Transcript Highlights:

• taxes, the utility property tax and the municipal property taxes and the host communities.
• taxes, the utility property tax and the municipal property taxes and the host communities.
• taxes, the utility property tax and the municipal property taxes and the host communities.
• taxes, the utility property tax and the municipal property taxes and the host communities.
• taxes the utility property of property taxes the utility property tax<01:24:37.080><c> and</c><01:24

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Were vacant and unsecured, which allowed squatters to reside inside.
• They want to put their property in a very bad situation, and that affects everyone around them.
• of that property, ag requires a lot of land.
• This bill is not for every property. It is not a statewide mandate.
• This bill is not for every property. It is not a statewide mandate.

Summary: The Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee heard a full agenda of local and policy bills, with most measures receiving favorable reports. Early in the meeting, the committee approved HB 4019, capping Lake County inmate health care and emergency transport reimbursements at percentages tied to Medicare; HB 97, allowing small counties to opt back into transportation concurrency; HB 267, expanding SHIP/local housing assistance eligibility to mobile home owners paying lot rent; HB 351, creating a framework for concurrent state jurisdiction over certain matters involving military installations, with an amendment changing the bill to say the state “may accept” jurisdiction; HB 4013, revising and merging fire district boundaries in Lee County; HB 481, increasing public nuisance fines and strengthening nuisance abatement and foreclosure procedures; HB 4025, conveying state land to the Village of Tequesta for continued park use; and HB 4017, repealing an obsolete Nassau County recreation and water control district, as amended. The most extensive discussion centered on HB 299, the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, which would create a voluntary framework for very large developments that dedicate 60% of land to conservation while allowing compact, walkable development and affordable housing on the remainder. The sponsor argued it would balance growth, conservation, and housing affordability without new bureaucracy, while opponents from Audubon Florida, county groups, and local governments warned the bill could weaken local planning, lack enforceable conservation safeguards, and allow nonconservation uses within reserved areas. Supporters said it could preserve large tracts of land at no taxpayer cost and improve long-range planning. The committee adopted an amendment clarifying reserve areas, allowing use of the state’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, requiring easements be provided without charge, and aligning affordability definitions with existing programs. The bill then passed favorably as amended, with some members voting no. The committee also approved HB 4023, a local bill adjusting the boundaries of the Ave Maria Stewardship Community District in Collier County, with no change to the district’s powers and duties. Several bills drew supportive testimony from local officials, industry groups, or affected residents, and some had amendments adopted without objection. At the end of the meeting, the chair noted it was the last interim committee week meeting, thanked members and staff, and encouraged continued stakeholder engagement ahead of session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sales tax exemption for individuals who repurchase their own property from a pawnbroker.
• When someone is reclaiming their own property, they have already paid sales tax at the time of their
• This morning, the primary witness in support is Skylar Wanacott with the California Business Properties
• Skylar Wanacott with the California Business Properties Association, as well as the Building Owners and
• This bill also creates a practical backstop so that if a unit has been vacant for too long, providers

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on May 13, 2026, and began by taking up a large consent calendar, moving a first group of bills to the floor consent calendar and a second group by due pass. The committee then heard and advanced a series of measures covering housing, public safety, health care, education, and local government issues. Among the bills discussed were AB 2641 on a sales tax exemption for pawnbroker redemptions, AB 2525 on a narrow Surplus Lands Act exemption for Mission Bay Park, AB 1732 and AB 2433 on student housing and the Affordable Homes Bonus Law, AB 2055 on boating safety and enforcement, AB 1579 on children’s crisis residential services, AB 2139 on a Surplus Lands Act amendment for an Inland Empire soccer project, AB 2041 on EMS reporting, AB 1973 on reproductive health scope for advanced practice clinicians, AB 1929 on health plan investment disclosures, AB 2700 on utility rates and wildfire victim compensation, AB 1809 on school job order contracting, SB 73 on election security, AB 2418 on commercial building permit timelines, AB 1970 on step therapy limits for serious mental illness and substance use treatment, AB 2361 on peer-to-peer vehicle-sharing liability, AB 1976 on bike and pedestrian project approvals, AB 2110 on tax increment financing for workforce housing, and AB 2146 on supportive housing documentation and vacancy rules. Testimony was generally supportive for the measures heard. Authors and sponsors emphasized consumer fairness, housing production, public safety, access to care, and administrative streamlining. Supporters included local governments, housing advocates, school districts, law enforcement groups, health care organizations, and affected individuals. AB 2700 drew especially extensive public testimony from wildfire survivors and local officials who urged stronger compensation for victims of PG&E-caused fires and relief from high utility costs. AB 2034 and AB 1790 were raised during public comment on bills not heard in committee, with several industry groups opposing AB 2034 and both supporters and opponents speaking on AB 1790’s Waters Edge issue. Most bills were reported out of committee on due pass motions, with several noted as amended or with members not voting on particular roll calls. The committee also read and approved a lengthy suspense calendar, then opened public comment on bills not presented that day before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• This $1.5 million request goes to renovate and update an old vacant facility that will allow us to more
• place may be exempt from property tax.
• from property tax.
• , but instead provides flexibility on how tax-exempt properties may be used.
• A high-volume lender is a taxpayer that... ...for these residential properties.

Summary: The committee first heard a briefing on the proposed Senate capital budget, Substitute Senate Bill 6003, which would spend about $723 million total using debt-limit bonds, Climate Commitment Act funds, and other cash resources. Staff described major investments in housing and homelessness, human services, local infrastructure, flood response, water conservation and clean energy, K-12 school modernization and seismic work, and higher education projects. Members then took public testimony from a wide range of advocates and project sponsors, most of whom urged the Senate to preserve or increase funding for specific projects in the final budget, including affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, child care facilities, food banks, behavioral health and substance use treatment centers, tribal courthouse relocation, school modernization, community colleges, university projects, floodplain restoration, community forests, and local civic or cultural facilities. Several witnesses also asked the Senate to match or approach House funding levels on items such as the Housing Trust Fund, permanent supportive housing, the Community Forest Program, Floodplains by Design, and CCA-supported clean energy and water projects. The chair noted that amendments to the capital budget were due the next day at noon. The committee then received a briefing on Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2251, which would restructure Climate Commitment Act accounts by repealing three existing accounts and replacing them with two new accounts: a CCA operating account and a CCA capital account. Staff explained that the bill would preserve most existing uses while changing revenue distribution formulas, capping Ecology administrative costs, expanding allowable uses for EV-related costs, housing, and carbon capture/sequestration, and changing reporting and tribal consultation provisions. The bill also shifts some reporting from annual to biannual and modifies the thresholds for tribal-supported and overburdened-community investments. The fiscal note was described as relatively small, with the main impact being the revised revenue allocation structure. Public testimony on the CCA bill was mixed. Supporters, including the League of Women Voters, said the restructuring better aligns spending with the intent of the CCA and could improve investments for tribes and overburdened communities. Critics, including the Washington Policy Center, argued the bill still lacks strong requirements to ensure CCA spending is effective and objected to reducing the frequency of the state’s climate-spending report. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're looking at selling $4 million worth of surplus property.
• Can you share with us either, one, why the property was acquired initially, or two, why it's no longer
• The sale of the property that is in question has taken place.
• So therefore, my mind says there is money available that can employ FTE that was currently used by vacant
• So therefore, my mind says there is money available that can employ FTE that was currently used by vacant

Summary: The Emergency Board approved a series of consent federal grant applications from the Natural Resources and Public Safety subcommittees, along with several budget and position requests. The board approved grant applications for parks, transportation, judicial, emergency management, higher education, school nutrition, and other programs, including retroactive approvals where deadlines had passed. One member objected to the Natural Resources consent grants over concerns about future funding needs, but the motion still passed. The board also approved a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, including digital privacy protections, circuit court security, and a statewide facilities assessment. A major discussion centered on Southern Oregon University’s financial stability. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission reported on SOU’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and projected cash shortfall. The subcommittee recommended, and the board approved, allocating $7.5 million from the special appropriation for short-term stability, with a required update at the September 2026 Emergency Board meeting and a future request for the remaining funds. Members debated the broader crisis in higher education, with several saying SOU’s situation reflects systemwide enrollment and funding pressures and that long-term restructuring will be needed. The board also approved an AmeriCorps volunteer generation grant, an apprenticeship expansion grant, and a Department of Education nutrition equipment grant. In public safety, it approved funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a statewide evacuation planning tool, and a juvenile justice information system modernization report, while requiring a follow-up viability report. The Department of Justice received approval for additional antitrust positions and expenditure limitation, though several members raised concerns about the funding structure and incentives tied to settlement revenues; the motion passed despite objections. In natural resources, the board approved funding for the Water Resources Department’s well abandonment, repair and replacement grants, an assistant water master position in Washington County, groundwater data collection in the Lower Umatilla Basin, a wetlands remote sensing pilot, and parks-related grant applications for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Members generally supported the requests but raised concerns about geographic equity, long-term sustainability, and whether some county responsibilities were being shifted to the state. The meeting also included discussion of a Department of Emergency Management evacuation tool as an urgent wildfire preparedness measure, with members emphasizing its potential to save lives.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then there's also qualifying property means a qualifying private property or qualifying public property
• </c> property or qualifying public property. property or qualifying public property.
• It just says qualifying property because then there's qualifying private property.
• Qualifying property, which then I guess would be qualifying public or private property.
• </c> that's vacant in Colorado Springs. that's vacant in Colorado Springs.

Transcript Highlights:

• They can damage their property or affect the value of their property.
• So in the case, which is very frequent in my district, where there's a vacant or abandoned property that
• For instance, I have a senior in my district who has a vacant property next door to her home.
• property.
• The state is the big barrier to taking care of vacant and abandoned property.

Bills: HB2268 , HB3000 , HB3043 , HB3066 , HB3078 , HB3143 , HB3144 , HB3244 , HB3298 , HB3320 , HB3467 , HB3321 , HB3329 , HB3431 , HB3464 , HB3499 , HB3500 , HB3586 , HB3590 , HB3650 , HB3671 , HB3695 , HB3700 , HB3701 , HB3764 , HB3767 , HB3834 , HB3931 , HB3934 , HB3940 , HB3944 , HB3979 , HB3985 , HB4113 , HB4294 , HB4302 , HB4317 , HB4324 , HB4359 , HB4426 , HB4427 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB4434 , HJR1077 , SR42 , SR35 , HJR1023 , HB1225 , HB1374 , HB1381 , HB1590 , HB1675 , HB2153

Keywords: HB2268, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, OHCA, appropriation, General Revenue Fund, PACE, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, elderly care, aging Oklahomans, long-term care, Medicaid, health care funding, provider reimbursement, rate increase, low-income seniors, senior services, integrated care, emergency measure, cosmetology, barbering

Transcript Highlights:

• An 86% vacancy rate on this chart: seven attorney positions, and six of them are vacant. Right, Mr.
• I think right... now that we're having to hold vacant just because they're not funded.
• You have some mobile home spaces on that property as well, and we're always exploring ways that we can
• There are abandoned or foreclosed homes sitting vacant.
• And we have noted that because just from operating a fund, when you have a bunch of rental properties

Bills: SB48 , SB64 , SB100

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: State Fairgrounds District, fairgrounds bonds, public financing, bond authorization, gross receipts tax, gaming tax, tax-backed bonds, infrastructure funding, Albuquerque fairgrounds, State Fair Tid, economic development, municipal bonds, revenue pledge, capital projects, New Mexico finance, special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP

Transcript Highlights:

• property property would<00:12:35.520><c> simply</c><00:12:35.839><c> been</c><00:12:36.000><c> purchased
• ><c> investors</c> Some properties purchased by investors Some properties purchased by investors need
• </c> that the property that the property um um um was<00:16:00.040><c> not</c><00:16:00.280><c> well<
• </c><00:41:50.800><c> and</c> demolished all of those properties and demolished all of those properties
• </c> or sitting vacant. or sitting vacant.

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now that position is vacant.
• </c> odor, traffic, uh tourism, property odor, traffic, uh tourism, property values values values and
• </c> since that position is currently vacant since that position is currently vacant uh<01:31:10.560>
• </c> odors, and decline in property values. odors, and decline in property values.
• . property. property.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> property tax with a consumption tax. property tax with a consumption tax.
• And that's up a lot more property.
• </c> sections or or two pieces of property sections or or two pieces of property meet<02:44:03.040><c
• </c> world to access public property get it. world to access public property get it.
• </c><02:58:20.960><c> and</c> and that position is deemed vacant and and that position is deemed vacant

Transcript Highlights:

• and Boyle Heights, and in many of our downtowns, we see storefront after storefront boarded up and vacant
• Boyle Heights in many of our downtowns, we see storefront after storefront boarded up and vacant.
• product launches, holiday markets, brand collaborations, art galleries that temporarily move into vacant
• 1679 provides a practical solution by creating a pathway for temporary commercial activations of vacant
• Association thank you thank you for a testament and also on behalf of the California Business Properties

Committee: House Health

Transcript Highlights:

• instead of property rental properties instead of property for<00:15:54.639><c> ownership.
• </c> insurance um uh property related claim. insurance um uh property related claim.
• We will take, uh, vacant<01:42:24.080><c> properties,</c><01:42:25.040><c> but</c><01:42:25.280><c> the
• </c><01:42:25.440><c> vacant</c> vacant properties, but the vacant vacant properties, but the vacant
• So, if it's just a vacant property<01:42:38.239><c> sitting</c><01:42:38.560><c> there</c><01:42:38.800

Transcript Highlights:

• We are here in respectful opposition to item five, the elimination of the vacant positions at DIR.
• Eliminating these vacant positions in the LCO goes against everything we need to do to expand and strengthen
• I want to see if we thought the senator could drop to the low cost on property taxes and rent and see
• Eliminating these vacant positions in the LCO goes against everything we need to do to expand and strengthen
• I want to see if we thought the senator could drop to the low cost on property taxes and rent and see

Transcript Highlights:

• Donna, what's going on in behavioral health with vacant physicians?
• This is really focused. ...view from the east side of the property.
• On the bottom left is a view On the bottom left is a view from the north side of the property.
• The bottom right, that is a photo from the south side of the property.
• The bottom right, that is a photo from the south side of the property.

Summary: The committee was called to order, the roll was taken, and the March 18 minutes were approved. Members then received several project and program updates, beginning with CHI St. Alexius’s behavioral health buildouts in Bismarck, Williston, and Grand Forks. St. Alexius reported that the Bismarck project remains on track for June 2027 completion, with demolition underway and final design work nearing completion. Williston reported construction is progressing, staffing recruitment is underway for psychiatrists and other staff, and an air handler replacement is creating a roughly $750,000 unbudgeted barrier that will slightly delay the timeline. Grand Forks reported its expansion is about 30% complete, with no major barriers beyond weather, and leaders said the project should be substantially complete in the first quarter of 2027. The Department of Health and Human Services then presented a series of budget and program updates. Donna Ockland explained several recent line-item transfers as technical corrections that net to zero and do not require new spending, then reviewed salaries, wages, and FTE counts, noting the department remains within its authorized staffing levels. Pat Rainer followed with an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, saying 12 opportunities have been posted, 422 applications received, and $8.4 million obligated so far, with a goal of obligating the full $199 million by September. He described grants for workforce retention, rural rotations and housing, community gardens, school wellness, behavioral health promotion, safety net services, equipment, technology, EMS, and other initiatives, emphasizing that the program is intended to be transformational and tied to metrics. Members asked extensive questions about how rural eligibility is defined, how grants will support both rural facilities and hub hospitals, and how future years of funding will build on current awards. The committee also heard an update on certified community behavioral health clinics from Elena Zeller, who said North Dakota has been accepted as a demonstration state, implementation is underway in Williston, North Central/Minot, Fargo, and Dickinson, and care coordination and service counts are increasing. Rebecca Askins then reviewed SNAP payment error rates, saying the 2025 rate was finalized at 9.89%, with the state aiming to get below 6% through policy updates, training, data tools, and a quality assurance team. Members pressed her on the causes of the error rate, the role of the SPACES software system, and the need for accountability and improvements. Finally, Dirk Wilkie reported the state laboratory project reached substantial completion on June 12 and is on budget at about $69.95 million, though a service elevator had to be redesigned because it was too small for equipment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Donna, what's going on in behavioral health with vacant physicians?
• View from the east side of the property.
• On the bottom left is a view On the bottom left is a view from the north side of the property.
• The bottom right, that is a photo from the south side of the property.
• The bottom right is a photo from the south side of the property.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on health-related projects and Department of Health and Human Services budget matters. Representatives from CHI St. Alexius in Bismarck and Williston, and Altru in Grand Forks, reported progress on behavioral health expansion projects, including demolition and construction milestones, updated timelines, funding status, staffing plans, and barriers such as an unbudgeted air handler replacement in Williston. Members asked about original completion dates, use of telehealth, recruitment of psychiatrists and other staff, and whether the new beds might reduce the need for patients to travel to Jamestown State Hospital. The projects were described as on track overall, with completion expected in 2027 for the larger builds and earlier openings for some phases in Williston. The committee then heard from HHS leadership on technical line-item transfers and the Salaries and Wages Block Grant. Donna Ockland explained that recent transfers were administrative corrections to place spending in the proper budget lines and did not involve new spending, and she reviewed FTE counts and vacancies across the department. Questions focused on behavioral health staffing changes and the use of consultants in the Rural Health Transformation Program. Pat Rainer outlined the rural health program’s first-year grants and priorities, including workforce retention, rural rotations and housing, community wellness initiatives, behavioral health promotion, safety net services, hospital equipment, suicide prevention training, technology, and EMS support. He said North Dakota’s plan was drawing positive national attention, but the department still needed to obligate roughly $199 million by September and was working with CMS on timing and compliance. The committee also received an update on certified community behavioral health clinics from Elena Zeller. She said North Dakota had been accepted as a demonstration state, with certification efforts underway in Williston, North Central, Fargo, and Dickinson. Members asked about care coordination, service growth, staffing, and whether certification would expand to all clinics; the department said it was still collecting baseline data and evaluating impacts before making future recommendations. Finally, Rebecca Askins reviewed SNAP payment error rates, explaining that the 2025 rate was finalized at 9.89 percent and that the department is working on training, system changes, and quality assurance steps to get below 6 percent. Members pressed on the causes of monthly variability, the performance of the SPACES system, and accountability for ongoing errors, and the department said it expects improvement over the next 6 to 12 months.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> said you have like 600 some odd vacant said you have like 600 some odd vacant positions.<00:09:56.160
• </c> development office into then the vacant development office into then the vacant space<00:19:57.360
• it went vacant.
• These positions are vacant. FTE with it. These positions are vacant.
• But at this point in it went vacant.

Transcript Highlights:

• People get scared, or they don't want them on their property, so they move them.
• Our union represents state employees at 13 agencies, about 2,700 positions. 27% of which are vacant due
• State employees are being tasked with additional job duties to cover vacant critical positions to meet
• Size, you could not have an RV hooked up in your parking on your own private property.
• But that's your private property. Should you have the right to have an additional dwelling unit?

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wonder if that's available to the property owner as well as the tenant.
• So this is another problem that I think... ...property owner as well as a tenant.
• What we're talking about doing is trying to lease properties of willing landowners.
• Americans need to be able to own property. They need to invest in themselves.
• came up and asked, 'Did you want to sell your property?'

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with the most detailed discussion focused on AB 316, AB 251, AB 474, AB 1201, AB 464, and AB 614. AB 316 would prevent AI developers or deployers from arguing in civil cases that an AI system’s alleged autonomy absolves them of responsibility. Supporters framed it as a narrow guardrail to protect families, especially children, from harms like dangerous chatbots and deepfakes; opponents, including TechNet and the Chamber of Progress, raised concerns about possible strict-liability implications. The bill was moved out of committee to Privacy and Consumer Protection. AB 251 would let judges lower the burden of proof in elder abuse cases when a skilled nursing facility or RCFE intentionally destroys evidence. Supporters said the measure is needed because elder abuse victims are often unable to testify and records are vulnerable to spoliation, while opponents argued existing sanctions are sufficient and warned of more litigation. The bill passed, with committee members emphasizing the vulnerability of elder abuse victims. AB 474 sought to expand nonprofit home-sharing programs, including tax incentives for low-income homeowners and changes to housing law and lodger rules. Supporters said it would help older adults and low-income Californians avoid homelessness, but several members and the California Apartment Association raised concerns about removing lodger-law protections for homeowners; the author committed to keep working on the issue. The bill passed to Human Services. AB 1201 would give courts discretion to provide family reunification services to parents with certain violent felony convictions, rather than applying an automatic bypass. Supporters from Starting Over Inc. described personal experiences with permanent family separation and argued the bill would give parents a fair chance when the conviction is unrelated to child safety. Some members supported the measure but questioned whether domestic violence histories should be treated differently; the author said the bill still allows courts to deny services when reunification would endanger a child. The bill passed to Human Services. AB 464 addressed sexual abuse and retaliation in state prisons by extending reporting time after release, adding 90-day monitoring after reports, barring rehiring of confirmed abusers, and strengthening reporting and anti-retaliation rules. Survivors testified about abuse, retaliation, and failures in CDCR’s response; the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 614 would standardize the Government Claims Act filing deadline at one year for all claims. The author and supporters argued the current six-month deadline for injury and wrongful death claims is too short for victims to learn the process, find counsel, and gather evidence, while businesses often get a full year. A civil rights attorney and a family member of a deceased jail detainee testified in support, describing how the current deadline can block meritorious claims. The bill was presented for committee consideration as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those vacant positions would have been vacant for a long time. Do they need them? Yes.
• Those vacant positions would have been vacant for a long time. Do they need them? Yes.
• Those vacant positions would have been vacant for a long time. Do they need them? Yes.
• c> Capitol</c><02:49:19.359><c> property</c> property adjacent to Capitol property property adjacent
• </c><02:49:43.760><c> So</c> properties. Uh we do pursue those. So properties.