Transcript Highlights:

• </c> with a list of prohibited practices. with a list of prohibited practices.
• :50.080><c> being</c> number of veterary practices being number of veterary practices being managed<01
• </c> or dentist over the licensed practical or dentist over the licensed practical nurse<01:55:18.560
• ><c> shall</c><02:03:22.800><c> be</c> when visual assessments shall be when visual assessments shall
• </c> and how assessments shall be conducted. and how assessments shall be conducted.

Keywords: 0:00 – Meeting start/roll call 0:10 - Roll call/approval of minutes 1:43 - Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Department for Medicaid Services 27:40 - Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control 55:54 - Board of Veterinary Examiners 1:33:15 - Testimony in support of 804 KAR 13:010E, 020E, 030E and 040E. 1:49:04 - Education Professional Standards Board 1:49:58 - Attorney General, Office of Regulatory Relief 1:52:18 - Kentucky Public Pensions Authority (KPPA) 1:54:28 - Board of Nursing 1:56:44 - Board of Occupational Therapy 1:57:37 - Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy 1:58:58 - Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources 1:59:50 - Economic Development Finance Authority 2:01:34 - Department of Corrections 2:02:37 - Department of Juvenile Justice 2:04:02 - Department for Employment Services, Unemployment Insurance 2:04:57 - Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Department for Public Health, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then took up Department for Medicaid Services regulations 907 KAR 23:010 and related rules. DMS explained that one regulation would establish a beneficiary advisory council and another would remove language barring coverage of GLP-1 drugs for obesity-related use. The department said coverage would still be limited by prior authorization and clinical criteria, with use tied to underlying chronic conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, and that the pharmacy and therapeutics committee would help set the detailed standards. Members discussed the potential health benefits, but several raised concerns about cost, timing, and whether the legislature and the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board should review the policy first. DMS said the drugs are already on the formulary, that current Medicaid users with diabetes are already covered, and that the fiscal impact was estimated using current utilization, rebates, and expected savings; the department also said it would only cover the drugs if subject to rebates. The committee then voted 5-1 to find 907 KAR 23:010 deficient. The committee next considered several emergency regulations from the Public Protection Cabinet’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control implementing SB 100. The rules covered tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product licensing, including the application form, denial standards, and transitional licensing. ABC counsel said the department had received about 5,500 applications and issued nearly 5,000 licenses, with additional provisional licenses issued to avoid interruption in sales after the law’s effective date. He said some applications remained pending because inspections and photographs revealed possible unauthorized nicotine vapor products, and the department was seeking documentation before approval. A staff amendment was adopted without objection before the ABC presentation continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the field of have been practicing in the field of child<00:20:45.640><c> welfare</c><00:20:46.120
• It is our practice to follow the Department of Children, Youth, and Families screening guidelines for
• In closing, MACSSA supports the screening guidelines to continue to guide the practice in this area,
• It is our practice to follow the Department of Children, Youth, and Families screening guidelines for
• It is our practice to follow the Department of Children, Youth, and Families screening guidelines for

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It reflects conservative fiscal management practices and spending decisions.
• ultimately hindering OCA's ability to provide best-practice recommendations.
• Recommendations delete Riders 11 and 19 due to the completion of assessments.
• Is that a fair assessment? Do any of the lawyers disagree with me on this?
• That's a fair assessment, and I think you're correct, Madam Chair.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee convened for its first hearing of the 89th regular session, confirmed a quorum, adopted committee rules by a 15-0 vote, and began review of Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-27. Chair Huffman outlined the committee’s organization, introduced staff, and described the budget as conservative and focused on one-time investments. She highlighted major SB 1 priorities including property tax relief, full funding for public education formulas, teacher pay, school safety, border security, Medicaid growth, dementia research, energy and water infrastructure, transportation, wildfire suppression, and other capital and public safety needs. Comptroller Glenn Hager presented the biennial revenue estimate, saying the state has $194.6 billion available for general-purpose spending in 2026-27, with a projected $23.8 billion ending balance from the current biennium. He cautioned that revenue growth is returning to more normal levels and that lawmakers should avoid committing short-term surpluses to ongoing expenses. He also explained that the Economic Stabilization Fund is projected to hit its constitutional cap, meaning an estimated $5.6 billion in severance tax and related revenue would remain in general revenue in the upcoming biennium rather than flow into the fund. Senators discussed whether to raise or rename the fund and the implications of keeping more severance-tax revenue in general revenue. The Legislative Budget Board then gave an overview of SB 1 and the budget’s major funding changes. LBB staff explained that the bill is essentially flat at $332.9 billion in all funds, but includes large method-of-finance shifts and major property tax relief. They detailed how prior property tax relief enacted in the 88th Legislature grew from an estimated $18 billion to $22.7 billion because of higher property values and hold-harmless provisions, and said SB 1 continues that relief with a total of $51 billion in ongoing and new property tax support. Members asked extensive questions about the automatic growth in school tax compression, the constitutional homestead exemption, COVID-era federal funding, Medicaid assumptions, and the sunset of the non-homestead circuit breaker. No additional votes or final budget actions were taken beyond adoption of the committee rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's now practical nursing. We've added registered nursing, LPN to RN, and such.
• We want them to be safe, and we have to prepare them for that practice. Our current...
• Going out, we want them to be safe, and we have to prepare them for that practice.
• It would probably limit the range of assessments, maybe the instruction mode as well.
• The assessment, the training.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's now practical nursing. We've added registered nursing, LPN to RN, and such.
• We want them to be safe, and we have to prepare them for that practice. Our current...
• Going out, we want them to be safe, and we have to prepare them for that practice.
• that we want them to practice in a simulation.
• The assessment, the training.

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1280, public monies; HB 1287, stock watering; SB 1293, GPLET abatement; SB 1294, property tax assessment
• SB 1280, public monies; HB 1287, stock watering; SB 1293, GPLET abatement; SB 1294, property tax assessment
• rather than threat prevention and vulnerability mitigation, so expanding the threat mitigation assessments
• House Bill 2918, amending Section 42-14155, A.R.S., relating to valuation of centrally assessed property
• Speaker Pro Tem, in practice, HCR 2058 does nothing to make health care more affordable for Arizonans

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Really prepared certified practices.
• Next up, we have HB 301 advanced practice.
• Advanced practice, registered nurses to engage an autonomous practice to provide mental health services
• So I speak from that practical experience as well.
• And once we get outside of that scope of practice, once we do get outside of the area where they're practicing

Transcript Highlights:

• It establishes a pilot program for encouraging urban agriculture best practices, encouraging our urban
• Probably one of the best practices that's ever been put in place since I've been in farming my whole
• continue to produce the food, fuel, and fiber for this country that we do if we go back to those practices
• that we did 50 back to those practices that we did 50 years<00:24:00.480><c> ago.
• </c><00:27:02.240><c> performed</c> human health risk assessment performed human health risk assessment

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:15 HB 195 Discussion: 05:22 HB 195 Roll Call Vote: 16:33 SB 199 Discussion: 18:34 SB 199 Roll Call Vote: 41:25 SB 5 Discussion: 43:50 SB 5 Roll Call Vote: 46:35 HB 687 Discussion: 48:10 HB 687 Roll Call Vote: 50:15, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• which really institutionalizes a lot of the work that we're quite proud of to make it a standard practice
• We're doubling down. that we're quite proud of to make it a standard practice moving forward.
• So I think if we look at how we can do this in a practical way, strengthening the levees, dealing with
• We're developing tools to try and help us assess in the state where we think those locations would be
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife is operating far below its own assessed standard staffing needs in

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy convened for its first hearing and heard an overview from the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Natural Resources Agency. The LAO emphasized California’s strong current revenues but warned of a structural budget problem, projected out-year deficits, and the need for a high bar on new spending. It generally supported the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plan as reasonable and consistent with bond requirements, while urging legislative oversight and caution about using special funds and adding ongoing commitments. Secretary Wade Crowfoot responded with an overview of climate, wildfire, water, coastal, and conservation challenges and highlighted progress under the Newsom administration, including clean energy growth, wildfire resilience investments, land conservation, tribal co-management, and outdoor access initiatives. He also discussed federal staffing cuts affecting California’s response capacity and said the state has had to fill gaps in flood forecasting, land management, and park access. Members then questioned the secretary about the Delta conveyance tunnel and broader water reliability issues. Crowfoot said the project remains important, is being pursued as a beneficiary-pays project, and is moving through the State Water Resources Control Board’s permitting process, while also stressing that it is only one part of a broader water strategy that includes levee strengthening, subsidence, groundwater storage, recycling, and conservation. Senators also raised concerns about permitting delays, invasive species, and the impact of position cuts on agency capacity; Crowfoot said streamlining is needed but that staffing remains essential. The committee then moved to the Department of Parks and Recreation, where Director Armando Quintero described the state park system, tribal agreements, wildfire and deferred maintenance work, and outdoor access programs such as the State Library Park Pass and Adventure Pass. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed ongoing $6.75 million General Fund transfer for the library park pass, arguing it did not meet the high bar for new ongoing spending, but several senators strongly supported the program as a low-cost way to expand access. Members also pressed Parks on reservation system problems and campsite no-shows. Department staff said they are updating website guidance, working with the reservation vendor, and implementing new no-show and reservation-modification rules effective July 1, including penalties for repeated no-shows and immediate reopening of vacant sites. The committee then heard a low-cost accommodations proposal, which Parks said would fund planning and construction at several sites using Proposition 68, reimbursements, and donations; the LAO said it had no concerns. Finally, the new director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Megan Hurdle, introduced herself and outlined the department’s mission, staffing, service-based budgeting, and Proposition 4 requests, including funding for salmon genetic tagging, hatchery repairs, and public access improvements. She said the department is focused on biodiversity, permitting streamlining, law enforcement, and human-wildlife conflict prevention, and noted that the agency is still updating its service-based budgeting analysis to identify gaps and priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• which really institutionalizes a lot of the work that we're quite proud of to make it a standard practice
• That we're quite proud of, to make it a standard practice moving forward.
• We're developing tools to try and help us assess in the state where we think those locations would be
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife is operating far below its own assessed standard staffing needs in
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife is operating far below its own assessed standard staffing needs in

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:33:18.800><c> case</c><00:33:19.640><c> on</c> have litigated a risk assessment case on have
• litigated a risk assessment case on environmental<00:33:20.679><c> stuff.
• know, there's some efforts right now to even limit people's redress when they are harmed by bad practices
• on the part of industry by bad practices on the part of industry by making<00:42:28.560><c> it</c><00
• on the part of business and practices on the part of business and industry. industry. industry.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 02:38 SB 178 Discussion 03:36 SB 178 Roll Call Vote 43:10 SCR 66 Discussion 47:55 SCR 66 Roll Call Vote 53:48, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill expands the scope of the civil practices and remedy code to include definitions for artificial
• More than 313,000 Texans practice Islam, making it the fifth largest religious group in the state.
• Data varies on what percentage practice Hinduism, that population is growing with a strong presence in
• Certainly 15% of the global population, or 1.2 billion people, practice Hinduism.
• How did you make that assessment? You've not been in the Senate 10 years.

Bills: SJR18, SCR5, SCR13, SCR25, SB3, SB6, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB17, SB18, SB35, SB388, SB412, SB441, SB495, SB666, SB687, SB706, SB740, SB815, SB842, SB917, SB925, SB995, SB1006, SB1281, SB1300, SB1379, SB1451, SB1902, SJR36, SJR18, SJR12, SCR13, SCR25, SCR5, SCR22, SB565, SB372, SB495, SB842, SB765, SB62, SB19, SB18, SB666, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB290, SB11, SB10, SB13, SB412, SB441, SB1248, SB740, SB14, SB1006, SB504, SB917, SB925, SB388, SB1902, SB1121, SB995, SB857, SB305, SB296, SB284, SB35, SB6, SB815, SB3, SB1281, SB1379, SB1300, SB1497, SB1499, SB1498, SB1451, SB1061, SB15, SB65, SB241, SB304, SB402, SB499, SB621, SB974, SB1023, SB1024, SB1025, SB1106, SB686, SB112, SB371, SB204, SB400, SB609, SB1447, SB670, SB502, SB427, SB850, SB854, SB413, SB1555, SB1362, SB1346, SB1033, SB1220, SB1073, SB810, SB987, SB1539, SB893, SB447, SB875, SB406, SB509, SB985, SB965, SB17, SB1119, SB1505, SB12, SB24, SB57, SB1194, SB1253, SB1215, SB1532, SB1268, SCR12, SCR24, SB1302, SB856, SB650, SB583, SB673, SB840

Keywords: capital gains, taxation, constitutional amendment, state revenue, individual investment, SCR 5, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, Texas School for the Deaf, TSD, Robert Rives, gymnasium naming, building naming, honorary resolution, commemorative resolution, deaf education, hard of hearing, Gallaudet University, alumni hall of fame, football coach, school facility naming

Transcript Highlights:

• We were established by the legislature. in 1909 with the purpose of finding and assessing the mineral
• These assessments, when finalized, will provide invaluable information to you, your colleagues, and your
• and a fee to be assessed also? For our system, it does not require a fee. There is no fee.
• And endanger construction workers when safe excavation practices are not followed.
• Those are all normal practices.

Bills: HB206, HB 1285, HB1335, HJR107, HB206

Keywords: pipeline, construction, cash bond, county authority, local government, HB 1285, Railroad Commission of Texas, RRC, drones, unmanned aircraft, UAS, drone inspections, oil and gas, pipeline inspection, surface mining, well sites, tank batteries, disposal wells, injection sites, natural resources

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I don't know if that's a practical way to do it or if maybe it's done in testimony to the committee
• So, I don't know if that's a practical way to do it or if maybe it's done in testimony to the committee
• So, I I don't know if if that's<00:55:19.280><c> practical</c><00:55:20.000><c> way</c><00:55:20.160>
• way to do it or if that's practical way to do it or if maybe<00:55:21.120><c> it's</c><00:55:21.320>
• </c><01:01:40.640><c> of</c><01:01:40.840><c> university</c> safety assessments of university safety

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think that we have sort of strong practices across agencies where procedures are clearly laid
• We also conducted a comprehensive ground-level assessment of all 18 service plazas and executed lease
• We also conducted a comprehensive ground-level assessment of all 18 service plazas and executed lease
• Those are the things that we will build into going forward, as well as a couple of the best practices
• And he said, don't be afraid to practice mushroom management. And I said, what the hell is that?

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Sarah, and I'm the State Practice Director at Results for America.
• help you get to the final step in evidence-based budgeting, which is to develop evidence-based assessments
• Through the best practices, good to follow where that leads.
• What are the best practices? What are we seeing across the country? What can we do?
• So in two years, when we have to come back and assess this program, we will have the information that

Transcript Highlights:

• Heat pumps are another example of these savings in practice.
• In your questioning, I am not a practicing lawyer, but I did train this one.
• I started by conducting every energy assessment myself.
• We oversee critical parts of the Mass Save program: home energy assessments, quality assurance, contractor
• payments, decarbonization assessments, and contractor network management.

Summary: The hearing focused on the value of Mass Save, with committee members and witnesses largely emphasizing that the program lowers energy bills, reduces peak demand, supports climate goals, and delivers benefits beyond direct participants. The chair opened by noting Mass Save’s long-term savings, its role in weatherization and heat pump deployment, and recent statutory changes directing the program toward emissions reductions, low- and moderate-income households, and fossil-fuel restrictions. Elizabeth Mahoney of the Department of Energy Resources said the program has evolved to broaden access and control costs, citing large weatherization totals, heat pump installations, avoided emissions, and budget controls that removed $500 million from the approved plan. She also said the governor’s proposal to have only electric utilities administer Mass Save was intended to reduce administrative and procurement costs, and she explained that outreach to low- and moderate-income communities is counted within marketing spending. Several witnesses addressed the program’s workforce and business impacts. Dave Betcher of Abode Energy Management and Rick Taglienti of Rogers Insulation said Mass Save sustains small businesses, contractors, and thousands of jobs by creating stable demand for energy-efficiency work, while warning that sharp budget cuts would lead to layoffs and discourage investment in training, equipment, and hiring. Committee members pressed them on who administers the program, and both said the program administrators and utilities collaborate, with day-to-day contractor oversight and customer work largely delegated to private vendors and community partners. Other witnesses, including Brian Biot and James Collins of the low-income network, described the “quarterbacking” model used for income-eligible customers, where community action agencies provide full project management, technical support, and wraparound services to help households access fuel assistance, discount rates, weatherization, and electrification measures. A major theme was cost-effectiveness and system-wide savings. Anna Johnson of ACEEE and Kyle Murray of Acadia Center said Mass Save returns more than it costs, reduces peak demand, and lowers prices for all ratepayers, including those who do not participate directly. They cited avoided costs in the billions, strong state rankings, and examples of peak-hour savings that avoid expensive generation and infrastructure. Amy Boyd-Rabin of the Environmental League of Massachusetts argued that energy efficiency is the cheapest way to achieve greenhouse gas reductions and that cutting the program would force more expensive power plants to run. Bronte Payne of Sunrun and Ben Sondaga of Highland Electric Fleets highlighted Connected Solutions, a Mass Save-funded virtual power plant program, saying it saves ratepayers money and can use home batteries and electric school buses to reduce peak demand and support grid reliability. Equity and affordable housing witnesses, including Mary Wampo and Barney Heath, said Mass Save has become more responsive to renters, low-income households, and designated equity communities, while also helping affordable housing projects meet passive house and electrification standards; no votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Heat pumps are another example of these savings in practice.
• In your questioning, I am not a practicing lawyer, but I did train this one.
• I started by conducting every energy assessment myself.
• We oversee critical parts of the Mass Save program: home energy assessments, quality assurance, contractor
• payments, decarbonization assessments, and contractor network management.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The regional housing needs assessment arena is the foundation of our statewide housing strategy, yet
• shift in how the state and MPOs like SCAG support our cities to plan for the regional housing needs assessment
• And regional housing needs assessment, and more importantly, the policies and processes that need to
• , with the implementation of the standards here that are outlined in the bill, what would be the practical
• I want to talk about the fund in a second, but as far as, you know, So what would be the practical effect

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If it's not practical, it's not going to be enforced.
• If it's not practical, it's not going to be enforced.
• that can work together and get the intel so they'll be able to use the most current technologies to assess
• misdirected it, or to just direct it to land in a safe area where law enforcement can move in and assess
• So these are these... ...where law enforcement can move in and assess the threat.

Keywords: 959, house, all