Transcript Highlights:

• As a physician, I have many concerns about the devastating impacts of PFAS on my patient population.
• So, we do get, because of our size, because of how large our population is, because of what our percentage
• of the population in the United States are, we're going to get a very significant percentage of that
• So to me this is a very wise investment in the health of our population, in the health of our children
• We have lots of small population towns, very low population densities, extensive forested and ag communities

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• nurses join our ranks who will soon have collective bargaining agreements which will increase our density
• You all saw us here uh in 2022 three where rather than introducing a ratio which will increase our density
• Um, which will increase our density.
• disproportionately impact marginalized communities, worsening existing health care disparities for vulnerable populations
• disproportionately impact marginalized communities, worsening existing health care disparities for vulnerable populations

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of my colleagues across the country are dealing with the same amount of intake, but are serving populations
• Continuation of support for this end of the sunset would allow us to continue addressing this high-risk population
• Or is it based on population?
• Nutrient density is one of the benefits of the use of compost, and also water infiltrates into the soil

Bills: SB38, SB46, SB18

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, SB46, organic waste, solid waste, waste diversion, composting, compost feedstock, waste characterization study

Transcript Highlights:

• to modernize stormwater infrastructure and offer redevelopment flexibility, allowing for increased density
• /c><00:09:21.920> and<00:09:22.079> Mobility<00:09:22.519> through increased density
• and Mobility through increased density and Mobility through new<00:09:22.880> housing<00:09:23.200
• income averaging also benefits rural areas that have very low area median incomes but lack the population
• About 20,000 of our 60,000 downtown residents, so about a third of the downtown residential population

Bills: HF1746, HF2585, HF1159, HF2574, HF2839, HF157, HF158, HF160, HF338, HF512

Keywords: Oakdale, tax increment financing, local government, funding, urban development, tax increment, St. Paul, redevelopment, housing authority, housing trust fund, low-income housing, property taxation, Minnesota statutes, vacant property, housing, commercial to residential conversion, Minneapolis, urban redevelopment, public parks, tax capacity

Transcript Highlights:

• What we have had a substantial increase in population.
• And in Florida we have a large elderly population.
• Obviously, our population has been in the last decade.
• And we're gonna so there is a base based on population.
• The best population is going up.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're looking at Veracruz because there is an abundance of wild population out there.
• So, I mean, it seems like, yes, our cattle population has gone down, but our wildlife population has
• They say that the density of the fly population is extremely low, and they may have moved that...
• The density of the fly population is extremely low, and they may have moved that far by the smaller wildlife
• We get surveys as far as density of animals that we’re feeding.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• state's ability to effectively deliver services to and protect state-held data and its growing population
• the org chart that we respect what’s happening, that UTSA is providing access to their student population
• It's the density of all these cyber skills that we plug into.
• But at the end of the day, when you look at the cyber skills, the density of those skills, the level

Bills: HB146, HB150, HB1500, HB1545, HB1562, HB2067, HB2520, HB2818, HB3214, HB3250, HB3466, HB3512, HB3623, HB4063, HB4395, HB4464, HB4668, HB4690, HB5331, HB3833

Keywords: HB 146, Texas Capitol, State Capitol, State Preservation Board, Congress Avenue, Travis County, traffic lanes, lane closure, road closure, municipal authority, local control, Capitol area, downtown Austin, special events, construction traffic plan, pedestrian safety, public works, transportation policy, government code chapter 443, cybersecurity

Summary: The committee took up several pending business items and reported a series of House bills out of committee, including HB 2467, HB 2468, HB 2518, HB 4310, HB 4386, HB 4490, HB 5323, and HB 149. Most of these were advanced on committee substitute motions and sent to the local and uncontested calendar or reported favorably to the full Senate. HB 2467 drew one nay vote, while the others were approved without opposition. HB 4310 and HB 4386 were described as committee-substitute versions with changes narrowing disclosure requirements and preserving attorney-client privilege in certain circumstances. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 149, an AI governance bill. The substitute was explained as addressing biometric identifier capture and storage, exempting certain AI uses for security and fraud prevention, clarifying definitions, restricting AI systems that simulate explicit child sexual content, adjusting Attorney General investigative authority, refining sandbox program waivers, reducing Texas AI Council powers and membership, and adding DIR coordination provisions. The committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably. The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 1500, the DIR sunset bill. The author said the bill would continue DIR for 12 years, restructure its board, update advisory committees, require regular cybersecurity assessments and penetration testing for state agencies, improve IT procurement training, and transfer the e-grants program to the Comptroller. A Texas 2036 witness supported the bill as a way to strengthen governance, procurement, and cybersecurity. Members asked detailed questions about the bill’s structure and then left HB 1500 pending. The committee also heard a lengthy presentation on HB 150, which would create the Texas Cyber Command as a component of the University of Texas System, administratively attached to UTSA and located in San Antonio. The author argued the command would centralize cyber threat intelligence, incident response, and digital forensics, and would be able to support state and local entities, with optional services for local governments. Members raised concerns about university mission drift, governance, security, chain of command, procurement authority, gifts and donations, and civil liberties implications of proactive cyber monitoring. Witnesses from UTSA/NSCC and SecurityScorecard testified in support, emphasizing the security of the downtown San Antonio facility, the existing cyber ecosystem there, and the need for a dedicated cyber capability. The bill remained under discussion with no final committee action announced in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• entitlement phase of a project from partnering with market-rate home builders to ensure compliance with density
• building industry is working to solve a problem that they face with the challenges of the current density

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on January 22, 2026, for its regular order hearing and suspense-file hearing. In regular order, the committee approved consent-calendar bills AB 683, AB 763, AB 1126, and AB 1278 on unanimous due-pass motions, and AB 34 and AB 442 on a second unanimous due-pass motion. The committee then heard and advanced several bills, including AB 35, which would create an APA exemption for Proposition 4-funded programs to speed implementation of water, wildfire, energy-storage, and grid-support projects; AB 748, establishing pre-approved housing programs for local agencies; AB 939, allowing immediate transfer of certain affordable homeownership units to qualified nonprofit housing organizations; AB 643, adding a narrow organic-waste-derived agricultural fertilizer product to SB 1383 procurement options; and AB 96, removing the high school diploma requirement for certified Medi-Cal peer support specialists. Testimony on these bills was largely supportive, with sponsors and coalition representatives emphasizing reduced delays, lower costs, and improved housing, environmental, or behavioral-health outcomes. The Department of Finance offered general budget comments but no bill-specific positions. The committee voted the bills out, with AB 643 and AB 96 receiving no recorded opposition in the transcript and AB 939 passing with some members noting support and interest in coauthoring. The committee also received a presentation-only discussion of AB 1091, a proposal to authorize eight-letter specialty license plates, which the author said could generate revenue for rural programs such as the Williamson Act; the bill was not acted on at that time. After public comment, the committee moved to the suspense-file hearing on 53 bills. Using a substituted motion for due-pass and due-pass-with-amendments items, the committee held some bills and advanced many others, often with amendments that narrowed scope, deleted provisions, or required reports or studies. Bills held in committee included AB 405, AB 298, AB 333, AB 296, AB 1091, AB 1241, and AB 577, among others. The committee reported moving 43 bills to the Assembly floor, with several on A roll calls and others on B roll calls or with amendments, and noted that amendment language would be posted later online.

Transcript Highlights:

• We currently have 54.6% of the Husky total Husky population that are attributed to a PCMH provider.
• Overall, but we still see a larger, older adult dentistry population.
• They follow also where the density of population is, particularly in the Husky population, but they are
• So we're missing a large swath of the population who is actually receiving the sealant because of the
• The geographic accessibility simply tells you how proximate the network is to the population.

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Care Management Meeting opened with a DSS update on the PCMH program. Staff reported the program remained steady at 124 practices, 553 sites, and 2,548 providers, with some month-to-month fluctuation driven by practice consolidation, retirements, and a few practices leaving the program because NCQA requirements were burdensome. Members asked about declining provider and site counts, member attribution trends, and whether PCMH practices overlap with behavioral health homes; DSS said attribution changes are largely due to members becoming ineligible, moving, or getting other insurance, and that PCMH and behavioral health homes are separate programs that coordinate informally. The committee also discussed why some smaller practices leave the program and whether the requirements could be made easier to support retention. The committee then resumed a detailed presentation on the Husky Dental program. The presenter described the dental benefit’s history, the importance of preventive oral health, workforce and consolidation pressures in dentistry, and the lack of interoperability between dental and medical records. Network data showed year-over-year declines in enrolled dental practitioners and service locations, with access gaps concentrated in rural and eastern parts of the state. Appointment availability surveys showed average waits of 38 days for adults and 23 days for children, but much longer waits at FQHCs than private fee-for-service practices. The presenter said Connecticut remains above the national median on CMS pediatric dental quality measures, though sealant rates remain a concern, and noted that preventive care is associated with lower per-member costs. Members raised concerns about provider participation, large practices dropping Medicaid, mobile dental care, and whether the public directory accurately reflects which dentists are actually accepting new patients. The presenter said the plan uses secret-shopper calls, tracks appointment availability, and has begun using place-of-service coding to better identify school-based dental care. She also noted a new MOU with 20 Head Start programs to share data and provide oral health literacy and navigation support. The final major topic was implementation planning for HR1. DSS said CMS guidance was expected in early June and proposed using upcoming meetings to cover medical frailty, communication strategy, and data integration/ex parte verification. Committee members urged the department to create a dashboard to track disenrollments and other impacts of HR1, to build a process for complaints and problem resolution, and to think through cost-sharing, caregiver verification, exemptions, and notices. Members also asked about using existing eligibility structures such as the working-disabled program as a model. The committee agreed to move the next meeting to June 10 by Zoom, with the agenda to be circulated in advance and any PCMH Plus quality data shared if available.

Transcript Highlights:

• from 2020 until 2023, 95 of the state's 254 counties either saw saw no increase in their population
• The ability to supplement flat or declining population without without a state students will allow WT
• And this bill really addresses the non-resident population, correct?
• Less than 1% of the population serves or even has served. Combined those two groups right there.
• The quality of our soil directly impacts the nutrient density of our foods.

Transcript Highlights:

• Given that our total population of 2 million does not command any influence over nationwide Apps, let
• In commercial zones, mixed-use zones, and high-density residential zones.
• A child's care center would only be permitted in commercial zones, mixed use, multi-family, high density

Bills: SB20, SB53, SB86, SB96, SB129

Keywords: prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder

Transcript Highlights:

• .. certain institutions, and they would just have to be institutions that are in regions with a population
• The ability to supplement flat or declining population with out-of-state students will allow WSU to..
• Probably the largest grant program that the state offers for the population. receives the designated
• Less than 1% of the... the population serves or even has served. Combined, those two.
• The quality of our soil directly impacts the nutrient density of our food.

Bills: HB3032, HB3434, HB3574, HB5339, HB5646

Keywords: nursing education, clinical sites, health facilities, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, legislative study, healthcare training, tuition, financial assistance, higher education, public institutions, student support, nonresident students, Texas Education Code, resident tuition, scholarships, regenerative agriculture, grants, sustainable farming, soil health, bioremediation

Transcript Highlights:

• So I would say this, um, it probably is like unit density.
• So the density of our service members are typically in the Manchester, Concord sort of I-93 corridor,
• <00:13:08.160> So<00:13:08.399> the probably it's like unit density.
• So the probably it's like unit density.
• > members<00:13:10.160> are density of our service members are density of our service members

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The work session focused first on SP 492, a bill intended to give the New Hampshire Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services authority to lease or license property for housing and related uses. Major General David Mikolitis testified that the bill is aimed at addressing affordable housing for junior enlisted service members, especially those assigned to Pease Air National Guard Base who currently face long commutes because of the Seacoast housing shortage. He said the most likely uses would be converting limited barracks space in Pembroke or Stratford into apartment-style or extended-stay housing, and possibly allowing office/co-op space for federal civilians, though he emphasized the primary purpose is housing for junior ranks. He also said any development would likely be done by a private developer through an RFP, with costs borne by the developer rather than the department. Committee members asked about whether the bill could apply to commercial uses, how taxes would work, whether revenues would go into the general fund, and whether the concept could be expanded statewide. Mikolitis said the intent was housing only, not commercial development like a Starbucks, and that any developed property would be taxable locally rather than remain tax-exempt. He said revenues would go into a dedicated Veteran Services Property Fund and be used for facilities, not the general fund. He also explained that the department has about 20 armories statewide but sees only a few viable locations for this concept, mainly Pembroke, Stratford, and possibly one other site, because the goal is to serve personnel within roughly a 45-minute drive of Pease. He noted that a proposed seven-acre parcel near Pease had already been approved by the Pease Development Authority but still needed FAA approval, and he was not optimistic about using that land for housing because of contamination and redevelopment costs. Committee discussion ended with members indicating support for OTP, but the chair said the vote would have to wait until 11 o'clock and then closed the work session on SP 492. The committee then opened a work session on SP 627 and heard testimony from Jim Jelbert, owner of CJ Bus Lines and chair of the legislature’s transportation council, who spoke in support of the bill. Jelbert argued that the measure would allow New Hampshire to raise tolls and generate significant revenue for the 10-year highway plan without directly taxing citizens, and said the money could address congestion and safety problems, including work on I-93 in Manchester and other statewide projects. He estimated the bill could generate substantial revenue over time and said toll credits could help leverage federal matching funds. He also said improved roads would benefit businesses like his by reducing vehicle wear and improving efficiency. The transcript cuts off before any committee action on SP 627 is recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the first one is the most critical: it's the structure density. ...or the separation between homes
• We look at structure density and where we can create better structure separation when that's possible
• Are the populations currently served by the program the ones that should be served, or might there be
• you expand the program and as you have limited resources, how much of it should be going to that population
• want to reiterate that this work has really shown the importance of prioritizing the vulnerable populations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on home hardening and defensible space as wildfire mitigation tools, with members and witnesses emphasizing that California’s wildfire losses, insurance costs, and affordability pressures require a broader strategy than the status quo. The chair framed the issue as a tipping point for the state and asked witnesses to discuss how to scale mitigation, improve coordination, and make programs more effective and sustainable. Early testimony from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety explained how embers, flames, structure density, and combustible materials drive community conflagrations, and described the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standards, including a base “Prepared” level and an enhanced level. IBHS said California is ahead of other states but still needs standardized, verified mitigation, and noted research suggesting home hardening can reduce losses and improve insurability. The Legislative Analyst’s Office highlighted key policy questions for lawmakers, including the state’s role, intergovernmental coordination, cost-effectiveness, program design, long-term sustainability, and barriers to implementation. Members pressed for practical, lower-cost approaches, and witnesses repeatedly stressed that the first five feet around a home is critical, that many mitigation steps are DIY or relatively low-cost, and that financing will be necessary because many homeowners cannot afford full retrofits. Megafire Action argued that home hardening is a market adoption challenge, not something the state can fully pay for, and recommended a blended model of education, low-interest loans, smaller grants, and insurance discounts to drive mass adoption. Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council and Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority described local programs using assessments, neighborhood-based Firewise efforts, grants, and resident participation, while also calling for better marketing, clearer standards, workforce development, and stronger links between mitigation and insurance benefits. In the later panels, Cal Fire and the State Fire Marshal described the state’s layered approach: parcel-level hardening, defensible space, and neighborhood-scale mitigation. Cal Fire said its defensible space inspection program needs ongoing funding and staffing to remain permanent, and the LAO said the proposal has merit but could be modified depending on budget conditions and alternative funding sources. Cal Fire also described a forthcoming defensible space financial assistance program focused on Zone Zero and vulnerable communities, estimating about $8,000 per home and roughly 3,125 homes served with the proposed funding. The State Fire Marshal clarified that local Zone Zero ordinances cannot be less restrictive than state minimum standards, though local governments have flexibility above that floor. Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses returned to the need for a coordinated statewide marketing campaign, consistent standards, targeted incentives, and sustained funding to move from pilot efforts to mass adoption.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you agree that there are in our population people that need to be in a recovery house that may have
• We believe that by the very nature, recovery homes are not dwellings that serve as a transient population
• <01:37:30.400> there's serve as a transient population there's serve as a transient population
• a lot that regulate congregate living, but it tends to be college towns or places that are higher density
• or urban areas. ...that are higher density or urban areas, where people might try to become roommates

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many short lines are in low density and serve rural areas, often with significant deferred maintenance
• Uh, Jim Walls County has a population of 38,891, uh, 868 square miles of road.
• Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, and others connect our urban adjacent rural areas to our more highly populated

Transcript Highlights:

• populated area in California will be granted carrier of last resort or COLA relief unless the California
• AB 470 also includes a robust public challenge process to ensure that every populated area of the state
• Because if you're not in zero population, zero customers, or you're in what is defined as well served
• That's why the population I'm trying to reach is because they have no other option.
• If you're not aware, our member counties have a great land mass but very low population density making

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:14.879> and states and the expansion population and states and the expansion population
• of the percentage of population of the percentage of population impacted.
• density, distance to drive, and things like that.
• your population is.
• Uh the second health of your population.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met and approved the minutes from its August 27 meeting. It then received a presentation from Katherine Castanza of the National Conference of State Legislators on the Medicaid provisions in the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, referred to as HR1. She explained that the bill is estimated by CBO to save the federal government $911 billion over 10 years, with more than 20 Medicaid-specific provisions, most of the savings concentrated in five policies and largely backloaded into 2030-2034. She emphasized that the bill’s effects will vary by state, but that expansion states and hospitals are expected to be most affected, in part because of changes to eligibility, provider taxes, and state-directed payments. Castanza highlighted several new funding and flexibility provisions, including a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund for 2026-2030 and a new home- and community-based services waiver option effective July 1, 2028, with $100 million in grants in fiscal year 2027. She also outlined major eligibility changes for Medicaid expansion adults: work or community engagement requirements effective January 1, 2027; twice-yearly redeterminations for the expansion population effective the same date; and new cost sharing for certain expansion adults effective October 1, 2028. She noted that Kentucky, as an expansion state, would be subject to these changes and that state agencies would face significant implementation demands, especially because federal guidance and timelines are tight. A substantial portion of the presentation focused on financing changes. Castanza described new limits on provider taxes, including a 0% safe harbor for new taxes and a phased reduction for existing taxes in expansion states beginning in 2028, while nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities are exempt from the reduction if already taxed. She also explained that state-directed payments will be capped and phased down over time, with existing arrangements grandfathered only briefly; she said Kentucky has 11 approved state-directed payments and could see significant fiscal effects. She added that the bill also bars Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood or similarly situated providers for one year, changes immigrant eligibility rules effective October 1, 2026, lowers the federal match for certain emergency services, and expands the scope of the federal erroneous payment recoupment provision effective October 1, 2029. Throughout, she stressed that federal savings may translate into state cost shifts and that implementation timing will be critical.

Transcript Highlights:

• Urban communities, because they have density, are taken better care of, and the rural areas, although
• I'm like, it's a juggernaut of an economy; just because it doesn't have density doesn't mean that it
• Not really differently; they're devastated, it's just they're not in the same density.

Transcript Highlights:

• It protects the homesteaded rights of the track against developers who might build high-density housing
• It protects the homesteaded rights of the track against developers who might build high-density housing

Bills: SB1195, SB1245, SB1379, SB1420, SB1473, SB1534, SB1743, SB1769, SB1945

Keywords: nuisance, racing facility, racetrack, qualified defense, local property rights, noise regulation, legal claims, felony offenses, criminal justice reform, drug offenses, DUI penalties, residential treatment, human trafficking, victims, prevention, support services, Attorney General, pilot program, grant funding, public comment