Transcript Highlights:

• It opinion of the Attorney General.
• exist to perform these procedures. exist to perform these procedures.
• General confirmed that the OEBC exam General confirmed that the OEBC exam option<00:08:44.760> was
• performing essential clinical skills. performing essential clinical skills.
• that they know how to perform the skill. that they know how to perform the skill.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee considered an emergency regulation from the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, 201 KAR 5021E, along with a staff amendment to conform the text to KRS Chapter 13A. The regulation was described as implementing an Attorney General opinion and a review of optometrists licensed during the 2020–2023 period when alternative testing and waivers were used during the COVID-19 era. The board explained that the rule requires affected licensees to complete specified examinations or an alternative certification before renewing in 2027, and that it now removes the OEBC Canadian exam as a future pathway while preserving recognition of OEBC results submitted during the period when that option was in effect. The staff amendment was approved without objection. Testimony was sharply divided. Board representatives and the Attorney General’s office said the regulation is needed to protect public health and to bring the licensure review into the formal administrative process. They said the NBEO Part 3 exam is the nationally recognized hands-on clinical licensure test, while the American Board of Optometry certification is a post-licensure credential for already licensed practitioners and is not a substitute for initial licensure testing. They also said no other state uses the ABOC certification for licensure, and that the board’s approach balances fairness, due process, and public protection. Opponents argued the regulation would allow individuals who were improperly licensed to continue practicing without meeting the same standards as other Kentucky optometrists. A representative from the Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation described cases of alleged inadequate care and urged the committee to require full national board passage before independent practice. Representatives from ARBO and NBEO said the emergency regulation is not justified as an emergency, does not adequately address public safety or fiscal impacts, and exceeds the board’s authority by creating a renewal path for licensees whose initial licensure was challenged. They emphasized that NBEO Part 3 is a practical, hands-on exam and that the ABOC certification is not designed or validated for initial licensure. The committee asked several questions about the differences between the exams, and no final vote on the regulation itself was described in the transcript beyond approval of the staff amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• You see the next generation of growers that are evolving onto Mats Board.
• So when water conservation districts performance review. But David?
• Performance measurements are standards that aligned to 5.82 point 0, 4, Florida statutes.
• Most of the recommendations were in the performance management category nearly half.
• So we talked a lot of it about the performance measures.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the U general support bill for RNR. the U general support bill for RNR.
• <00:08:50.160> funds 7,70,000 for a total general funds 7,70,000 for a total general funds
• other agencies, there's performance other agencies, there's performance measures<00:31:06.399>
• :57.760> repealers<00:46:58.160> in have general or reverse repealers in have general or
• >> this is capital expense not general >> this is capital expense not general funds.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 18 February, 2026; 11:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee began with process instructions about using committee substitutes, identifying bills with reverse repealers, and taking up noncontroversial items in blocks. It then approved Senate Bill 3051, the DFA budget, which included LBR-level funding with a reverse repealer and agency-by-agency allocations for the status of women, DFA, tort claims, state property insurance, BEAM, and Mississippi Home Corporation. Senate Bill 3052, the governor’s support budget, was also approved as a final-action bill without a reverse repealer, with members noting the reduction from the prior year was tied to lower federal funding. The committee then handled the IHL budget bills. Senate Bill 3053, the general support bill, included a 3% across-the-board raise for IHL professors and $20 million for repair and renovation at universities, plus $5 million for UMMC; it passed as a committee substitute with a reverse repealer. Senate Bill 3054, the original IHL-related bill, passed without a committee substitute. Bills 3055 through 3059 were taken up in block and approved, providing 3% increases for A units at Alcorn State and Mississippi State. Senate Bill 3060, student financial aid, added about $7.7 million for scholarship costs, including MESG, MTAG, and Winters-Reed loan repayment, and passed as a committee substitute. The committee also approved the larger IHL budget bill with a reverse repealer and discussed, but did not fund, a UMMC cancer center request at that stage. Subcommittee 3 presented education-related bills. Senate Bill 3062 was approved at LBR with a reverse repealer and included a large transfer from the education enhancement fund. Senate Bill 3063 added $15 million for repair and renovation and $8.11 million for faculty pay raises, and passed as a committee substitute with a reverse repealer. On Senate Bill 3064, the Employment Security Commission budget, members discussed whether the committee substitute included a reverse repealer and noted they might revisit that on the floor if needed; the bill was advanced. Subcommittee 4 then took up Senate Bills 3065, 3066, 3068, and 3069 in block and approved them: Ethics Commission funding increased for salary realignment and a database; Judicial Performance Commission language was tightened to freeze the director’s salary and ensure youth court oversight funds were used solely for that purpose; Tax Appeals Board funding was increased to restore cuts and vacancy funding; and Workers’ Compensation Commission funding rose to cover commissioner salary increases and related language changes. Later, the committee approved Senate Bill 3067 for the Department of Public Safety, which included a reverse repealer, LBR-level funding, additional money for furniture for the new headquarters, and reappropriation language. Senate Bill 3071, the GCRF bill, was approved with a reverse repealer and reappropriation language for prior-year projects. Senate Bill 3072, the Department of Mental Health budget, was approved with a reverse repealer and included $12 million for the Canopy project, prior-year invoice funding, and language tied to mental health-related legislation. Finally, Senate Bills 3073 through 3075 were taken up in block for licensing boards, with increases for the Chiropractic Examiners, Dental Examiners, and Pharmacy boards, including funding for licensing system updates, vacancy funding, and expansion of the pharmacy recovery program.

Transcript Highlights:

• NEXT WE HAVE SERVICE AUTHORIZATION PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES.
• IN GENERAL.
• AND THEN THERE ARE IN THE PROCESS IN GENERAL, INDIVIDUAL PLAN PERFORMANCE LOOKING AT THE PAST, I DON'T
• SUCH AS PERFORMANCE DECLINING PERFORMANCE AROUND MEASURES.
• AND BASICALLY THE PAST PERFORMANCE WAS A BETTER PREDICTOR THAN FUTURE PERFORMANCE THAN A PROPOSAL THAT

Transcript Highlights:

• Nine of the 12 districts affected are Republican-performing districts.
• performance for Democrats, but will still strongly perform for Democrats.
• And 23 to move Fort Bliss into CD 16 and the El Paso general region.
• Nine of the 12 districts affected are Republican performing districts.
• performance for Democrats, but will still strongly perform for Democrats.

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting met to lay out House Bill 4, the House companion to Senate Bill 4, and no public testimony was taken at this hearing. Senator King explained that HB 4 was based on the House’s revised congressional map, which he said made only minor changes from SB 4 while aiming to comply with law, improve Republican political performance, and keep districts compact. He noted changes affecting several districts, including moving Fort Bliss into CD 16, placing all of Navarro County into CD 6, and moving Liberty County into CD 9, and said counsel had reviewed the map and found it legally compliant. Several senators criticized the process and the substance of the map. Senators Alvarado, Miles, and Hinojosa objected that the House substitute had not been subject to a public hearing and argued that communities in Houston, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, and South Texas were being split or paired with unrelated areas. They also questioned the compactness of the districts and raised concerns about racial effects, including changes in Black voting-age population in CD 9 and CD 18. Senator King responded that the committee had already heard extensive testimony on redistricting, that the Senate was following its usual companion-bill process, and that he had not relied on racial data but on historical voting patterns and legal review. After debate, Senator Parker moved to report HB 4 favorably to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be ordered not printed. The committee approved the motion by a 5-3 vote, with one absent, and then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• He rejoined EPA in January, first serving in the Office of General...
• General Counsel.
• any federal agency's General Counsel.
• and 300 total staff in the Office of General Counsel.
• In other words, private parties are required to reimburse EPA for work performed. performed by internal

Keywords: presidential nominations, EPA, environmental policy, Fish and Wildlife, committee meeting

Summary: The committee meeting focused on the presidential nominations of Brigadier General Brian Nesvick as Director of Fish and Wildlife and Jess Kramer and Sean Donahue as assistant administrators at the EPA. Each nominee presented their qualifications and experiences in their respective fields, with an emphasis on their commitment to uphold the laws passed by Congress. The discussion highlighted the nominees' dedication to addressing environmental issues and their proactive stances on regulatory matters. After deliberation, votes were held to report the nominations favorably, despite some members voicing concerns regarding their qualifications and potential conflicts with environmental interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• . of our lowest performing schools.
• The rest are for public education in general.
• They generally don't feel that operationally because they're using that to cover some.
• Yeah, generally MNO follows the student, INS doesn't, but MNO follows the student.
• What the researchers generally find is that it causes the performance of all of the schools to improve

Keywords: committee meeting, legislation, public testimony, discussion, procedural

Summary: The meeting covered various topics, but specific discussions and bills were not detailed in the available transcript. Despite the lack of documented debates or acknowledgments, it was noted that committee members were present, and there may have been attempts to address crucial legislative matters. The dynamics of the meeting suggested a standard procedural gathering where routine insights were likely shared among the attendees.

Transcript Highlights:

• It will create future generations of.
• You will see a status of student performance over the past four years, and you will see stagnant performance
• And what does it actually mean to have a general diffusion of knowledge?
• Student performance and campus performance. That's a very good question.
• But if their best interest is student performance, I would say.

Bills: SB451, SB762, SB1490, SB1262, SB1459, SB1750, SB1962, SB2252, SB2253, SB2365

Keywords: instructional materials, public schools, Education Code, adoption, rejected materials, local funds, open educational resources, Texas Education Code, school districts, open enrollment charter schools, funding restrictions, environmental regulation, business compliance, local authority, economic development, state preemption, local control, open education resources, SB 762, Texas public schools

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Legal Affairs, the Attorney General.
• And I'm glad you mentioned performance indicators.
• performance measures say.
• performance measures say.
• They've generated more than 520,000 program learning hours.

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs. Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing. The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted. Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd have to get some more information on South Carolina, but the general consensus is that they're performing
• I'd have to get some more information on South Carolina, but the general consensus is that they're performing
• I'd have to get some more information on South Carolina, but the general consensus is that they're performing
• I'd have to get some more information on South Carolina, but the general consensus is that they're performing
• consensus is that but but the general consensus is that they're<00:37:23.480> performing<00:37

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Education met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 68, which was presented by Kentucky Department of Education staff as a cleanup measure to reduce duplicative or outdated reporting requirements. The bill, as amended by a committee substitute, would streamline reporting on local wellness policies, school breakfast programs, school budgets, audits, and school nutrition assessments, while preserving existing requirements to adopt wellness and physical activity policies and maintain audit obligations. Members asked whether removing reporting on physical activity and related topics would weaken oversight; KDE responded that districts would still have to adopt the policies and be reviewed under federal nutrition monitoring, but the state reports were often incomplete, hard to compare, and not especially useful. The committee adopted the substitute and passed SB 68 unanimously. The committee then heard Senate Bill 207, the School Innovation Act, sponsored by Senator West. The bill would create an optional program allowing school districts to apply to the Kentucky Board of Education for waivers from certain administrative regulations and establish three-year “schools of innovation,” potentially with third-party partners, to give struggling schools more flexibility and a fresh start. Senator West said the model was inspired by a visit to a school of innovation in South Carolina and by examples from South Carolina and Indiana, and he argued that the bill would let districts try new approaches without mandating participation. He also said existing “district of innovation” language in statute is a relic and that the bill would replace it with a school-based model. Committee members asked about fiscal impact, eligibility, and whether the bill was limited to failing schools. Senator West said the fiscal note was indeterminate because participation is voluntary and could range from none to many districts, but he expected little direct budget change and possible outside philanthropic funding if a district chose to participate. He said the bill does not limit participation to the bottom 5% of schools and would be left to local district discretion. Members also raised whether high-performing or specialized schools could use the model; West said yes, if a district chose. Supportive testimony emphasized that the bill could reduce burdensome oversight and allow schools more flexibility to innovate. The discussion ended with continued questions and no final action recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• . of our lowest performing schools.
• That's money in their general education budget for general education. of purposes that they are not receiving
• I think generally correct.
• Right, even, even that generous.
• What the researchers generally find is that it causes the performance of all of the schools to improve

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Carly Schmidt, a performance auditor on this project.
• I'm Hannah Yord, a performance auditor on this project.
• Staff said fine revenues were deposited into the county's general fund, with general fund money distributed
• Finally, we found that some revenue was unused in general funds.
• Finally, we found that some revenue was unused in general funds.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee I-900 Subcommittee heard JLARC’s annual update on the status of legislative implementation of State Auditor recommendations, followed by two State Auditor performance audits. JLARC staff reported that for the 2024 review period there were three new legislative recommendations and three unresolved older recommendations. They said the legislature did not convene a work group on civil asset forfeiture, and no formal action was taken on two water-use-efficiency recommendations. Two recommendations related to concurrent Medicaid enrollments were addressed in a bill introduced this session, but that bill was not adopted. The first audit examined how Washington can ensure climate-resilient electricity infrastructure. The State Auditor found the state has opportunities to better adapt new energy infrastructure by using more site-specific climate information, broader collaboration, and vulnerability assessments. The report recommended expanding climate analyses through the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group if funding is available, using forecasted information in DNR wildfire maps, designating a non-regulatory office to coordinate siting and conflict resolution, and expanding vulnerability assessments in Ecology and Commerce processes. Agency witnesses generally agreed resilience is important but emphasized existing efforts, the need to avoid duplicative requirements, the importance of affordability and efficiency, and the role of current forums such as the Clean Energy Siting Council and SEPA processes. The second audit reviewed fines for human trafficking and related sexual exploitation crimes. Auditors found courts assessed fines inconsistently, collection rates varied, some revenues were sent to the wrong local government, and some jurisdictions did not use the money as required for enforcement, prevention, or survivor services. The audit recommended courts work with prosecutors to improve awareness of mandatory fines, and that King and Pierce County improve coding, templates, and tracking so revenues are routed and used correctly. King County testified that it appreciated the audit and described its existing prevention and survivor-support work. The committee took no votes or formal actions and adjourned after the presentations and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• the lower end who were not performing. the lower end who were not performing.
• how grateful we are to the general how grateful we are to the general assembly<00:34:50.720>
• > um<01:01:53.119> college former first generation um college former first generation um
• general assembly. general assembly.
• education's performance funding models. education's performance funding models.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting focused on Kentucky school choice and innovation, with discussion of the state constitution’s “common schools” requirement and how that has been interpreted alongside newer education models. Chairman Tipton described model laboratory schools, Gatton and Craft Academies, magnet and virtual programs, and said these options show that Kentucky has long expanded opportunity through innovation. He then turned the discussion to Senate Bill 207, which he said was designed to support schools of innovation. Senator Steve West reviewed the history of Kentucky charter schools and explained that SB 207 was modeled on a South Carolina approach. He said the bill allows a local school board to contract with a third-party entity to manage an existing school, seek waivers from certain state rules, and receive SEEK funding while also allowing outside private investment. He emphasized that the district initiates the process, that the school remains public, and that the bill includes accountability through a time-limited contract that can be ended if the school is not performing. Members asked about the difference between SB 207 and the earlier charter school law, whether schools could cherry-pick students, and whether teachers would remain district employees. West and Tipton said the new model is tied to an existing school rather than a new charter, cannot cherry-pick students, and keeps teachers as district employees. Representative Brown raised concerns that charters and exceptions could leave some children out, especially lower-income students, while West responded that the proposal is intended to expand choice for families who may not otherwise have it and cited examples from other states where similar models improved low-performing schools. No vote or formal action was taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:05:56.000> you note um regarding KHP in general, you note um regarding KHP in general
• This isn't all general fund. It isn't even majority general fund.
• This isn't all general fund. It isn't even majority general fund.
• <00:31:48.640> So performance improvement world. So performance improvement world.
• economy for generations to come. economy for generations to come.

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:

• Today we will review Article 8, regulatory agencies, and Article 9, general provisions.
• Revenue Fund and 24%, or $819,000, from the General Revenue Dedicated Water Resource Fund.
• Our performance measures, we are meeting them and exceeding them every session.
• My staff, every one of them, have to perform multiple functions. We are a small agency.
• Generally, in other states, staff pay is based on the executive director's pay.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to review Article 8, regulatory agencies, and began Article 9, general provisions, before recessing for floor action. The committee first heard budget presentations from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC). The PUC budget recommendation was about $5.07 billion in all funds, including an additional $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, plus funding for staffing and technology needs tied to contested cases, infrastructure resiliency, and outage mapping. PUC witnesses emphasized the agency’s growing workload, the need for more staff and modern systems, and oversight of the Texas Energy Fund. OPUC’s recommendation was about $6.9 million, with a reduction in authorized FTEs to better match actual staffing; the agency requested additional funding for salaries, expert witnesses, and budget flexibility, and members highlighted OPUC’s role representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility proceedings. The committee then heard from the Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC), whose recommendation was just over $11.2 million. BHEC’s main requests included funding to fill vacant positions, money for continuous National Practitioner Data Bank queries, and a proposed Texas-owned psychology licensing exam in response to concerns about changes to the national exam. Agency leaders also discussed a rider request that would shift responsibility for certain judgments or settlements to the comptroller. Members asked about prior complaint backlogs, and BHEC said those backlogs had been cleared. The Board of Chiropractic Examiners followed, with a recommendation of just under $2.4 million; the board sought support for staffing, training, broadband, and salary retention, and described its work regulating chiropractors and workers’ compensation-related doctors. The Board of Dental Examiners was the last agency heard before the committee recessed. Its recommendation was just under $10 million, and it requested a 10% salary increase for eligible staff, three additional licensing staff, one staff member to handle required background checks, an additional attorney, and an executive director salary adjustment. Dental board witnesses said licensure growth, increased complaints, and low salaries were straining licensing and enforcement operations, even though the agency reported strong performance and high case completion rates. The chair ended the hearing early because the Senate had to return to the floor, and the committee remained in recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some only have adult general education.
• Some only have adult general education.
• on the basis of their activity and performance in their programs.
• On an annual basis, we actually only have 14.6 for general release.
• Generates about $1.6 million, and it's kind of in arrears.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met to review funding models for the Florida College System and district workforce education programs, with an emphasis on how new dollars are allocated in the program fund and how performance and targeted funding are incorporated. Chancellor Hebda explained the Florida College System model, including base program funding, student success and pipeline funds, performance incentives for industry certifications, and the 2022 president-developed formula that weights enrollment, workforce enrollment, completions, small-college factors, and regional cost differences, plus a targeted funding floor for colleges below a minimum per-FTE level. Vice Chancellor Goodman then outlined the district workforce model, which uses lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local revenue offsets, small-district adjustments, and unmet-need calculations to distribute lump-sum appropriations to school districts offering workforce education. The department also provided updates on several grant programs and funding delays. Goodman said the Workforce Development Incentive Grant, Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant, Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education Startup Grant, and teacher apprenticeship/mentor bonus programs all involve multi-year awards and often require reversions and reappropriations because projects are delayed, extended, or not fully obligated by year-end. She said the department is moving toward an electronic grants system and had already adjusted internal deadlines to speed awards, while acknowledging some reimbursement delays and explaining that mentor bonuses for teacher apprentices will not be paid until the first cohort reaches the statutory timing requirement. Members asked about tracking whether CTE students work in their trained fields, how Xello is used to inform students about career pathways, how FTE is calculated, whether the funding formulas could encourage growth over quality, and how students with disabilities are counted in workforce funding. Questions also focused on tuition, enrollment trends, and the gap between college and university funding. The committee heard that tuition has remained flat for more than a decade, enrollment has rebounded from COVID and is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, and the college system’s funding per FTE varies widely. Valencia College President Kathleen Plinsky testified in support of the proposed formula and an additional $200 million for the Florida College System, saying Valencia is the second-largest college in the state but ranks last in per-FTE funding, which has made it difficult to recruit and retain faculty and admit qualified students in high-demand programs like nursing. The committee took no vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is why the bill attorney general.
• general how this would be um enforced. general how this would be um enforced.
• Comprehensive client education commonly changes an owner's performed, health risks of the performed,
• in general.
• general.

Bills: HF4080, HF3693, HF1857, HF4350

Keywords: agriculture, livestock, retailers, ownership interest, exclusive contracts, meat packing companies, dominant retailers, state law, Department of Agriculture, appropriation, funding, agriculture policy, state budget, animal welfare, cat declawing, animal cruelty, therapeutic procedures, civil penalties, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, aquatic life

Transcript Highlights:

• So item number one is the Department of Health Performance Audit. and The Department of Health performance
• Just a reminder, this is not a performance audit.
• This is a performance audit report. Good morning, members of the committee.
• By the work of the Citizens Commission on Tax Preference and Performance Measurement.
• So, in general, replacing diesel with natural gas reduces emissions.

Summary: The committee met on December 3, 2025, with a quorum present and approved the September 17 minutes. Members first voted to suspend the 2026 JLARC lodging tax expenditure report for one year, based on staff’s explanation that the report is self-reported, not verified, and less useful than State Auditor accountability audits; the motion passed. The committee also approved renaming the JLARC I-900 subcommittee to the “Committee to Hear SAO Performance Audits,” while keeping the opening script noting that the performance audit process exists under Initiative 900. The committee then heard follow-up updates on two prior performance audits. The Department of Health presented a draft strategic management plan in response to findings on hospital inspections, complaints, adverse event review, and hospital data access. JLARC staff reiterated that 72% of hospital inspections were late, that DOH did not verify third-party inspection standards or review adverse event reports, and that complaint data suggested possible language-access barriers. DOH said it concurred with the recommendations, had improved on-time inspection compliance to about 49%, planned annual updates starting in July 2026, and would work on accreditation oversight, complaint-language access, and data accessibility, though members pressed for firmer deadlines and questioned the three-year timeline for language access improvements. The Liquor and Cannabis Board also reported on its cannabis market study recommendation. JLARC staff said the agency’s data were incomplete and unreliable, limiting oversight of production, recalls, tax collection, and diversion. LCB said it had improved its current CCRS system but still relied on self-reported data, and it presented a decision package for a new traceability system estimated at about $9 million over three fiscal years. LCB described a plant-tagging and serialization approach tied to production, processing, testing, and retail, but acknowledged it did not currently have sufficient staff to fully implement the system without additional funding. The committee also received briefings on JLARC’s recommendation-tracking tools and the 2024 public records reporting summary, including a high-level review of agency response rates, request volumes, costs, and litigation. Finally, JLARC presented the proposed final report on the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, concluding that OPDP meets its statutory responsibilities and has high user satisfaction, but that its mandate should be updated to better match its current capacity and focus; the committee adopted the report for distribution. The meeting then moved into the 2025 tax preference performance reviews, where JLARC staff summarized nine reviews and noted that the Citizens Commission on Tax Preference and Performance Measurement endorsed all 17 legislative auditor recommendations, with comments on seven. Early reviews discussed included natural gas transportation fuel preferences, travel agent and tour operator B&O rates, nonprofit low-income housing development, multipurpose senior centers, disabled veteran adaptive housing, and trade convention attendance, with staff and commissioners generally recommending continuation of some preferences, modification of others, and improved objectives or performance measures where needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Joint Performance Review representative, Cozart, and myself agreed Mr.
• This is exactly the mission that Joint Performance Review was set up to handle, and I’ll briefly tell
• The Joint Performance Review Committee, which I’m going to abbreviate as JPR, shall have the authority
• Even Donald Trump replaces the parties when they prove they can't perform duties successfully.
• But the performance in his current job is what's pertinent to the discussion.

Summary: The committee met and took several budget-related items out of order. It first approved a revised Auditor’s Office letter and amendment that reduced requested salary and match increases to 10 percent for operations and UCP, and then approved a revised Lieutenant Governor’s Office request that kept positions at line-item maximums while revising regular salary and match appropriations to a total increase of $99,876. Both items passed without objection. The committee then considered a member amendment from Senator Rice to Senate Bill 30 affecting the Governor’s Office. The amendment would eliminate one Governor senior advisor position, reducing authorized positions from 59 to 58 and cutting regular salaries and matching funds by a total of $264,895. Senator Rice argued the change was warranted because of concerns about former Corrections Secretary Joe Profury’s conduct, transparency, and refusal to appear before Joint Performance Review. Members debated the relevance of the amendment to current duties, whether the governor could still hire the individual in another role, and whether a Board of Corrections member could speak. After discussion, the committee rejected the amendment on a roll call vote. Under regular business, the committee approved an OPM request to reinstate a labor market rate at the crime lab so it can recruit two medical examiners, with pay up to $300,000 for those positions. Members also approved Arkansas State University-Jonesboro’s request for 11 positions tied to the new veterinary medicine school, including clinic, lab, communications, mental health, and administrative roles. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That model went live, as you know, in 2018-19, and while we have performed well in the performance funding
• And so I will say that we have performed well.
• > us<00:33:14.080> the You have generously provided us the You have generously provided
• <00:43:14.880> funding Every metric in the performance funding Every metric in the performance
• <00:43:44.960> funding a participant in the performance funding a participant in the performance

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met without a quorum and postponed approval of the minutes. The committee first heard from Northern Kentucky University President Katie Short Thompson, who highlighted NKU’s enrollment growth, student success metrics, national recognition for value, lower student debt, and new programs tied to regional workforce needs, including AI, cybersecurity, supply chain analytics, cardiovascular perfusion, and the Norse Network Hub for employer access. She asked for a $5 million recurring base funding adjustment to align NKU’s general fund support with peer institutions, along with support for tuition waivers with FAFSA requirements, continued debt collection authority through the Department of Revenue, inclusion of fire and tornado insurance premiums in base funding, inflation and performance-funding support, and increased asset preservation funding. She also outlined capital priorities for the Hail College of Business building, Nunn Hall, and the MEP building, and requested $5.4 million to match private support for the Young Scholars Academy, a dual-credit program serving first-generation and low-income students. Representative Tipton questioned NKU about the number of older students using tuition waivers and whether the university could continue the program without a statutory age-based mandate. Thompson said the number of students over 65 using the waiver was small, that some students pursue degrees while others audit classes, and that external fundraising could potentially support the program if state funding changed. Tipton also confirmed NKU’s requested priorities and the $5.4 million match for the Young Scholars Academy. The committee then heard from University of Kentucky representative Dr. Cavallo, who framed UK’s request around accountability, workforce development, research, and health care impact. He described a patient story to illustrate UK’s medical mission, cited growth in enrollment, degrees awarded, hospital patients treated, and research grant revenue, and emphasized UK’s role in extension services and disaster response. He said UK is consolidating services for efficiency and is focusing on future workforce needs, especially artificial intelligence, noting the launch of the state’s first AI bachelor’s degree and a partnership with Microsoft to expand AI tools and training across campus and the Advancing Kentucky Together network. He also discussed demographic challenges, the need to retain graduates in Kentucky, and the importance of aligning programs and funding with long-term state needs.