Transcript Highlights:

• For example, if a pregnant worker was being denied accommodations under the pregnancy accommodation law
• , by the time the contested case process were complete, the pregnant worker would have given birth and
• So for example, if a pregnant worker<01:17:21.520> was<01:17:21.679> being<01:17:21.920
• > denied<01:17:22.280> accommodations worker was being denied accommodations worker was
• were complete, uh the pregnant worker were complete, uh the pregnant worker would<01:17:30.000><

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:

• Because I was the social worker that continued to refer, and we don't have enough civil legal attorneys
• She was a hard worker, and when I was a kid, and we grew up in the Hiram Clark area of Harris County,

Bills: HB36, HB75, HB76, HB166, HB799, HB 1135, HJR15, HJR16, HB36, HB75, HB76, HB166, HJR15, HJR16

Keywords: family violence, global positioning monitoring system, victim resources, electronic monitoring, protective orders, magistrate, criminal procedure, probable cause, written findings, law enforcement, bail bonds, bail fund, charitable bail fund, nonprofit bail organization, public funds, local government spending, political subdivision, county, city, taxpayer lawsuit

Transcript Highlights:

• workers, across the state to work.
• Just to catch up with deferred maintenance, Carlisle faces a backlog of $9 million for paving and $3
• Just to catch up with deferred maintenance, Carlisle faces a backlog of $9 million for paving and $3
• It's how local businesses get their workers, get their customers, and their supply chains.
• I do like that this, ...to stay on top of our maintenance plan.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held its first hearing of the session on H. 53, Governor Healey’s Chapter 90 proposal to increase state funding for municipal roads, bridges, sidewalks, and culverts. Committee chairs outlined the hybrid hearing process and invited testimony from municipal officials, labor groups, regional planning organizations, contractors, and administration officials. Across the hearing, speakers consistently supported the bill, emphasizing long-deferred maintenance, inflation in construction costs, climate-related flooding, and the need for more predictable, multi-year funding so cities and towns can plan projects and take advantage of the construction season. The administration described H. 53 as part of a broader $8 billion transportation package, proposing to raise annual Chapter 90 funding from $200 million to $300 million for five years, with the additional $100 million distributed by road mileage to better support rural and small communities. They also highlighted $200 million for culverts and small bridges, plus other transportation investments, and said the five-year authorization would provide certainty for municipal capital planning. Municipal witnesses from places including Carlisle, Beverly, Granby, Hatfield, Newton, Nahant, Gardner, Beckett, and Yarmouth described local road and culvert backlogs, rising asphalt costs, and the difficulty of maintaining infrastructure on limited local budgets. Labor and industry witnesses from the AFL-CIO and MAPA said the bill would support good-paying jobs and provide stability for contractors and producers. The MBTA Advisory Board and regional planning representatives also backed the proposal, noting the connection between local roads and the broader transportation system. Committee members asked questions about the road-mile formula, culvert needs, asphalt costs, and the rationale for a five-year authorization. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• the workers' compensation system.
• The maintenance of this system is statutorily required.
• We are funded by a separate maintenance tax on workers' compensation and insurance carriers.
• But as you ask for... more money from the maintenance tax.
• As I said, I'm with the National Association of Social Workers Texas.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Deferred maintenance can also create serious safety risk.
• The postal worker goes to your house, at least to my, and they deliver the mail, right?
• That fear doesn't just harm immigrant workers.
• An immigrant worker who sought support from the Filipino Worker Center experienced this firsthand while
• and refugee workers.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda, much of it focused on homeowners association (HOA) issues. AB 2584, relating to civil immunity for lawful self-defense, was presented only and left for further work after the chair and others said California already has strong self-defense laws and more discussion was needed. AB 1684, which would bar HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or use compliant cooling systems, drew support from the author and housing advocates, with opposition from CAI seeking more association discretion; members emphasized heat as a health and safety issue and the bill was moved forward. AB 1892, a technical cleanup bill on HOA utility repairs, election notices, and electronic ballot timing, passed unanimously. AB 2050, requiring a formula for HOA reserve funding, also passed with broad support as a consumer protection measure to reduce surprise special assessments and address aging condominium stock. AB 2106, extending certificate-of-merit protections for design professionals and landscape architects, passed with support from professional associations and no opposition. AB 2145, directing HCD to study senior downsizing barriers, moved forward after mortgage and banking groups shifted from opposition to neutral. AB 2238, aimed at deterring meritless mobile home park litigation by shifting fees and penalties to attorneys, passed after amendments, though legal aid groups remained opposed. AB 2439, prompted by two authors’ personal HOA payment problems, would require stronger notice when payment processors change and address liens/fees; it passed despite concerns about return-receipt mail and personal liability for board members. AB 2579, responding to the $100 HOA fine cap enacted last year, would create a Department of Real Estate process to define serious health and safety violations and passed with support from HOA industry groups. The committee also took up SCR 89, a resolution reaffirming California’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in response to federal rollbacks; it received support from student, civil rights, labor, and legal groups and was advanced without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• these funds for deferred maintenance these funds for deferred maintenance that<00:35:44.880>
• address this um deferred maintenance address this um deferred maintenance issue<00:37:48.280>
• Other states, the emergency workers, the firefighters, they are all professionals.
• other states the um emergency workers other states the um emergency workers the<01:07:46.839>
• You have a part-time rescue worker, 40 hours in a tax year.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The safe harbor does not extend to the worker; it's only a safe harbor for the employer.
• I do want to note that that safe harbor does not extend to the worker, so it's only a safe harbor for
• <00:10:51.440> of lot about how it defrauds workers of lot about how it defrauds workers of
• Furthermore, Section 530 relief does not change the status of the worker.
• We have maintenance, mechanical repair, avionics service, fuel storage — these all create...

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Seven, maintenance of effort TNF.
• Workers' compensation.
• Division of Workers' Compensation. 8A. Workers' Compensation, 10,776,083.
• Workers' compensation, C183, 349, D10264, I, E. Workers' compensation, C183, 349, D10264, I, E.
• Maintenance, C7012D43, 109 E.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the prior journal, and heard several brief recognitions before moving to business. Members welcomed foster care advocates for Child Abuse Prevention Month, Girl Scouts visiting the Capitol, and participants in Black Maternal Health Week, with remarks emphasizing foster youth voice, leadership development, and the need for culturally competent maternal health care and doula/midwife support. The chamber then took up House Joint Resolution 1026, honoring former Governor Roy Romer and designating a portion of I-25 as the Governor Roy Romer Memorial Highway. Supporters highlighted Romer’s long public service, his work on education and infrastructure, and his role in major state projects. A proposed amendment to strike the word “memorial” was withdrawn, the House suspended the rules to allow Romer to speak from the well, and Romer offered remarks about legislative collegiality and the importance of democracy and listening to opposing views. House Joint Resolution 1026 was adopted on a 60-0 vote, with four excused and one absent. After a brief recess, the House returned to special orders and resumed reading House Bill 1410 at length, continuing through extensive appropriations language for the Department of Human Services, including child welfare, youth services, Medicaid-related transfers, SNAP and benefits administration, and other funding line items. No final action on House Bill 1410 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• long-term facilities maintenance long-term facilities maintenance revenue.<00:20:11.679> And<
• <00:24:47.840> for previous facility maintenance for previous facility maintenance for charter
• Thank you, Madam the seasonal workers.
• <01:03:55.920> in 33 that was UI for early workers in 33 that was UI for early workers in
• unemployment for their hourly workers unemployment for their hourly workers over<01:04:46.559>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um workers compensation Um excuse me. Um workers compensation Um excuse me.
• Um workers<00:27:29.200> comp, workers comp, workers comp, where<00:27:30.520> does<00:
• Uh workers<00:30:41.760> uh workers uh workers uh uh<00:30:42.920> unemployment.
• in workers' unemployment? in workers' unemployment? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
• We're still having a high vacancy in the maintenance road maintenance.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, it dramatically improves the experience for poll workers and voters.
• Poll workers will become a interface.
• clerks, election staff, and poll workers clerks, election staff, and poll workers will<00:04:52.880
• state would absorb these maintenance state would absorb these maintenance fees<00:06:40.080>
• You know, a lot of poll workers are teachers because election day is closed.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:14 Approval of Minutes 00:00:40 State Board of Elections 00:00:56, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met to hear an update from the State Board of Elections on its Bluegrass Books electronic poll book system. Rachel Pointer and Richard House described the project as an in-house modernization effort intended to improve security, customization, integration with the voter registration system, reduce voter wait times, streamline supplemental and provisional ballot processing, and provide year-round local support to county clerks and poll workers. They emphasized that the system is already a working product, not just a concept, and showed a workflow demonstration of voter lookup, signature capture, ballot issuance, manual lookup, and handling voters who have already voted. The agency also outlined the financial rationale for the project, saying the state currently lacks dedicated funding for replacing the iPads used for election-day poll books and that counties now bear vendor maintenance and support costs. Under Bluegrass Books, the state would seek to cover hardware replacement, maintenance, and on-site support through future appropriations, potentially using bulk purchasing to lower costs. When asked about the size of the appropriation request, the presenters said it was not yet finalized but noted roughly 7,000 devices are deployed statewide and replacement would likely be phased rather than done all at once. Members asked about security and whether the e-poll book could affect vote totals. The Board explained that the e-poll book is separate from ballot casting, that voting machines themselves are not connected to the internet, and that the poll book is networked only to update check-ins and prevent double voting. They said the device is locked down to the poll book application and can operate offline until connectivity returns. A member also asked how to recruit more poll workers; the response suggested higher pay is the main incentive, along with outreach to schools, community colleges, and possible pilot programs involving professionals. The meeting concluded without any votes or formal action beyond approval of minutes, and the next meeting was announced for January 29, weather permitting.

Transcript Highlights:

• known as deferred maintenance.
• The wall proper doesn't need a whole lot of maintenance.
• **Chair**: In the out years of wall maintenance.
• You may know us as the workers' compensation entity that pays the workers' compensation claims, but our
• Workers' compensation is retained by the state.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's what used to be called deferred maintenance.
• This is number 21, border wall maintenance.
• The wall proper doesn't need a whole lot of maintenance.
• So you may know us as the workers' compensation entity, at least the one that pays the workers' compensation
• Workers' compensation is retained by the state.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee began with Article I budget items for the Secretary of State. LBB staff outlined recommendations that would reduce the agency’s appropriation by about $40.3 million, including changes to HAVA funding, removal of one-time business system replacement money, and a rider directing the agency to use Fund 5095 first. Secretary Jane Nelson and staff then defended several exceptional items, especially additional staffing for elections and business filings, a new website, digitization of records, cybersecurity tools, and renovation of the James Earl Rudder Building. Members focused heavily on election administration, cross-checking voter rolls, Harris County complaints, call-center response times, and whether online voter registration should be expanded. No votes were taken; the discussion was informational and budget-focused. The committee then heard the Office of the Governor and trustee programs. LBB presented a recommended $2.4 million decrease for the governor’s office proper and a much larger decrease in trustee programs driven by one-time funding and unexpended balances, while still preserving major border security funding and victim assistance funding. Governor’s staff emphasized Texas’ economic growth, the importance of border security, and efforts to seek federal reimbursement for the roughly $11 billion Texas has spent on border operations. Members discussed whether shifting National Guard deployment to federal control could reduce state costs, and they also reviewed the music incubator program, the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and the semiconductor innovation consortium. Staff highlighted a $5 million late-added request for grants to protect nonprofits from violence and terrorism. Again, the exchange was largely explanatory, with no formal action. Finally, the committee took up the Texas Facilities Commission and lease payments for revenue bonds. LBB recommended major reductions overall, including removal of border wall construction funding and capital complex bond funding, but added money for higher utility costs, renovation of the Rudder Building, and additional facilities staff. George Purcell also noted stable maintenance-and-renewal funding and new riders related to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission building, tenant communications, and space utilization. For lease payments, LBB recommended a smaller appropriation tied to revenue-bond costs allocated across agencies. The discussion was informational, with members asking about the Rudder Building renovation, border wall progress, and capital complex construction timelines; no votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was moved into our new worker portal. That's...
• We have been able to do all of these projects as operations and maintenance.
• This all has to do with increased maintenance costs on hardware and software.
• We pay SAP for the licenses, and then there's an annual maintenance agreement.
• We pay SAP for the licenses, and then there's an annual maintenance agreement. Ms.

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several major technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Department of Financial Services’ Florida PALM project, which is replacing the state’s decades-old FLAIR accounting system. DFS described PALM as a statewide effort affecting all three branches of government, with cash management already live and the remaining financial management, payroll, and data warehouse components still in development. Officials said the project began in 2014, was restructured after a 2022 legislative pause, and is now being recommended for a go-live delay from January 2026 to July 2026. Members asked about governance, staffing, contract structure, cost growth, and maintenance costs; DFS said the contract is deliverable-based, the current amendment would add a net $2.2 million, and post-go-live maintenance is expected to be about $13 million annually under the current contract through July 2027. The Agency for Health Care Administration then updated the committee on the FX Medicaid enterprise modernization program. AHCA explained that federal CMS directed states to move from monolithic Medicaid systems to a modular approach, leading Florida to procure separate vendors for integration services, data warehouse, unified operations, provider services, and claims processing, with pharmacy benefits still to be procured. Officials said the project has spent about $334 million to date, with most costs federally matched, and requested $189.95 million for the upcoming year. They also highlighted a 2024 special assessment that produced 81 recommendations, most tied to staffing shortages, and said the Legislature added 47 FTEs, with 17 currently filled or being filled. Members asked about governance changes, production status, data access, and future technology maintenance; AHCA said some components are operational, the data warehouse is nearing certification, and the agency is working to keep the system adaptable and nonproprietary. The Department of Children and Families presented its Access modernization project, which is replacing a mainframe-based eligibility system used for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid assistance, and related programs. DCF said the six-year, $205 million project is in its third year and has already delivered a new customer portal with mobile access, multi-factor authentication, and fraud protections, while also building a worker portal, document management, community partner tools, and workload management functions. The agency said it is requesting $36.625 million for the next fiscal year, the same as last year, and emphasized that the project has remained on schedule and on budget by breaking work into smaller modules and using strong vendor and staff support. Members praised the project’s progress and asked about cybersecurity testing and the long delay before modernization began; DCF said security requirements were built in from the outset and that the remaining work will focus on moving staff off the legacy mainframe and modernizing notices and back-end processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also supports rural broadband with operations and maintenance in our most rural areas in New
• I don't disagree that the 80/20 is a huge boost for workers and New Mexicans across the state.
• I do think, though, that there are bus drivers, maintenance workers, and security guards at UNM that
• Chairman, we're not able to give a pay raise to our state employees, public service workers.
• We made a decision on what benefits state workers more, and the benefit is greater on 80/20.

Bills: HB2, SB152

Keywords: general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion

Transcript Highlights:

• workers, and then the engineering techs employed by the department.
• It's connected to how much money we're spending on construction and maintenance.
• There was $65 million for maintenance; $10 million went to every single transportation district, and
• that occurred has preserved it for major reconstruction or maintenance for the last 100 years.
• Is their maintenance and construction funding. Very good, thank you. And Mr. Chairman and Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• work zones when any worker is present. ...limit in highway construction or maintenance work zones when
• any worker is present.
• Thank you. ...which is to protect workers in these zones. Thank you.
• work zones but only for those instances where a worker is prepared ...or maintenance work zones, but
• only for those instances where a worker is present.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and then we also have testimony in support in person from Iron Worker Stabilization Fund.
• Uh, Cody Sulo with Iron Worker Stabilization Fund.
• They are a celebration of a lot of work in horsemanship, training, livestock, maintenance, and so that
• , and so that is definitely maintenance, and so that is definitely core<00:19:23.760> to<00:19
• > preservation<01:07:15.839> of maintenance, upkeep, and preservation of maintenance, upkeep

Bills: HB2045, HB1703, HB2461

Keywords: La Hoihoi Ea, Sovereignty Restoration Day, state holiday, King Kamehameha III, Hawaiian history, self-determination, land use, rodeo, agricultural activities, ranching, paniolo culture, public art, cultural preservation, community identity, funding, art management, 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Culture and the Arts met on February 13 and heard testimony on HB 2045, which would designate La Hoʻihoʻi Ea Sovereignty Restoration Day as a state holiday in place of Statehood Day. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support, including from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Naviʻoliʻoli Newi Foundation, and many individuals and students. Supporters said the bill would better reflect Hawaiian history, sovereignty, and self-determination, while a few agencies submitted comments. The committee recessed to allow more students to arrive and testify. After reconvening, additional student testimony continued in strong support of HB 2045. Students said the change would honor Native Hawaiian history and culture, recognize Hawaii as a sovereign nation, and provide a more historically grounded observance. Members thanked the students for traveling to testify and for sharing their perspectives. The committee then voted to pass HB 2045 with one amendment to defect the date; the motion passed unanimously with the chair, vice chair, and members voting aye, and one member excused. The committee also heard HB 1703 HD1, which authorizes rodeos and rodeo activities on lands zoned for agriculture or pastoral use. Testimony in support came from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, and the Iron Workers Stabilization Fund, with comments from the Hawaii Food and Policy group. Supporters described rodeos as cultural and social events that could boost local economies, create jobs, and provide youth and community engagement. The committee passed HB 1703 HD1 with technical amendments. Finally, the committee considered HB 2461, which would increase the ceiling for the works of art special fund and appropriate funds for preservation of the state’s public art collection and a collections manager position. After discussion, the chair said the measure would not move forward this year and recommended deferral; the committee deferred the bill and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• maintenance projects.
• I'm familiar with annuals and maintenance and expense on aircraft.
• Not a small amount, but the cost of aircraft and maintenance per year.
• Has there been any big maintenance in the last five years?
• Has there been any big maintenance in the last five years?

Summary: The subcommittee reviewed multiple methods of finance and construction items, including projects for Arkansas State University, Black River Technical College, UAMS, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and UCA. The UAPB Allied Health and Sciences Building appeared both as a method of finance and as an alternative delivery construction project, with East Harding Construction selected and AMR Architects as designer. Members approved the methods of finance, the alternative delivery project, and several discretionary grants, including Department of Health grants for a heart attack center designation and community health worker training, and DHS grants related to homeless services, behavioral health transition support, and an enabling technology pilot. The committee then reviewed service contracts, including RFQs, construction-related contracts, intergovernmental agreements, and a large number of out-of-state and in-state contracts. Testimony focused heavily on DHS staffing and state hospital contracts, the Arkansas State Police seatbelt survey, AEDC’s lithium supply chain analysis, and Shared Administrative Services’ new SuccessFactors performance-management contract. Members asked detailed questions about contract nursing costs, turnover, hiring timelines, and whether some contracts were being renewed or amended beyond their original projected costs. DHS and Veterans Affairs officials explained staffing shortages, retention incentives, and the use of contract labor as a supplement to state employees. Several contracts drew scrutiny and were held for further review. Representative Wardlaw raised concerns about projected costs and repeated amendments on the Department of Education security contract and on DHS staffing contracts, arguing that some had exceeded their original projected totals. The committee voted to hold contracts 5, 7, and 8 until Friday, while adopting the remaining contracts. The meeting ended after informational reports on service contract amendments without material change, executed contracts, and emergency procurements were presented, with no further business before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a new MOF valued at $1.2 million using deferred maintenance reserves.
• maintenance projects.
• I'm familiar with annuals and maintenance and expense on aircraft.
• Has there been any big maintenance in the last five years?
• Has there been any big maintenance in the last five years?

Keywords: 1204, all