Transcript Highlights:

• Amendment No. 3 removes language relative to the increase of premium upon renewal.
• companies use the age of the roof to set the policy premium.
• And I've also never had a situation where the premium is increased based on them not fixing something
• And I've also never had a situation where the premium is increased based on them not fixing something
• So I don't think it leads to increased litigation.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on May 6 with a quorum and first reported favorably House Resolution 196 by Rep. Owen. The resolution creates a special study committee to examine the impact of fallen trees on residential property, property values, daily life, and the insurance market. Rep. Owen said the goal is to study whether homeowners who remove risky trees should be considered for incentives or discounts, and members discussed whether homeowners association restrictions on tree removal should also be examined. The committee next reported favorably Senate Bill 100 by Sen. Jenkins, which requires transportation network company drivers to provide the correct proof of insurance after an accident and disclose whether they were logged into the ride-share app or on a prearranged ride. Supporters said the bill would ensure the proper ride-share-specific coverage is produced and reduce administrative problems when accidents occur. House Bill 408 by Rep. Jordan, dealing with homeowners insurance cancellations after a homeowner timely mitigates risks, drew opposition from the insurance industry. Opponents argued the bill addressed a problem they said does not generally occur and could create confusion or litigation, especially given existing notice rules. After discussion, the committee adopted a committee amendment changing a notice period from 90 days to 60 days, and Rep. Jordan voluntarily deferred the bill. The committee then took up House Bill 625 by Rep. Jordan on peer-to-peer car sharing programs. Members adopted technical amendments and a substantive amendment requiring a state-admitted or approved physical damage policy when no contractual protection package is in place, with a deductible cap and subrogation rights. Enterprise representative Ryan Haney said the company supported the broader effort but disagreed with the amended approach; the committee nevertheless reported the bill favorably as amended. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So don't be so quick to give away our insurance premiums and knock people off the rolls.
• So don't be so quick to give away our insurance premiums and knock people off the rolls.
• So just from 2023 to 2025, their rate has increased by like 70%.
• All of us who are fully insured will pay the higher premium.
• All of us who are fully insured will pay the higher premium.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee discussed three ambulance reimbursement bills and tried to distinguish their approaches. House Bill 185 would require insurers to pay the full amount billed by an ambulance provider when there is no contract rate, with no balance billing to the patient; the Insurance Department clarified that emergency ambulance services are already covered under the benchmark plan, so the bill’s reference to policies without ambulance coverage is effectively meaningless. House Bill 725 would set reimbursement at 325% of the Medicare rate for non-contract ambulance services and prohibit balance billing. House Bill 316 was described as addressing the broader problem that Medicare/Medicaid rates are low and that current balance billing shifts costs to patients or municipalities; its sponsor said the bill would require insurers to pay a rate that gives providers a fighting chance to remain in business, and he viewed 325% of Medicare as the most logical option. Members debated whether insurers should pay the billed amount, a negotiated in-network rate, or a regulated percentage of Medicare. Some argued that out-of-network ambulance providers are underpaid and that in-network rates are often too low to sustain service, especially for emergency providers who cannot steer patients. Others said ambulance companies should not be able to bill whatever they want and questioned the fairness of charging insured patients or insurers more than the service is worth. There was also discussion of whether rate schedules should be reviewed by an oversight body and whether different costs in rural areas justify different reimbursement levels. A recurring issue was balance billing and who ultimately bears the shortfall. Several members said balance billing harms patients and often does not get paid, leaving cities and towns or property taxpayers to cover the difference for municipal ambulance services. Others argued that shifting the cost to insurance premiums would spread the burden more fairly, though it could raise premiums by a few dollars per person per month. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt; the discussion focused on clarifying the bills and weighing their policy tradeoffs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Number one, SB203: we feel like it will increase costs.
• The 85% minimum loss ratio will drive up premiums; that has been well documented in other states.
• our costs, resulting in an increased legislative ask to this legislature of $149 million.
• The context you're talking about, your typical health premium is about $500 for an individual.
• Our age dental premium was $26, so 15% of $500...

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• experience, on average, a 97% increase in monthly health insurance premiums.
• And health insurance premium growth is surpassing the median household income and cost-of-living increases
• The problem is that the underlying cost drivers of health care premiums are increasing rapidly.
• And so we shouldn't just assume that every year you're going to have an increase in your premiums.
• We shouldn't just assume that every year you're going to have an increase in your premiums, nor should

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1377, a bill on medical exemptions for school immunizations. The author and supporters said the measure was a narrow reform to restore physician discretion and reduce what they described as chilling effects from audits and license discipline; opponents from pediatric, medical, public health, and school groups argued the current system already works, protects against fraudulent exemptions, and should not be weakened. Committee members debated the data, the number of exemptions reviewed or revoked, and the effect of the proposed amendments. The bill was amended in committee, but because there was no quorum it was not formally voted on at that time. The committee then heard SB 995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, which would create a statewide inspection and compliance framework for large private detention facilities. The author and supporters described severe conditions in immigration detention, including denial of medication, unsafe food and water, and lack of oversight, and the bill was presented as a response to those abuses. The California Hospital Association raised concerns about duplicative regulation and overlapping standards, but said it was continuing to work on a solution. The committee discussed constitutional and jurisdictional issues, and the bill was moved on a do-pass motion to the Committee on Judiciary with a 5-0 vote placed on call. Next, SB 1089 was heard, proposing expanded access through CalPERS and CalRX to GLP-1 medications for chronic weight disease and diabetes prevention. The author and supporters from the American Diabetes Association and medical groups argued the drugs are effective tools to prevent type 2 diabetes, reduce long-term costs, and improve health equity, while the author also shared personal experience with weight loss and medication access barriers. There was no opposition testimony. The bill was moved on a do-pass motion to the Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement with a 5-0 vote placed on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 1221, dealing with Murphy conservatorships for people found not guilty by reason of insanity or otherwise under criminal-mental health conservatorship. Supporters, including prosecutors and psychiatrists, said the bill addresses a gap created by a court decision and would improve public safety and placement decisions for a small population of high-risk individuals. Opponents from county behavioral health and disability rights groups warned it would turn a civil process into a quasi-criminal one, expand district attorney involvement, and disrupt bed prioritization and least-restrictive-placement principles. The discussion centered on the scope of the bill and its amendments, but no final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Amendment number three removes language that is relative to the increase of premium upon renewal.
• Amendment number three removes language that is relative to the increase of premium upon renewal.
• companies use the age of the roof to set the policy premium.
• And I've also never had a situation where the premium is increased based on them not fixing something
• So I don't think it leads to increased litigation.

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on May 6 and first heard H.R. 196, which would create a special study committee to examine the impacts of fallen trees on residential property, property values, daily life, and the insurance market. Representative Owen said the goal was to explore whether homeowners who proactively remove hazardous trees should receive some kind of insurance incentive or discount. Members generally supported the idea, with comments noting tree-related losses in hurricane damage and suggesting the study also consider homeowners association restrictions on tree removal. The resolution was reported favorably. The committee then considered Senate Bill 100, concerning proof of insurance for transportation network company drivers. Senator Jenkins explained the bill would require ride-share drivers involved in accidents to provide the correct ride-share-specific insurance and disclose whether they were logged into the app or on a prearranged ride, with penalties for failing to do so. Supporters from the Chiefs of Police were noted, and the bill was reported favorably. House Bill 408, dealing with homeowners insurance cancellations when policyholders timely mitigate risks, drew the most discussion. Representative Jordan said the bill was intended to prevent mid-policy cancellations after homeowners complete requested mitigation work, and committee amendments changed the bill from renewal language to cancellation language and shortened a notice period from 90 to 60 days. Insurance industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing the problem was not occurring in practice, that current notice rules already address the issue, and that the bill could create confusion and litigation. After debate, the committee adopted the amendment and then voluntarily deferred the bill. The committee also took up House Bill 625 on peer-to-peer car sharing programs. Representative Jordan described it as a measure to clarify insurance and liability rules for services like Turo, and the committee adopted two sets of technical and substantive amendments, including a requirement for admitted or approved physical damage coverage when no contractual protection package exists. Enterprise Rental Car’s representative said the company supported the broader policy discussion but disagreed with the amended version and wanted the issue revisited through NCOIL. The bill was reported favorably as amended, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• , really started using locality premium, really started using locality premium, but<01:43:35.360>
• , entry rate, and the locality premium, entry rate, and the locality premium, that<01:43:56.639><
• locality premium made a big difference. locality premium made a big difference.
• <01:48:07.119> were nursing and the locality premiums were nursing and the locality premiums
• So, it's yearly increases and stuff.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:14 Staff Report on the Firefighter Commission Minimum Training Standards and Administrative Spending- 00:02:02 Response from the Kentucky Fire Commission-00:32:06 Judge Testimony on Child Removal-00:42:47 Update on Child Removal and Reunification-01:11:19 Staffing at Kentucky Veteran Centers-01:40:15 Adjournment-02:05:55, 958, all

Summary: The Legislative Oversight and Investigation Committee met without a quorum, so no votes were taken. Staff presented a study of the Kentucky Fire Commission focused on firefighter minimum training standards and administrative spending. The presentation explained that Kentucky’s training standards are built from NFPA guidelines, that the commission currently requires 115 hours for volunteer firefighters and 300 hours for paid firefighters, and that those reduced hours were adopted by removing electives and other non-NFPA content. Staff also said the commission’s IFSAC certification testing for firefighter 1 and firefighter 2 aligns with NFPA standards, but the commission cannot require local departments to train or certify firefighters. Staff recommended that the commission formally promulgate regulations establishing the reduced training hours and work with KCTCS to better separate administrative costs for certain programs so compliance with the statute can be demonstrated. The finance portion of the report said the commission is funded by general fund appropriations for State Fire Rescue Training and by an insurance premium surcharge that supports the Firefighter Foundation Program Fund. Staff reported that the commission stayed within the 5% administrative cap tied to the overall surcharge allotment, but could not confirm compliance with a separate 5% cap for specific programs because KCTCS accounting does not break out those costs in enough detail. Staff suggested the General Assembly may want to clarify what counts as administrative cost in statute. Members asked about investment returns, local fire department funding, and whether training documentation is required; staff said some of those topics were outside the study scope and that IFSAC testing relies on chief certification that a candidate is ready to test. Representatives from the Fire Commission then responded, saying they agreed with the report’s recommendations and would work to clarify the 5% issue with legislators and KCTCS. They explained that the reduction in training hours was intended to remove electives, better align with NFPA standards, and address the difficulty volunteer departments have in getting members to complete lengthy training. Commission officials said training is documented through rosters and annual compliance reviews, and that IFSAC-certified firefighter testing is based on demonstrated skills rather than a required number of training hours. They also said the difficulty in tracking the second 5% cap stems from the way KCTCS’s PeopleSoft system records reimbursements as single transactions, making it hard to isolate administrative costs by program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, premiums offered of any plan option.
• Uh, profile of that lower premium plan.
• trade-off of paying lower premiums trade-off of paying lower premiums versus<00:07:24.000> having
• to offset that with a much lower premium to offset that with a much lower premium and<00:09:30.640
• > health with inflation or increased health with inflation or increased health insurance<00:38

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:30 Personnel Cabinet 00:03:25 Department of Veterans Affairs 00:12:40 Auditor of Public Accounts 00:22:39 State Treasurer 00:42:24, 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard from Personnel Cabinet officials on House Bill 6, which required the Kentucky Employees Health Plan to offer a qualified high-deductible health plan by the 2026 plan year. Officials said the plan was already added for 2025, described it as the lowest-premium option with higher deductibles, and explained that federal rules prevent first-dollar coverage except for limited preventive services. They said 264 members had selected the plan out of about 142,000, and noted it also allows health savings accounts. Members asked about the plan’s benefits, what “catastrophic” meant, the deductible amounts, and whether employees were aware of the option; the cabinet said it would continue to highlight the plan in communications and that the deductible is above $8,000 for individuals and above $16,000 for families. The committee then received an update from the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs on the Bowling Green veterans center. Officials said the current target is to move into the building on October 28, with first admissions about two months later, pending final fixes and certification steps for Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA. They explained that about $7 million in FY25 appropriations lapsed because of construction delays, staffing ramp-up was postponed to avoid unnecessary spending, and the unspent funds should be considered in the next budget request. Members praised the project and asked about annual operating costs; officials said the current operating budget is about $15 million, though they do not expect to spend all of it this year. The commissioner also announced the fifth annual state commanders conference in Lexington, focused on veterans issues and featuring state, federal, and advocacy leaders. State Auditor Allison Ball then outlined her office’s budget priorities. She said the office is primarily a billing agency that charges audited entities for its work, and warned that some agencies are now signaling they may refuse to pay for audits related to kinship care and the medical cannabis application process. She said the office plans to continue requesting outlier credits for unusually burdensome county audit fees, funding for the ombudsman office’s transition and expanded in-office operations, and revenue replacement for local government audits and possibly state audits and special examinations. Ball also said the office conducts about 500 audits, reviews, and examinations a year and wants to restore performance audits with seed funding, as well as add investigators to the ombudsman office to focus more on child abuse and neglect cases. Members discussed the value of performance audits, the possibility of raising certain board thresholds to account for inflation, and the need for additional capacity to handle more audits.

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to hear from farmers about the insurance premiums that are going up on the individual market.
• <00:03:58.560> that<00:03:58.799> are about the insurance premiums that are about the
• In October, uh, the new healthcare premiums will come out and we're expecting large increases there.
• <00:10:38.320> healthcare October uh the new premiums healthcare October uh the new premiums
• 10:39.600> and<00:10:39.760> we're premiums will come out and we're premiums will come

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, a bottle bill increased opposition.
• So that will increase the premium because of that reason. >> That's just a small percentage of people
• So that will increase the premium<04:58:19.200> because<04:58:19.440> that<04:58:19.600
• > reason premium because that reason premium because that reason >> that's<04:58:20.480>
• to offer a premium to those people. to offer a premium to those people.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Increased by 42.
• Given that increase, we're anticipating in the next fiscal year a continued increase, unfortunately,
• It partially funds health insurance premiums and does not fund risk premiums or due rates.
• higher at a 78% increase.
• The 80/20 in health care premium does more than it does for a 1% or a 4% increase? Mr.

Bills: SB48, SB64, SB100

Keywords: State Fairgrounds District, fairgrounds bonds, public financing, bond authorization, gross receipts tax, gaming tax, tax-backed bonds, infrastructure funding, Albuquerque fairgrounds, State Fair Tid, economic development, municipal bonds, revenue pledge, capital projects, New Mexico finance, special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a forced buyer of Treasuries and that's increasing demand for dollars.
• Some don't, and so we don't know, in other words, our premiums...
• Premiums.
• premiums paid in the last 20 years.
• and creating their income through investing the proceeds of premiums before paying claims.

Bills: SB 21, SB21, SB72, SB140, SB262, SB370, SB372, SB495, SB627, SB703, SB764, SB842

Keywords: emergency alerts, weather alerts, public safety, local government, municipality, county, website posting, online notice, emergency management, disaster preparedness, evacuation, National Weather Service, NOAA, Texas Division of Emergency Management, TDEM, localized alerts, hazard warnings, severe weather, watch warning advisory, public information

Transcript Highlights:

• They are increasing, in fact, and we're also seeing increased drug spend.
• or employer premium for 2025.
• as as we set premium rates. as as we set premium rates.
• That we're glad there was an increase, a rate increase, this year.
• teleaalth uh visits increased teleaalth uh visits increased considerably<01:01:18.799> since<

Keywords: Voter List Maintenance - State Board of Elections -- 05:38 State Employee Health Insurance Plan – 44:18 Discussion of HB 622 (2025 RS) – 01:01:43, 958, all

Summary: The Interim Committee on State Government met on July 29, established a quorum, approved the June 24 minutes unanimously, and heard an update from the State Board of Elections on voter list maintenance. Taylor Brown, the board’s general counsel, explained the federal NVRA requirements and Kentucky’s statutory process for maintaining voter rolls, including use of USPS change-of-address data, ERIC reports, and agreements with non-ERIC states. He said Kentucky has entered or discussed agreements with several states, and that the board sends postcards to voters believed to have moved; if a voter does not respond to an 8D2 postcard and does not vote over two federal election cycles, the registration may be removed. He also described other removal categories such as death, felony conviction, incompetency, duplicate registrations, and self-requested cancellations. Brown reported that between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, the board removed 284,381 registrations from the rolls, including 42,675 for death, 5,940 for felony conviction, 5,527 for registration in another state, 578 for incompetency, 223 based on jury questionnaires indicating non-citizenship, 746 self-removals, and 3,381 duplicates, along with 225,311 removals through the address-maintenance program. He said Kentucky’s total registrations decreased by roughly 169,000 over the year and are now below the Census Bureau’s estimate of the state’s voting-age population. Brown emphasized that receiving a postcard does not mean a voter has been purged and that failure to vote alone does not trigger removal. Members asked about the 223 non-citizen-related removals, the availability and effectiveness of alternatives to ERIC, the partisan criticism of ERIC, and how duplicate registrations are identified. Brown said the non-citizen jury questionnaire cases had been referred to the Attorney General for further review, that Kentucky currently has no organized alternative to ERIC but is pursuing reciprocal agreements with states such as Florida, and that ERIC recently changed bylaws to remove a postcard requirement that had been costly for member states. On duplicates, he said the board uses multiple data points, not just name and address, and noted that fuller Social Security data could improve accuracy. Committee leaders praised the board’s work and said they wanted to meet before session to discuss possible statutory changes to improve voter list maintenance.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:46:47.679> for paying premiums for paying premiums for claims.<01:46:49.440> If
• simply was not pricing the premiums simply was not pricing the premiums properly.<02:04:26.080><
• You're talking about the nuance between the impact for the people and the premium, the ultimate premium
• increase.
• the premium basically.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee continued work on Senate Bill 297 and a new amendment dealing with pooled risk management programs and whether they should be regulated under the insurance department. Lisa Duket, executive director of SchoolCare, testified at length that the draft language could allow co-mingling of public entity risk funds, could trigger producer-licensing requirements for staff who are not actually brokers, and may not fit public entity risk pools because they are not insurance companies. She also raised concerns about the March 1 reporting deadline, the proposed uniform accounting language, aggregate excess insurance, examination costs being charged to the program, and confidentiality provisions that she argued may conflict with right-to-know principles for public entities. She urged the committee to slow down and consider a study committee or more time for review, saying the regulated entities were not adequately involved in drafting the proposal. Chairman Hunt and the department responded that the bill is intended to create a licensure-based regulatory model, similar to other licensed industries, and that the pooled risk management program would be exempt from producer licensing while anyone else selling or negotiating such coverage would need a producer license. The department said failure to comply would be handled through an administrative licensing process, with denial or nonrenewal of a license and appeal through the department process. On the reporting deadline, the department said March 1 is a standard filing date used for financial analysis and that the filing can be the most recent annual report, regardless of fiscal year end. They also explained that the confidentiality language was taken from existing RSA 5B, that aggregate excess insurance was included as a solvency measure, and that the draft was intended to preserve familiar language while adapting it for pooled risk programs. The discussion did not include a final vote or formal action on the bill in the portion provided. The committee appeared to be compiling follow-up questions for the insurance department and considering whether additional revisions or a slower process would be needed before moving the bill forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• As health insurance costs have increased over time, so too have employer premiums.
• For the past decade, employer premiums have increased.
• also the increase in users.
• , the spending increases, and most importantly, the budget request increases of this body over the last
• , the spending increases, and most importantly, the budget requests increases of this body over the last

Summary: The Budget Committee met with a quorum and took up several bills. HB 677, relating to state-covered fertility preservation for employees undergoing cancer treatment, was introduced as coverage for egg and sperm preservation for up to three years, with an estimated fiscal impact of about $813,000. After brief questions and no public testimony or amendments, the bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee then considered CS/HB 59, which would reform Florida’s wrongful incarceration compensation process by extending the filing deadline from 90 days to two years, removing the clean-hands requirement, and allowing exonerees to choose between the state compensation process and a civil lawsuit; it was supported by the City of Flagler Beach and passed unanimously. CS/HB 1313, which recreates the Resilient Florida Trust Fund in the Department of Environmental Protection before its scheduled termination in 2025, also passed unanimously after supportive testimony from advocacy groups. The committee received a lengthy presentation from the Department of Management Services on the State Group Insurance Program and the recent Revenue Estimating Conference. The presentation covered enrollment, revenues and expenditures, rising medical and pharmacy costs, emergency room utilization, GLP-1 drug spending, and options for tighter formulary and utilization management. Members asked about ER cost growth, GLP-1 coverage and copays, PBM oversight and potential conflicts, avoidable ER visits, cancer screening claims, dental and vision costs, specialty drug biosimilars, and possible savings from more restrictive pharmacy models. DMS said it would follow up on several questions and noted ongoing work on cancer coordination, preventive screening, biomarker testing, and a proposed member-facing benefits platform. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 301, which would raise sovereign immunity caps from $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident to $1 million and $3 million, align limitations periods with private claims, and allow government entities to settle above the caps without a claims bill. Local governments, school-related entities, and county and city associations opposed the bill, warning of major fiscal impacts, higher insurance costs, and pressure on services; several speakers urged smaller increases or a tiered approach. Proponents, including families affected by catastrophic injury or death, argued the current caps are too low and the claims bill process is inefficient and unfair. After debate, the bill passed on a recorded vote, with some members voting no, and was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that insurance costs for rental housing have increased.
• Insurance premiums rise rather dramatically.
• to an 11% per annum increase, which is significant.
• We've been hearing a lot about insurance and storms increasing.
• Yet we've seen increased premiums and increased costs, and the Fair Plan of Massachusetts doesn't offer

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services heard testimony on a wide range of insurance-related bills, with much of the discussion focused on affordable housing insurance, homeowners insurance practices, climate resilience, and consumer protections after property losses. Senators and representatives testified in support of a resolve to create a commission on affordable housing insurance (S. 768/H. 1279), arguing that rising premiums and deductibles are threatening the viability of affordable housing properties and new development. Supporters also backed bills to establish private flood insurance standards (S. 719), create climate-resilient home retrofit grants (S. 720), expand the MVP climate resilience program (H. 1310/S. 686), and protect urban trees and limit insurer-driven tree removals (H. 1316). Several lawmakers and advocates said these measures would help reduce risk, preserve insurability, and address the effects of increasingly severe storms and flooding. The committee also heard testimony on bills addressing insurer use of aerial imagery (H. 1242/H. 2142) and notice periods for nonrenewals or repairs (H. 4042 and related measures). Supporters said insurers should be allowed to use drones and satellite images but with stronger guardrails, including current photos, disclosure of risk factors, an appeals process, and time to cure defects. They argued that homeowners are sometimes blindsided by nonrenewals based on inaccurate aerial photos or given too little time to make repairs. Opponents from the insurance industry said aerial imagery is already regulated by the Division of Insurance, that additional statutory requirements could create confusion and litigation, and that existing notice rules already provide 45 days for nonrenewals and 60-day limits on cancellations. Industry witnesses also warned that some proposed timelines conflict with current law and could restrict useful underwriting tools. Another major topic was H. 1077, which would restrict solicitation by restoration companies and public adjusters at fire scenes. A homeowner described being approached immediately after a house fire by restoration and public-adjuster representatives and said the experience was intrusive and overwhelming; supporters said homeowners need time and space to make informed decisions after a disaster. Public adjusters and restoration contractors opposed the bill, saying they provide needed guidance, emergency mitigation, and claims assistance when homeowners are under stress, and that some existing protections already allow consumers to cancel contracts. The hearing ended after all listed witnesses testified, and the committee voted to close the hearing; no bill dispositions were taken during the session.

Bills: SCR47, SCR21, SCR163, SCR169, SCR170, SCR50, SCR75, SCR149, HCR83, HCR111, HCR110, HCR122, HCR118, HCR61, HCR162, HCR36, HCR19, HCR106, HCR14, HCR178, SB3022, SB3102, SB3144

Keywords: sister-state, Hawaii, Okayama, Japan, cultural exchange, economic partnership, tourism, agriculture, international relations, healthcare, rural clinic, feasibility study, access to care, community health, Volcano community, Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, emergency services, health assessment, Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Legislative Cooperation

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 5170 by Letterback, relating to increasing the minimum term of imprisonment by changing the eligibility
• HB 5173 by Dean, relating to the annual reports of the adoption of title insurance premium rates, is
• HB 5173 by Dean, relating to the annual reports of the adoption of title insurance premium rates, is
• HB 5173 by Dean, relating to the annual reports of the adoption of title insurance premium rates, is
• HB 5173 by Dean, relating to the annual reports of the adoption of title insurance premium rates, is

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:03:29.440> federal continue to see increased federal continue to see increased federal
• then 19 and 20, which is the premium then 19 and 20, which is the premium subsidy<01:50:29.400><
• premium tax subsidies.
• that is reinsurance or this premium that is reinsurance or this premium subsidy<01:55:05.840>
• And so this premium subsidy increase.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• items, people who are paying a premium to simplify administration, we would only have premiums so we
• It institutes premiums; that is the intent here.
• This is instituting premiums on CHIP. Okay, would you describe what we're doing?
• amount that would be build in premiums amount that would be build in premiums would<01:52:32.480
• That point applies to both the Granite Advantage and the children's premiums. You got that?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first recessed briefly, then took up HB 570, the prescription drug affordability board (PDAB). The chair and several members discussed the House amendment to repeal the board, which removed the fiscal note. The main concern raised was that the PDAB had not yet produced a clear business case showing value for the taxpayer investment, despite several years of work and four annual reports. Supporters of the repeal said the board’s recent report was largely redundant and that the board should either demonstrate a strong return on investment or be shut down; others cautioned against discarding the program too quickly and urged more time to refine the mission and legislative language. No vote was taken, and the committee appeared to agree to retain the bill for further work, with the possibility of revisiting it in a formal executive session on Tuesday. Members also shifted into discussion of HB 2, beginning with Section 85 on opioid abatement trust fund dollars for shelter programs. Department of Health and Human Services officials explained that the provision would provide $10 million from the opioid abatement trust fund, replacing general funds in the governor’s budget, while also noting an additional $2.5 million prioritized needs request for shelter care that was already fully funded. Committee members asked about shelter bed capacity, job placement efforts, and the remaining balance in the opioid fund; DHHS said there are 934 contracted beds and that case management includes help with housing and employment. Officials also said the current proposed budget includes another $1 million later in HB 2 from the opioid fund. The committee then began discussion of Sections 86 through 87, which would preserve the department’s ability to transfer funds between personnel lines. DHHS said the provision is operationally critical and that losing it would make it extremely difficult to manage the department, though it would not have a direct fiscal impact. The next item introduced was Section 88, extending a suspension related to eligibility for services until July 1, 2027; DHHS indicated that if the suspension were not continued, it would likely increase expenditures for Community Mental Health Centers and potentially others. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's estimated that the cost to a single family each year is between $400 and $700 in increased premiums
• It's estimated that the cost to a single family each year is between $400 and $700 in increased premiums
• <00:03:33.720> premiums<00:03:34.239> due<00:03:34.480> to<00:03:35.159>
• um<00:03:35.599> uh $700 in increased premiums due to um uh $700 in increased premiums due
• Yeah, and so I end up raising my premium up $10,000 to keep it to where my deductible is $10,000, to

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:06 SB24 Discussion: 01:08 SB24 Vote: 13:22 SB18 Discussion: 14:40 SB18 Vote: 21:54, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 24, a measure aimed at combating property and casualty insurance fraud. Senator Girdler and witnesses from the Insurance Institute of Kentucky and the National Insurance Crime Bureau said the bill would expand the definition of a fraudulent insurance act to cover statements that misrepresent the scope of property damage or repair costs, with the goal of addressing inflated storm-damage claims and out-of-state bad actors. Members discussed whether existing prosecutors were already handling these cases, the role of Commonwealth’s attorneys versus the Attorney General, and the need to keep the bill narrowly tailored to criminal intent rather than negligence or ordinary disputes over value. The committee substitute was adopted, the bill received favorable expression, and a title amendment was also adopted. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, which would address a shortage of insurance options for automobile dealers by allowing nonadmitted carriers to provide garage liability coverage in Kentucky. Testimony from an insurance agent and a legislative agent for Big I Kentucky described a shrinking market in which some small dealers cannot find coverage at all, risking closure. Members asked about the meaning of garage liability, consumer protections, solvency concerns, and whether more competition could lower prices; witnesses said surplus lines carriers already operate in Kentucky, agents play an important vetting role, and errors-and-omissions coverage would apply to the agent. The bill was supported as a way to preserve dealer businesses and expand coverage options, and it passed the committee with favorable expression after roll call.