Transcript Highlights:

• So the best way to protect premiums is for the federal government to reverse course and allow our prior
• So it's important that California be prepared to impose a 100% tax on payments that would be made from
• this anti-weaponization fund and certain related settlement funds during the tax year of 2026 to 2029
• Americans by saying that we would have a 100% tax on payments from that anti-weaponization fund.
• And I will rephrase the purpose to provide improvement in provider payments because we all know that

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates a comprehensive federal regulatory scheme for payment stablecoin issuers.
• Third, Texas should consider establishing a payment stablecoin focused on select government payments,
• a state payment stablecoin would allow the state to responsibly use next-generation payment infrastructure
• can deliver faster settlement, lower transaction costs, greater transparency, and improved payment efficiency
• We're going to go in reverse order. So, Chair is going to open public testimony.

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that these payments need to continue to decrease.
• I believe that to be the governor's belief. ...that that's the best method of payment.
• And also, like, as to the opioid settlement dollars that the city of St.
• It's about a $1.3 million budget bill of opioid settlement dollars.
• It's for reimbursements to the federal government for TANF payments.

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The House Budget Committee met with a quorum and began by taking up a series of budget bills and committee substitutes, including House Bills 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, which were laid over. The chair then walked members through a committee amendment package, explaining a mix of technical corrections, fund swaps, and adjustments involving highway patrol fringe costs, summary budget timing, rural health care, the CCBHO FMAP correction, and marijuana-fund reallocations. Members adopted the chair’s decrease amendments and later adopted the corresponding increase amendments, including partial restoration for Care to Learn, a Title I grant language change, an Overpass and Seymour road project, technical corrections for DPS and health-related items, and restorations for Jordan Valley and FQHC substance abuse funding. After a brief recess for session and lunch, the committee returned to House Bill 2 and began considering member amendments. On House Bill 2, the committee adopted Representative Lewis’s amendment making the curriculum transparency and parent portal item a pilot program, and Representative Davidson’s amendment adding $2 million in federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds for One-Time Wonder School. Representative Steinhoff’s attempt to shift funding from Missouri Star Solutions and WorkKeys to the Success Ready Student Assessment failed, as did Representative Taylor’s proposal to move $1.2 million from career ladder to community college nursing programs. The committee then rejected Representative Steinhoff’s attempt to redirect Title I Innovation and Improvement Grant funds back to the governor’s recommendation, and later adopted Representative Steinhoff’s vocational rehabilitation amendment, which restored the department’s request and drew down additional federal matching funds. The committee also adopted Representative Hyne’s language amendment to allow flexibility between the MOQPK pre-K grant program and the Child Care Works tri-share program, though members discussed concerns about cross-bill flexibility and whether funds would actually be available. Representative Fogle’s amendment to require budget communications sent to committee chairs to also go to the full Budget Committee was defeated after members expressed concern about information overload and the difference between required distribution and requested information. The committee then took up a lengthy debate over Representative Fogle’s amendment to remove language barring Parents as Teachers participation for children already enrolled in public pre-K. Supporters argued the programs serve different purposes and that families should not be forced to choose between them, while opponents said the language was intended to prevent duplication of services and preserve resources for children without other options. After extensive discussion, the amendment failed. The committee continued with additional House Bill 2 amendments, but the transcript ends before final action on the remaining items.

Transcript Highlights:

• I didn't think we kept in the reversions.
• would have to go back and double check that, um, but I think it was, I think what it is, it's the reversions
• Uh, county-supported Medicaid fund, tobacco settlement fund, UNM hospital transfers, they transfer money
• We bring in the tax, we match it with Medicaid and send it back in the form of directed payment or a
• Payment for services that goes directly to individuals, and then we spend about 8% on the DD waivers.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We met the settlement agreement requirements for workload.
• So here, in 2021, there was a settlement agreement in that litigation.
• And so we have people who need to make that second mortgage payment.
• And so we have people who need to make that second mortgage payment.
• DCS can say that it doesn't control vendor selection or payment.

Committees: House Government , House House Government Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• your final settlement due in March.
• There were record bonus payments and monthly auctions in the second half of 2021.
• That final payment. And so now estimates are dropping, so that tells me income is dropping.
• Our accounts are telling us your income is not as high, so don't make a big estimated payment.
• Think about what that would look like if they could use it on a down payment.

Transcript Highlights:

• My work weekly payment schedule.
• </c> division of uh uh child payment division of uh uh child payment um<00:09:12.959><c> would</c><00
• </c> own payment schedule and own payment own payment schedule and own payment plan<00:25:15.360><c>
• </c> their preferred form of payment their preferred form of payment arrangement<00:30:57.600><c> and
• <02:52:39.279><c> or</c><02:52:39.600><c> a</c> settlement or a settlement or a decree?

Committee: Senate Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• investigation and accountability of the department is through expensive and often confidential settlement
• The Kevinist Settlement requires CYFD to maintain a grievance process and track specific data metrics
• Settlement Agreement, I am compelled to restate the very serious concerns that have been raised about
• Just so I'm clear, what expenses are covered through their maintenance payments from the general fund
• Okay, to make sure that those expenses and/or payments are not offset, if you will.

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• medical malpractice litigation in the state, what some would refer to as very high judgments and settlement
• We fought for more than five years for justice to achieve a settlement for her two children.
• Future medical expenses: so when there's litigation or a settlement, there's always payment for past
• I have people in my district who can no longer afford their mortgage payment because their homeowner's
• You know, payment to future meds, is there incurred? All of that stuff.

Bills: HB99 , HJR5 , HM39 , HB206 , HB213 , SB41 , SB153 , SB165 , SB261 , SB264

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><01:21:31.199><c> a</c><01:21:31.360><c> settlement</c> and Johnson settlement, a settlement and
• Johnson settlement, a settlement against<01:21:31.920><c> Johnson</c><01:21:32.320><c> and</c><01:21
• and not allowing pro rata payments.
• and making and not allowing pro payments and making and not allowing pro prata<01:30:45.199><c> payments
• </c> a a lesser payment than something full. a a lesser payment than something full. &gt;&gt; Okay.

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• an affirmative motion to reverse, and if we did reverse the Administrative Rules Committee, then the
• But as to this committee, it's either affirm the decision or reverse the decision.
• Confirm the decision or reverse the decision. Senator Davison: So, Mr.
• But the state makes its payment. By February 15th.
• We could not send money out to the schools for the foundation aid payment.

Committee: Joint Legislative Management

Transcript Highlights:

• And that solution is the reversion of $31.7 million in unexpected.
• The two that are proposed for reversion are a catalytic component and then a commercial property pilot
• And if that is all true and everybody is agreeing that's true, I could certainly support the reversion
• We do think that if the legislature is interested in taking a look at this reversion, you know, this
• These percentages underscore how material and integral the In-Lieu VLF payment is.

Transcript Highlights:

• We met the settlement agreement requirements for workload and for behavioral health.
• When the settlement agreement was negotiated, everyone kind of thought we were going to bottom out.
• So here in 2021, there was a settlement agreement in that litigation.
• And so we have people who need to make that second mortgage payment.
• DCS can say that it doesn't control vendor selection or payment.

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Government met for a presentation-only hearing focused on the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) and related child welfare system issues; no bills were heard or voted on. Chair Blackman opened by stressing that the hearing was for fact-finding and data, not personal attacks, and Director Catherine Patak then presented DCS data on hotline volume, investigations, reunifications, adoptions, guardianships, extended foster care, and placement patterns. She said DCS investigated more than 43,000 cases in 2025, kept the out-of-home population relatively steady, and emphasized that Arizona places a high share of children with kin. She also highlighted a mismatch between the age of children entering care and the availability of foster homes willing to take older youth, and said behavioral health capacity, not DCS alone, is a major constraint. Patak discussed kinship supports, foster care reimbursement increases, the Family First Prevention Services Act, missing youth, congregate care reduction, and the department’s procurement process for group home beds. Members asked about kinship caregiver support, behavioral health access, reunification services, parental-rights terminations, Auditor General findings on notices and documentation, licensing and reimbursement rates, and why some relatives are not approved as placements. Patak said DCS is working on policy guidance, supervisor training, and improved supports, but that provider capacity and other system partners limit what DCS can do. Representative Gillette then gave a lengthy presentation focused on system design, procurement, funding flows, and congregate care. He argued that DCS, DES, and Access are structurally intertwined, that DCS’s procurement carve-out and capitated funding model create incentives tied to bed space and volume, and that fragmented oversight diffuses accountability. He cited budget figures, contract amendments, and audit concerns to argue that the system is overreliant on congregate care and that decision-making, medical referrals, and placement processes are too vague or too centralized in ways that can harm children and families. Gillette said his findings were based on contracts, interviews, and public records, and he indicated some material would be referred to special counsel. He also raised concerns about placement decisions, due process, and demographic disparities in congregate care outcomes. The chair cut off further questioning of Gillette for time and announced the committee would move on to the next presenter, Vice Chair Fink, with attorneys and other speakers to follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• We voted to support the payment of two requests for claims, $600.
• and loan payments being due.
• and loan payments being due.
• This is particularly true. despite the contractor receiving payment and loan payments being due.
• The current focus on prolonged payment strategies for settlements funded by public dollars will likely

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 41 by Senator Wiener, which would regulate pharmacy benefit managers by increasing transparency, banning patient steering and spread pricing, and requiring full pass-through of rebates. Supporters, including independent pharmacists and health advocates, said PBM practices are driving up drug costs and closing neighborhood pharmacies. Opponents from PBM and health plan groups argued the bill overlaps with recently enacted licensing and reporting requirements, would not lower consumer prices, and may be preempted by ERISA. Members discussed confidentiality issues, consumer savings, and the relationship between SB 41 and the new budget trailer bill; the author asked for an aye vote. The committee then took up SB 378, also by Senator Wiener, aimed at online marketplaces that advertise illegal intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Supporters from labor, public health, and the licensed cannabis industry said online sales are undermining regulated businesses and exposing children to unsafe products. Opponents from tech and hemp industry groups warned the bill is overbroad, could sweep in general-purpose platforms and lawful hemp wellness products, and raises Dormant Commerce Clause and First Amendment concerns. The author said he would narrow the bill, remove industrial hemp references, and address strict liability and standing issues; members largely focused on how to target illegal products without capturing lawful marketplaces. SB 243 by Senator Padilla addressed AI companion chatbots, with supporters including Common Sense Media and transparency advocates warning that these systems can be addictive, manipulative, and dangerous for minors and vulnerable users, citing studies and the death of a Florida teenager. The bill would require disclosures, anti-addiction design limits, self-harm protocols, audits, reporting, and a private right of action. Tech and business groups opposed the measure as overly broad and said its definitions could sweep in general-purpose AI tools; several members supported the goal but questioned the breadth of the definitions and the private right of action. Finally, SB 522 by Senator Wahab would extend just-cause eviction protections to rental units that were previously covered by the Tenant Protection Act but were destroyed in disasters and later rebuilt. Supporters, including Los Angeles city officials and tenant advocates, said the bill would help keep displaced renters housed after wildfires and other disasters. Apartment and realtor groups opposed it, arguing it would remove a key exemption needed to finance rebuilding and could discourage post-disaster reconstruction. Members expressed support for tenant protections in disaster areas, and the author asked for an aye vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nothing in the bill will change at all unless the court reverses this ruling and allows and declare it
• >> There was a settlement agreement. >> We under a federal court order, right?
• >> Settlement agreement.
• >> The Fifth Circuit yesterday reversed the lower court ruling in the Louisiana Senate district, and
• >> The Fifth Circuit yesterday lifted reversed the lower court ruling in the Louisiana Senate district

Bills: HB4274 , HB3076 , HB4358 , HB3312 , HB3288 , HB3885 , HB3147 , HB4299 , HB4265 , HB4266 , HB3011 , HB3143 , HB3144 , HB3881 , HB3519 , HB3522 , HB3530 , HB2976 , HB4459 , HB3142 , HB4316 , HB4338 , HB4230 , HB3985 , HB3883 , HB4335 , HB3416 , HB3417 , HB3418 , HB3619 , HB3624 , HB3463 , HB4423 , HB3342 , HB3645 , HB3647 , HB3887 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB2964 , HB3834 , HB4193 , HB4272 , HB3277 , HB3148 , HB3651 , HB3323 , HB4287 , HB4105 , HB3304 , HB3345

Keywords: HB4274, Oklahoma schools, interdistrict transfer, open transfer, school enrollment, military families, active duty, National Guard, Reserve orders, military installation, residency requirements, district of choice, public school transfer, student transfer, special education, IEP, Section 504, military housing, base housing, electronic enrollment

Transcript Highlights:

• We've Also recently announced a settlement of $5.1 million with CVS Caremark for pharmacies that have
• planning grant after the biden White House sued the state for declining to refer women for abortions settlement
• The Medicaid Fraud Unit is charged with 19 criminal cases Obtained 12 civil settlements and recovered
• boss, but also she recognized that if her caseload continues the way that it is, and making the payments
• judge making sure they do their job perfectly, or else what you have is 89 years later, you get a reversal

Committee: House A&B Judiciary Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• WHAT ABOUT – WHAT ABOUT OVERPAYMENTS OF CLAIMS OR INAPPROPRIATE PAYMENTS OF CLAIMS.
• INSURANCE COMPANIES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT OR THE TEST OR MAYBE EVEN REVERSAL
• SIMILARLY IF A HUMAN LICENSEE AND ADJUSTER VIOLATES THE UNFAIR SETTLEMENT PRICES ACT YOU CAN DO THE SAME

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> urging the agency to immediately reverse urging the agency to immediately reverse it<00:15:37.760
• </c> Settlement Act and for other purposes. Settlement Act and for other purposes.
• </c> of South Carolina Land Claim Settlement of South Carolina Land Claim Settlement Act<03:06:30.319
• In 1993, Congress passed the Catawba Settlement Act.
• the nation's longstanding land claims and provide for monetary settlement funds.

Bills: HB2860 , HB3922 , HB7250 , SB254 , HB5631 , HB1687 , HB7831 , HB7618 , HB6162 , HB5911 , HB4463 , HB3831 , HB2768 , HR41 , HB5682 , HCR86

Keywords: Fort Peck Reservation, rural water system, water management, infrastructure, Native American, HB7831, H.R. 7831, License to Drill Act, Mineral Leasing Act, BLM, Bureau of Land Management, oil and gas, drilling permits, permit to drill, APD, application for permit to drill, permit processing fee, federal lands, public lands, energy development

Transcript Highlights:

• Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute to use in an Indian water rights settlement
• Act of 2004 so there's various places to get Arizona Water Settlement Act of 2004 so there's various
• That settlement was introduced in the last Congress.
• The four Upper Basin states are blocking that settlement from moving through Congress.
• Together, the two of us got to participate in an historic settlement of rural-to-urban water transfer

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee began by announcing that House Bill 2094 would be held and not heard that day, then received a lengthy update from Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzky on Colorado River negotiations and post-2026 operating rules. He described Arizona’s legal position, the basin’s water allocations, current shortages, conservation efforts, and the state’s view that the Upper Basin should share more of the reductions and move more water from reservoirs above Lake Powell to Lake Mead. Members asked about tourism, recreation, tribal water rights, public outreach, and the role of the state’s delegation and the federal government. Buschatzky said Arizona has already made major conservation cuts and that further reductions are likely, whether by agreement or federal action, and emphasized ongoing negotiations and public meetings. The committee then heard House Bill 2758, which would expand McMullen Valley groundwater transfer rules to allow eligible entities, including private water companies, to withdraw and transport groundwater under specified conditions, with ADWR oversight and reporting requirements. Supporters argued the bill would provide a lawful, regulated way to move water for urban growth and housing needs, while opponents from La Paz County and rural advocacy groups said it would accelerate aquifer depletion, harm private wells, and benefit a New York hedge fund at the expense of local residents. After debate over guardrails, stakeholder outreach, and the impact on rural communities, the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed HB 2758 as amended on a 6-4 due-pass vote. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 2098, which revises bonding authority and public hearing notification requirements for county water augmentation authorities and allows such authorities to enter into local repayment agreements with WIFA. Pinal County officials and related stakeholders testified in support, saying the changes would help the Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority finance future water and infrastructure projects, including possible augmentation efforts tied to Bartlett Dam, and would clean up statutory language to match the authority’s needs. The transcript ends during testimony on HB 2098, before any committee vote on that bill is shown.