Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, first up, we're going to have our presentation on the North Star Promise to set the conversation
• Um, the NSP Plus match for FY 26 is now set at 0% based on projected spending for North Star Promise,
• will also be set at 0% for<00:04:09.560> FY<00:04:09.920> 27,<00:04:11.040> which
• So, we set out to be different in the way we do education, too.
• So, we set out to be kind of campus.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They ultimately use all of the appliances that I just talked about in the residential setting.
• They go through the pipeline and they they check the integrity of the pie.
• Number one, basically how FPL generates its power from a diverse set of operating resources.
• >> I think with FPL is a regulated utility that the rates are really set by customer class.
• I don't think that's how rate structures we're currently set up with.

Transcript Highlights:

• that will be vertically integrated. that will be vertically integrated.
• > integrity That's not about integrity integrity That's not about integrity integrity That's<02
• what this does is it promotes integrity what this does is it promotes integrity and<02:40:52.440
• We strengthen program<02:46:42.240> integrity.
• We use predictive program integrity.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we evaluate skill set. Do we have these skills in-house?
• In information from different data sets.
• Or right now, that other data set may be in another state agency.
• Set up in-house AI where we can control the data.
• Without a set policy procedure.

Summary: The committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with the statewide Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and OMB reported a clean, unmodified opinion for the state, with strong financial results including a $40.6 billion net position, $30.99 billion in assets, $1.81 billion in liabilities, and continued Legacy Fund growth. OMB also explained the new GASB 101 compensated-absences reporting change and discussed pension-liability fluctuations tied to discount-rate assumptions and investment performance. Members asked about how the state compares to others and about the effect of short-term commodity price swings, and OMB said the report reflects actual fiscal-year results rather than forecasts. The committee then heard the University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund revenue, insufficient monitoring of service organizations at CTS, NDSU, and UND, improper bank reconciliations at Dakota College of Bottineau, Dickinson State, and Williston State, and investment/cash reconciliation problems at Bismarck State College related to bond proceeds. University officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations. Members raised questions about NDSU’s use of certificates of deposit, and university staff explained that CDs are used to earn interest on funds being accumulated for future projects. Several other audits were presented, most with clean opinions and no findings, including the State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Notable exceptions included a State Fair Association audit with an adverse opinion on the foundation component unit because its financial statements were not available for audit, and a Securities Department performance audit finding that performance-based pay increases and bonuses were issued without required evaluations. The committee also discussed the State Auditor’s future needs, including more staff capacity, data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, possible subpoena authority, independent legal counsel, and whether some audits—such as the Ethics Commission and State Fair—should be handled by independent third parties or under different statutory arrangements.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's the E, VTOL, and AAM, which are both acronyms, integration pilot programs.
• So, electric vertical takeoff and landing in advanced air mobility aircraft integration pilot program
• And we think it's catchy, and it integrates very well with the U.S.
• The strategic plan will look toward the National Airspace System and how we integrate there.
• So the strategic plan will look towards the NASS, the National Airspace System, and how we integrate

Summary: The Louisiana Advanced Aviation and Drones Advisory Committee met with a quorum and opened by noting that, under current law, the committee will sunset after the 2026 regular session unless legislation is passed to reconstitute it. Members discussed the need for a smaller, more workable committee structure in the future so quorum requirements would be easier to meet, and they added an agenda item to consider reconstitution and another for a legislative briefing. The June 2025 minutes were approved. Subcommittee reports focused heavily on counter-drone policy and advanced air mobility. Mr. Muley described the new counter-UAS effort, referred to as the “Let’s Go Act,” which would create a joint task force of state police, sheriffs, and municipal police chiefs to develop training standards and equipment standards for counter-drone operations. Members also discussed federal developments in the NDAA and DOJ’s role in authorizing mitigation capabilities for states with laws and training plans. Public safety members reported that training on recently enacted drone laws is underway in north Louisiana. The committee also heard a major update from Josh Deplanis, newly named Louisiana’s first advanced aeronautics director. He outlined Louisiana’s selection for the FAA’s Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing/Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program, branded “Lift Off Louisiana,” and described plans for real-world operations beginning as early as August, centered on Houma-Terrebonne Airport. He also reviewed the state’s broader advanced air mobility strategic plan, including vertiport readiness, charging infrastructure, logistics, workforce training, and community engagement. Members emphasized Louisiana’s opportunity to influence FAA policy and international airspace issues related to operations over the Gulf and beyond 12 nautical miles. In final action, the committee adopted a resolution supporting reconstitution of LADAC, with revised proposed membership language reducing the committee from 15 members to 11 and setting a simple majority of six for quorum, with new appointments effective July 1, 2027. No public testimony was offered, and the meeting adjourned after the motion passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Getting myself situated here, and sure, we're all set.
• Getting myself situated here and sure, we're all set.
• Steve really sets the bar for helping service members, veterans, and families.
• All right, everyone is all set. Representative, yeah, you good? All right, thank you.
• or a transition to independent living setting.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was a FY27 budget session on Health and Human Services held in Mattapan, hosted by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Opening remarks from Senator Lydia Edwards, Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed, Representative Russell Holmes, and Boston Public Library President David Leonard emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing in Mattapan, the importance of community access, and the role of libraries as human services institutions. Committee members and attendees introduced themselves before agency testimony began. MassAbility testified first, describing its mission to support people with disabilities through employment, independent living, and disability determination services. The agency highlighted federal funding uncertainty, a modest FY27 budget reduction, and a proposed reworking of its home care program, which it said is outdated and should better target those most in need. Members questioned the home care cut, staffing reductions, and federal coordination. MassAbility also shared a participant story about recovery and community support to illustrate the impact of its services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing then presented its FY27 request, focusing on interpreter and captioning access, workforce development, emergency communication, aging-related hearing loss, and transition services for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. Members asked about interpreter shortages, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL education, and community training; the commission said it is expanding mentorship and referral systems but still faces staffing and vendor challenges. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind followed with a $30.8 million request, describing services for nearly 9,000 consumers, peer support groups, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 services, while noting federal funding uncertainty and a 7% budget cut. Members raised concerns about maintaining services with fewer resources, and the commissioner said the agency had trimmed overhead and could manage the proposal. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the segment, outlining expanded legal, housing, workforce, citizenship, and financial literacy supports for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, legal defense initiatives, and the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative. Members discussed the effects of federal policy changes, the loss of refugee resettlement funding, and the need for state support to fill gaps. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the hearing consisted of agency presentations and committee questioning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh this program has an integrity.
• So again, we're putting a band-aid on an economic infection that we are set that primarily Democrats
• Paired with all of the things that you would then find in that setting, of course, which are clothes,
• Paired with all of the things that you would then find in that setting, of course, which are clothes,
• , hear regarding program integrity, hear regarding program integrity, preventing<01:01:25.800>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just thought it was very important that we took a look at waste, fraud, and abuse and program integrity
• staffed as follows our program Integrity staffed as follows our program Integrity office<00:48:22.480
• Payment integrity clarification is needed to prevent inappropriate billing.
• So he's basically saying payments just are set on autopilot.
• Is that a whole set of things?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Human Services Committee met on January 22, 2025, to focus early in session on waste, fraud, abuse, and program integrity in Minnesota human services programs. The chair said taxpayers expect funds to reach people in need and asked the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) to present on resources, progress, and possible solutions. Members also asked the auditors to note where the legislature or agencies had already taken action to address prior findings. OLA staff summarized recent reports on grants management and oversight. They said noncompliance with grants policies has been pervasive across agencies, including problems at DHS in conflict-of-interest documentation and pre-award financial reviews. In one DHS review, 30 of 41 grant reviewers had missing or incomplete conflict forms, and 20 of 57 grants lacked required financial review documents; the issues affected about $11.5 million in grant funding. OLA said DHS spent more than $400 million in grants to nonprofit organizations from 2018 to 2022, and they identified broader factors affecting compliance such as inconsistent funding for grants administration, ad hoc training, inconsistent data systems, and limited enforcement authority. They noted 2023 legislative changes that allowed agencies to retain some grant funding for administration and directed an assessment of a statewide grants management system, and they said OGM training and staffing have increased, though training is still not required for all staff. The Financial Audit Division then discussed the senior nutrition program at DHS, which delivered about 3.1 million meals to more than 40,000 participants in 2022 through the Minnesota Board on Aging, area agencies, service providers, and subcontractors. The audit found nine findings across documentation, monitoring, contract oversight, participant recertification, and data quality. Examples included service providers failing to recertify participants or recording inaccurate data, the Board on Aging not performing monitoring visits since 2017 or financial reconciliations in 2022, and area agencies failing to complete required site visits. Survey results also suggested participant database inaccuracies. OLA recommended stronger monitoring, clearer procedures, and more reliable data to ensure services reach intended recipients. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Optometrists are an integral and highly valued part of the eye care team.
• Optometrists are an integral and highly valued part of the eye care team.
• So they all have a niche, but their skill set is integrated in our practice so that they provide a continuum
• So they all have a niche, but their skill set is integrated in our practice so that they provide a continuum
• Another works in the children's eye clinic, and so they all have a niche, but their skill set is integrated

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then it also uh extends the scope of a limited set aside that is already available for personal care
• And so we think this is just a really important program integrity provision and it would give DHS as
• 58.319> limited also uh extends the scope of a limited also uh extends the scope of a limited set
• aside that is already available for set aside that is already available for personal<00:03:02.319>
• a really important program integrity a really important program integrity provision<00:04:06.400

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 2260, a Judiciary Committee clone of portions of the larger DHS policy bill, and adopted the A1 amendment, which was described as largely technical but also incorporating changes from the related human services bill. The bill was presented as covering several DHS-related policy areas, including background studies transparency, anti-kickback provisions for medical assistance and child care assistance, and personal data protections for human services judges. The amendment also added a number of provisions related to direct care and treatment, competency restoration billing and data sharing, fraud enforcement tools, behavioral health fund eligibility, and clarifications to prior law. Testimony from DHS Office of Inspector General legislative director Ardian Diddy emphasized that the bill would improve transparency in background studies, update investigative and arrest data access, extend a limited set-aside to similar provider types, and correct an effective-date error from last session. He also said the anti-kickback language would mirror federal Medicaid law for medical assistance and create a state-level prohibition for CCAP, giving DHS and law enforcement more tools to investigate fraud and misuse. Additional provisions would add human services judges to existing personal data protections for judicial officials. Diddy also explained amendment sections from the governor’s fraud package, including authority to act against entities convicted of fraud or theft, data-sharing improvements, and a disqualification from management and billing positions. Members raised questions about possible conflicts of interest involving DHS employees with outside LLCs and about the need for stronger safeguards against fraud. The chair and other members referenced recent fraud cases and said the bill would help prevent similar abuses. Christy Grumman of DHS testified on the judge privacy section, saying there are about 35 human services judges and describing a recent incident in which a judge received violent threats serious enough to require the family’s temporary relocation by the State Patrol. Representative Hudson supported the anti-kickback provisions as a needed codification of agency authority. The committee then approved the amended bill and recommended it be re-referred to the Committee on Public Safety, Finance, and Policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• The expanded core curriculum is a set of nine areas that focuses on skills that folks with vision loss
• We tend to have a pretty set number in our funding.
• And there are a set of folks... absolutely scared of AI, that AI is here to come take over.
• Do we have a minimum set of standards for anybody performing a transaction with state government?
• But anyway, we do have a minimum set of standards, which is the NIST 800-53. To Dr.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then same thing in this case, the one from last week, the judge had actually set a million dollars
• The way our system is set up for people to get out on bail and the way there are people that can make
• And I appreciate you being here to talk about the integrity of the judiciary, and I hope all of us can
• And so we have those have to be at certain set times and everybody does them.
• And so what do you do around protecting the integrity, integrity of the judiciary when I do think we

Transcript Highlights:

• And with the state engaged in a huge effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels, haven't we set you on
• This last session, integrated planning grants did not get funded because of budget constraints.
• This last session, integrated planning grants, did. remedial action grants and integrated planning grants
• This last session, integrated planning grants did not get funded because of budget constraints.
• This grant program would help set that mark for everybody.

Summary: The committee first heard updates on the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and related funding. Department of Ecology staff explained how MTCA and the hazardous substance tax support cleanup, prevention, stormwater, and local assistance programs, but said forecasted revenues have declined while appropriations and transfers have outpaced incoming funds. Ecology said the operating account will require underspending to stay balanced this biennium and that the problem is ongoing, with further reductions possible if forecasts worsen. Ecology also reviewed the state cleanup program, noting there are more than 14,500 cleanup sites in Washington and that new sites continue to be discovered faster than they are cleaned up. A question from Representative Lee raised the long-term issue of declining fossil-fuel-based revenue, and Ecology agreed that this is a future structural concern even though the current shortfall is driven more by forecasts and transfers than by fuel-use decline. The Pollution Liability Insurance Agency described its underground storage tank and heating oil programs, saying it has modernized from a reinsurance model to a financial assurance model with stronger state oversight and cleanup milestones. Russ Olson said the agency’s dedicated petroleum tax account is in strong financial condition, but emphasized the importance of preserving that funding source. He also discussed the loan and grant program for historic commercial releases and a new heating oil loan/grant program, while noting the agency is working on equity concerns where liens can be disproportionate to property values in smaller communities. Practitioners and advocates then offered differing views on MTCA’s performance: one attorney urged a collaborative review process to make cleanups faster, less expensive, and more certain, while another consultant argued the program is too conservative and process-heavy and should focus more narrowly on actual exposure and realistic cleanup standards. Environmental and community groups countered that MTCA is essential for cleanup, pollution prevention, stormwater control, and public participation, and that it is especially important for environmental justice communities such as the Duwamish Valley. Port and city representatives stressed that MTCA grants and cleanup funding are critical for large redevelopment projects, but said long timelines, permitting delays, and funding uncertainty can slow projects and jeopardize commitments. The committee then shifted to utility wildfire risk. Staff summarized recent legislation, including requirements for utility wildfire mitigation plans, creation of a wildfire mitigation standards work group, authorization for captive insurance by local governments and PUDs, securitization authority for disaster costs, and the existing wildfire response and resilience account. Chelan County PUD and Puget Sound Energy described extensive mitigation efforts such as vegetation management, grid hardening, undergrounding, AI smoke cameras, weather stations, enhanced operating settings, public safety power shutoffs, and community outreach. Both said wildfire risk is rising and insurance costs are increasing, and Chelan PUD asked the Legislature to restore funding to the wildfire response and resilience account. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner said a 2022 utility liability market study found insurance availability is tightening as perceived risk rises, and reported that a 2025 work group recommended restoring community resilience funding, requiring insurers to share wildfire risk scores and mitigation steps with property owners, and creating a grant program based on insurance industry wildfire standards. A PNNL scientist added that wildfire probability is increasing in parts of Washington and that mitigation requires long-term, landscape-scale coordination. The final speaker began describing California’s approach to wildfire risk, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about setting a precedent for other states to follow.
• Just as California has led the way in setting global standards for electric vehicles and clean energy
• Development remains a significant barrier to the complete integration of high-speed rail.
• We will go through one set of add-ons.
• We will go through one set of their way over. We will go through one set of add-ons.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several transportation-related bills, beginning with AB 431 on advanced air mobility. The author and supporters from AUVSI, Joby Aviation, United Airlines, Wisk Aero, the City of Long Beach, and Archer said the bill would create a statewide plan and technical framework for eVTOL/advanced air mobility infrastructure, public outreach, and local implementation. No opposition testified, and the bill passed the committee as amended to Appropriations on a unanimous roll call. Members then took up AB 630 on abandoned or hazardous RVs. The author and supporters, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s office, argued the bill would curb a cycle in which inoperable RVs are towed, auctioned cheaply, and returned to the streets by predatory buyers, while adding notice, recovery, and reporting requirements. Opponents from Western Center on Law and Poverty and ACLU California Action warned the bill would destroy RVs that serve as shelter for unhoused residents and could worsen homelessness. After discussion about the bill’s focus on dismantling rather than towing, the committee passed AB 630 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also approved AB 314, which would support transit-oriented development around planned and existing high-speed rail stations; AB 1223, which gives Sacramento County communities more flexibility to use local transportation revenues for related infrastructure supporting infill development; AB 1111, which adds flexibility to the zero-emission school bus transition for rural and disadvantaged districts; AB 1190, which caps fees charged by DMV business partners and requires clearer disclosure of the official DMV site; AB 987, which limits unreasonable towing fees and related charges; and AB 911, which creates a narrow exemption from Advanced Clean Fleets rules for telecommunications bucket trucks and sail-on-wheels used in emergencies. Most bills drew support from local governments, industry, or consumer groups, while AB 1111 and AB 911 drew opposition from clean transportation and environmental advocates concerned about weakening emissions goals. All of the bills were reported out as amended to the Committee on Appropriations, with recorded roll-call votes and several members adding their names as co-authors or supporters.

Transcript Highlights:

• The new minimum standards that you all set for us under our sunset bill.
• Have they set standards for their forces? Say that again, I'm sorry.
• Have other states set standards for their forces?
• The rate and the standards set by the federal government.
• We have standards already set, so that is what we...

Bills: SB 36, HB 1065, HB2929, HB2956, HB3009, HB3420, HB3626, HB3649, HB4956, HB4993, HB5293, HB5308, HB5528, HCR118, SB36, HB4023

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax, employee classification, private security, misclassification, workforce regulations, Texas Workforce Commission, autism, peace officers, training program, law enforcement, intervention, communication, developmental disability, family violence, central database, criminal offense

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of money out there for infrastructure, but if systems want to actually integrate and blend, it
• We are undertaking an integrated business application project.
• It's part and parcel of our integrated business application.
• So we're at the very beginnings of, uh, the integration process itself.
• Is there like a set of a swim lane in there and how large or small they should be or? Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would appreciate your thoughts on the wide-ranging set of challenges and what your command needs to
• They set an original goal of the end of September to have the Ukrainians out of Kursk.
• When we match capabilities to the threat, it first calls for integrated air missile defense.
• The CCP integrates its perspective into local media.
• China's trying to set the globe now. They want to be the global hegemon now.

Keywords: committee meeting, legislation, public testimony, SB4, HB2214, bipartisan support

Summary: The committee convened to discuss various bills and hear testimonies related to legislative matters, including public concerns and implications surrounding the proposed legislation. Notably, the members engaged in a vigorous debate over SB4, where several representatives shared differing viewpoints on its impact on local communities and the environment. Public testimonies were heard, with advocates arguing for the bill's potential benefits, while opponents raised significant concerns regarding the fiscal implications and land use. Following these discussions, the committee moved to vote on HB2214, which passed without issue, illustrating the bipartisan support for certain initiatives tied to public welfare.

Transcript Highlights:

• But my set really my broader much?
• All set. Anything else? Yes.
• All<02:10:54.239> set. All set. All set. Anything<02:10:56.639> else?
• Some of transitional housing setting.
• We also operate our integrated is done.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Professional counselors are mental health counselors employed in a variety of settings who provide mental
• who provide mental variety of settings who provide mental health<00:04:46.039> counseling<00:
• <00:41:27.040> for the nursing program standards as set for the nursing program standards
• Furthermore, currently the board’s appropriation is set to reduce in fiscal year 2026.
• board's appropriation is currently set board's appropriation is currently set to<01:30:23.119>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And dividing those things out in a meaningful way that sets the stage for what you may prioritize and
• with the city's district integrate with the city's district heating<00:41:14.720> network.
• light for setting appropriate efficiency targets.
• This bill is an effort to set those expectations.
• Minnesota does business with honesty and integrity. Minnesota. Minnesota.

Bills: HF4560, HF4559, HF2317, HF3179, HF4880, HF2862, HF4374

Keywords: Public Utilities Commission, PUC, energy regulation, utility regulation, electric utility, public utility, rate case, multiyear rate plan, decoupling, rate decoupling, greenhouse gas, social cost of carbon, environmental cost, resource planning, certificate of need, distributed renewable energy, interconnection, budget billing, electronic filing, contested case