grant funding for cultural organizations, free programming, and school access benefits; a committee member raised a question about how the change could affect county bond obligations. The committee then heard House Bill 2089, which would narrow a B&O tax preference for first mortgage interest by removing the requirement that a financial institution be located in 10 or more states, and direct the resulting revenue to the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account. Staff said the bill would raise significant revenue and have implementation costs for the Department of Revenue. Representative Scott said the bill was intended to restore wildfire funding and limit the preference to community banks, while opponents from the Washington Bankers Association and Community Bankers of Washington warned the bill could harm community banks and mortgage lending if not drafted carefully. The Department of Natural Resources and a public employee representative supported restoring wildfire preparedness funding. Finally, the committee heard a proposed third substitute for House Bill 1960, which would replace property taxation for new or repowered large renewable energy facilities and battery storage systems with a state and local excise tax structure, while also creating a local investment distribution account and a tribal capacity grant program. Staff and the sponsor described the bill as a way to reduce property tax shifts onto nearby taxpayers and provide more stable, predictable revenue for local governments and tribes. County officials, assessors, treasurers, and some clean energy and conservation groups supported the concept but asked for clearer definitions, payment timing, and rate adjustments; utilities and renewable developers said they supported the goal but opposed the bill as drafted because of concerns about the rates and the treatment of centrally assessed utilities. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after closing the hearings on all three bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• 5% OF THE FIRST MORTGAGE LOAN AMOUNT WITH A MINIMUM OF $10,000 AND A MAXIMUM OF 35,000 IN A DOWN PAYMENT
• THE LOAN IS FOR 30 YEARS BUT IS 0% INTEREST AND THERE'S NO PAYMENTS.
• Leek: HOW MUCH OF THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE WE RETRIEVE OR HAVE COLLECTED BACK FROM FOLKS WHO NO LONGER
• OR OTHER UNEXPECTED THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CAN LEAD TO THOSE FAMILIES STRUGGLING WITH THE MORTGAGE PAYMENT
• WE ALSO HAVE THE HOMEOWNER LOAN PROGRAMS AND HOMETOWN HEROES THAT PROVIDE DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COST

Transcript Highlights:

• Administration includes five budgeted programs and is drawn largely from dedicated funds sourced by payments
• The appropriation for the bond payments program is currently inactive.
• It provided the state's share of payments for capital projects financed by the Idaho State Building Authority
• appropriation is funded by the Administration and Accounting Services Fund, which is sourced by payments
• utilities costs historically incurred on the general fund to its dedicated fund sourced by rent payments

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations for the Department of Administration and the Permanent Building Fund. For Administration, analysts reviewed the agency’s divisions, staffing, dedicated-fund structure, recent budget growth, and the governor’s and JFAC’s recommended changes. The department requested shifts of utility costs from the general fund to dedicated funds, three new positions and funding for Medicaid procurement and contract management, transfers of some positions between divisions, and one-time IT replacement funding. Members also discussed office-space utilization, vacant buildings and land at Chinden and elsewhere, and the department’s efforts to consolidate space and reduce general fund reliance. Director Bailey said the department has reduced or repurposed positions, closed duplicate printing operations, is exploring digital workflows and AI tools, and is trying to move toward a fully dedicated-fund model. He also explained the decision to remove GLP-1 weight-loss coverage from the state health plan due to rapidly rising costs, while noting diabetes coverage remains in place. Committee members questioned the need for higher-level procurement staff for Medicaid contracts, the role of Deloitte and the Department of Health and Welfare in the process, and the status of the MMIS procurement, which Bailey said is currently stayed by the courts after a legal challenge from the second-place vendor. He said the delay will affect MMIS implementation and, in turn, the timing of the broader managed care rollout. Members also asked about vacant state office space, the possible sale of older buildings, and whether agencies such as ITD and Health and Welfare could be moved into state-owned space to reduce lease costs. Bailey said the department is actively working on those facility-planning questions and that agencies at Chinden are paying rent for occupied space. The committee then reviewed the Permanent Building Fund budget, which finances state construction, repairs, and deferred maintenance through dedicated revenue sources and interest earnings. Analysts highlighted the fund’s multi-year project structure, the large deferred maintenance program funded in prior years, and a proposed one-time transfer of $33.75 million in canceled capital project balances to the general fund. They also described a possible redirection of fiscal year 2027 interest earnings to the general fund and a recommended new capital project for an Idaho National Guard readiness center. Administrator Barard reported that the Division of Public Works is managing 595 active projects, with most FY 2025 projects under construction, in design, or complete, and said the division continues to face labor shortages and rising construction costs. Members asked about canceled projects, including the North Idaho reentry center, the Carnegie Library purchase, the ISU pedestrian crossing, the Idaho State Police Lewiston facility, and other projects; staff said some are unlikely to return soon, while others may come back once land or other prerequisites are secured. The committee concluded the hearing and announced it would meet the next day for the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Office of the State Public Defender.

Transcript Highlights:

• The length of this annual incentive payment shall not exceed seven years for new construction and 15
• 39.040><c> incentive</c> developer an annual housing incentive developer an annual housing incentive payment
• 00:13:41.360><c> be</c><00:13:41.519><c> based</c><00:13:41.920><c> on</c><00:13:42.160><c> a</c> payment
• , which would be based on a payment, which would be based on a percentage<00:13:43.120><c> of</c><00:
• :53.519><c> incentive</c> The length of this annual incentive The length of this annual incentive payment

Committee: Senate State & Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• How these treaty payments are calculated.
• We take that amount, subtract it from 1.5 million to calculate the 1854 treaty payments.
• So in actuality, the bands have been receiving a payment.
• Basically, the payment hasn't been adjusted, but the agreement also talks about an arbitration clause
• So we could discuss a payment, but we would still have to come back to the legislature to have those

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• or not a payment.
• You know, either having a reduced payment or not a payment, and then all of a sudden now three years
• It almost can be, on the flip side, hard for that person to now be able to step into this new payment
• Original payments were over $7,000 per month, ...approximately $55,000.
• Original payments were over $7,000 per month.

Committee: Senate Banking and Financial Institutions