Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, members, this is House Bill 818 by Representative Riser, provides relative to student assessments
• , screeners, progress monitoring assessments, and the other assessments required.
• , screeners, progress monitoring assessments, and the other assessments required.
• The locals, Cynthia Posey: Assessments and the other assessments required.
• Then the LDOE would compile a report of the local assessments and their state-required assessments.

Bills: HB818 , HB1063 , SB28 , SB64 , SB142 , SB234 , SB482

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• But we'll roll House Bill 161. So, yeah. But we'll roll House Bill 161.
• As well as assessment and the general usage.
• assessments as often as a week, every week.
• the needs of New Mexico students.
• For math because we're wanting to do math assessments and look at another assessment for math.

Bills: SB194 , SB200 , SB203 , SB204 , SJR3

Committee: House House Education

Summary: The committee first announced that House Bill 161 would be rolled over until Monday so the sponsor could work out unintended errors and bring back a clean amendment. The committee then heard House Memorial 2, which calls for a Legislative Education Study Committee study of screen time in elementary classrooms, including instruction, assessment, and general use. The sponsor and supporters said the memorial is intended to examine the effects of screen use on young children’s learning, attention, literacy, social-emotional development, and physical well-being, and to develop research-based guidance rather than rely on anecdotes. Testimony in support came from educators and school leaders, including AFT New Mexico, NEA New Mexico, and the superintendent of Carlsbad Municipal Schools, who argued that screens are being used too heavily in elementary settings and that hands-on learning and direct interaction are being displaced. Committee members raised questions about whether the study should extend beyond elementary grades to secondary education, online books, and AI-related assessment issues such as voice recording and accessibility. The sponsor and legislative staff said the memorial is currently limited to elementary classrooms but could potentially be expanded; they also noted that assessment-related AI concerns would fall within the study. The committee then approved HM2 on a do-pass motion with no opposition. The committee next heard House Memorial 16, recognizing the New Mexico State University Physical Science Laboratory for 80 years of service and contributions to research, innovation, national security, workforce development, and economic prosperity. Support testimony highlighted the laboratory’s role in southern New Mexico and its status as one of eight FAA test sites for unmanned aerial systems. A member of the public also testified in support as an NMSU alum and STEM advocate. The committee approved HM16 on a do-pass motion with no opposition. The meeting also included introductions from visiting high school students and a reminder that Monday is NMSU Day at the Capitol.

Transcript Highlights:

• "This bill ensures that as we continue to build much-needed housing and other development projects, we
• CBIA has no objection to planning for future water needs and verifying that housing developments have
• It's done the water assessment for purposes of its general plan and, therefore, its housing element in
• And, you know, in my view, if we're saying housing is a priority as a state, then housing needs to be
• Then housing needs to be a priority and then we need to figure out the water, you know, and I appreciate

Summary: The committee heard SB 1135, which would reestablish the California Wildlife Coexistence Program to reduce human-wildlife conflict through nonlethal strategies such as deterrents, conflict reporting, and outreach. The author and supporters said the program had been effective but lost funding in 2024, and they argued it would help communities, ranchers, and wildlife by preventing conflicts before they escalate. Support came from conservation, animal welfare, local government, and county groups, while the California Cattlemen’s Association and California Farm Bureau opposed unless amended, saying the bill needed clearer limits on when nonlethal measures are practicable and protections so compensation funds for livestock losses are not reduced. Members discussed wolf-livestock conflicts, compensation, and the need for continued collaboration. The committee voted 2-0 on call to send the bill to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 1085, which would preserve water supply assessments for large housing and development projects even when those projects are exempt from CEQA. The author and sponsor EBMUD said the bill is needed to keep water planning tied to land-use planning and avoid “paper water” problems, especially as climate and drought conditions worsen. Supporters included water agencies, environmental groups, labor, and local governments. The California Building Industry Association opposed the bill, arguing that current law already requires verified water supplies, that the bill could add unnecessary process and litigation risk, and that it could slow housing production. Members raised concerns about duplication in cities that also operate their own water systems, but the author said the goal was better coordination, not more bureaucracy. The committee voted 4-1 on call to send the bill to Local Government. The committee also heard SB 1270, which would expand the state wildfire mitigation home-hardening pilot to the top 10 counties by wildfire risk and social vulnerability, adding Riverside, Calaveras, Los Angeles, and Tehama counties and prioritizing future funds for those areas. The author said the bill responds to recent destructive fires and aims to extend home-hardening assistance to more high-risk communities. There was no opposition, and members discussed how to scale funding, whether the program should be broader than the listed counties, and how to focus on cost-effective mitigation. The committee voted 5-0 on call to send the bill to Emergency Management. Finally, the committee heard SB 895, a major science funding measure that would place a $23 billion bond on the ballot and create a California Foundation for Science and Health Research to support research in the state. The author and supporters said California’s research sector is a major economic engine and that federal funding cuts and instability threaten jobs, talent retention, and scientific progress. There was broad support from UC, CSU, labor, health, and research organizations, with no formal opposition. Some members raised concerns about the role of sponsoring unions and the potential for politicization, but the author said the new foundation would operate under California law and that the measure is meant to protect science funding and collaboration. The committee discussion continued, but the transcript excerpt ends before a final vote on SB 895.

Transcript Highlights:

• you need to have an overview of all the different sections and subsections of House Bill 2.
• They're needing help to be able to get the help that they need.
• , and then assess.
• We will assess if there's any need for statewide guidance around screen time use.
• When am I going to find out if our CFAs, our common formative assessments, actually need to be adjusted

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the care that they need. the care that they need.
• Uh, the goal of House File 1995 is to change the language about chemical use assessment to a comprehensive
• assessment.
• > assessment.
• House File 1894 recognizes that a thoughtful, informed approach is needed.

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

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And so a lot of the assessment structure, the exemption structure and the assessment limitation, the
• That's that's house taxable values calculated.
• That 1.1 billion value from flowing in through your tax assessment and you are save our homes assessment
• Our homes assessment benefit.
• You have assessment limitations that how your assessed values able to grow.

Transcript Highlights:

• The water supply assessment process focuses on identifying the water supply needed for large-scale development
• CBIA has no objection to planning for future water needs and verifying that housing developments have
• It's done the water assessment for purposes of its general plan and therefore its housing element in
• And, you know, in my view, if we're saying housing is a priority as a state, then housing needs to be
• Then housing needs to be a priority, and then we need to figure out the water.

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water

Summary: The committee first heard SB 1135, which would reestablish the California Wildlife Coexistence Program to promote nonlethal human-wildlife conflict reduction and support coexistence efforts for species such as wolves, bears, and mountain lions. Supporters, including wildlife groups and local government representatives, said the prior program was effective and that proactive tools like fladry, guardian animals, deterrents, reporting, and outreach reduce conflicts and costs. Ranching and agricultural groups were opposed unless amended, saying they supported the concept but wanted changes to the wolf-livestock compensation program, including clearer practicability standards, protection of compensation funds, and more flexibility on nonlethal requirements. The bill was moved to Appropriations on a 2-0 vote, with the measure left on call. The committee then took up SB 1085, which would preserve water supply assessments for large development projects even when those projects are exempt from CEQA, so local agencies still receive information about whether sufficient water exists for the project. The author and sponsor argued the bill would keep water planning and land use planning linked and prevent “paper water” problems, while the California Building Industry Association opposed it, warning it could add delay, uncertainty, and litigation risk for housing projects already subject to other water-supply safeguards. Members discussed how the bill would affect different local structures, especially cities that also operate their own water systems, and whether the assessment adds value in those cases. The bill passed 4-1 to Local Government and was left on call. SB 1270 was next, expanding the California wildfire mitigation home-hardening pilot beyond the original six counties to include four additional high-risk counties identified by Cal OES and Cal Fire, and directing future funding toward those areas. Supporters said the recent Los Angeles fires showed the need to broaden access to home-hardening assistance, while members discussed whether the program should remain geographically targeted or be made available statewide based on need. The bill was amended in committee and passed 5-0 to Emergency Management, left on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 895, a major proposal to place a $23 billion bond on the ballot to create a California Foundation for Science and Health Research and stabilize scientific research funding in the state. The author, UC, UAW, and many research, labor, health, and university groups supported the measure, arguing that federal cuts and instability threaten California’s research workforce, innovation, and economy. Some members raised concerns about the size of the bond and about political issues involving one sponsor, but the author said the foundation would operate under California law and the bill is intended to keep science funding open and collaborative. The bill was moved out of committee on a 5-0 vote and left on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• need to approve House demonstrate the need to approve House File<00:05:30.000><c> 3296.
• </c><01:13:12.800><c> we</c><01:13:12.960><c> need</c> we we need more we need more we need we we need
• </c> 25% of our demand needs to be flex needs 25% of our demand needs to be flex needs to<01:26:47.760
• House File 382 only impacts the certificate of need process. We don't touch the routing process.
• We believe House File 3802 provides a narrow exemption to the certificate of need law.

Bills: HF3296 , HF3802

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We’re just saying, for fairness for the individual, if it’s your house and you now need some income and
• the house because there was no notification that a house was even there.
• , including the prior assessment, the new appraised values, and the new assessed values, by property
• It's a house in which others simply stay, dwell, sleep, and eat. That's a house.
• I need to...

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• That first process, or first step, is determining if the project needs to be assessed.
• We do assessments and street assessments, and the happy people we get to deal with doing that.
• We need to keep these projects viable, and they need to be funded.
• You mentioned purpose and need.
• We need to have that clarification.

Bills: HF4807

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• What do we need? We need that connection. That is what art and music provides.
• As you've heard, House Bill 2579 will provide much-needed sustainability support when federal support
• We need community radio funded, and we also need PBS funded. So thank you for letting me speak.
• So we do need those multiple layers of protection. We need the protective layer.
• do a statewide assessment of non- charged by the legislature under House Bill 61.20 to do a statewide

Bills: HB2579

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: public media, digital equity, funding, media access, communication technology

Transcript Highlights:

• I missed this in the<00:53:21.119><c> House.</c> the House. the House.
• </c> assess mold. assess mold.
• </c> House Bill 1126? House Bill 1126?
• </c> &gt;&gt; House Bill 1511? &gt;&gt; House Bill 1511?
• </c> on House Bill 1511. on House Bill 1511.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• And then you need to decide what information you need. You need to reach out to your contractors.
• My neighbor's house is valued more.”
• My neighbor's house is valued more.”
• is assessed at 30,000, and then someone comes in, sells, and someone needs a house and they buy it for
• And mainly the information that we need here as legislators, all the information that's needed, there's

Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met to begin its study of whether the content of the real estate tax statement should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the study directive from HB 1176 and the statutory requirements for tax statements, including required line items such as true and full value, mill levy, legislative tax relief, primary residence credit, legacy fund share, discounts for early payment, and special assessments. The Tax Department then explained how the current uniform statewide statement is prescribed and approved, and noted that changes are typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from NDACO, including auditors from McKenzie and Richland counties, described the full annual property tax timeline from budgeting through mailing final statements. They explained how counties gather budgets, calculate levies, verify taxable values, handle centrally assessed property, and prepare required notices and statements. They also said public attendance at budget hearings is generally very low, though the notices and statements generate some calls, mostly about whether attendance is required or why taxes are changing. Several members questioned the usefulness of the legislative tax relief line and the complexity of the 5% discount calculation, and county officials said the current process can be confusing and depends on manual data entry and coordination among counties, vendors, and taxing districts. The committee also discussed assessment frequency, valuation equalization, the 3% cap, and whether more frequent reassessment would reduce large jumps in taxable value. County officials said they try to use rotating reassessments and sales-ratio reviews to keep values within statutory tolerance, but staffing, training, and local market changes make the work difficult. NDACO staff estimated, based on a small county survey, that tax statement preparation and mailing costs average about 74 cents per statement, with outsourcing generally cheaper than in-house printing, and said HB 1176 added some mailing and administrative costs even if the tax statement itself did not change dramatically. Software vendors from CPT and Tyler then began presentations showing how their systems handle budgeting, valuation notices, tax statement generation, primary residence credit processing, and levy worksheets, emphasizing that many of the required calculations and reports are still manually entered or verified by county staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• So first, every year, if a house is sold, it triggers something at assessing.
• It's usually a full house.
• It's usually a full house.
• First, several bills would freeze the assessed value... ...that we need.
• Clearly, we need to do more.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

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:

• value exempted and have its annual assessment... ...exempted up to $50,000 of assessed value and have
• property moves between different assessment practices.
• Senators, this amendment requires the property assessed under this new assessment option to be assessed
• And so we're going to look at the assessment side.
• The House passed a major sales tax cut.

Committee: Senate Finance and Tax

Summary: The Finance and Tax Committee met and first heard SB 674, which would allow county property appraisers, like tax collectors already can, to budget for and pay hiring or retention bonuses if approved in their Department of Revenue budget. Support came from property appraiser representatives, who said the bill would help them compete for specialized staff without requiring new funding. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered SJR 318, a proposed constitutional amendment on tangible personal property used on agricultural land, along with an amendment clarifying the exemption’s scope and allowing the Legislature to set conditions by general law. Farm Bureau and the Florida Chamber supported the measure, and the committee adopted the amendment and reported the joint resolution favorably. Members also took up CS for SB 1664, which would require voter reapproval of local discretionary taxes when they expire; an amendment changed the bill to require expiration dates and tied reapproval to tax expiration rather than a fixed eight-year cycle. Local government and tourism groups raised concerns about impacts on tourist development taxes, transportation surtaxes, beaches funding, and long-term financing, while supporters argued voters should periodically affirm local taxes. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee considered SJR 1510 and its implementing bill SB 1512, both dealing with a homestead-style property tax benefit for certain long-term leased residential properties. After multiple amendments narrowed the proposal substantially, limiting it to one qualifying property and then to single-family homes, mobile homes, and condominium units, counties and cities still opposed the measures as a tax shift to other taxpayers. The sponsor said the changes reduced the scope and fiscal impact, and both measures were reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard SPB 7034, the Senate tax package, which includes permanent sales tax exemptions, multiple tax holidays, motor vehicle fee reductions, a property tax study, rural investment tax credits, a freeze on local communications services tax rates, and other tax changes, with an estimated $2.1 billion revenue reduction. Testimony was mixed: property appraisers supported the property tax study, while many public commenters opposed the firearm and ammunition tax holiday and urged inclusion of gun safes and locks instead. County, city, tourism, and lodging representatives raised concerns about tourist development tax limits and other local revenue impacts, while supporters emphasized tax relief and the study’s value. After debate, the committee adopted a motion to submit SPB 7034 as a committee bill and reported it favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to do it.
• It does need to. It does need to, but we're just tackling the issue one.
• Unfortunately, because this bill did not start in the House, we could not do that to assess the fee on
• The State Police is already doing assessments that are conducted, and they do need additional funds down
• They do need employees to be able to offer assessments for all of our schools across the state.

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 135, which would redirect a portion of wagering dedications from the sports fund to the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund and remove a cap affecting that funding stream. The author and staff explained the amendment was designed to avoid any impact on the State General Fund while increasing support for early childhood education. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as amended. Senate Bill 202, from the Secretary of State’s office, would increase the number of compensated days for parish board of election supervisors to cover additional election-related duties. Secretary Landry and election officials testified that the change was needed because supervisors now perform more work, including ballot tabulation, machine sealing, and verification tasks. The committee adopted technical and appropriation-related amendments and reported the bill favorably as amended. The committee then took up several health and human services bills. Senate Bill 155 would require insurance coverage for medically necessary dental procedures needed before cancer treatment; testimony from medical and dental professionals emphasized that untreated dental problems can delay chemotherapy or radiation and worsen outcomes. After adopting amendments to narrow the fiscal impact, the bill was reported favorably as amended, with discussion of a possible subject-to-appropriation amendment to be worked out later. Senate Bill 237, a major DCFS reform bill, drew extensive testimony and debate over child welfare oversight, mandatory reporter training, law enforcement coordination, and the bill’s large fiscal note. The committee adopted amendments, including a subject-to-appropriation provision, and reported the bill favorably as amended after emotional testimony from supporters and former DCFS employees. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 465 on prompt-pay insurance reform after an amendment reduced the fiscal note to zero; Senate Bill 261 on unclaimed property after a substitute bill was adopted; Senate Bill 295 on expanded coverage for traumatic brain injury rehabilitation after amendments narrowed the mandate and added subject-to-appropriation language; Senate Bill 157 providing six weeks of paid parental leave for K-12 educators and staff, also subject to appropriation; Senate Bill 276 requiring bail bond producers to certify outstanding obligations before new appointments; Senate Bill 83 on human trafficking services after removing the age-expansion cost; Senate Bill 143 on bulletproof vests after shifting funding away from a direct state appropriation; and Senate Bill 450 on school safety assessments after an amendment limited implementation to available funds and resources. In each case, the committee’s actions focused on reducing or eliminating fiscal notes while keeping the bills moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• hours reflect poor assessments rather than rising needs, and it grants the Department of Social Services
• In fiscal year 2024-25, Home Safe reached just over 40% of APS clients with identified housing needs.
• housing needs that currently are not receiving Home Safe.
• Despite serving individuals with complex needs, rates of exits to permanent housing...
• Despite serving individuals with complex needs, rates of exits to permanent housing have continued to

Transcript Highlights:

• is related to the assessment part.
• Senator Weber, thank you. assessment part. I mean, we we have assessment part.
• </c><00:11:57.600><c> and</c> there is specific approval needed and there is specific approval needed
• </c> federal dollars but through assessments federal dollars but through assessments on<00:13:09.600>
• Um, Senator House, Mr. revenue estimate. Um, Senator House, Mr.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• on top of a previous assessment.
• on top of a previous assessment.
• on top of a previous assessment.
• on top of a previous assessment.
• on top of a previous assessment.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• And maybe they need it.
• have a need or a want.
• But the assessment on the house went up, as a result of the sale, and all of a sudden my property taxes
• to clean house.
• And the governor and former senators and House members said, we need to create this category of fiscally

Summary: The Committee on Appropriations took up SJR 2-F, a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes by lowering assessment caps on non-homestead property, expanding homestead exemptions over time, and allowing local governments to increase exemptions further. The sponsor argued the measure would provide broad property tax relief while requiring revenues to be directed to core services such as public safety, education, infrastructure, and natural resource projects, with a trust fund intended to help local governments transition. Senators raised concerns about the lack of a fiscal score, the effect on counties, cities, school districts, and special districts, and whether the proposal would shift costs to fees or other taxes. Several amendments were debated. Senator Polsky’s amendment to explicitly authorize user fees and non-ad valorem assessments to offset lost property tax revenue failed. Senator Avila’s amendment broadening permissible uses of ad valorem revenue to include county constitutional officers and other expenditures approved by local governing bodies was adopted after debate over whether the bill would otherwise underfund essential functions. Senator Smith’s sunset amendment, which would have made the constitutional changes expire after five years, failed. Senator Smith’s amendment to allow tourism development tax revenue to support public safety and education also failed. Senator Graal’s amendment removing the constitutional trust fund language was adopted, with supporters arguing the Constitution should not promise an unfunded account. Additional late-file amendments were considered. Senator Berman’s proposal to change the ballot title to more neutrally describe the measure as affecting property taxes and local community service reductions failed. Senator Trumbull’s amendment removing school board ad valorem taxes from the proposal was adopted, preserving school taxes. Senator Smith’s amendment narrowing the non-homestead assessment cap reduction to small businesses only failed. The committee then returned to the bill as amended and continued questioning the sponsor about eligibility, fiscal impacts, and whether the proposal could lead to local governments offsetting lost revenue through special assessments or other charges.