Transcript Highlights:

• We talk about spending additional resources on homes that often go unrented.
• LB 34 created the property tax levy caps.
• So an emergency... ...but only for purposes of overriding the levy cap.
• So we're not touching the public safety cap. That's a separate section.
• I'd like to spend a couple minutes talking about my hope.

Bills: LR509, LR510, LR511

Keywords: congratulations, Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame, Deloris Marshall Adamson, recognition, achievement, service, retirement, Nebraska Legislature, public service, legislature, Nebraska, 956, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That we are trying not to spend out of our own pockets. Follow-up, thank you for that.
• So this would cap what they can transfer beyond their municipal boundary. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Originally, it was also capping how much profit they could make within their municipal boundary.
• of their area at 25%, and that was to better align us with the public providers that are also capped
• If they are capped at 10 percent from that transfer, you're going to affect an even larger percentage

Summary: The Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee met with a quorum present and considered five bills. The first, PCS for HB 987, was an honorary transportation facility designation bill naming several roads and an overpass for fallen officers, a military service member, and first responders. An amendment added the Sheriff Gary S. Borders Memorial Highway designation in Lake County. Members offered supportive remarks, and the bill passed 17-0. The committee then heard HB 703, which would require authorities such as FDOT or local governments to pay the costs when they require telecom providers to relocate infrastructure from public rights-of-way. Support came from Charter Communications, Associated Industries of Florida, and Florida Internet and Television, with discussion focused on the communication services tax and the cost burden of relocations. The bill passed unanimously 18-0. HB 1523 followed, addressing municipal utilities serving customers outside their boundaries by requiring public meetings, annual reporting, limits on transfers to general revenue, and reduced or eliminated surcharges for outside-boundary customers. Municipal utility representatives opposed parts of the bill, citing rural impacts, debt obligations, and the need for a glide path, while supporters argued for transparency and fairness to ratepayers outside municipal boundaries. An amendment changed a reporting date to January 31, 2026, and the bill passed 14-4. HB 867 established a legal framework for commuter rail operations along Florida’s coastal corridor, including insurance and indemnification arrangements for Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties using the Florida East Coast Railway right-of-way. An amendment clarified that Florida East Coast Railway and Brightline are not state entities and do not have sovereign immunity unless expressly provided by law. The bill passed 18-0. Finally, HB 1137 clarified a prior energy preemption law by adding boards, agencies, commissions, and authorities of counties and municipal corporations to the entities covered, aimed at preventing discriminatory energy-source practices by an appointed board. Public testimony included support from the Florida Natural Gas Association and the Florida Home Builders Association and opposition from Florida Student Power. Members noted the bill was a cleanup measure, and it passed favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• , spending time with parents that have. have kids with special needs, spending time with teachers.
• If this bill is for low-income kids, is there a cap on income?
• Yeah, that's the cap. Because as a special educator for 38 years.
• They're all not spending money.
• That's one area I would recommend, is let's just cap income.

Bills: HB3, HB3

Keywords: education savings account, educational expenses, certified educational assistance organization, school choice, funding, special education, tuition reimbursement, emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• the caps are one method to do that. the caps are one method to do that.
• changing any kind of cap or anything. changing any kind of cap or anything.
• WIF cap to $10 million. WIF cap to $10 million.
• determination if they get increased cap. determination if they get increased cap.
• the 5 million dollar cap? the 5 million dollar cap?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been completely flat, while spending has increased 90%.
• Zakaria's take implies, that California has a spending problem.
• And this budget does not have spending reductions sufficient to cover... ...does not have spending reductions
• So the legislative package makes some different spending and budget choices.
• expansions and new spending.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That transfer is capped at $3 million, and that has reached its cap for the biennium. 1.5% goes into
• That transfer is capped at $3 million, and that has reached its cap for the biennium. 1.5% goes into
• Doesn't necessarily mean that's cash on hand available to spend.
• And Chairman asked me not to spend much time on this.
• You know, and really spending some time on the cost share.

Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met with a quorum and received updates from the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Commission, followed by presentations from Deloitte on two legislative studies required by House Bill 1020. Director Reese Haas reviewed major project and budget updates, including the Northwest Area Water Supply and Southwest Pipeline projects, Resources Trust Fund balances, carryover spending, project prioritization, bid conditions, regional water system coverage, and department process improvements. Members also discussed how the commission prioritizes projects, maintenance expectations, and the impact of limited municipal water supply funding. No formal committee action was taken during the DWR update; the commission’s municipal funding decisions were described as pending its April 8 meeting. Deloitte then presented the cost-share policy study, which found that under current policy and forecasted revenues, North Dakota faces an estimated $1.3 billion shortfall over 14 years, with a near-term gap of about $1.8 billion through 2031. The firm outlined seven recommended options, including tighter definitions and a 25% cost share for eligible replacement projects, caps and financing strategies for the Mouse River and Red River Valley projects, aligning cost share with commission priority guidance, delaying lower-priority projects, using available lines of credit, and adjusting reimbursement timing for revolving loan funds. Committee members questioned inflation assumptions, affordability, user fees, and the use of legacy fund earnings for bonding, but no decisions were made. In the governance and finance study, Deloitte said final recommendations are still being refined, with a final report due May 29. The study examined the Southwest Pipeline, NAWS, and Red River Valley systems using governance and finance criteria such as decision authority, transparency, affordability, risk, and access to funding. For Southwest, Deloitte outlined options ranging from improved state-authority coordination to transferring ownership to the Southwest Water Authority; for NAWS, options focused on strengthening the authority’s role and potentially transitioning operations and maintenance; and for Red River, options ranged from enhanced facilitation to formal state oversight or state ownership. Members asked follow-up questions about ownership transfer, capital repayment streams, and why NAWS was not considered for transfer, and Deloitte said NAWS’s limited organizational maturity made that option less viable in the near term.

Transcript Highlights:

• taking away this amount from what we're currently spending on child welfare, which some would argue
• The bill, or the strike-and-insert amendment from the Committee on Finance, caps that at 20%.
• So previously there was a cap of $10,000 for a donation, and now there's no cap.
• I believe there was a $1 million cap. I'm not finding that at the moment.
• I believe there was a $1 million cap.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of House bills on third reading, with several title amendments and a few effective-date motions adopted. Early in the session, members passed HB 4452 removing acreage limits on land owned by church or religious trustees, HB 4577 creating reciprocal driver’s license recognition agreements with Ireland and Japan, HB 4588 authorizing West Virginia participation in a federal tax credit scholarship program, and HB 4592 requiring higher education institutions to create coordinated campus safety maps. HB 4602 was amended to align with a prior Senate child welfare pilot program, and members discussed its projected cost and implementation timeline before passing it. HB 4603 created a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition process in abuse and neglect cases, and HB 4606 narrowed bail rules by requiring consideration of residency and community ties while prohibiting personal recognizance bonds for violent felony offenses after an adopted amendment. The Senate also passed HB 4710 changing the party-registration deadline for candidates from 60 to 180 days before an election, with debate over its impact on independents, and made it effective January 1, 2027. HB 4712, known as Bailey’s Law, increased penalties for DUI causing death and related conduct, with emotional testimony from members about the victim and similar tragedies. HB 4765 established a pay raise for teachers, school personnel, and state police and added a market-pay enhancement system based on county cost-of-living differences; an amendment to the amendment capped county differentials and guaranteed at least a 1% increase in every county. HB 4865 created an optional program for high school and homeschool students to serve as election official trainees, and HB 4869 established narrow guaranteed-issue rights for Medicare supplement policies. Later bills included HB 4995, which strengthened video/audio recording rules in special education classrooms and was passed, then reconsidered and passed again; HB 4996 creating a new crime for making threats of violence against schools or children; HB 5048 guaranteeing virtual instruction for foster children in temporary placement; HB 5065 adding recordkeeping and geolocation requirements for hotel marketplace facilitators to ensure proper hotel tax remittance; and HB 5074 reallocating medical cannabis fund revenues to child protection, homeless services, research, law enforcement, and other purposes. The Senate also passed HB 5101, the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act, which increased penalties for domestic violence offenses and adjusted bail provisions, after amending it to conform with the earlier bail bill. Additional measures passed included HB 5166 requiring notice before political committees are fined for filing violations and allowing limited extensions, HB 5168 directing $12 million in lottery funds to EMS first responders and county EMS support, HB 5182 authorizing certain state treasurer security personnel to carry concealed firearms, HB 5212 streamlining higher-education financial aid rules, HB 5214 allowing court-ordered drug testing of parents before reunification in abuse and neglect cases, HB 5353 regulating virtual currency kiosks with licensing, disclosures, and transaction limits, and HB 5366 exempting J-LAP records from FOIA to protect confidentiality for lawyers and judges seeking assistance. Most bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 5074 and HB 5353 drew some dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is, and I think the OIG will discuss this at greater length, so I'm not going to spend much
• So again, cap-and-invest revenues, these GGRF revenues are anticipated to come in through 2045.
• point, we're kind of, we're pretty far into spending Prop 1A.
• And we're spending a lot of money.
• The people who were here who served on the cap-and-invest study group know that.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan and next steps for the project. Chair Cortese opened by noting major changes since the 2024 plan, including new leadership, a bottoms-up review, scope changes in the Central Valley, loss of federal funds, and renewed interest in private investment and value capture. The Authority’s CEO, Ian Chaudhary, presented the project as moving into a construction and track-laying phase, citing progress on Central Valley structures, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocations, and a new procurement for track and systems. He said the plan reflects a more disciplined, optimized approach, with the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment targeted for revenue service around 2033 and the broader Phase 1 corridor envisioned as commercially viable through ancillary revenues, public-private partnerships, and future private financing. Committee members questioned the Authority about station relocations, single-tracking, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, transparency, and the feasibility of private financing. Chaudhary said the Merced and Bakersfield station locations were still under discussion with local governments and that no contracts had been finalized. He defended the reduced scope and single-track approach as a just-in-time strategy to avoid overbuilding, while maintaining high-speed standards. He also said the Authority was exploring land value capture, broadband, energy, and other corridor-based revenue sources, but acknowledged that some tools would require legislative action and that private financing options were still being evaluated. Several senators expressed support for the project but raised concerns about permitting delays, local opposition, constitutional and statutory limits, and the need for stronger accountability. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General then gave critical assessments of the draft plan. LAO staff said the plan assumes major statutory changes, understates risk, lacks transparency about scope changes, and may not fully fund even the smaller Merced-to-Bakersfield segment once borrowing costs and other uncertainties are considered. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan does not comply with newer statutory requirements in SB 198 and AB 377, citing three main deficiencies: unauthorized scope changes to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, an inadequate funding plan that omits financing costs, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the Authority’s presentation obscures the true cost and schedule impacts of the project changes, and that incomplete reporting limits legislative oversight. The Authority responded that it would address the OIG’s findings in the final business plan, and committee members indicated they expected a written response on compliance issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• . spending on these technology systems because they're large and they're expensive.
• My name is Catherine, I'm a state scientist with CAPS.
• Hello, my name is Joseph Martinez, CAP scientist.
• I'm a state scientist and member of CAPS UAW.
• I'm a and I am a proud member of my union CAPS UHS.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It keeps it the same that it is currently for P&C companies, which is capped at 50%.
• And then it separates out life insurers to a cap of 20%.
• And when I say cap, I mean an overall investment limit for their asset portfolio.
• And then it separates out life insurers to a cap of 20%.
• And when I say cap, I mean an overall investment limit for their asset portfolio.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on April 15 and first took up HB 909, which would require commercial health insurers to cover behavioral health crisis services. Rep. Spell said the bill is intended to support Louisiana’s crisis response system, reduce pressure on emergency rooms and law enforcement, and help providers sustain crisis centers. The committee adopted a technical amendment and then a substantive amendment allowing insurers to require documentation of the crisis, medical necessity, and follow-up plan. Dr. Holly Howitt of the Office of Behavioral Health testified in support, saying commercial coverage would help build a more robust crisis system. The bill was reported as amended. The committee then approved HB 1151, which adjusts insurer investment rules by setting equity-interest limits, including a lower cap for life insurers, to help preserve solvency; Rep. Bagley asked about the effect on profits and was told the bill is meant to add guardrails rather than expand risk. HB 1154, dealing with prior authorization for certain generic medications, was also reported as amended after technical changes and a substantive amendment excluding opioids and setting a $250 wholesale acquisition cost threshold; the Louisiana Dermatological Society supported the bill, saying it would reduce unnecessary delays in treatment. HB 869, which would require coverage for injectable drugs used for glucose control or weight loss, drew extensive debate over cost, access, and long-term savings. Several members questioned the fiscal impact and whether the bill should be narrowed or studied further. Rep. Lyons said the measure is meant to provide some coverage, not necessarily full coverage, and Rep. Jordan proposed a 25% coverage amendment, but the committee declined to take up that substantive amendment that day. On motion, HB 869 was voluntarily deferred to the next meeting. Later, the committee reported HB 1196 favorably, clarifying that screening colonoscopies remain classified as screening even if a polyp is found and for follow-up screenings recommended later. HB 1176, correcting an earlier omission so Medicare Advantage plans cover integrative cancer care services, was also reported favorably. HB 771, concerning Medicare as secondary payer for certain reemployed retirees, was voluntarily deferred after testimony from Office of Group Benefits and the Department of Insurance that federal law controls coordination of benefits. HB 751, on term life insurance disclosures, was also voluntarily deferred by the author for further work. Representative Jordan also moved to defer HB 920 and HB 1199 to the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when determining fiscal year 25's 25% spending cap, you would take fiscal year 24's ending fund balance
• And that would equal your cap for fiscal year 25.
• Because, after all, what we're talking about here is a cap, just like the 3% cap.
• They have this additional 3% cap.
• And, like Senator Hogue has mentioned, we have another cap, the 3% cap.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Residents often spend a higher percentage of their income on housing and transportation.
• population centers residents often spend population centers residents often spend a<00:02:09.360
• That's not actually curbing spending in any meaningful way.
• <00:26:45.279> inflation is largely just from capping inflation is largely just from capping
• But the governor's budget proposal is just a shift and capping rates.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Turning to page 3 on the spending architecture here, the May revision brings down spending to reflect
• So that's reducing spending by $2.4 billion by deferring.
• Don't build a budget that targets historical spending percentage.
• But the state, there has been... spend funding in previous years as well.
• These funds would also revert if not spend by December 31st, 2025.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She noted that Indiana has medical malpractice caps and punitive damage caps.
• and punitive damage caps.
• to our other caps.
• So non-economic caps will equal punitive caps.
• So they are eligible for the caps. They are working under the caps. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, moving on to cap and invest.
• Most of them focused on the cap-and-invest proposal.
• Trying to then layer in and shoehorn in the reauthorization of our landmark climate cap-and-trade cap-and-invest
• I think those are my points on cap-and-trade.
• and trade, cap and invest, whatever you want to call it.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing focused on the governor’s May Revision, especially the proposed extension of the cap-and-trade program to 2045 as “cap-and-invest,” the related greenhouse gas reduction fund (GGRF) spending framework, and several trailer bill proposals. Department of Finance staff outlined budget solutions including a $1.5 billion annual General Fund-to-GGRF shift for Cal Fire that would grow to $1.9 billion by 2029-30, continued support for high-speed rail, climate bond implementation, and various environmental and water-related statutory changes. The administration also described proposals affecting the Delta Conveyance Project, water quality planning, groundwater bulletin timing, Exide cleanup funding, and other agency-specific items, though the chair repeatedly asked staff to keep the presentation high-level and save details for the next hearing. Members from both parties raised strong concerns about the cap-and-invest proposal, arguing that it could reduce or displace funding for transit, affordable housing, active transportation, wildfire prevention, zero-emission vehicles, and other previously committed programs. Several members questioned whether the administration was effectively shifting essential ongoing services like Cal Fire onto a temporary carbon market fund, how the General Fund backstop would work if auction revenues fall short, and whether the proposal would leave enough money for continuous appropriations and future awards. Members also criticized the inclusion of cap-and-invest reauthorization in the budget process and asked for clearer information on the impact to high-speed rail, transit, and other GGRF priorities. The Delta Conveyance Project and related trailer bill language drew significant opposition from members and public commenters, who argued the proposal would fast-track the project, weaken CEQA-related review, and authorize revenue bond financing without sufficient legislative oversight. Public testimony also included support for maintaining or expanding funding for transit, affordable housing, AB 617 community air protection, offshore wind infrastructure, and ignition interlock programs, while environmental and community groups opposed cuts to wildfire prevention, housing, and school climate-related programs. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and the chair said the committee would continue the discussion and receive more detailed responses at the follow-up hearing on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• from other gaming sources, so potentially a $100,000 cap?
• from other gaming sources, so potentially a $100,000 cap?
• accountability of how charity spend accountability of how charity spend their<01:17:10.920> earnings
• If there was a cap at $50,000...
• We didn't spend all of that, so we brought in a second consultant on problem gaming.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 530, a bill to increase funding for New Hampshire’s Affordable Housing Fund. Representative Jessica Lontine, the sponsor, described the state’s housing crisis, citing high rents, low vacancy, and the lack of affordable units. She said the bill would double the annual transfer-tax deposit into the fund from $5 million to $10 million, and she later presented an amendment to hold the Education Trust Fund harmless by directing the housing-fund deposit from remaining revenue after that trust fund is funded. She also explained a prospective appropriation idea tied to a possible future sale of the Laconia State School property, with the goal of supporting community housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Much of the testimony focused on the shortage of accessible and supportive housing for people with disabilities and aging family caregivers. Lontine, Ben Saul of Visions for Creative Housing Solutions, Lori McIntosh of Our Place NH, and Maddie Mandelbaum all described the difficulty families face in planning for adult children with disabilities as parents age or die. They emphasized that many people need not only affordable housing but accessible, supportive settings, and they argued that state investment would help nonprofit providers build such housing and prevent homelessness or inappropriate institutional placement. Several witnesses also noted that existing projects rely on capital funding and that operating revenues are limited because residents often depend on SSI and Medicaid. Committee members asked questions about the fiscal impact of the bill and amendment, including whether the proposal would shift money from the general fund or education trust fund and whether the Finance Committee should have final say over spending priorities. Lontine said she understood those concerns but argued that housing should be prioritized. Housing Action New Hampshire’s Tom Duroza also testified in support of the bill, saying the state’s housing shortage is driving record prices and vacancy rates below 1%, and that the Affordable Housing Fund has leveraged more than $500 million in private investment and helped build thousands of rental homes. He said his organization supported the underlying bill but had not yet reviewed the amendment. No vote or final action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• entitled to the deduction up to the cap. entitled to the deduction up to the cap.
• going and I I wouldn't ask you to spend going and I I wouldn't ask you to spend any<03:06:51.200
• That's why the caps were created.
• Um so that $50,000 cap essentially makes Um so that $50,000 cap essentially makes it<04:38:29.600>
• we need to raise a cap at that time. we need to raise a cap at that time.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I don’t want to spend too much time and go back and forth, but I...
• You know, I've got a few chits I can spend, and this is where I decided to really spend my political
• California enacted the cap-and-trade program with AB 32 in 2006.
• SB 840 only deals with one small part of the cap-and-trade program.
• I'm the issue with not having facility caps is not ...the issue with not having facility caps is not

Summary: The committee first established a quorum, adopted the consent calendar for SB 423 and SB 581, and then heard a series of bills, most of which were presented as streamlining or safety measures tied to transportation, climate, public lands, health care, and higher education. SB 71 by Senator Wiener would extend and expand a CEQA exemption for sustainable transportation projects, adding modes such as microtransit, paratransit, shuttles, and ferries, while also accepting committee amendments that narrowed a Tier 4 diesel rail provision, restored existing right-of-way language with utility protections, and set a new sunset date. Support came from transit agencies, local governments, and advocacy groups; some members raised concerns about the diesel rail language and possible interactions with housing-related legislation, but the bill advanced on a due pass vote as amended. The committee then heard SB 614 by Senator Stern on carbon dioxide pipeline safety. The bill would direct the State Fire Marshal to adopt safety standards for intrastate CO2 pipelines, building from federal draft rules and adding state discretion and possible enhanced protections such as planning zones and more detailed exposure modeling. Supporters argued California needs to fill a federal regulatory gap to advance carbon capture and climate goals, while environmental justice and conservation groups opposed unless amended, citing risks from CO2 leaks and asking for stronger siting restrictions and more specificity. The bill passed on a due pass vote to Appropriations, with members noting the need for continued work on the safety provisions. Senator Arreguín also presented SB 304, which would temporarily lift public trust use restrictions on specific land at Jack London Square to allow the Port of Oakland more leasing flexibility under conditions and annual reporting. The measure was described as a limited, time-bound effort to address high vacancy and revitalize the waterfront, and it drew support from Oakland city and county representatives with no opposition in the room. The committee then approved SB 304 on a due pass vote. Arreguín’s SB 830 followed, creating CEQA streamlining for Sutter Health’s new Emeryville hospital campus and designating the City of Emeryville as lead agency; supporters said it would preserve East Bay hospital access before seismic deadlines, and the bill passed with broad support and no opposition. Finally, Senator Caballero presented SB 486, a higher education planning bill intended to align UC and CSU enrollment growth with regional sustainable communities plans and to remove the need to analyze a no-project alternative in certain long-range development plans. Supporters said the bill would better integrate university enrollment forecasting into regional planning, while opponents warned that eliminating the no-project analysis could weaken accountability for housing and infrastructure impacts around campuses. Committee members expressed mixed views and asked for further clarification, but the bill was moved out on a due pass as amended vote to Appropriations. The transcript then shifted to SB 629, a fire response and rebuilding bill, with the author describing amendments to apply fire safety requirements in wildfire-burned areas, update fire mapping, and require annual defensible space inspections, though the discussion was cut off before any final action was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so those are areas where maybe not all of the spending level, but a lot of the spending level is
• There's been some increases in spending.
• There's been some increases in spending.
• Some of the per caps are done by agencies.
• And so if the legislature once again funds their ongoing one-time spending, that would increase spending

Summary: The committee held its first meeting, with co-chairs and members introducing themselves and staff outlining the committee’s statutory mandate under the 2025-27 supplemental operating budget. Staff explained that the Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability will receive technical assistance from a nonpartisan organization, with work split into two phases: first on revenue growth, spending assumptions, and cost drivers in the four-year outlook, and later on staffing, overhead, performance management, and public reporting. Members broadly said they hoped the committee would build a shared factual understanding of the state’s fiscal situation, structural deficits, and budget processes, and identify a sustainable path forward for the operating budget. Staff then gave a detailed presentation on operating budget basics. They reviewed the size and composition of the operating budget, noting that most spending is concentrated in grants/client services and salaries/benefits, with K-12, DSHS, HCA, DCYF, DOC, and higher education making up most NGFO spending. They explained the distinction between constitutional, federal, statutory, and discretionary spending, using examples such as K-12, Medicaid, collective bargaining agreements, court-driven obligations like McCleary and Trueblood, and one-time appropriations. They also walked through how the state uses incremental budgeting, carry-forward and maintenance-level calculations, caseload and per-capita forecasting, and the four-year balanced budget outlook, including reserve calculations and the budget stabilization account. Members asked extensive questions about what is and is not included in the outlook, especially future collective bargaining agreements, health care and compensation growth, tort and other liabilities, and whether the state could better distinguish mandatory from discretionary spending. Staff explained that current CBAs and other already-enacted obligations are included, but future CBAs are not; some liabilities are reflected as expenditures when appropriated, while broader long-term liabilities are not fully captured in the outlook because they depend on future policy choices. Staff also noted that the legislature and ERFC can adopt assumptions such as reversions and growth factors, and that an outlook accuracy report is produced every five years to compare projected and actual maintenance-level spending. The committee agreed to follow up on some of the more complex liability and assumption questions. After a short break, Josh Goodman of the Pew Charitable Trusts began a presentation on Pew’s role and approach to state fiscal sustainability. He described Pew as a nonpartisan organization with long-standing state fiscal research, emphasizing its 50-state comparative data, interviews with state officials and experts, and focus on long-term sustainability, reserve policies, and recession preparedness. The presentation was ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's be clear, the lobbyist's goal is ultimately to use this bill to add caps back into law.
• When we talk about caps on non-economic damages, we're talking about caps on pain and suffering damages
• What we're talking about is capping the unknown.
• We're capping that number which can't be estimated.
• One proven solution that has been discussed today is equity in non-economic damages through caps.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met to consider HB 6003, a bill to repeal Florida’s “free kill” law that limits certain survivors’ ability to recover non-economic damages in medical negligence wrongful death cases. The sponsor, Rep. Trabulsy, said the bill would restore access to the courts for a small class of families and noted the measure passed both chambers last year before being vetoed by the governor. She and supporters framed the bill as a fairness and constitutional issue, while opponents argued repeal would increase malpractice exposure, insurance costs, and pressure on physician access, especially in high-risk specialties and rural areas. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters included family members who described deaths they said were caused by medical negligence and who argued the current law denies accountability and equal treatment based on marital status or whether a decedent had minor children. Opponents included the Florida Hospital Association, Florida Medical Association, Florida Chamber, U.S. Chamber, Florida Insurance Council, and other health care and business groups, who warned that repeal could worsen already high malpractice premiums, contribute to physician shortages, and destabilize access to care. Several speakers on both sides discussed possible caps on non-economic damages as a compromise, though the bill itself was presented as a clean repealer with no amendments. During debate, several members spoke in support, emphasizing equal access to the courts and rejecting the idea that the law should treat some families differently from others. Opponents of the bill argued that the current system helps preserve market stability and that liability concerns, not the free kill law, are driving provider departures. After closing remarks from the sponsor, the committee voted 15 yeas and 1 nay to report HB 6003 favorably.