Transcript Highlights:

• The audit identifies The audit identified 52 CARES programs led by a fire agency, as shown on this map

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s Initiative 900 subcommittee held a hybrid public hearing on two State Auditor performance audits. The first audit examined efforts to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems through CARES programs. Auditors reported that Washington has 52 fire-agency-led CARES programs in 26 counties, but many communities without programs said they need one. Major barriers included unstable funding, difficulty hiring qualified staff, volunteer-based rural departments, and lack of statewide guidance. The audit also found that only about half of programs tracked both required performance measures, and it recommended that the legislature consider private insurance reimbursement options and convene a statewide work group to develop guidance, standards, and possible changes to the role of the Department of Health. Agency representatives and fire officials largely supported the findings and emphasized that short-term grants and one-year contracts make programs hard to sustain. Committee discussion focused heavily on financing, especially Medicaid reimbursement and accountable communities of health (ACHs). Auditors clarified that the 10% figure cited in the report referred to direct Medicaid reimbursement for treat-and-refer services, which some agencies do not pursue because the $115 rate is too low relative to the administrative effort. Several fire officials testified that their programs rely on grants and ACH support, but that funding is often year-to-year and uncertain. They also described the value of CARES programs in reducing emergency room use, jail detentions, and long ambulance wait times, while noting barriers to sharing patient records across systems. Members asked whether the new public safety sales tax authority could help, but fire district representatives said it is not a direct funding option for them. The second audit reviewed performance management in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. Auditors found that the division does not yet have a statewide economic development strategic plan and that performance management is inconsistent across its 16 programs. In a limited review, all six sampled programs had goals, but only half clearly identified performance measures and targets, and only three tracked outcomes and published results. The audit highlighted leading practices from other states, including strategic planning, regular progress reporting, aligning program goals with agency goals, and using performance-based contracts and grant monitoring. Recommendations urged Commerce to seek stakeholder input, assess internal and external conditions, set goals and measures, align programs with the strategy, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Commerce officials agreed with the audit and said the division is already working toward a strategic plan, with a new assistant director to be hired and a target of completing the work by mid-next year. Members pressed the department on how the plan would connect to workforce, higher education, housing, and other economic development systems, and asked Commerce to return to JLARC next year with progress updates. The meeting ended with instructions for submitting written public comments and notice of the next JLARC meeting schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can see on the next page sort of how that maps out in New Mexico.

Transcript Highlights:

• into all four appraisal district studies, A look into all four appraisal district studies, PVS ratio, MAP

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Immigration is a largely civil body of law that Congress did not intend to map onto state criminal penalties

Bills: SB1099, SB1896, SB1980, SB127, SB614, SB955, SB1278, SB1372, SB1936, SB1937, SB2580, SB2595, SB2798

Keywords: SB 1099, illegal alien, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense, first-degree felony, minimum sentence, Criminal Justice, Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm happy to drop the maps off in anybody's office that wants them.

Bills: HB407, HB871, HB882, HB2011, HB3572, HB3578, HB4038, HB4866, HB4897, HB4978, HB5380, HB5555, HB5668, HB5670, HB5674, HB5676, HB5679, HB5688, SB673

Keywords: solar energy, residential construction, building code, municipal regulations, energy compliance, building codes, interconnection, education, funding, teacher support, student resources, school infrastructure, municipal requirements, environmental sustainability, municipalities, construction, agricultural operation, International Code Council, county regulations, construction fees

Transcript Highlights:

• But if you're, for example in the my part of the world, we have a water map. program and so in fact I

Bills: HB1520, HB1525, HB1530, HB1535, HB2068, HB2091, HB2347, HB2372, HB2805, HB2815, HB2867, HB3154, HB3482, HB3483, HB3663, HB3781, HB3901, HB3915, HB4135, HB4153, HB4158, HB4329, HB4331

Keywords: Angelina and Neches River Authority, river authority, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Sunset Act, Special District Local Laws Code, local government, natural resources, board of directors, director training, board governance, public testimony, open meetings, public information, conflict of interest, ethics, complaint system, general manager, board president, staggered terms, removal of director

Transcript Highlights:

• executive order directed the Secretary of the Interior to name the gulf within all Federal documents, from maps

Bills: SB801, SB1200, SB1410, SB1717, SB1862, SB1863, SB2216, SB2681, SB506, SB2626, SJR63, SB 3

Keywords: SB 801, birth certificate, birth record, certified copy, homeless, homelessness, unhoused, vital records, state registrar, local registrar, county clerk, fee waiver, identity documents, ID access, housing insecurity, shelter, transitional housing, Health and Safety Code, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here today to testify in support of House File 2354, otherwise known as the MAP Act, which will help

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• Just like when a 15 or 16-year-old decides they don’t want to go to school, they sort of drop off the map

Transcript Highlights:

• essentially housing affordability, rent affordability, all the way down to the zip code level, and it maps
• code</c><01:33:01.400><c> level</c><01:33:01.680><c> and</c><01:33:01.800><c> it</c><01:33:01.920><c> maps
• </c><01:33:02.320><c> it</c> zip code level and it maps it zip code level and it maps it and<01:33:03.840

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this framework would essentially create a map of corridors where we want in the region to have transit
• would essentially So this framework would essentially create<00:25:05.840><c> a</c><00:25:05.880><c> map
• corridors</c><00:25:06.760><c> where</c><00:25:06.920><c> we</c><00:25:07.080><c> want</c> create a map
• of corridors where we want create a map of corridors where we want in<00:25:07.600><c> the</c><00:25

Bills: HF3373, HF4449, HF3486, HF4180, HF4227, HF2505

Keywords: transportation, interchange, funding, bonds, St. Paul Park, transit, Metropolitan Council, Twin Cities, metro area, high-frequency transit, bus rapid transit, busway, guideway, transportation policy plan, transit performance measures, regional transit benchmarks, transit-oriented development, TOD, zoning, land use

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that for each employee, for each day of employment, per each chair, or per each map chair in each
• 44.600><c> each</c> employment, per each chair, or per each employment, per each chair, or per each map
• <00:35:45.040><c> chair</c> map chair map chair in<00:35:46.120><c> each</c><00:35:46.320><c> possible

Bills: HF3878, HF4131, HF3796, HF4097

Keywords: airport workers, wage standards, labor rights, minimum wage, economic equity, surveillance, price discrimination, wage discrimination, consumer rights, automated decision systems, Minnesota Statutes, suitable seating, employee seating, workplace seating, occupational safety, workplace safety, labor standards, employer requirements, chair, stool

Transcript Highlights:

• think one of the beauties of this bill is that we take a leadership but not a sole role in getting the map
• a sole role in leadership but not a sole role in getting<01:08:46.239><c> the</c><01:08:46.480><c> map
• and</c><01:08:47.040><c> seeing</c><01:08:47.279><c> what's</c><01:08:47.600><c> out</c> getting the map
• and seeing what's out getting the map and seeing what's out there<01:08:47.839><c> and</c><01:08:48.080

Bills: HF4438, HF4467, HF4379, SF3402, HF4349, HF4064, HF84, HF85, HF3804

Keywords: healthcare, WIC, community health, licensing, speech-language pathology, audiology, contract term limits, healthcare services, provider enrollment, disenrollment, premium payments, medical assistance, substance use disorders, mental health, children's mental health, early childhood, early intervention, consultation grants, Head Start, child care

Transcript Highlights:

• Besides this technology, we also use a cloud-based program with planting, harvesting, and mapping all
• planting, cloud-based program with planting, harvesting,<00:08:24.840><c> and</c><00:08:24.960><c> mapping
• </c><00:08:25.400><c> all</c><00:08:25.680><c> of</c><00:08:25.760><c> our</c> harvesting, and mapping
• all of our harvesting, and mapping all of our manure. manure. manure.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• are actively working to protect their constituents by capping resale, specifically, as you know, the map
• as</c><00:59:20.960><c> you</c><00:59:21.040><c> know</c><00:59:21.119><c> the</c><00:59:21.359><c> map
• </c> specifically as you know the map shows. specifically as you know the map shows.

Bills: SF1750, HF4250, HF3938, HF3904, HF3642

Keywords: common interest community, CIC, homeowners association, HOA, condominium, planned community, cooperative, unit owner, association board, declarant, declarant control, special declarant rights, assessment lien, foreclosure, late fees, fines, attorney fees, resale disclosure, annual report, maintenance plan

Transcript Highlights:

• ask systems to find data patterns that they believe are associated with illegal activity, such as mapping
• associated with illegal activity,<01:25:33.199><c> such</c><01:25:33.440><c> as</c><01:25:33.600><c> mapping
• </c><01:25:34.080><c> social</c> activity, such as mapping social activity, such as mapping social relationships

Bills: HF3477, HF3414, HF103, HF3661, HF3146

Keywords: civil rights, law enforcement, federal collaboration, accountability, state law, constitutional rights, color of law, 42 U.S.C. 1983, section 1983, civil action, damages, injunctive relief, attorney fees, law enforcement task force, federal-state cooperation, intergovernmental agreement, federal agency partnership, Minnesota Constitution, U.S. Constitution, police accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• Here you can see a map of the COC-funded projects across the state.
• Here you<00:08:36.159><c> can</c><00:08:36.320><c> see</c><00:08:37.039><c> a</c><00:08:37.360><c> map
• of</c><00:08:37.760><c> the</c><00:08:38.159><c> COC</c><00:08:38.640><c> funded</c> you can see a map
• of the COC funded you can see a map of the COC funded projects<00:08:39.279><c> across</c><00:08:39.599

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They make fake listings, they use pictures from Zillow or they'll go and take pictures off Google Maps
• They make fake listings, they use pictures from Zillow or they'll go and take pictures off Google Maps
• They make fake listings, they use pictures from Zillow or they'll go and take pictures off Google Maps
• They make fake listings, they use pictures from Zillow or they'll go and take pictures off Google Maps

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee held an informational briefing on fraud in the community, with presenters from ARP, CoinFlip, HPD, the Hawaii Bankers Association, DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection, and the Department of Law Enforcement. The chair described widespread scams targeting kupuna and other residents, including impersonation of grandchildren, lottery/inheritance schemes, romance scams, online shopping fraud, investment scams, and tech-support scams. Members emphasized the emotional manipulation used by scammers, the difficulty of getting victims to report losses, and the need to educate the public on warning signs and available resources. ARP said scams are an epidemic and highlighted national data showing major losses among older adults, including $4.8 billion lost by people age 60 and over in 2024. ARP focused especially on cryptocurrency kiosks as a growing scam channel in Hawaii, citing 64 complaints totaling $922,000 in 2024 and noting that complaints nearly doubled from the prior year. ARP urged stronger safeguards such as limits on transactions, refunds, live customer support, and a law-enforcement contact for operators, and said its Fraud Watch Network can help victims freeze credit, identify next steps, and track current scams. The chair said he intends to introduce legislation to lower and ultimately eliminate the amount of Bitcoin that can be purchased through ATMs. CoinFlip said it supports consumer-protection regulation and described its compliance practices, including scam warning screens, anti-money-laundering controls, blockchain analytics, wallet pinning, transaction monitoring, and cooperation with law enforcement. The company said it is registered as a money services business, files suspicious activity and currency transaction reports, and holds money transmitter licenses in many jurisdictions. It also pointed to Illinois-style refund protections for new users and said it refunds fees to scam victims, though not the underlying funds. In response to committee questions, members and the company discussed whether crypto kiosks are necessary, how scams can be traced, and whether banks and kiosks can better intervene when suspicious activity is detected.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is tied to, or kind of mapped to, how the motor vehicle registration tax formula is structured,
• So it drops down to a minimum of $100. tied to or kind of mapped to how the tied to or kind of mapped
• This map has gotten a lot more colorful since I first created it.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These inequities show up loudly when you look at maps of where districts are that have operating referendums
• inequities show up loudly when you look inequities show up loudly when you look at<00:13:10.279><c> maps
• ><c> districts</c><00:13:11.720><c> are</c><00:13:12.320><c> that</c><00:13:12.560><c> have</c> at maps
• of where districts are that have at maps of where districts are that have operating<00:13:13.720><c>

Bills: HF51, HF1161, HF2201, HF2786, HF1053

Keywords: HF51, Sibley County, State-Aid Highway 21, capital investment, bonding bill, general obligation bonds, transportation infrastructure, road improvements, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, local infrastructure, county grant, Minnesota Department of Transportation, bond proceeds fund, public works, utility infrastructure, education finance, school district funding, tax base adjustment