Transcript Highlights:

• The tax and the payouts have seen considerable increases in this program shortly.
• Low-income workers' wages should be available for their own life needs.
• Usage among the bottom wage quintile was just 8% of all claims in fiscal year 2025.
• Senator Conway, yeah, it was not my idea to fool around with the rate increase.
• both municipal jails make 20 to 25% less in wages and benefits.

Summary: The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee opened its 2026 session with member introductions and a work session on the Employment Security Department’s structure and programs. ESD officials described their roles and reviewed paid family and medical leave, WA Cares, unemployment insurance, workforce services, and agricultural worker outreach. Senators raised concerns about call volume, program solvency, fraud detection, employer access to information, and whether workers can receive leave benefits while working other jobs. ESD said WA Cares is in a limited pilot, PFML has seen rapid growth, UI trust fund solvency is projected to be near the statutory trigger level, and they would follow up with more detailed information on eligibility, fraud referrals, and employer scenarios. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5292, which would replace the current PFML rate-setting formula with a forward-looking actuarial model and require a four-month reserve beginning in 2030. Supporters, including the sponsor, JLARC staff, labor advocates, and employer groups, said the change would improve stability and follow JLARC recommendations; opponents warned it could lead to higher payroll taxes and argued the program is already too costly. The chair said she intended to keep the bill narrow as it moved forward. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6014, a technical bill on pregnancy-related accommodations that would preserve the ability of pregnant workers to request certain accommodations without a doctor’s note and create a public records exemption for sensitive complaint and investigation records; the sponsor and supporters said it corrects a drafting error and protects privacy. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 5972, which would remove the population threshold limiting interest arbitration for correctional officers in jails, and Senate Bill 5869, which would make permanent and expand from residential to all building construction sites a requirement that L&I notify employers or owners within 10 working days when a hazard is identified. Correctional officers’ representatives and labor groups supported SB 5972 as a fairness and safety measure, while the sponsor said it would create consistency across jurisdictions. Construction industry groups supported SB 5869, and L&I said it had no concerns but wanted the bill kept narrow; the chair noted the bill’s purpose was to speed hazard communication. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 5874, which would allow ESD to waive penalties for minor errors in quarterly unemployment reports, especially missing SOC/job-title information. The sponsor said small businesses were being hit with unnecessary fines, and ESD said it had identified a sharp rise in penalties and was working with the sponsor on possible fixes. The committee adjourned after the hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, members, I'm not aware that assisted living facilities need to have approval to increase wages
• </c> approval to increase um wages at this approval to increase um wages at this point. point. point.
• No business can sustain annual wage increases without service rate increases.
• <c> without</c><01:13:53.040><c> service</c> annual wage increases without service annual wage increases
• </c> of wage increases and general inflation. of wage increases and general inflation.

Bills: HF2216, HF1978, HF2354, HF1963, HF1994, HF1995, HF1894

Keywords: assisted living, nursing home, long-term care, guardian, conservator, resident rights, arbitration, mandatory arbitration, consumer protection, fee increase, rate increase, price hike, private pay, public funds, Medicaid, waiver services, elderly, seniors, older adults, disability rights

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will increase the wages for direct support professionals who help Minnesotans with disabilities
• </c> straightforward this bill will increase straightforward this bill will increase the<00:41:38.800
• The job has increased his confidence, reduced his isolation, increased his community connections, and
• So our bill would increase the factor by approximately 10 percentage points to fully adjust the wages
• increased, the adjustment in the competitive workforce factor also increased.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increases.
• The workers get wage increases that keep up with the cost of living, and that household budgets are not
• Dietz talked about: how increases in health insurance take so much out of worker wages, right?
• keeps increasing.
• California are working low-wage jobs with unstable hours when the cost of living keeps increasing.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would like to point out, having lived through the experience of increasing the minimum... ...wage and
• They were high-wage, dollar jobs.
• Some are not getting paid the minimum wage. Some are not barely getting by with minimum wage.
• living increase.
• living increase.

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee held an informational hearing on California’s Budget Stabilization Account, or Rainy Day Fund, with opening remarks focused on the state’s long history of revenue volatility and the role reserves play in smoothing downturns. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that California’s personal income tax base is highly volatile because high-income earners’ income is tied to capital gains and other fluctuating sources, and that Proposition 2’s current reserve rules set aside 1.5% of General Fund revenues plus a share of excess capital gains, but cap constitutional deposits at 10% of General Fund taxes. The LAO said its analysis evaluates reserve policy over decades and found the current system would cover about 30% of funding shortfalls in a 90th-percentile downturn scenario over 50 years, which is an improvement over no reserve but still inadequate. The LAO recommended raising the reserve cap substantially, ultimately to 50% by 2055, with an immediate increase to 20% and gradual increases thereafter. It also suggested either replacing Proposition 2’s deposit formulas with broader rules that capture volatility across all tax revenues or, alternatively, depositing all excess capital gains rather than only a share. The Department of Finance said the Governor’s prior proposal similarly sought to raise the cap from 10% to 20% and exclude reserve deposits and withdrawals from the state appropriations limit, arguing those two constraints limited the state’s ability to save during recent revenue surges. Other panelists and members discussed whether reserves should be paired with broader structural changes, including unemployment insurance reform, safety-net funding, infrastructure reserves, and the projected surplus temporary holding account. The California Budget and Policy Center supported reserve reform but emphasized balancing savings with current needs and noted other tools such as revenue increases, borrowing from special funds, and the new surplus-holding account. Members debated the causes and effects of Proposition 13, the appropriations limit, business departures, and whether reserve policy should be more directly tied to protecting Californians’ access to health care, food assistance, child care, and other core services. No votes or formal actions were taken, as the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• wages to manage some of the most volatile public situations in the state.
• It reviews wages and working conditions.
• California offers a relevant natural experiment on the wage question.
• that path, even though the host city has realized that a minimum wage increase prior to the Olympics
• a new wage order will drastically escalate expenses.

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard several bills focused on labor standards, worker safety, and public transparency. SB 954 by Senator Blakespear would revise last year’s CEQA exemption for advanced manufacturing by adding worker protections such as prevailing wage, a skilled and trained workforce, high-road employment standards, and environmental guardrails. Supporters from labor, environmental justice, and conservation groups said the bill restores promised safeguards after SB 131, while business groups argued the added requirements would undermine the exemption and discourage investment. The committee voted 5-0 to do pass and re-refer SB 954 to Appropriations, leaving the roll open for absent members. The committee then considered SB 966 by Senator Gonzalez, which would codify refinery worker participation and safety protections adopted in 2017 after the 2012 Chevron Richmond fire. Supporters, including United Steelworkers and a former refinery worker, said the bill would preserve workers’ ability to report hazards, select representatives, and stop unsafe work, preventing future disasters. The Western States Petroleum Association opposed the bill, arguing it could be preempted by federal labor law and would add regulatory uncertainty. The committee passed SB 966 3-0 and re-referred it to Appropriations, with the roll left open. Next, SB 1203 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas sought to modernize private security guard training, expand de-escalation instruction, strengthen accountability, and create a clearer professional pathway for the industry. The author and many security workers testified that guards are often first responders in volatile situations and need more practical training and better standards; opponents from industry and business groups warned the bill would raise costs, worsen staffing shortages, and create implementation problems, especially around third-party training and a new wage order. The committee voted 4-1 to do pass and re-refer SB 1203 to Public Safety, with one no vote and the roll left open. The committee also heard SB 1284 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, a transparency bill requiring DHCS to publish the names of large employers with workers enrolled in Medi-Cal and the estimated taxpayer cost. Supporters said the measure would show how low wages and unaffordable coverage shift health costs to the public, while opponents argued Medi-Cal enrollment depends on many factors and that naming employers would be misleading and amount to public shaming. After discussion, the committee voted 4-2 to do pass and re-refer SB 1284 to Appropriations, leaving the roll open. The transcript then began discussion of SB 1054 by Senator Cabaldon, which would improve workforce data collection and sharing to better evaluate job-training pathways, but the excerpt cuts off before testimony or action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let me underscore: minimum wage standard, which means you have minimum wage standard, which means you
• There are no prevailing wage adjustments in this bill.
• It does not replace prevailing wage. It does not undercut prevailing wage.
• This bill protects prevailing wage.
• The seed manufacturers have requested that we increase the fee.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a major effort in closing the wage gap, which Latinas experience the most.
• The wage gap is much worse.
• We often talk about the Latina wage gap, and it's important.
• Armenthal, which was this wage penalty concept.
• They remain concentrated in low-wage jobs.

Summary: The Select Committee on Latina Inequities met at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, hosted by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez and joined by Assemblymember Mia Bonta. Rodriguez opened by framing the committee’s work around the economic status of Latinas and the effects of federal policies on the economy and social safety net, while the college president welcomed the committee and described campus services for undocumented and housing-insecure students. Rodriguez also emphasized the local impact of immigration enforcement in the San Fernando Valley and said the hearing would focus on Latinas’ economic conditions, immigration enforcement impacts on the workforce and safety, and H.R. 1’s effects on the safety net. The first panel featured HOPE’s Maria Morales and Dr. Elsa Macias, who presented findings from HOPE’s National Economic Status of Latinas report. They said Latinas are a major and growing part of California’s population and workforce, but face persistent inequities, including a large wage gap, higher unemployment, high uninsured rates, student debt, and affordability pressures around child care, housing, and education. They also discussed entrepreneurship, noting both the growth of Latina-owned businesses and barriers such as limited access to capital, technical assistance, and retirement and health coverage. In response to committee questions, they said higher education can still offer a strong return on investment, but only if students can complete degrees without being overwhelmed by debt and care costs; they also pointed to policy solutions such as SB 642, mentorship, financial literacy, CalSavers access, and support for community development financial institutions. The second panel focused on immigration enforcement and Latina safety in the workforce. Luis Nolasco of the ACLU described arrests tied to apparent ethnicity and Spanish-speaking, the chilling effect on families, and the loss of wages, school attendance, and mobility. Dr. Amada Armenta said immigration enforcement harms California’s economy, public health, and mixed-status families, and noted that undocumented workers are concentrated in agriculture, construction, and child care. SEIU’s Jen Baca Beltran said raids and school-based enforcement traumatize children and families and highlighted the need for Know Your Rights trainings. Megan Ortiz of IDEPSCA described repeated Border Patrol raids on day labor centers, injuries to staff, and the need to protect worker centers, domestic workers, and street vendors. Inclusive Action’s Shannon Camacho said raids have forced many informal workers to stop working, prompted emergency cash assistance and rent relief efforts, and strengthened advocacy for vendor protections and CDFI support. CHIRLA’s Jeanette Zanipatine said the rapid response network has expanded, documented widespread arrests and detention conditions, and is providing direct support and legal referrals; committee members asked about detention, maternal health, and what the state can do, and panelists urged stronger oversight, more legal representation, and protections for pregnant and detained people.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they're owed wages, then the faster we can get those wages to them, the better off they are.
• ><c> the</c><00:20:03.360><c> better</c> can get those wages to them the better can get those wages to
• It is important, also increase.
• </c> intervention, and increasing litigation. intervention, and increasing litigation.
• Thank you. minimum wage of at least $20 per hour. minimum wage of at least $20 per hour.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed House Bill 1150, which would require disclosure of complaints to public employees within five business days. Members said the sponsor was still working on an amendment, so the bill was held for another week with the understanding it would be executed next week if no amendment was ready. The chair also outlined the committee’s schedule, including upcoming floor reports and the goal of finishing the remaining committee bills on time. The committee then took up House Bill 1168, concerning employer documentation requirements. Supporters argued the bill would give employers more time to gather payroll records, especially when claims arise years later, and said the current system should be adjusted for fairness to businesses. Opponents, including several members, said payroll records are usually electronic and should be produced quickly so workers waiting on wages are not delayed. The Department of Labor deputy commissioner testified that employers can already request extensions and that further extensions could still be requested under the current process. The committee voted 11-9 to ought to pass HB 1168. Next, House Bill 1250, dealing with notice, documentation, and job reinstatement requirements for leave related to childbirth, postpartum care, and pediatric appointments, was considered. Members said the statute was newly enacted, had been carefully negotiated, and should be allowed to work before being revised. The committee voted 20-0 to recommend inexpedient to legislate, and the bill was placed on the consent calendar. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 1043, which would allow private employers to adopt their own minimum pay policies for report-to-work situations instead of being bound by the current two-hour minimum, so long as the policy is established in advance. The sponsor said the bill would modernize an outdated law and preserve the current default if no policy is adopted. Members raised questions about collective bargaining agreements and whether the bill could weaken existing worker protections, while the sponsor and supporters said it was intended to provide flexibility rather than a mandate. The hearing continued with questions and discussion, but no final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cost of living adjustment is based on the change in the average monthly wage.
• in the average wage because workers' compensation is wage replacement.
• injured at her place of employment would only receive 68% wage replacement.
• Workers' comp benefits are tied to the average monthly wage for a reason.
• us to do—as the basis for determining the cost-of-living increase.

Bills: SB5379, SB6106, SB6147, SB6180, SB5927, SB6287

Keywords: interest arbitration, parks and recreation, public employees, labor relations, employee rights, laid-off employees act, WARN notice, mass layoff, business closure, plant closing, worker adjustment and retraining notification, employment security department, employee notice, layoff notice, worker protections, job loss, employment loss, public records exemption, privacy, employee names and addresses

Transcript Highlights:

• If they're owed wages, then the faster we can get those wages to them, the better off they are.
• ><c> the</c><00:20:03.360><c> better</c> can get those wages to them the better can get those wages to
• </c> and when we're looking at either wage and when we're looking at either wage claims<02:07:39.599>
• </c> intervention, and increasing litigation. intervention, and increasing litigation.
• </c> increases bureaucracy instead of increases bureaucracy instead of reducing<05:31:08.320><c> it.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What we found is that employees have higher job retention, increased wages, reduced recidivism, and greater
• In just one year, wages increased by 36% among the four worker cooperatives that were launched.
• SEED has helped raise the bar in traditionally low-wage industries; worker-owner benefits include increased
• In just one year, wages increased by 36% among the four worker cooperators that were launched.
• Seed has helped raise the bar in traditionally low-wage industries, worker-owner benefits from increased

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview from Go-Biz Director D.D. Myers on the administration’s economic development strategy, centered on the California Jobs First framework. Myers described regional planning across 13 regions, the Jobs First Council, and pilot sectors including ag-tech, space and defense, life sciences, and semiconductors. She also outlined budget requests for CalCompetes, CalExport, the California Film Commission, innovation/emerging technologies, and the California Civic Media Fund, along with the new California brand campaign. Committee members raised questions about misinformation about California, regulatory burdens, tourism versus broader economic messaging, and how the brand campaign would highlight underrepresented communities. No vote was taken; the item was informational. The committee then reviewed CalOSBA’s work on small business support, including California RISE, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and TAP/SIP technical assistance and capital infusion programs. CalOSBA reported that California RISE’s first cohort awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, with growth in revenue, contracts, and jobs; the performing arts payroll fund paid all 100 recipients but was heavily oversubscribed; and TAP supported more than 112,000 businesses in the past year, helping leverage federal and local funds. Testimony from program partners emphasized the importance of small business counseling, community-based outreach, and support for arts organizations facing post-pandemic and AB 5-related cost pressures. Senators pressed for more data on long-term job retention, better outreach to smaller and ethnic media, and possible program changes to speed grants and stretch funding further. Finally, the committee heard Go-Biz’s request for additional staff and funding for the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Staff said the request would support application review, DEIA implementation, and data tracking. The Film Commission reported that about 147 productions had been approved and roughly 90% were opting into the new diversity provisions, with career pathways reporting to include demographic and participation data and a future report expected in 2027. Senators asked about accountability, apprenticeship and internship hours, and whether the program was producing real career pathways and inclusive hiring outcomes. The item remained informational, with no vote or action taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• ... ...where they will be making sustainable wages.
• ... ...within bioscience that lead to sustainable wages.
• It's got to be paid from day one, and it's got to be—you've got to get wage increases throughout that
• But how much are you making for your wages, right?
• That's why the prevailing wages, the union wage, is so important. 34% came from low-income housing, 16%

Summary: The hearing opened the Select Committee on Effective Postsecondary Career, Technical Education, and Workforce Development Programs at Santa Ana College, with Assemblymember Mike Fong emphasizing the need for affordable, accelerated pathways into high-demand careers and noting his bill AB 1098 creating the California Interagency Education Council. Chancellor Marvin Martinez welcomed the committee and urged changes to AB 927 to remove the “duplication” barrier for community college bachelor’s degrees, arguing that applied baccalaureate programs can lead to high-wage jobs and expand access for low- and middle-income students. The first panel focused on statewide workforce trends and policy. California Community Colleges Vice Chancellor Anthony Cordova highlighted credit for prior learning, Strong Workforce funding, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship growth, asking the Legislature to restore and increase Strong Workforce funding and expand applied baccalaureate degrees. LAEDC’s Josep Bilayo described regional labor market data showing growth in health care, education, construction, bioscience, and clean energy, while stressing the need for employer-led, data-driven programs, wraparound supports, and flexible funding. Andrew Gonzalez of the Building and Construction Trades Council argued that registered apprenticeship must be paid, combine classroom and on-the-job training, and end in a portable credential; he also promoted apprenticeship readiness programs, community workforce agreements, and stronger exposure to trades starting in K-12. Eric Morrison Smith of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color discussed the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program and related youth apprenticeship recommendations, including bridge programs, intermediary infrastructure, reduced employer barriers, and better coordination of state funding. A later panel highlighted Santa Ana College’s fire technology and firefighting academy programs. President Annabelle Neri and Vice President Jeffrey Lamb said the college is one of the state’s largest fire training providers, with strong partnerships with local fire agencies, law enforcement, and the U.S. Forest Service, and with high job placement and six-figure starting salaries for some graduates. They also described related certificates, advanced officer training, wellness services, and workforce preparation such as mock interviews and sponsorships. Throughout the hearing, members and panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of aligning education with labor market demand, expanding apprenticeships and work-based learning, and using regional collaboration to connect students to living-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• That includes pension and annuity income, wages income.
• I would like to point out, having lived through the experience of increasing the minimum wage and seeing
• They were high-wage jobs.
• Some are not getting paid the minimum wage. Some are not barely getting by with minimum wage.
• living increase.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increase for several years.
• This would allow that fee increase.
• Increases in both years are being driven by increases in weeks compensated, claims duration, and the
• But, you know, a big component of SB 951 was increasing the wage replacement levels in both the DI and
• normal wages.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held a May Revise hearing focused on state administration proposals, with the chair noting no actions would be taken and all items would remain open. The committee heard presentations on a range of budget proposals, including technical adjustments for the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement and the California Workforce Development Board, security and election-related funding for the Secretary of State, modernization and loan-backfill requests for the Department of Consumer Affairs, and multiple Employment Development Department updates covering EDD Next, UI and DI/PFL benefit estimates, workforce funding, and an EMT training reappropriation. Several items drew discussion from the LAO and committee members. The LAO generally supported technical or modernization items such as PERB’s implementation requests, GoServe’s College Corps adjustment, the Secretary of State’s security and HAVA grant items, and the Board of Pharmacy modernization proposal, but raised concerns about the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education’s proposed $10 million General Fund backfill and interest-free loan language. For EDD, the LAO flagged the size of the DI/PFL benefit adjustment and the unusual structure of the document management system proposal within EDD Next, while EDD said the changes reflected higher participation and benefit levels after SB 951 and ongoing modernization needs. The Department of Industrial Relations drew the most extensive questioning. It proposed funding for legal unit reclassifications, EAMS and Cal/OSHA data modernization, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COYA reappropriation, and trailer bill changes requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and adjusting the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board timeline. Members pressed DIR on high vacancy rates, long wage theft and workers’ compensation backlogs, low collection rates for fines, and the need for clearer workload and outcome measures. DIR said the requests were intended to improve efficiency, support audits and corrective action plans, and better address emerging workplace risks, while the LAO said the workload drivers behind delays remain unclear. The hearing also included support for CalHR’s employee assistance program consolidation and CDT’s proposal to expand “Poppy,” a statewide generative AI assistant for state employees.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you can see that it increases gross domestic product by about 1%. It increases a million jobs.
• of the pandemic we saw huge increases in those prices. ...at least a slowdown in the increase of car
• So total wages and salaries increased in the state from just under $34 billion.
• So total wages and salaries increased in the state from just under $34 billion to over $52 billion in
• Tariffs might be 1% to 2% of that 18% increase.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee was convened to review Idaho’s economic outlook and general fund revenue projections for fiscal years 2025-2028, with members instructed to submit “homework” revenue estimates by noon the next day so staff could compile committee averages and medians for deliberations and a final recommendation to JFAC. Opening remarks emphasized the committee’s constitutional charge, the use of the binder materials and online packet, and that the committee would meet again the next day to discuss and vote on the revenue projection recommendation. Staff and agency presentations focused on the state’s budget and revenue picture. Legislative Services Office staff described structural imbalance concerns, noting that statutory spending changes and earmarked sales tax distributions have crowded out flexibility, while cash reserves remain substantial. The Division of Financial Management’s economist explained the official revenue forecast, including revised treatment of sales tax and tax relief fund accruals, and said the forecast largely held steady overall even as corporate and individual income tax categories shifted. She also discussed the impact of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act on SALT deductions and said recent corporate collections had rebounded sharply, suggesting timing and behavior changes rather than a broad economic downturn. Outside economists and labor experts painted a generally stable to positive economic picture. Zions Bank’s economist said the Federal Reserve is likely near the end of major rate cuts, long-term rates and mortgage rates remain elevated, tariffs have risen sharply, but inflation has not yet shown broad tariff-driven acceleration; he described the national labor market as slowing but not contracting and said 2026 could be a rebuilding year. The Idaho Department of Labor reported that Idaho’s unemployment remains historically low, job growth is steady, wage growth is moderating from overheated pandemic-era levels, and the state’s labor market remains healthier and more balanced than the national picture. The committee also heard from Idaho Power’s economist, who began a presentation on broader economic conditions and utility-related demand trends before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is just going to increase.
• It’s not 125% of the average wage. It’s half of the jobs have to improve wages.
• And so what reports can you point me to that show that it has actually increased median wages?
• to be paying adequate wages.
• to be paying adequate wages.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2615, as amended by a strike-everything amendment creating an Independent Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety with 15 members, authority to review DCS data and practices, request briefings and audits, conduct site visits, and receive confidential complaints, with a $2.2 million FY 2027 appropriation. The sponsor and several parents and foster/adoptive caregivers testified in support, describing child safety failures and arguing for independent accountability, while some members questioned whether the Ombudsman’s office was the right home for the committee and suggested other oversight structures. The amendment was adopted, but the bill itself failed on a 5-5 vote. House Bill 2620, which would appropriate $300,000 annually from FY 2027 through FY 2031 to the Arizona Department of Veterans Services for grants to emergency shelters serving veterans, received strong support from the sponsor and shelter advocates who said the funding would help move homeless veterans toward stable housing and connect them with VA services. Members emphasized veterans’ service and the need for trauma-informed case management, and the bill passed with a 10-0 do-pass recommendation. House Bill 2321, requiring DCS to place and later remove a credit freeze for children in care to prevent identity theft, also passed unanimously after the sponsor and members discussed the administrative process and protections for foster youth. The committee then considered House Bill 2601, directing ADOT to seek federal segmentation for the Interstate 11 project between Casa Grande and Wickenburg so environmental review could proceed separately from litigation affecting the southern portion. Supporters framed the bill as a bipartisan way to keep the project moving, while opponents from environmental groups and several members argued it would encourage sprawl, harm desert habitat, and add cost and delay; the bill passed 6-4. House Bill 2992, a pilot program for child sexual abuse and grooming awareness education in six public schools, drew testimony from a trafficking survivor and others who supported prevention efforts, but some members argued the topic should be handled through broader sex education or parent education; it passed 6-4. Later bills also advanced: HB 2156, appropriating $250,000 to the Livestock Compensation Fund, passed 7-3; HB 2165, exempting certain veterans and National Guard members from state park admission fees, passed 6-4 after amendment narrowing the exemption; HB 2960, creating a veterans specialty court grant program and related data-sharing requirements, passed 8-0; HB 2014, directing studies on gasoline blends and fuel feasibility amid EPA waiver concerns, passed 6-2; and HB 2957, preserving non-Real ID licenses and limiting biometric/data retention with a Kavanaugh amendment, passed 5-4-1.

Transcript Highlights:

• It reviews wages and working conditions.
• California offers a relevant natural experiment on the wage question.
• This bill continues down that path, even though the host city has realized that a minimum wage increase
• a new wage order will drastically escalate expenses.
• Current wage data can tell us how much someone has earned, but...

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Poor monetary policy increases inflation, increases the volatility of inflation, and therefore the costs
• Poor monetary policy increases inflation, increases the volatility of inflation, and therefore the costs
• I see the annual wages on the right.
• We talked about population increases. I don't really care about the population increases.
• We're seeing those increase.

Summary: The Finance Advisory Committee received an update on the state revenue forecast and broader economic conditions. Staff said the April forecast was more cautious than January’s, citing greater uncertainty from the Iran conflict and other macroeconomic risks. Available general fund resources for the four-year period were revised down from $577 million in January to $378 million in April, with no change to expenditure estimates. George Hammond of the University of Arizona then presented on the national, state, and local economy, emphasizing risks from geopolitical conflict, tariffs, federal policy uncertainty, labor supply constraints, and elevated housing costs. He said Arizona job growth had been weak and driven mainly by health care, while inflation in Phoenix remained moderate but shelter and consumer commodity prices were still elevated. He also noted that population growth is increasingly dependent on net migration as natural increase slows. Panelists generally echoed the cautious outlook. Liz St. Clair said Arizona’s near-term revenue outlook still had some support from tourism and a strong spring season, but rising fuel costs and the duration of the Middle East conflict could pressure discretionary spending and revenues. Jim Rounds argued the economy was likely headed for a soft landing, though he warned that federal borrowing, inflation, workforce shortages, and energy reliability remain concerns; he also criticized leaving the Rainy Day Fund unused. Danny Court said the housing market remains under pressure on the ownership side, while rental supply and industrial demand have been relatively strong, and he noted sticky inflation and immigration declines as additional risks. Doug Walls explained that large employment benchmark revisions were affecting Arizona’s job numbers, and said the latest report showed slower but more balanced growth, though labor force declines and a higher unemployment rate were concerning. Lorenzo Romero added that business activity appears resilient in the low-hire, low-fire environment, but warned about debt burdens, uneven wage growth, and ongoing uncertainty. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's the area wage index that we work on with the federal level all the time.
• And that's the area wage index that we work on with the federal level all the time.
• We can't do anything about Medicare, but we're always asked to increase Medicaid spending.
• because the hospital cost is pretty much the Time your premium is increased.
• So it's not just a simple analysis of the wage, so to speak. They do math, it sounds like.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review Arkansas DHS hospital spending and reimbursement methods, with Secretary Janet Mann and Deputy Secretary Misty Eubanks explaining Medicaid hospital payments. They described fee-for-service per diem payments, cost settlements, and the upper payment limit (UPL) program, noting that SFY 2025 hospital payments included $688 million in inpatient/outpatient claims, $473 million in UPL payments, $248 million in cost settlements, and about $47 million in other payments such as graduate medical education and disproportionate share hospital funds. Members asked about why per diem rates vary, how cost settlements work, why UPL applies mainly to private hospitals, and how assessment fees are structured and funded. DHS said the hospital assessment fee is broad-based and uniform, used as the state share to draw federal funds, and that supplemental hospital payments after federal match totaled $548 million with no general revenue used. The Arkansas Hospital Association’s Jody Ann Tritt then gave a broader overview of the hospital landscape, explaining the different hospital types in the state, including critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, PPS hospitals, and specialty hospitals. She said Arkansas hospitals face financial strain, citing a negative 5.18% patient service margin statewide and lower reimbursement than surrounding states. She argued that Arkansas hospitals are paid less than hospitals in neighboring states for similar services, that commercial payer rates and administrative burdens are a major problem, and that Medicaid and Medicare rates remain below cost even with UPL support. She also said hospitals are the backbone of community care, provide emergency and public health functions, and are looking for ways to invest in technology and telehealth but often lack the revenue to do so. Members pressed for clearer data on hospital finances, reimbursement adequacy, and the impact of commercial insurers. Tritt said the association had just authorized a statewide survey to gather updated financial information from hospitals, which she said would take about a year to complete. She also explained that Medicaid pays weekly, Medicare and commercial plans can involve delays and denials, and that hospitals often spend significant resources on revenue cycle work. The discussion ended with a brief update on assisted living reimbursement: DHS said one facility, The Pillars of the Community in Crossett, had announced closure, nine Living Choices waiver clients were being transitioned, and the updated rate study would be available after cost reports are collected, likely before the end of the fiscal year. The meeting then adjourned.