Transcript Highlights:

• closing, reviewing and reporting data annually provides a clear picture of the problems we face, allowing
• Yeah, so what happens currently in statute, it says that the MMRC is not... not allowed to review deaths
• Telepharmacy services by removing certain mileage and visitation requirements.
• I think it allows us to have additional tools.
• You have no choice, and your mother isn't allowed to be there with you.

Bills: HB514 , HB1652 , HB2117 , HB2298 , HB3269 , HB46 , HB46

Committee: House S/C on Disease Prevention & Women's & Children's Health

Keywords: maternal health, maternal care, pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum, doula, birth worker, midwife, obstetric care, women's health, rural health, health workforce, workforce development, trauma-informed care, public outreach campaign, health equity, minority health, underserved communities, Texas Department of State Health Services, HHSC

Transcript Highlights:

• Which will allow us to learn from the state agencies and the current status of Texas transportation fundings
• But let me first move to slide six that focuses on the allow.
• We account for the mileage that exists in those districts. conditions.
• They allow the governor. to approve any changes in the structure of the MPOs themselves.
• Partition Reinvestment Zone, tolls, interlocal agreements, and partnerships that have allowed the.

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• employees to exchange up to that allows employees to exchange up to 40<00:13:05.920><c> hours</c><00
• The Senate timesheet system allows us to track the amount of hours recorded over and above the cap.
• Um the the Senate time sheet system<00:15:52.079><c> allows</c><00:15:52.720><c> us</c><00:15:52.959>
• us to track the amount of system allows us to track the amount of hours<00:15:54.560><c> recorded</c
• The IRS gas rate was increased to reflect the current IRS mileage rate, for 70 cents per mile.

Committee: Senate Rules and Administration

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The fact that you've got this revenue surplus is allowing you to not only take care of today's needs,
• Do we have any contingency language beyond the normal bar authority kind of language that allows the
• Chairman, for allowing me to send in many of these committees as well.
• I'll let the secretary explain the mileage. Sure, so we've done, Mr.
• Anyone want to speak up since we allow the opposition to speak? Go ahead, come on up.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for allowing me to speak with you today. My name is Dr. Amber Bruns.
• </c> expanding ing the scope of allowable expanding ing the scope of allowable uses<01:26:26.199><c>
• </c> manner the use of expanded funds allow manner the use of expanded funds allow us<01:26:50.040><c
• </c> paying this mileage paying this mileage reimbursement<01:31:50.560><c> but</c><01:31:50.719><c>
• Thanks for allowing me to testify today.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's basically a free automated service for victims of crime established back in 1999, and it allows
• And so I've, so we came up with the payment plan then to maybe allow people to make payments through
• And so I've, so we came up with the payment plan then to maybe allow people to make payments through
• I think they would have to meet criteria, of course, before they're allowed to get out.
• I think they would have to meet a criteria, of course, before they're allowed to get out.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice heard an update from Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon on staffing, overtime, capital needs, and inmate population growth. Dixon said the prison population has risen by about 8,000 since January 2021 while staffing has not kept pace, forcing the agency to open 53 housing units without funded positions and rely heavily on overtime and National Guard support. He cited a $189 million deficit tied to salaries and overtime, noted that most staff have less than three years of experience, and argued the solution is to fully fund posts for operational housing units. He also reviewed the department’s fixed capital outlay projects, including repairs, new housing construction, and medical modular units intended to reduce outside hospital transports, and gave an update on the VINE victim notification system and its expansion. The committee then heard from Florida clerks of court representatives Jason Welty and Miami-Dade Clerk Juan Fernandez-Barquin, who described clerks’ court-related and county duties and said clerk budgets have not kept pace with the broader justice system. They requested reimbursements for injunctions for protection ($3.3 million), Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator cases ($2.5 million), and juror management ($4.8 million), and said future funding for new judges should include the full courtroom system, not judges alone. Fernandez-Barquin also raised concerns about unfunded mandates, rising retirement and health costs, low court-side pay, and the need to revisit filing fees and trust fund allocations. Members asked about collections, payment plans, license suspensions, and whether some fees or trust fund distributions could be redirected; the governor’s budget had already picked up the $2.5 million request for Baker/Marchman/SVP cases. During public testimony, speakers urged broader criminal justice reforms and additional funding priorities. A prosecutor emphasized that adding judges requires funding for prosecutors, public defenders, and clerks as well. Other speakers called for parole or long-term sentencing reform to reduce prison populations and costs, criticized staffing and conditions in prisons, and raised concerns about inexperienced correctional officers, visitation delays, and lack of air conditioning in some facilities. The committee took no substantive votes on the items discussed and adjourned after hearing the presentations and public comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• every student, not just because they have a skill, but because they have other kinds of skills that allow
• This allows them to get interested in accounting and get more people involved. to go into accounting
• for engineering students because it's a hard profession, and it provided them support groups that allowed
• Which allows us the freedom to develop criteria as we go because one of the things is if you put it in
• They get really bad mileage, like seven miles to the gallon.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um we we should not allow a its onset.
• We don't even get<01:15:21.360><c> mileage.</c> get mileage. get mileage.
• &gt;&gt; No<01:15:22.080><c> mileage.</c> &gt;&gt; No mileage. &gt;&gt; No mileage. &gt;&gt; No.
• So, this bill will allow positions.
• </c> and I'm not allowed to talk about. and I'm not allowed to talk about.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to continue and and uh teaching allowed to continue and and uh teaching and<00:16:08.639><c> experience
• </c> clear, but allow clear, but allow I<00:37:00.720><c> speak</c><00:37:00.960><c> as</c><00:37:01.200
• Item number three, align the review of medical frailty in the first year 2027 to the allowed approach
• us for um uh to pursue and that is allow us for um uh to pursue and that is to<00:54:14.240><c> use<
• It allows us to level is so important.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the draft minutes from its May 29 meeting and then received an informational update from the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing about the state’s ASL interpreter pipeline. Representative Woods and Associate Commissioner Ann Landry explained that the American Sign Language program at UNH Manchester, the nation’s first fully accredited program, is facing viability concerns because high tuition has left only two of a potential 20 students committed so far. They warned that if enrollment does not recover, the program could face a teachout and eventually be lost, which they said would be detrimental because many state services and legal proceedings require qualified interpreters. Members discussed possible alternatives, including whether community colleges could help, and asked for follow-up research and contact information for UNH officials. The committee also heard that interpreter demand across DHHS continues to rise and that the department must ensure compliance with civil rights and service-access requirements. The committee then turned to Medicaid policy changes tied to Senate Bill 134 and a new federal interim final rule on Medicaid community engagement, or work, requirements. DHHS officials Olivia May and Ann Landry explained that the state law and federal rule align in many areas, but the committee still needed to decide how to implement several remaining policy choices. The department recommended adopting all four short-term hardship exceptions because the federal rule requires states to take them all or none: inpatient or institutional care, federally declared emergencies, high-unemployment areas, and extensive out-of-state travel for serious medical care. Members generally supported the exceptions but raised concerns about how they would be defined and applied, especially the emergency and medical-travel categories. Several legislators asked for more clarity on terms like “extensively” and “serious or complex medical care,” and DHHS said the federal rule does not rigidly define them, though the state could refine implementation through rulemaking if authorized. The department also said the emergency exception would apply only to federally declared emergencies, not state declarations, and would be tied to the emergency event itself. No final vote on the Medicaid policy was recorded in the portion provided, but the discussion indicated the committee was reviewing the remaining decisions needed to implement Senate Bill 134 under the new federal framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, announcing right out of the gate, uh, we are allowing some standing room in the back.
• Uh, and if you're allowed to speak, that will be at the total discretion of the chair.
• Also, just the mileage you have to pay for the staff to go there and so forth.
• Okay, ask if the students are allowed to participate in sports.
• </c><00:55:23.440><c> to</c> okay ask if the students are allowed to okay ask if the students are allowed

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and heard first from the Washway Nicotine Youth Advocacy Group, which urged stronger enforcement of Kentucky’s Tobacco 21 law. Youth advocates described the harms of flavored vaping products, argued that nicotine use is targeting children, and called for retailer licensing, annual compliance checks, harsher penalties for illegal sales, and more funding for enforcement. Committee members praised the presentation, and one senator said he had heard a bill on licensed retailers may be coming soon. The committee then heard a lengthy presentation from Cloverport Independent School District and the Kentucky Virtual Academy about the state’s virtual school model. Superintendent Keith Haynes and principals Brandy Fagan and Sally Johnson said KYVA serves about 2,800 students, many of whom are at-risk or have health, safety, behavioral, or family reasons for choosing virtual education. They emphasized that the program uses live synchronous instruction, provides devices and materials, and offers special education and related services. They also said the school had a large wait list and that virtual programs need more flexibility in staffing ratios, scheduling, and testing windows. School leaders acknowledged criticism of KYVA’s proficiency scores and said many students entered far below grade level, with 59% not proficient in English language arts and 79% not proficient in math on recent state testing. They argued the program is too new to judge solely on one year of data and pointed to growth in MAP scores, as well as middle and high school rankings in the top half of Kentucky schools. Fagan and Johnson outlined improvement efforts, including daily interventions, small-group instruction, literacy programs, staff training, and expanded clubs and student activities. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But this would allow us to have additional individuals such as our general counsel, our inspector general
• We're allowed to use money from trust funds for various defenses of the Attorney General or suits that
• We're over 65% of our vehicles are below DMS standards in terms of mileage and in terms of age.
• That's actually allowing us to put our staff back in the dorms where they belong and not work the entrance

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Summary: The committee met to hear fiscal year 2026-2027 legislative budget requests from several justice-related agencies. The Florida Commission on Offender Review requested funding for investigator and revocation staff salary increases to address turnover, plus nonrecurring funds for Wi-Fi, seven vehicles, technology support, and commissioner salary adjustments. The State Courts Administrator presented a broad judicial branch request focused on trial court case-management technology, additional case managers, trust fund authority for child support hearing officers, courthouse furnishings, district court flexibility in staffing, a future courthouse for the Sixth District Court of Appeal, Supreme Court elevator replacement, POM accounting implementation support, judicial security liaison positions tied to the Florida Fusion Center, expanded senior management service authority, and judicial salary adjustments. The Office of the Attorney General outlined pay and operating requests for consumer protection, citizen services, ethics, crime compensation, victim services, vehicle replacement, IT and cybersecurity, lease and operating costs, and PALM-related expenses, while several senators questioned the office about outside counsel contracts, contingency-fee arrangements, transparency, and the use of private law firms. The Department of Corrections made the largest presentation, describing severe staffing shortages, high turnover, rising inmate populations, increased assaults, and heavy overtime use. Secretary Ricky Dixon said the agency’s request was driven by constitutional and public safety needs and included funding for operations, security equipment, inflationary costs, vehicle replacement, offender information system modernization, technology restoration, inmate health services, drug and food cost increases, staffing pilots, maintenance, security infrastructure, Florida PALM, recruitment and retention, and $56 million for new correctional housing units. Members asked about inmate labor, prison safety, overtime, vehicle breakdowns, and whether more National Guard support was needed; Dixon said the agency needed more staffing and pay competitiveness rather than a long-term military presence. A correctional officers’ union representative also urged support for pay raises, citing low pay and staffing concerns. No votes were taken on the budget requests. The chair allowed extended questioning, especially for the Department of Corrections, but noted time constraints and asked agencies to return in a later committee meeting, including FDLE, which was deferred because of a House site visit.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for allowing me to join your committee today. I saw you just last week, same place.
• In that particular grant, what it allows for us to do as a state is put in the evidence of plan of how
• That allows us to provide the state match for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund.
• going on in Belén and Santa Fe, why would I take my company to TRC... and do the mobilization, do the mileage

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• President, unanimous consent to allow cameras on the Senate floor and Senate gallery.
• Hearing no objection, the Senate gallery and the floor will allow cameras today.
• This package will allow us to be able to invest in roads much quicker.
• , allowing duplexes and townhomes in residential zones and mixed-use lots, allowing additional dwelling
• , allowing duplexes and townhomes in residential zones and mixed-use lots, allowing additional dwelling

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the only changes are to the allowable use of revenues by including rental assistance and allowing
• Instead, allow proponents, opponents, the department, and the sponsor to convene during the interim allow
• The bill allows a covered entity to file a civil action for a violation of the act and allows the court
• Thank you for allowing me to speak today.
• Thank you for allowing me to speak today.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on multiple bills, beginning with a motion to suspend the five-day notice rule for a long list of Senate bills, which passed on a voice vote. The committee first heard Substitute Senate Bill 6026, a governor-request housing bill that would require cities and counties over 30,000 population to allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones, limit mixed-use/ground-floor commercial requirements in some areas, and allow added height where such requirements are imposed. The lieutenant governor testified strongly in support, arguing the bill would add needed housing capacity without requiring ground-floor retail burdens. The hearing on SB 6026 was then suspended so the committee could move through the agenda. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6294, a broad local government finance measure with eight parts, including expanded uses for certain REET revenues, a new county public utility tax, a new local sales tax for children and family services, expanded housing-related tax uses, changes to county levy structure, longer lid lift periods, and expanded use of rental car tax revenue. Local government, housing, and public health witnesses largely supported the bill, emphasizing flexibility for affordable housing, rental assistance, children’s services, and county fiscal stability. Opponents, including wireless industry, water/sewer district, auto dealer, realtors, energy, and cannabis representatives, objected to specific tax provisions as regressive, costly, or likely to raise consumer prices. Several witnesses requested amendments, including adding public health clinic funding and flood recovery language from House bills. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5400 on local news sustainability, which would create a state grant program funded by a surcharge on large search engines and social media platforms to support journalism jobs and the Murrow Fellowship program. News organizations, the League of Women Voters, open government advocates, and local journalism supporters testified in favor, saying local news is essential to civic life and that the bill would help sustain reporting without using general fund dollars. Technology industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing it unfairly singles out tech companies and could face legal challenges. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6211, which would let opt-in GMA jurisdictions impose REET-2 without voter approval; cities and counties supported it as a parity and infrastructure funding measure, while Realtors opposed the loss of voter approval. Senate Bill 5650, authorizing local cannabis excise taxes, drew support from some local officials but strong opposition from cannabis businesses, which argued Washington’s cannabis taxes are already too high and drive sales to the illicit market. Senate Bill 6033, waiving penalties and interest for taxpayers who failed to collect new sales tax on certain services, was supported by NFIB as a compliance and fairness measure. Senate Bill 6297, exempting temporary staffing services for nonprofit behavioral health providers from sales tax, drew strong support from behavioral health organizations citing workforce shortages and unsustainable costs. Finally, Senate Bill 6343, extending and expanding tax relief for disaster-damaged property and repairs, was presented as aid for flood recovery; local officials testified in support. No final committee votes on the bills were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• that supporting the transportation fund with the gas tax would eventually lead to shortfalls as fuel mileage
• 45.760><c> and</c> And we need to restore accountability for 19- to 22-year-olds because our system allows

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Chair Davids and Chair Gomez for allowing us the opportunity to talk with you a bit about
• This will allow our sheriff's office to continue serving our local and state law enforcement agencies
• </c> I hope you're getting paid mileage. Okay.
• This investment will allow model.
• 29.680><c> from</c><01:24:29.840><c> other</c> allow housing under contract from other allow housing

Bills: HF4094 , HF3390 , HF3813 , HF3583 , HF3751 , HF4324 , HF4789 , HF3596 , HF4033 , HF4424 , HF4053

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: Crosby, local sales tax, bonding authority, community projects, voter approval, Owatonna, use tax, special law, community center, municipal finance, capital project, sales and use tax, local option tax, city tax, public facility, general election, bond referendum, debt limit, levy limit, Minnesota local government

Transcript Highlights:

• It's unsustainable to allow people to It's unsustainable to allow people to ship in to avert births.
• at about 13.1 average gas mileage?
• It does keep the status quo to allow an option for online schools to Allow an option for online schools
• This bill will allow... ...allow a financing mechanism through Health Care Policy and Financing for helping
• It is just updates and technology and allows for electronic filing allows for electronic filing capability

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this allows us to use some of that money for those purposes.
• We're allowed to spend the interest that's generated by that corpus.
• It dealt with mileage increases.
• Moving on to page 11, we have the core for the senators' mileage.
• Page 39, we have the core for the representatives' mileage.

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <c> Gambridge</c><00:15:45.040><c> to</c> Bottom line, PUC allowed Gambridge to Bottom line, PUC allowed
• </c><00:19:54.559><c> for</c> federal government does allow for federal government does allow for abandoning
• Uh, how much is for mileage?
• And so I'm not asking you for mileage?
• them to go farther down the... that would allow an electric utility to that would allow an electric

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> installing this as time allows. installing this as time allows.
• So we're looking at mileage, we're looking at odometer readings.
• </c> and so we do allow for that. and so we do allow for that.
• </c><01:19:02.840><c> allowed</c><01:19:03.240><c> to</c><01:19:03.320><c> do</c> you know, being allowed
• allowed to do you know, being allowed allowed to do the<01:19:03.560><c> stall</c><01:19:03.880><c>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Government Operations held an informational briefing with the State Procurement Office on its small business procurement program. SPO staff described the program’s purpose as expanding access to state contracting for small businesses, including veteran-, Native Hawaiian-, and women-owned firms, and said they are seeking to make the current five-year initiative permanent before it ends in June 2027. They reported outreach efforts, a new website and newsletter, statewide surveys, draft administrative rules, and a 38% increase in small business registrations in the HANS database. They also explained that the program is intended to support outreach, education, certification, compliance, and a statewide database to connect agencies with qualified small businesses. Committee members focused heavily on whether the program is producing measurable contract awards, not just registrations. The chair and senators questioned the definition of “small business,” noting that SPO currently relies on SBA standards in HANS and is considering a Hawaii-specific definition based on employees, revenue, and Hawaii residency. Members raised concerns that the data showed only a small number of registered businesses receiving awards and that the database does not yet track awards well enough to evaluate performance. SPO responded that the database has had funding gaps, that the position was only filled in February 2025, and that the agency is still building the system and rules needed to track outcomes accurately. A major theme was how to make the program more effective for very small or “micro” businesses and how to reduce the complexity of state procurement. Members discussed the difference between set-asides and bid preferences, with SPO explaining that set-asides are generally tied to RFPs and preferences to IFBs. The committee suggested that future rules should make participation easier, provide more training and hand-holding, and possibly create pathways for micro businesses or groups of small businesses to bid together. No votes or formal actions were taken; the briefing ended with the committee asking SPO to provide more performance data and clearer information on outreach results and database contents.