Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: Representative, there is amendment bar code 883543.
• This tax goes into the general revenue fund for local governments.
• Representative McFarland: How they choose to spend the general revenue is up to them.
• Perhaps that's just one real example of where some of this revenue is being spent.
• Representative, you may explain the amendment bar code 407389. Rep.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: The Joint Committee on Revenue.
• Welcome to the third hearing of the Joint Committee on Revenue.
• right we're the or the MMA we're always about local revenues knowing that local revenues right we're
• the or the MMA we're always about local revenues and specifically revenue to support our communities
• Committee and Revenue hearing on senior and disabilities property tax relief has concluded.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a hearing on bills related to senior and disability property tax relief, with a focus on helping older adults and people with disabilities remain in their homes. Testimony supported H. 3968, which would make certain senior and disability property tax exemptions permanent so eligible residents would not have to refile annually, and H. 3198, which would expand the senior circuit breaker tax credit by indexing income and credit limits to cost of living and raising the home valuation cap from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. Representative Scanlan also testified in favor of several additional bills, including a local option motor vehicle excise tax exemption for low-income seniors and veterans, a local property tax cap for low-income seniors, an expanded senior property tax exemption, and a senior property tax deferral program designed to be revenue neutral over time. Witnesses from the City of Boston, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and the Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers generally supported local-option property tax relief measures and said they would help seniors age in place while giving municipalities flexibility. Committee members raised concerns about possible abuse or fraud if exemptions became permanent, and about how assessors would verify continued eligibility without annual reapplication. Supporters responded that eligibility could still be tied to real estate transactions and other documentation, and that the current annual filing requirement causes many eligible seniors to miss out on benefits. Mass Senior Action Council members testified that many seniors are struggling with rising property taxes, insurance, and other costs, and urged broader reforms such as freezing assessed values, improving outreach, strengthening the work-off program, and allowing more flexible payment or deferral options. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded after testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not asking for any additional revenues to sustain the operations.
• We're not asking for any additional revenues to sustain the operations.
• We're not asking for any additional revenues to sustain the operations.
• And in that special fund, what's currently going into it is the revenues...
• <00:48:51.640> from then the current fund revenues from then the current fund revenues from

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology heard testimony on several measures, beginning with SB 1343, which would amend quorum requirements for the Small Business Regulatory Review Board. The board chair testified in support, saying it has been difficult to fill all seats and that using active seats for quorum would help the board function more effectively. No opposition or questions were raised, and the committee moved on. The committee then heard SB 1578, which drew mixed testimony. DBEDT supported the measure and the Attorney General suggested inserting preamble language from HB 1025 to provide historical context on the East-West Center. Austin Martin of the Libertarian Party of Hawaiʻi opposed the bill, arguing it could invite improper behavior, create loosely regulated satellite offices, increase foreign influence, and add competition for land ownership. The committee took no vote during the hearing. The bulk of the meeting focused on SB 1641, a measure to establish a Hawaiʻi film commission/authority and related funding and governance structure. DBEDT supported the intent and offered friendly amendments to clarify the distinction between film and media industries, while the Honolulu Film Office and labor representatives from IATSE, Teamsters, and Pride at Work supported the bill but urged changes. Their concerns centered on conflicts of interest, especially having producers on the commission, and they asked for more labor representation and clearer oversight rules. The Attorney General raised constitutional and special-fund concerns, saying the grant standards and special-fund language needed work. Committee members discussed renaming the entity as a Hawaiʻi Film Authority, broadening its scope beyond cultural production, adjusting the commission makeup, and clarifying funding sources, including the existing film and creative industries fund and the 0.2% rebate contribution. No final vote was taken in the portion provided, but members indicated the bill would need substantial revisions and an HD1.

Transcript Highlights:

• And last but not least, my own intern, Texas State political science student Lauren Garcia.
• History 3954 by Cole relating to the authority of certain municipalities to receive certain tax revenue
• derived from a hotel and convention center project and to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment
• Municipalities to receive certain tax revenue derived from a hotel and convention center project and
• to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment of the obligations related to that project, refer to the

Transcript Highlights:

• The revenue analysis from the Department of Revenue estimates that 20% of Minnesota income tax filers
• is why we have the most progressive tax code in the country, the most progressive state tax code out
• working with the Department of Revenue working with the Department of Revenue to<00:31:13.240>
• We got a new revenue estimate for this change from revenue, which is $20 million cost in fiscal year
• $5 million a year the initial Revenue $5 million a year the initial Revenue estimate<00:58:24.280

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:12.640> uh<00:03:12.720> non-public safe schools revenue uh non-public safe
• schools revenue uh non-public schools<00:03:13.599> and<00:03:13.840> safe<00:03:14.080
• > school<00:03:14.319> revenue,<00:03:15.120> expand schools and safe school revenue
• , expand schools and safe school revenue, expand flexibility<00:03:16.640> on<00:03:16.879>
• the the making aligning our tax code the the making aligning our tax code with<00:21:13.280>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House Republican leaders outlined their agenda for the tied legislative session, saying their priorities are to stop fraud, make Minnesota more affordable, safer, and more competitive, and reduce mandates while raising education standards. They highlighted several planned bills, including an independent inspector general (HF 1), a “Fraud Isn’t Free” measure to impose consequences on agencies and commissioners that allow fraud, and statutory guidelines for high-fraud-risk programs. They also said they want to lower health care costs through a permanent reinsurance program and cost defrayal for new mandates, study property tax increases, conform state tax law to federal changes on tips, overtime, and scholarship tax credits, and avoid any tax increases. On public safety, Republicans said they will pursue tougher penalties for repeat offenders and repeat gun crimes, judicial accountability, and a school safety package that would support public and nonpublic schools, school safety personnel, and facility improvements. In education, they emphasized school choice tax credits, reading proficiency, and curriculum focused on basic academic fundamentals. They also said they want to protect and expand mining, reform permitting, end the nuclear moratorium, and make the state more attractive to businesses. On housing, one member said they are working on a more targeted affordable housing package rather than a broad sweeping bill. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on immigration and cooperation with federal authorities. Republicans said they want a statewide framework for local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, referencing House File 16 and saying they are open to changes and bipartisan work. They argued that local and state cooperation would improve safety and prevent situations where criminal suspects are released into the community. They also said Democrats have blocked similar efforts in committee and on the House floor. In response to questions, leaders said there is no current appetite for sports betting, bonding will be discussed but there are no promises, and they do not support the 2024 omnibus bill model. They said they are not interested in vaccine mandates, but will consider Medicaid funding impacts and other health-related proposals if bills are introduced. They also said election integrity measures such as voter ID, provisional ballots, and voter-roll cleanup will remain priorities. Throughout, leaders said they expect a bipartisan process in the tied House and expressed hope that both parties can work together on some issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you start with your revenues.
• Revenue growth by source.
• I should clarify that this is a revenue estimate. So these are estimates to our revenues.
• If you have a revenue decline in the current and future years, you may have less revenue than you've
• Revenue in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• And currently where we are earning 0 in tax revenue from the sale of EV tolls.
• Senator Harrell, that is bar code 2, 4, 6, 9, 6, 0, correct. Correct.
• Bar code 2, 8, 8, 1, 6, 1, to go ahead and go right to the amendment. >> Yeah.
• So there's a dramatic loss of revenue. I calculated. It's about 8 x.
• But there's that there's that revenue factor that we're losing out.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But this growth revenue to be generated.
• And so based on our internal numbers.
• <01:57:19.199> generating has evolved into a re revenue generating has evolved into a re revenue
• the program, revealing high revenue the program, revealing high revenue concentrations<01:59:42.639
• ,<01:59:57.920> which majority of the net 340B revenue, which majority of the net 340B revenue

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we've seen, particularly from Washington D.C., and that's led to what was sort of a dip in state revenues
• If we stick to The plan that we have by 2030, our investment revenues will equal our oil revenues and
• But we have to continue committing the revenue when oil prices are high and they fall, that we don't
• Big international headwinds.
• agency in 2020 or maybe earlier than that and went from almost $350 million to almost $1 billion in revenue

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no existing revenue<00:51:00.640> model<00:51:00.960> for<00:51:01.200> the
• model for the utility to be able revenue model for the utility to be able to<00:51:02.319> do
• It's going to take of of code change.
• <02:10:42.159> team<02:10:42.400> to with an internal project team to with an internal
• You also then translates into lost revenue for both the companies and the state.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Revenue note? Uh, no, the bill is going to Taxes, so that'll be its next stop. Chair Swedzinski.
• being requested, and because of our tax provisions, we felt that it would be best because our tax code
• best<00:04:06.480> because<00:04:06.840> our<00:04:06.920> tax<00:04:07.560> code
• <00:04:08.640> we<00:04:08.800> would<00:04:09.120> we'd best because our tax code
• , we would we'd best because our tax code, we would we'd look<00:04:09.520> at<00:04:09.600>

Bills: HF4308, HF4153, HF4703, HF4711

Keywords: HF4308, Monticello nuclear plant, Prairie Island, renewable development account, RDA, nuclear waste, spent fuel, dry cask storage, utility tax, commercial-industrial property tax, state general levy, property tax exemption, residential heating fuels, natural gas tax exemption, electricity sales tax exemption, year-round sales tax exemption, distributed solar energy standard, solar mandate, community solar, grid modernization

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's a significant revenue source for local political subdivisions.
• And that is one that is specifically in the code right now.
• For instance, Slope County, their 3% cap allowable revenue was $18,000.
• I believe this is in Section 57-15-14 of the Century Code.
• It gathers local revenue levy information.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to continue its tax reform and relief study agenda, approved the December 3, 2025 minutes, and announced a new subcommittee to examine property tax statement issues with counties, auditors, and the tax office. Representative Headland was named chair, Senator Rummel vice chair, and Representatives Dressler and Dr. Dr. and Senator Patton were also assigned. The chair noted the group may need an additional meeting and thanked staff and attendees. A major portion of the meeting focused on economic development incentives. The Department of Commerce presented on the Renaissance Zone program and TIF districts, describing Renaissance Zones as locally tailored tools that combine local property tax relief with state income tax incentives. Commerce said the program has supported thousands of projects since 1999 and cited examples from Beach and Mandan showing increases in property and taxable value, business retention, housing, and downtown revitalization. Committee members raised concerns that smaller rural communities often lack the staff and expertise to apply, and Commerce said it provides outreach through conferences, office hours, and one-on-one assistance. League of Cities and local officials from Bismarck and Ellendale echoed the capacity issue, discussed how the programs have worked in their communities, and suggested possible reforms or more targeted support for small towns. Ellendale’s mayor also described two TIF districts, one for industrial infrastructure in Oaks and one for housing infrastructure tied to a data center project in Ellendale. The committee then turned to stripper oil taxation. The Tax Department gave a comparison of oil and gas tax structures in selected states, noting that most have some form of stripper or marginal well provision, while Alaska does not appear to have a specific stripper-well exemption. Members asked for more detail on definitions and North Dakota’s annual adjusted rate. The Department of Mineral Resources followed with a detailed presentation on North Dakota stripper wells, explaining the statutory thresholds, the 12-consecutive-month production test, and the fact that once a well qualifies it remains on stripper status even if production later rises. DMR said about 11,332 stripper wells are active, representing roughly 54% of wells and about 16% of state production, and emphasized that stripper status can extend well life, preserve tax revenue, and reduce orphaned wells. Committee members and industry witnesses discussed refracs, the economics of keeping marginal wells active, and the competitive disadvantage created by North Dakota’s oil price discount. No votes were taken on these informational items.

Transcript Highlights:

• information that... ...of these continuing appropriations includes information that details how much revenue
• want to give you that list just so you had an idea of what we are tasked with doing in the Century Code
• Ethics Commission has an attorney who's got five years of legal experience, some of which was as an intern
• where the money has been put to something outside of an eligible use that's enumerated in Century Code

Summary: The committee met to review the Attorney General’s budget and related agency operations, beginning with Legislative Council staff walking members through compliance reports and a blue-sheet base budget document. Staff highlighted current-biennium items such as FTE changes, one-time appropriations, litigation funding, opioid settlement receipts, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked for clarification on items including the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then gave an overview of the office’s structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal services to state and local government, and concerns about attorney pay lagging behind other agencies. Members discussed whether attorney compensation should be benchmarked more consistently across state government and whether some legal work could be consolidated within the AG’s office. Ness also addressed questions about AG opinion turnaround times, boards-and-commissions training, the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, office leases, and the state’s criminal justice information systems. The crime lab presentation drew significant attention. Director Jennifer Penner described severe space, safety, and infrastructure problems at the current lab, including cramped work areas, glycol leaks, outdated fire and burglar alarms, air-handling limits, and equipment failures that have delayed toxicology work. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that the preferred location would be near the current health department site, but in a new building. Members asked about possible evidence risks, backlog status, and whether the proposed building would solve the current problems; Penner said it would and noted backlogs have improved overall, though some delays remain. The committee also heard from the new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director, who described the unit’s civil and criminal work, federal-state funding split, and examples of fraud such as billing for services not provided or upcoding. The gaming division reported continued growth in charitable gaming and e-tabs, with members expressing concern about large trust-account balances, site competition, and possible misuse of proceeds. Finally, BCI outlined its caseload, cybercrime work, missing Indigenous persons task force, and the surge in CSAM cyber tips; members asked about AI-generated CSAM, and the AG’s office noted that last session’s law increased penalties and expressly allowed AI-generated CSAM to be prosecuted like other CSAM. No formal votes or actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• center in Seattle with the most advanced trauma care in the region, receives 39. percent of their revenue
• Is it the complexity of the tax code? Is it just inefficiency of the system? I mean what?
• drastically reduce phone service and force people to apply for benefits in person and yet a leaked internal
• social security security benefits deserves equal access to their benefits regardless of their zip code

Keywords: Social Security, Medicaid, Frank Bisignano, Elon Musk, benefit processing, office closures, public testimony, administration policies, health care, vulnerable populations

Summary: The committee meeting focused heavily on the nomination of Frank Bisignano as the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, with intense discussions around the current state of Social Security and its management under the current administration. Members voiced significant concerns regarding potential changes to Social Security and Medicaid, specifically addressing issues such as office closures, delays in benefit processing, and the perceived policies from Elon Musk's association with the administration. Public testimonies highlighted fears that these changes would severely impact the accessibility of benefits for seniors and vulnerable individuals, resulting in a chaotic environment at the SSA. Members expressed a unified opposition to the notion of dismantling these critical programs, emphasizing the long-term implications on their constituents' well-being.

Transcript Highlights:

• He is an intern for the House and a student at Auburn University... ...student at Auburn University of
• allow them to work with the Examiner of Public Accounts, who has said that it’s actually in Alabama code
• I think it's section... ...code right now, I think it’s section 415 A-5A that spells out that she would
• While he’s making his way down here, I would like to recognize Revenue Commissioner from Cullman County

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the number one rankings that some other entities have given us, it's important that we also look internally
• When you move into one of our zip codes, you're going to have at least three choices of schools.
• Whether or not, though, a local school district codes it as excused or unexcused, it's still pulled as
• sheriff's office, and so that is an expense that consumes all of that allocation plus some general revenue

Summary: The subcommittee first heard an overview from Department of Education Chancellor Paul Burns on Florida’s K-12 governance structure and major divisions, including early learning, public schools, safe schools, school choice, and accountability. He highlighted school readiness and VPK, teacher preparation and licensure, school safety functions, scholarship and virtual/home education programs, and FAST progress monitoring. Burns also cited statewide gains such as higher mid-year reading performance, a record graduation rate of 89.7%, and record CTE enrollment, while members questioned the meaning of Florida’s “number one” education rankings, teacher pay, post-COVID learning loss, vacancies, and chronic absenteeism. St. Lucie County Superintendent John Prince then described the scale and responsibilities of a mid-sized district, emphasizing student safety, transportation, meals, hurricane shelter operations, career and technical education, teacher recruitment and retention, progress monitoring, remediation, and mental health supports. Members asked about school shelter construction standards, remediation funding, late school start times, attendance, and concordance scores; Prince argued for more flexibility for CTE pathways and noted that local districts use a mix of state and federal funds to support remediation and staffing. The committee then moved to an early warning systems panel. Burns explained that Florida law requires districts to use attendance, behavior/suspensions, course performance, FAST results, and other academic indicators to identify students needing support, with districts and families developing intervention plans. Superintendents from Putnam, St. Johns, and St. Lucie counties said chronic absenteeism is tied to achievement and NAEP decline, but causes vary by district, including poverty, transportation, daycare, family instability, travel, and student athletics. They described MTSS, PBIS, home visits, attendance letters, and community partnerships as responses. Members also discussed VPK access, full-day VPK funding, excused versus unexcused absences, and the need for earlier intervention in pre-K and K-2. Finally, Vice Chancellor Darren Norris outlined Florida’s post-Parkland school safety measures, including armed school officers, anonymous reporting, behavioral threat assessment teams, mental health training, panic alert systems, emergency drills, active assailant response policies, and firearm detection canines. Superintendents said compliance is costly and often requires shifting local funds, but they praised state grants for mental health, hardening, and mapping. They noted ongoing challenges with new mandates, capital costs, manual reporting burdens, and the need to balance safety requirements with classroom resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• The street, city, state, and ZIP code in that order, which is the way that most people are used to writing
• have outperformed candidates on the actual ballot, bringing together people from all different zip codes
• have outperformed candidates on the actual ballot, bringing together people from all different zip codes
• This process has united us across race, income, and zip codes, enabling us to address the issues that
• that any such revision or amendment, except for those limiting the power of government to raise revenues

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for Walton County Deputy Will May, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. The Rules and Ethics Committee’s special order report for April 3, 2025 was adopted, and CS/HB 947 was recommitted to the Judiciary Committee. The chamber then moved through a series of bills, mostly reviser and technical measures, with several companion Senate bills substituted and passed: SB 36 (Florida statutes adoption act), SB 42 (general reviser’s bill), SB 40 (deleting inoperative statutory provisions), and SB 38 (renaming references from the Division of Investigative and Forensic Services to the Division of Criminal Investigations). All of those passed unanimously or near-unanimously. The House also passed HB 513 on electronic transmittal of court orders, requiring clerks to electronically send certain petitions, notices, summonses, and orders within six hours, including Baker Act, Marchman Act, and risk protection order documents. Members discussed whether judges needed to direct transmission and whether there were fail-safes if clerks did not comply. HB 615, on electronic delivery of notices between landlords and tenants, was amended to strengthen tenant protections and passed 108-0. HB 655 establishing a regulatory framework for pet insurance, HB 299 on elevator accessibility requirements, and HB 1145 on workforce education also passed, with HB 1145 receiving 100 yeas and 4 nays. HB 649, removing the paper supervised protocol for certified registered nurse anesthetists, passed 77-30 after structured debate. A major portion of the meeting focused on CS/HB 1205, which would significantly revise Florida’s citizen initiative process. The bill adds a $1 million bond requirement after 25% of required signatures are collected, requires petition handlers to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, imposes background checks and training for paid circulators, shortens petition turn-in deadlines to 10 days, increases penalties, adds signature revocation notices, and creates additional criminal penalties and enforcement provisions. Supporters argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect petition integrity; opponents said the bill would burden First Amendment activity and make citizen-led amendments much harder to qualify. Numerous amendments were offered, including proposals to remove sensitive personal information from petition forms, soften deadlines and penalties, change validation thresholds, and alter the estimating conference process; most failed, though one amendment clarifying who pays for background checks was adopted. The transcript ends during continued debate on an amendment to strike most of the bill and prohibit public funds from being used to advocate for or against constitutional amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• representative of the American codings representative of the American codings association<00:06:
• American codings Association American codings Association representative<00:21:57.960> um<00:21
• of recognizing what the revenue of recognizing what the revenue situation<00:28:17.559> is
• codings Association the codings American codings Association the codings Association<00:44:09.079>
• We're losing the revenue.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 451, which would create a postconsumer paint stewardship program in New Hampshire. Prime sponsor Representative Karen Ebel described the bill as a bipartisan, broadly supported model based on PaintCare programs used in other states. She said consumers and businesses could drop off leftover paint at participating retailers or municipal household hazardous waste sites, with the paint then collected and recycled by the stewardship organization. She emphasized that the program is intended to reduce landfill disposal, improper dumping, and contamination of groundwater and soil, while also helping municipalities save on hazardous waste handling costs. Members asked several questions about how the program would work and how it would be funded. Ebel explained that the program would be financed by a small fee charged at the point of sale on paint products, not a general sales tax, and that retailers could either list it separately or roll it into the price. She said the fee would cover the Department of Environmental Services’ administrative costs, which were described as minimal, and that the program’s structure was developed with DES and industry input. Questions also addressed whether cans would be recycled and how collected paint would be processed; Ebel said the ACA and PaintCare representatives could provide more detail, but that the paint and containers would be handled through recycling or other approved disposal methods rather than landfilled. Representative Judy Aron, a co-sponsor and chair of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee, testified in support, saying the bill had been developed over several years with stakeholders and would keep toxic paint out of landfills while saving municipalities and taxpayers money. Representative Peter Bixby, the ranking member of Environment and Agriculture, also supported the bill, saying his committee had heard it many times and that it had strong bipartisan enthusiasm. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Revenue source within the general fund.
• to do with those revenues.
• So, a little bit of headwinds for the revenues in the out years, but we're seeing a slowdown in revenues
• This revenue volatility: the black line is the revenue growth and the bars are the budgetary costs growth
• And those things, but in terms of revenue replacement. like a revenue replacement.