Transcript Highlights:

• This is a denied and dismissed claim from the Claims Commission that was appealed by the claimants.
• The respondent denied liability and moved to dismiss the claim, and the Claims Commission granted the
• motion, finding that the Claims Commission... ...and moved to dismiss the claim, and the Claims Commission
• So the date that they could have claimed those excess proceeds. And claim excess proceeds.
• Commission as to this claim.

Committee: All JBC-CLAIMS

Summary: The Joint Budget Committee’s Claims Review and Litigation Oversight Subcommittee met to consider two proposed litigation settlements from the Department of Corrections and one appealed claim from the Claims Commission. In the first settlement, Caroline Arnett v. Larry Norris, et al., members asked about the underlying sexual assault allegations, whether policies had changed, and whether PREA audits and other safeguards were in place. The department said audits were underway and that steps had been taken to prevent similar conduct. The committee approved the settlement by voice vote. In the second settlement, Latasha Ridgel v. Arkansas Department of Corrections, members raised concerns about the length of the case and the fact that it involved similar allegations. The department cited attorney turnover, COVID-related delays, and scheduling difficulties; the settlement was approved by voice vote. The committee then reviewed Sharon Greer and Deanna Hayes v. Commissioner of State Lands, an appeal of a Claims Commission dismissal involving a 2009 tax sale of family property in Crittenden County. The claimants said they did not learn of the sale or the $4,200 in excess proceeds until 2025, and argued that notice was inadequate and that the overage should not have gone to the county. The Commissioner of State Lands’ office responded that notice was sent to addresses on file, certified mail receipts were returned, and a post-sale notice explained the process for contesting the sale and claiming excess proceeds. The office also argued the claim was untimely, that the commission lacked jurisdiction, and that state law bars monetary damages against the commissioner for actions related to tax-delinquent land sales. Members discussed broader concerns about the tax-sale and excess-proceeds process, including whether excess proceeds should be held longer or routed differently, but noted those issues would require legislative changes rather than action in this case. The committee then voted to affirm the Claims Commission’s dismissal of the claim. The meeting adjourned after the motion passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a denied and dismissed claim from the Claims Commission that was appealed by the claimants.
• The respondent denied liability and moved to dismiss the claim, and the Claims Commission granted the
• The Claims Commission granted the motion, finding that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the claim
• Commission as to this claim.
• Claims Commission.

Committee: All JBC-CLAIMS REVIEW/LITIGATION REPORTS OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The Joint Budget Committee’s Claims Review and Litigation Reports Oversight Subcommittee met to consider two proposed Department of Corrections litigation settlements and one appealed claim from the Claims Commission. The first settlement, Caroline Arnett v. Larry Norris et al., involved allegations of long-term sexual abuse by a corrections employee. Committee members asked about PREA audits, facility practices, and whether the inmate had been placed at the proper facility. The department said audits and other safeguards were underway, and the committee approved the settlement. The second settlement, Latasha Ridgel v. Arkansas Department of Corrections, also involved sexual harassment/assault allegations. Members questioned the seven-year delay in the case and whether the issue was systemic; the department cited attorney turnover, COVID delays, and legislative changes making inmate exposure a felony. The committee approved that settlement as well. The committee then heard an appeal in Sharon Greer and Deanna Hayes v. Commissioner of State Lands, a denied and dismissed claim involving a tax-delinquent sale of family property in Crittenden County. Staff and the Commissioner of State Lands’ office said the property was certified in 2000, sold in 2009 after notice was sent, and that excess proceeds were available for a limited period before escheating to the county. The claimants argued they were not properly notified of the sale or the excess proceeds and only learned of the matter in 2025 after receiving the deed at a family funeral. Committee members discussed the notice process, statute of limitations, and the handling of excess proceeds, with several noting the issue may call for legislative review rather than relief in this case. After debate, the committee voted to affirm the Claims Commission’s dismissal of the Greer/Hayes claim. Members also discussed broader concerns about how excess proceeds from tax sales are handled and whether the current statutory process should be revisited in future legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• because, as my constituents told me, in their facility they refused the request to install one, claiming
• they're enrolled, since providers can be operating once they're enrolled and have time to submit claims
• they're enrolled, since providers can be operating once they're enrolled and have time to submit claims
• they're enrolled, since providers can be operating once they're enrolled and have time to submit claims
• Section 16 and section 17 are adjusting the advanced care directive requirement.

Bills: HF3935 , HF2216 , HF4354 , HF4210 , HF4212

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, training, unlicensed personnel, resident rights, safety regulations, nursing home, long-term care, guardian, conservator, arbitration, mandatory arbitration, consumer protection, fee increase, rate increase, price hike, private pay, public funds, Medicaid, waiver services

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a denied and dismissed claim from the Claims Commission that was appealed by the claimants.
• The respondent denied liability and moved to dismiss the claim, and the Claims Commission granted the
• motion, finding that the Claims Commission ...and moved to dismiss the claim, and the Claims Commission
• So the date that they could have claimed those excess proceeds... ...and claim excess proceeds.
• Commission as to this claim.

Committees: All JBC-CLAIMS , All JBC-CLAIMS REVIEW/LITIGATION REPORTS OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Department of Veterans Affairs claims Department of Veterans Affairs claims representatives<00:07
• </c><00:08:19.199><c> We</c> on claims. But that is simply false. We on claims.
• </c> pay an attorney or a claims pay an attorney or a claims representative<00:10:45.519><c> for</c><
• </c> to debunk misinformation that claim to debunk misinformation that claim sharks<00:11:36.560><c>
• Thank you. claim, those individuals will keep, claim, those individuals will keep, well,<00:18:51.200

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These claims, although the claims date back to payments that were issued or that were owed earlier, the
• claim for another payment.
• program these claims although the claims date back to payments that were issued or that were that were
• That limits the number of claims that need to wait for the next claims bill, and as a result we have.
• .. ...of claims that need to wait for the next claims bill, and as a result we have actually had fewer

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on July 9, 2025, with a quorum present and opened by taking up its consent and suspense calendars. Several Senate bills were moved on consent, including SB 255, 361, 385, 387, 428, 602, 648, 652, and 693, along with SB 78 on a separate due-pass motion. The suspense calendar was then deemed approved without further discussion. The committee next heard AB 1533, a claims bill authorizing a General Fund appropriation of $672 million to pay state claims, including $600 to the Franchise Tax Board and $72 million to the DMV for stale claims. Assemblymember Wicks presented the bill as one of the annual claims measures, and the Department of Finance and Department of General Services both supported it. Assemblymember Dixon raised concerns about the age of claims, the cost and efficiency of the process, and whether the state could improve how it verifies and pays claims more quickly. After brief public comment was invited, the committee held a roll call vote on AB 1533 and the bill was moved out of committee. The meeting then adjourned after a late-arriving member was added to the roll call for the consent calendar and AB 1533.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they were trying to claim some piece of his success, but of course everybody wanted to.
• will set the standards and the training, and then it will fall back to the board, the council, to adjust
• So it'll be the best and brightest in the state coming up with this modern curriculum that can adjust
• So DPS can add anything to the curriculum by not requiring it statutorily, but they can actually adjust

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And they were trying to claim some piece of his success, but of course everybody wanted to.
• will set the standards and the training, and then it will fall back to the board, the council, to adjust
• So it'll be the best and brightest in the state coming up with this modern curriculum that can adjust
• So DPS can add anything to the curriculum by not requiring it statutorily, but they can actually adjust

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, an invocation, pledges, and a series of announcements and guest introductions tied to several recognition days, including Disability Rights Awareness Day, Elevate the Spectrum Day, Geothermal Rising Legislative Day, DWI Awareness Day, and Adult Education and Literacy Day. Senators also welcomed guests for New Mexico Down Syndrome Day and other constituent visits, and the chamber read certificates recognizing the Hurley family and the New Mexico Military Museum, as well as adult education and literacy programs across the state. Testimony and remarks highlighted the service of the Hurley family, the importance of adult education for workforce and civic participation, and the contributions of people with disabilities and their families. The Senate adopted multiple committee reports and received House messages on several bills and resolutions. On third reading, the Senate passed Senate Bill 96, as amended, which streamlines child care licensing and reduces administrative barriers to opening or expanding child care homes and centers; an HOA-related floor amendment was adopted after discussion about local restrictions and neighborhood traffic concerns. The chamber then passed Senate Bill 14, as amended, which expands the state’s health professional loan repayment program with $25 million in funding split between physicians and allied health professionals/nurses, with questions focused on eligibility, prioritization, and whether the funding would be sufficient to address shortages. Senators also debated the bill’s support for part-time service and its role in helping New Mexico compete for medical workers. The Senate next passed Senate Bill 104 unanimously, establishing a process for removing a wildlife commissioner that requires gubernatorial initiation, notice and a hearing, and direct review by the state Supreme Court; debate centered on due process, the removal standard of incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance, and how the new process compares with prior law. Finally, the chamber took up Senate Bill 50, which would give the Law Enforcement Training Standards Council more flexibility to set training curricula for officers, especially in rural departments; sponsors said the bill preserves minimum training while allowing updates for current issues, but several senators raised concerns that the measure could weaken explicit statutory requirements for domestic violence and sexual assault training and asked how those topics would remain protected in the future curriculum.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are there instances where refineries have claimed insolvency, like idle wells and orphaned wells, and
• Now is not the time for major reforms and changes to the program, but rather simple adjustments that
• Now is not the time for major reforms and changes to the program, but rather simple adjustments that
• Now is not the time for major reforms and changes to the program, but rather simple adjustments that

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy, Transportation, and Natural Resources focused on California’s transportation fuels sector, especially the state’s response to refinery closures and the broader transition away from fossil fuels. Opening remarks emphasized the tension between climate and air-quality goals, fuel affordability, refinery jobs and local tax bases, and the need to avoid crisis-driven responses as Phillips 66 and Valero consider shutting refineries in Wilmington and Benicia. Professor Emily Grubert framed the issue as a long-term managed transition in which the public already bears much of the risk and should also capture benefits from a well-planned shift. CARB Chair Leanne Randolph reviewed the state’s emissions and fuel policies, including AB 32, the low-carbon fuel standard, clean vehicle programs, and the at-berth regulation for ocean-going vessels. She said California’s transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gases and a major source of smog-forming pollution, but that the state has made substantial progress and still needs to reduce demand for fossil fuels while maintaining compliance with federal air-quality standards. Randolph also said CARB’s recent LCFS amendments had not caused the predicted spike in gas prices and explained that compliance pathways for the at-berth rule include emissions-reduction technologies or payments into a remediation fund. CEC Vice Chair Gunda described declining gasoline demand, shrinking in-state refining capacity, and growing dependence on imports, arguing that the state is in a “mid-transition” period that requires both support for legacy infrastructure and continued investment in cleaner alternatives. He outlined the administration’s petroleum market stabilization proposal, which aims to return California crude production to 125 million barrels a year through four components: codifying the ban on fracking, validating the Kern County oil-and-gas permitting ordinance, creating a temporary CEQA exemption paired with a two-for-one plug-and-drill framework, and strengthening pipeline and spill-safety requirements. Department of Conservation Director Jennifer Lucasey said the proposal is intended to stabilize crude supply and pipeline throughput while preserving health and environmental protections, and noted that CalGEM would still review permits and enforce other requirements. Mayor Steve Young of Benicia testified that a Valero closure would significantly reduce city revenue and leave the community facing years of cleanup and redevelopment challenges. He said the city supports environmental protection but is worried about the economic hit, the possibility that Benicia becomes a fuel-import terminal, and the lack of local influence over refinery decisions. Members pressed the panel on the CEQA exemption, tribal and habitat review, disclosure of closure liabilities, fuel-demand projections, and whether the proposal should include more demand-side measures. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and officials said some proposals, including a margin-cap pause and further transition planning, would be taken up later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• with—we actually had a school where teachers couldn't take the test and be able to make prompt adjustments
• Enlow: Which finds that students in choice programs drop slightly in achievement initially as they adjust
• that tuition actually in the 10 states, in the states that have adopted school choice, inflation-adjusted
• You're having to include federal and local dollars when you claim that there is savings.

Bills: HB 3

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, public safety infrastructure, Project 25, P25, broadband emergency alerting, outdoor warning sirens, homeland security, disaster response

Transcript Highlights:

• They had not been raised in a very long time, so that it was just an adjustment.
• So there's money because people paid for their malpractice insurance and there weren't enough claims.
• I suspect it was probably an adjustment." "Not sure. Remember, we had something in the budget.
• It has the general funds and the federal funds that we claim and budget. >> Right.
• It has the general funds and the federal funds that we claim and budget. All right.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds met to review inactive and dedicated accounts, note prior legislation that had passed, and begin its annual review of agency funds. Members discussed several inactive funds, including some HHS-related accounts, a law enforcement memorial fund, and possible cleanup of accounting references where funds had been reorganized or merged. Staff noted that some newer funds may simply not have started receiving revenue yet, and the committee agreed to follow up on specific accounts later rather than address everything immediately. The committee then heard from Fish and Game on its dedicated funds. Topics included the statewide public boat access account, which is used for boat ramp and access-site maintenance and is supported by boat registration fees and federal funds; the ORV education, training, and enforcement account, which has declined over time and may need attention because revenue depends heavily on weather and snowmobile use; and the search and rescue account, which is funded by Hike Safe cards, a $1 fee from boat and OHRV registrations, and court-ordered fees. Fish and Game also explained that the conservation license plate fund had been merged into the non-game species management account, which is supported by donations, federal funds, and a statutory general fund transfer, and that pheasants are treated as game species under a separate program. The committee spent considerable time on the lifetime license account, an off-book Treasury-held account that collects lifetime license sales and returns funds to Fish and Game based on annual sales plus 9% of the fund balance. Members questioned why the account’s presentation did not clearly show the transfer as a revenue reduction and suggested the reporting format needed cleanup so the flow of money would be easier to understand. Fish and Game said the account is operating properly and that the transfer to the unrestricted Fish and Game fund exceeded $400,000 in the most recent year. The committee also reviewed the publications and fundraising revolving fund, which keeps a $100,000 balance for inventory purchases and transfers excess year-end funds to the unrestricted Fish and Game fund; members again raised concerns that the reporting format did not clearly show the transfer, and staff said they could add a note or other clarification.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we look at Connecticut, Connecticut has a claims commissioner who has to look at all claims before
• The blue bar represents all claims, and what we see is the claims also climbing.
• Twenty-two of those claims were dismissed by the court because the claimant either abandoned their claim
• Of the 36 claims, 14 claims were deemed eligible.
• Three of the claims were contested.

Summary: The committee held a work session on tort liability and parole, with the chair explaining that the topics were linked because criminal justice reform and state liability often intersect, especially in cases involving child welfare and corrections. Staff first outlined Washington’s tort liability framework, including the state’s broad waiver of sovereign immunity, statutes governing mandatory reporting and investigation of abuse, the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations, and the lack of caps on non-economic damages. Staff and presenters also compared Washington to other states and noted that Washington remains among the broadest states for state liability and childhood sexual abuse claims. Presenters from the Attorney General’s office, Washington State Association for Justice, DCYF, DSHS, and DOC discussed how tort exposure has grown, especially in claims involving DCYF, historical child abuse, juvenile rehabilitation, vulnerable adults, employment discrimination, medical negligence, and negligent supervision. DCYF and AG staff said claims and payouts are rising, with many claims tied to older abuse and new theories of liability, while defense counsel emphasized the human harm behind the claims and argued that tort cases have historically driven accountability and reform. Agency witnesses said they face large volumes of old claims with limited records, rising verdicts and settlements, and staffing and systems challenges, and they highlighted efforts such as early resolution programs, electronic health records, medication-assisted treatment, and improved incident review processes. The committee then shifted to parole. Sentencing experts reviewed Washington’s move from indeterminate sentencing to the current determinate sentencing system under the Sentencing Reform Act, and explained how parole could be integrated with sentencing guidelines through different models used in other states. They also summarized Criminal Sentencing Task Force recommendations related to a determinate-plus approach for three-strikes and persistent offender laws and a second-chance review process, noting there was no consensus on those ideas. Judges from the Minority and Justice Commission and the Superior Court Judges Association said a parole system could support rehabilitation and reduce disparities if it includes data collection, fairness, transparency, due process, and meaningful judicial review; they also pointed to research suggesting parole and structured reentry can reduce recidivism and costs, while warning that access and outcomes can vary by geography and other factors.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our wage claim process is broken.
• The eight steps are: you file your claim.
• And this was a seven-year-old claim. That worker got paid.
• And this has been effective in resolving claims early because as soon as you put their name on the claim
• What do you see as the claims, I guess, that are coming into you?

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment held a review hearing on SB 588, focused on wage theft enforcement and whether the law’s tools are working as intended. Committee members emphasized that wage theft is a major and under-enforced form of theft in California, citing large backlogs in wage claims and long delays that can leave workers waiting years for payment. The hearing was framed as oversight of the Labor Commissioner’s enforcement authority and a discussion of whether additional tools or funding are needed to improve collections and deter bad actors. Witnesses from UCLA, worker advocacy organizations, and legal aid described SB 588’s main enforcement mechanisms, including liens, levies, stop-work orders, successor and individual liability, and the ability to pursue upstream entities in fissured industries. They argued these tools have improved settlement leverage and recovery rates, especially in janitorial and property services cases, and gave examples involving Tesla, Cheesecake Factory, Optum, and grocery and care-home employers. At the same time, they said the law is less effective in industries like residential care, where employers often transfer assets or change ownership before judgments are collected, and they urged changes such as broader prejudgment lien authority, more license-revocation power, and additional staffing for the Judgment Enforcement Unit. Worker testimony highlighted the human impact of delayed or unpaid wages. A care worker described being underpaid, denied pay for breaks and off-the-clock work, and facing intimidation when filing claims. Marta Lepe Martinez said she was owed more than $300,000, waited more than three years for a hearing, and still had not recovered any money despite a judgment and a lien on property. Another worker advocate explained that SB 588 helped identify responsible individuals and businesses earlier, increasing the chance of recovery, but said more resources and faster enforcement are still needed. Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower said SB 588 has significantly improved collections, reporting that the Judgment Enforcement Unit has recovered $125 million since enactment and that first-year recovery rates have risen from 17% to 46%. She said the agency is using liens, levies, stop orders, and individual liability more aggressively, but acknowledged that the tools are limited when employers are undercapitalized, hide assets, or transfer property before judgment. She supported the need for more staff and continued legislative investment. Public comment from SEIU California also backed SB 588’s framework and encouraged focusing enforcement on bad actors and expanding the law’s reach.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when someone has a tort claim against the state, they must first submit the claim to the Office of
• , that that will help us control claims that are being brought and that we're only paying out on claims
• As you've heard me testify in the past, often cities settle claims, regardless of the merit of the claim
• , number of claims, or description of claims.
• We bring federal 1983 claims along with state claims and we demand juries.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 6239, which would require civil arbitration for tort claims against the state and its subdivisions before trial. Staff explained current tort-claim procedures and said the bill would apply arbitration to claims of any dollar amount, with a fiscal note pending. The sponsor said Washington’s liability exposure is unusually high and argued the bill would promote early resolution without limiting jury trials, damage caps, or attorney fees. Members asked who pays for arbitration and whether trial rights are preserved; staff said costs are generally split and the bill preserves a jury trial de novo. Testimony on SB 6239 was sharply divided. Counties, cities, school districts, risk pools, and some public-safety groups supported the bill, saying rising liability and insurance costs are straining budgets and threatening core services. Opponents included trial lawyers, legal aid groups, victim advocates, journalists, and survivors of abuse, who argued the bill would create barriers to justice, delay relief, increase costs for claimants, reduce transparency, and retraumatize survivors by forcing private arbitration before a public trial. Several witnesses said the bill was too broad because it would cover employment, contract, and other claims, not just torts involving abuse or negligence. After public testimony closed, the committee noted the large number of sign-ins, with far more in opposition than in support. The committee then took up Senate Bill 6074, which would reinstate parole for certain felony offenses committed on or after July 1, 2027, allow eligible incarcerated people to petition the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board after serving 60% of their sentence, and create a parole implementation work group. Supporters said it would recognize rehabilitation and improve reentry, while some witnesses raised concerns about the bill’s prospective-only application, the 60% threshold, and the need to address racial disparities and parole criteria more fully. The sponsor said the parole bill was paired with tort-liability reform because criminal justice reform advocates have said liability changes are needed to restore parole in Washington.

Transcript Highlights:

• It preserves those claims.
• This includes preserving consumer protection claims and Anti-Spill Act claims, environmental claims,
• all those types of claims.
• And the idea would be that making this more clear will get rid of frivolous claims or claims that the
• Those types of claims, this doesn't touch any of those types of claims.

Committee: House Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and took up House Bill 3443, relating to court costs. Members adopted House Committee Amendment 1, which changed a January reference to July, updated language regarding the Department of Labor or its successors, and removed round-up numbers. The committee then rolled the amendment into a House Committee substitute and voted the substitute do pass by a roll call of 11 ayes and 1 no. House Bill 3304, concerning the offense of keeping a dangerous dog, was then amended to restore prior-bite language and narrow the injury definition to serious physical injury; the committee adopted the amendment, adopted a substitute, and voted the bill do pass 11-1. House Bill 2865, dealing with attorney’s fees and expenses in civil actions and agency proceedings, was approved do pass 12-0. House Bill 2255 was announced as not being taken up that day. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. House Bill 2777, the Public Nuisance Reform Act, was presented as a measure to narrow public nuisance claims, limit suits involving lawful products and regulated activities, strengthen causation requirements, and restrict who may sue and what damages may be recovered. Supporters from consumer reform, insurance, and civil justice groups said it would curb abusive litigation while preserving traditional nuisance claims; no opposition testimony was offered. House Bill 2667, the Eliminate Criminal Profiteering Act, would bar negligence claims arising from a person’s own wrongful conduct, limit negligent security liability, require apportionment of fault in some cases, and restrict certain recoveries by unauthorized aliens in auto cases. The sponsor and supporters said it would prevent criminals from profiting from their wrongdoing and protect businesses, while committee members raised questions about scope, premises liability, and sovereign immunity. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2666, an anti-SLAPP bill intended to provide a faster dismissal process for lawsuits that are meant to chill speech or petitioning activity. The sponsor and supporters said it would protect free expression and align Missouri with other states, while still preserving claims for genuinely harmed parties. No opposition testimony was presented on either House Bill 2667 or House Bill 2666, and the hearing concluded without any votes on the public hearing bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes preserving consumer protection claims, anti-spill act claims, and environmental claims.
• They've brought them under other kinds of claims.
• And the idea would be that making this more clear will get rid of frivolous claims or claims that the
• Those types of claims, this doesn't touch any of those types of claims.
• Trespassers can't bring negligent security claims.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At this time, we're going to adjust the agenda just a little bit, folks.
• c><00:03:23.280><c> we're</c><00:03:23.360><c> going</c><00:03:23.480><c> to</c><00:03:23.560><c> adjust
• </c> At this time uh we're going to adjust At this time uh we're going to adjust the<00:03:24.320><c>
• There were some adjustments, let's say. Um, and those were provided in your answers.
• And we, this legislature, tried to tackle some of the claim sharks last time.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting opened with the pledge and prayer, a roll call established quorum, and members announced a Veterans Caucus meeting to follow the session. The committee also recognized distinguished veteran Joe Mash Masterson of Bardstown, who was praised for his Army service, long-time advocacy for veterans, and leadership in the American Legion and local veteran organizations. Masterson thanked his family, the American Legion Post 121, and the VA staff, and several members offered remarks honoring his service and the committee’s practice of recognizing veterans. The committee then briefly addressed a referred administrative regulation, 017 KAR 001 030, which leadership described as technical updates to existing policy; no vote was taken. After that, members heard testimony from KDVA and Finance and Administration officials on the ongoing HVAC replacement project at the Radcliffe Veteran Center. Officials said the system had been problematic for years, that design work began early to accelerate the project, and that the work was complicated by the need to replace the system in an operating nursing facility. They explained that the project was bid in March, awarded to Less Mechanical, and that protective measures, shop drawings, and equipment orders were underway. Committee members pressed officials on why the problem had taken so long to resolve, why the original system had been installed, whether the issue had been communicated regularly, and whether the state should be paying for a replacement in a relatively new facility. Officials said the original system’s components and warranties had failed, that they had tried to replace parts before moving to a full replacement, and that the system’s manufacturer and quality differed from a similar facility in Glasgow that had not had the same issues. They said the current phase one contract was about $6 million, with the remaining funds held for phase two to restore full occupancy; phase two design was nearly complete and could be bid later if funding is approved. Officials estimated phase one completion around January 2026 and full completion around March 2027, depending on funding and scheduling.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our wage claim process is broken.
• The eight steps are: you file your claim.
• And this was a seven-year-old claim, right? So receivership's super powerful.
• to put on their wage claim, we first talk about all the businesses.
• And this has been effective in resolving claims early because as soon as you put their name on the claim

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One is exoneration claims, second is personal injury claims, and third is property claims.
• In the history of the claims bill prior to this, the largest exoneration claim was for an individual
• There are two other exoneration claims this year and one personal injury claim.
• injury claims, and third is property claims.
• There are two other exoneration claims this year and one personal injury claim.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and we have at least one individual claim whose claim is over $1.5 million.
• Um, and we have at least one individual claim whose claim is over $1.5 million.
• So, the claims, we gave folks a couple months to get the claims in.
• So, we got the claims going. Claims took a couple months.
• </c> a chance to shore up their claim. a chance to shore up their claim.

Keywords: 1183, house