Transcript Highlights:

• the school districts is that when they adjust their rate, they base it on how they see the new assessments
• So generally speaking, the CFO in the school district or whatever will look at the new assessments and
• I don't think this assess, this, this, uh, this, uh, ...money.
• Louis County on what the taxing assessments, you know, across each category were.
• And even those aren't final numbers, because some portion of the assessed valuation is going to be appealed

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Summary: The Special Committee on Property Tax Reform met in executive session with a quorum present and took up a House Committee substitute for Senate Substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bills 1066 and 1088. Members discussed several amendments that bundled multiple property tax provisions, including clarification of the 15% commercial ownership threshold, school levy language, senior property tax freeze language, no-tax-increase bond wording, ballot language requirements, and a severability clause. One proposed amendment to preserve a comparison to a single-rate calculation in the auditor’s multi-rate tax form drew extended discussion about whether the current siloing approach could reduce projected revenue for taxing districts; the sponsor ultimately withdrew that amendment after noting the issue would need further study. The committee then adopted another amendment shortening ballot language requirements, and later adopted the underlying committee amendment and rolled the changes into a new substitute. Members also discussed a tax abatement provision added to the bill, with concerns raised that large abatements, such as those tied to a data center project, could affect levy calculations; supporters argued the language would apply to cities and counties rather than school districts. After debate, the committee voted to adopt the substitute and then voted the House Committee substitute for the Senate substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bills 1066 and 1088 do pass by a roll call vote of 11 ayes and 5 noes. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• County assessors assessing property at a lower rate than it was at...
• County assessors assessing property at a lower rate than it was at the previous year is a rare occurrence
• over the past decade compared to decades past, as property valuations have skyrocketed and those assessments
• Is that a fair assessment?
• Is that a fair assessment? It's just moving it to the Constitution. That's my understanding.

Bills: SB227 , SB1942 , SB1627 , SB625 , SJR39 , SJR47

Committee: House Rules

Keywords: gross production tax, ad valorem tax, property exemption, Oklahoma Tax Commission, oil and gas production, regulatory impact, economic implications, dental insurance, health care, medical necessity, insurance claims, dentist rights, criminal code cleanup, duplicate statutes, statutory consolidation, repealer bill, emergency clause, Title 21 crimes, Title 47 DUI, child abuse reporting

Summary: The committee heard several measures, led by SJR 39, a proposed constitutional amendment to send to voters that would cap annual homestead property tax valuation growth at 1% and all other property at 3%. The speaker argued it would not cut taxes but slow growth for taxpayers facing rising assessments, while opponents questioned the effect on county revenues, sheriff funding, and whether growth below inflation would strain local governments. After debate, the committee voted 10-2 to report the resolution due pass. The committee also heard HJR 47, which would place proof-of-identity requirements for voting in the Constitution. Supporters said it would strengthen election integrity and noted existing law already requires proof of identity, while opponents raised concerns about impacts on voters with disabilities and the difficulty of changing constitutional language if problems arise. The measure was reported due pass on an 11-1 vote. Senate Bill 227, described as supporting fair taxation and investment without duplicative tax, and SB 1942, clarifying the distinction between reimbursable and reimbursed dental services to protect providers and patients, both passed the committee on near-unanimous votes. The committee then advanced SB 1627, a 116-page sentence-modernization and consolidation bill that was described as a cleanup measure with no substantive change to existing law, and it was reported due pass unanimously. Finally, SB 625 was presented as temporary cleanup language related to domestic violence legislation and judicial requests, with the sponsor noting the bill would be replaced by a floor substitute later; the committee approved it due pass 10-0. The meeting ended with the chair noting the committee was dismissed and likely to meet again under the rules committee schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• pharmacists able to prescribe and to get that treatment out there when people are needing it and are assessed
• pharmacists able to prescribe and to get that treatment out there when people are needing it and are assessed
• pharmacists able to prescribe and to get that treatment out there when people are needing it and are assessed
• needing</c><00:04:41.320><c> it</c><00:04:41.560><c> and</c><00:04:41.800><c> are</c><00:04:41.919><c> assessed
• </c> people are needing it and are assessed people are needing it and are assessed for<00:04:42.640><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's okay to have different amounts of support and to talk about the needs assessment.
• It's okay to have different amounts of support and to talk about the needs assessment.
• I completely agree the needs assessment.
• </c> would be healthier if an assessment would be healthier if an assessment would<01:03:21.280><c> be
• </c> of um standardized approach to assessing of um standardized approach to assessing u<01:06:48.079

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened its first meeting on retained education funding bills, focusing on HB 366, which concerns school building aid for eligible projects, and HB 295, which would make school building aid program funds non-lapsing. The chair framed the discussion broadly around whether school building aid should remain a state program, how to address limited revenues, and whether the current system should continue to prioritize debt service and the existing formula or move toward a different model such as per-pupil allocations, a dedicated fund, or a split between new construction and renovation. He also raised questions about whether leasing should be included and how to manage any new fund under current law and the school building authority structure. Representatives and department staff discussed the current backlog of applications, the age and condition of school facilities, and the possibility that large projects can consume available funding for a year while other districts go unsupported. Tim Carney of the Bureau of School Facilities introduced himself and provided technical context on the program and current debt levels. Representative Luneau argued that under the ConVal decision, the state’s responsibility includes school buildings, construction, and renovation, and that the program also serves an equity function by helping districts with less property wealth. He noted that construction and renovation have long been recognized categories and asked about leasing, which staff said is already supported in statute for charter schools and possibly CTE, with a cap of 30% of annual lease cost or $50,000. The discussion also covered CTE facilities: staff explained that capital funding for CTE centers is state-funded, that federal Carl Perkins funds cannot be used for construction, and that the current rotational capital model means only a few centers are funded each year, which may not match changing program needs. A committee studying CTE capital needs was referenced, along with concerns that the report from that work had not yet been received. Representative Papich urged the subcommittee to focus on policy, principles, and structure rather than just numbers, saying the current system produces a few winners and many districts that never receive aid. He favored a simpler, more equitable per-capita or formula-based approach, while acknowledging the need for a transition plan for projects already in the pipeline. The chair later cautioned against mixing maintenance and operations with construction and renovation, noting that operation and maintenance are already part of the adequacy formula and should not be confused with capital funding. No votes were taken during the meeting; the discussion was exploratory, with members and staff laying out competing approaches and identifying issues for further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• This past session, we saw some increased accessibility changes for things like min choice assessments
• 00:01:56.479><c> like</c><00:01:56.640><c> min</c><00:01:56.960><c> choice</c><00:01:57.280><c> assessments
• </c><00:01:57.759><c> and</c> things like min choice assessments and things like min choice assessments

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Quinn suggested that we ask DES about how to assess how a municipality could assess the adequacy of the
• how you know a municipality to um assess how you know a municipality could<00:29:50.760><c> assess</
• assessment on the assessed<01:24:18.960><c> value</c><01:24:19.280><c> of</c><01:24:19.440><c> all</
• c><01:24:19.760><c> property</c><01:24:20.760><c> and</c> assessed value of all property and assessed
• They all are assessed a fee if it's a state dam.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed scheduling and notice for upcoming executive sessions on a larger slate of bills, including plans to take up eight bills in the morning and possibly the last three bills in the afternoon, with caucus time provided if needed. The chair emphasized advance notice, publication, and flexibility if more bills are added later. The hearing then opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and proceeded to HB 568, a bill allowing local planning boards to request water supply studies for subdivisions to ensure water adequacy as housing density increases. Representative Kat McGee, the prime sponsor, said HB 568 was developed after constituent concerns about private wells being affected by nearby development. She described the bill as narrowly tailored, non-mandatory, and intended to preserve local control while clarifying that planning boards may request studies under local regulations. She noted bipartisan support, an exclusion for community water systems and larger groundwater withdrawals regulated elsewhere, and said the bill would help prevent water shortages and related problems for new and existing homes. Questions from members focused on whether the bill should specify that it applies to subdivisions of four or more lots, since that language had been in an earlier version. Testimony on HB 568 was mixed. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors opposed the bill, arguing it lacked a definition of “water supply study,” could lead to expensive hydrology studies, and might raise housing costs; he suggested more work with DES or a study committee. DES administrator Brandon Kernin said the department had worked from a 2010 groundwater commission report, that such problems arise only intermittently in certain areas, and that the bill would make explicit local authority to adopt such ordinances. He also said DES data and homeowner surveys can help identify problem areas and that more robust wells could be considered in the long term. The committee noted 10 online submissions in favor and 3 opposed, plus blue-sheet testimony of 2 in favor and 1 neutral, and then closed the hearing on HB 568. The committee immediately opened HB 582, a bill on safety requirements for operation of personal watercraft. Representative Darby, the sponsor, said the bill responds to the speed and maneuverability of modern personal watercraft, which he described as more like motorcycles on water than traditional boats, and cited a fatal accident on Lake Monomonac as an example of the risks. He said the bill is not intended to restrict ordinary recreation or wake surfing, but to update safety standards for a newer class of larger, quieter three-person PWCs. The hearing began with Darby’s presentation, and no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• people so that we could ban non-compete clauses, implement wage transparency, get breast cancer screenings
• done so that we could have paid leave. ...clauses, implement wage transparency, get breast cancer screenings
• I'm proud of the work that I did with families in Winona and beyond to expand the newborn screening panel
• And I would agree with that assessment. It is the most beautiful Capitol in the nation.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also allows for us to work with them and go through financial assessments.
• I know that you're doing assessment. >> Yeah, we're still assessing. >> We're going to make sure that
• </c> that you doing assessment that you doing assessment &gt;&gt; yeah<00:48:19.119><c> we're</c><00:
• 48:19.280><c> still</c><00:48:19.680><c> assess</c> &gt;&gt; yeah we're still assess &gt;&gt; yeah we're
• </c> we do an assessment of all the awardies. we do an assessment of all the awardies.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Act 279 working group met for an informational briefing with DHHL on its use of the $600 million appropriation and progress on the department’s implementation plan. The chair reviewed the working group’s oversight role, noting that it was created to monitor expenditures, project development, and progress toward reducing the Hawaiian Homes waitlist, and that the group must submit a progress report before the 2026 session and a final report before the 2027 session. DHHL said it had provided an updated booklet reflecting the Hawaiian Homes Commission’s February 2024 recommendations and a detailed accounting of encumbrances and project progress across the islands. DHHL highlighted several implementation themes: innovative financing and construction methods, land acquisitions and exchanges, technology, beneficiary services, and partnerships with counties and private entities. The department described a “project lease” model that gives beneficiaries access to a project rather than a specific lot, with options such as turnkey homes, owner-builder, self-help, or rent-to-purchase arrangements depending on financial qualification. Officials said this approach is intended to serve lower-income beneficiaries, expand access for people on the waitlist, and allow beneficiaries to receive support services such as financial literacy and down payment assistance. The department reported that roughly $511 million had been encumbered for infrastructure, about $152.8 million for acquisitions, financing, and beneficiary services, and about $36 million in other covered costs, with about $588.9 million encumbered as of December 31 and about $120 million expected to be spent by that date. Officials said the original implementation plan covered about 2,722 units, while the updated plan projects roughly 6,000 to 7,000 leases and 2,472 lots to be occupied. They also described phase-two needs for additional funding, including projects on Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu, and said they would need continued legislative support, including possible bonding and private activity bond set-asides, to complete remaining projects. Members discussed the distinction between encumbered and spent funds, and DHHL explained that encumbrances reserve money for specific contracts while construction spending occurs over time through progress payments. The department also showcased examples of innovative projects, including a high-rise project in urban Honolulu financed through a mix of private activity bonds, tax credits, and state funds, and an acquisition-based project in Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi using multiple funding sources. DHHL emphasized partnerships with the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County, and said it is still assessing future projects to keep infrastructure costs manageable and ensure homes are safe and affordable for beneficiaries.

Transcript Highlights:

• These improvements are supported by staff and third-party assessments.
• So it really is difficult to assess until you're doing a project.
• So it really is difficult to assess until you're doing a project.
• So it really is difficult to assess until you're doing a project.
• difficult to assess until you're doing<00:48:41.839><c> a</c><00:48:42.400><c> project.

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• list of community resilience indicators to integrate into the next transportation vulnerability assessment
• Caltrans must assess the risk to people who live and work across the state highway system.
• CHP and COES into the assessment.
• Under existing law, when Caltrans does a speed assessment, they're required to set the speed limit at
• What our bill would do is allow Caltrans to do a speed assessment without being bound to the results

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard a series of bills focused on transportation safety, climate resilience, wildlife connectivity, parking enforcement, and EV charging reliability. AB 605 would create a pilot program allowing certain hydrogen internal combustion cargo-handling equipment at ports; supporters said it could help ports stay competitive while reducing emissions, while South Coast AQMD raised concerns about possible nitrogen oxide emissions and limits on future regulation. The bill passed on an 11-0 vote to the Natural Resources Committee. AB 1132 would require Caltrans to incorporate community resilience indicators, including socioeconomic factors, into climate vulnerability assessments; supporters from Greenlining, AARP, and others said it would better protect seniors, people with disabilities, and transit users during heat waves and disasters, while some members questioned the cost during a tight budget year. It passed 9-0 to Appropriations, with some members not voting. AB 382 would lower school-zone speed limits to 20 mph and give local agencies more flexibility in how the limit is posted and enforced; supporters cited child pedestrian deaths and safety research, and the bill passed 11-0 to Appropriations. AB 902, as amended, would require transportation projects in wildlife connectivity areas to include wildlife passage features where feasible; supporters emphasized reduced collisions and habitat fragmentation, while the California Building Industry Association and COGs moved from opposition to neutral after amendments. It passed 9-1 to Local Government. AB 1014 would give Caltrans more discretion to lower speed limits on state highways based on local conditions rather than the 85th percentile rule; supporters said it would improve safety in rural and tourist areas, and the bill passed 13-0 to Appropriations. AB 1022 would end towing or booting vehicles solely for unpaid parking tickets, with supporters describing the practice as punitive and harmful to low-income drivers, while cities and parking groups argued it would weaken enforcement and create problems for out-of-state vehicles. The bill passed 9-3 to Appropriations. AB 1423 would require publicly funded EV chargers to meet reliability standards and allow enforcement of uptime requirements; supporters said taxpayers need functioning chargers, while charging-industry opponents objected to retroactive standards and possible conflicts with existing agreements. The bill passed 14-0 to Utilities and Energy. The committee also approved a consent calendar of five bills by voice vote and held roll calls open for additional members to add on.

Transcript Highlights:

• And communities that have MBTA service are assessed a fee.
• And communities that have MBTA service are assessed a fee.
• So each community pays into the service. that have MUTA service are assessed a fee.
• The assessment that Milton pays each year, right now, The assessment that Milton pays each year right
• now, in FY25, as part of an MBTA community local assessment, is $2.1 million.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up Senate House No. 4010, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill funded largely by surplus Fair Share revenues. The Ways and Means chair described the bill as a $1.28 billion package, with major investments in education and transportation, including special education circuit breaker aid, higher education deferred maintenance, career technical education capital grants, school construction relief, high-dosage tutoring, English language learning grants, MBTA reserve replenishment and safety training, commuter rail maintenance, Chapter 90 local road aid, regional transit authority support, ferry and micro-transit funding, and a small World Cup transportation appropriation. Members from both parties generally praised the bill’s one-time, regionally balanced approach while emphasizing fiscal discipline and the limited, surplus-based funding source. The minority leader and others questioned the fund balances and the use of the education and transportation innovation and capital fund, the Student Opportunity Act trust fund, and the transitional escrow account; the chair said the bill would zero out the innovation and capital fund, leave about $430 million in the SOA trust, and about $200 million in the escrow account. Several members highlighted specific priorities. Senator Cronin and Senator Feeney strongly supported the $100 million career technical education investment, arguing it would expand vocational opportunities in comprehensive high schools and help meet workforce needs. Senator Feeney also emphasized MBTA funding, special education, local road repairs, English language learning tied to workforce needs, and World Cup preparations in Foxborough. Senator Comerford praised the bill’s regional equity, higher education maintenance funding, special education support, and transportation investments, while also noting the need for broader future work on Chapter 70 and school finance. Senator Tarr supported the bill but repeatedly stressed that the spending was a unique one-time opportunity and that the Commonwealth should preserve fiscal reserves and continue to address school funding inequities and MBTA finances more broadly. The chamber then considered numerous amendments. Amendment 1 on tariff pricing transparency was withdrawn after brief remarks, and Amendment 14, proposing a DESE study on educational outcomes for young men and boys, was rejected. Amendment 182, funding Worcester Regional Transit Authority capital expenses, was adopted. Amendment 228, adding $500,000 for Free Period to expand access to menstrual products in schools, was adopted. Amendment 257, funding Springfield Public Schools communication and safety systems, was also adopted. Other amendments, including Tarr amendments on supplemental district aid, MBTA reporting, and the Foundation Budget Review Commission, were rejected. Amendment 308 concerning MBTA Communities and Milton was withdrawn, after which Senator Driscoll began a presentation arguing Milton was being misclassified under the MBTA Communities Act and should be treated fairly under the law.

Transcript Highlights:

• California has five fusion centers operating under the State Threat Assessment Center, embedded in a
• If you look at the phrase State Threat Assessment Center, the state-level fusion center, it comes up
• Senator Cervantes's audit request directs us to focus on the State Threat Assessment Center and also
• He's speaking specifically about the state threat assessment program that he has oversight of.
• He's speaking specifically about the state threat assessment program that he has oversight of.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee because it initially lacked a quorum, heard a status update from State Auditor Grant Parks, and reviewed several new audit requests. Parks reported that 10 previously requested audits were underway, with most expected to be released in spring/summer and one pesticide audit still pending; he also noted ongoing litigation with Huntington Beach over a 2024 audit. He said the office had grown to just over 200 employees and could start about five new JALAC audits between April and July. The committee also noted that one Prop. 28 request was being held and one PUC-related request was moved off consent to the regular calendar. Senator Cervantes presented an audit request on California fusion centers, arguing they operate with little public oversight and may collect, share, and store sensitive information without adequate transparency or safeguards. Supporters, including former FBI agent Mike German and ACLU California Action, said fusion centers function as secretive intelligence-sharing hubs that can produce inaccurate or biased reports and may undermine privacy and civil liberties. Parks said the audit would examine the State Threat Assessment Center and two local fusion centers, focusing on oversight, legal authority, data quality, unauthorized disclosure controls, use of private vendors, funding, and performance metrics, while warning of likely access and public-disclosure limitations. The request drew sharp opposition from Assembly Member DeMaio, who called it a politicized “witch hunt,” but public comment included support from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Senator Allen then presented an audit of the Public Utilities Commission’s enforcement of Rule 21 interconnection timelines for customer-sited solar and storage projects. He and witnesses said utilities have repeatedly missed deadlines, causing long delays and added costs for schools, nonprofits, and other customers; CPUC staff responded that the commission adopted timelines and compliance benchmarks in 2020, publishes quarterly data, and is already pursuing the issue through workshops and an open proceeding. Parks said the audit would assess CPUC monitoring, enforcement tools, and reasons for utility noncompliance. Public comment was mixed, with solar advocates supporting the request and PG&E objecting on process grounds and arguing the commission’s ongoing proceeding should address the issue. Senator Perez, with Senator Fong, requested an audit of Caltrans’ administration of the former SR 710 corridor property sales and affordable housing program. They described tenant complaints about mold, pests, deferred maintenance, inconsistent pricing and eligibility information, and possible failures to inform residents of purchase rights; Caltrans said it is working to complete sales and has already closed 59 properties since fiscal year 2024-25. Parks said the audit would examine compliance with the Roberti Act, pricing, appraisals, communications, rent accounting, property maintenance, and follow-up on prior recommendations. Finally, Senator Umberg requested an audit of the Orange County Board of Education, citing transparency, litigation spending, charter authorization, procurement, and whistleblower concerns; after quorum was established, Parks said the audit would review Brown Act and Public Records Act compliance, public resource use, contracting, litigation costs, charter oversight, and retaliation complaints.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then when the fuel hits the rack, where it's subject to all sorts of other fees and assessments,
• I know I threw out OPG earlier, and that modeling that we use to assess carbon intensities beyond our
• It would be hard to try and put into the cap-and-invest a life-cycle kind of assessment because it's
• hard to set a cap when you're thinking about emissions that are... ...a life-cycle kind of assessment
• But I think in terms of the details, I think that's something that we're still assessing.

Committee: House Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies

Summary: The Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policy heard an overview from CARB on proposed amendments to California’s Cap-and-Invest program, which was reauthorized through 2045 by AB 1207 and SB 840. CARB said the draft rules are intended to preserve affordability, market certainty, and progress toward the state’s 2030 and 2045 climate targets. The agency described the program’s main features, including the declining emissions cap, utility and industrial allowance allocations, offset changes, the allowance price containment reserve, and new reporting and oversight requirements. CARB also said the rulemaking is on a public comment timeline, with board consideration planned for late May and an effective date targeted for September 1, 2026. Committee members focused heavily on electricity affordability, the planned shift of free allowances from natural gas utilities to electric utilities, and whether the proposal would raise rates for investor-owned and publicly owned utilities. CARB said the proposal is meant to protect ratepayers from compliance costs and that the utility allocation is based on updated data showing utilities are greener than before, but members and utility representatives argued the transition should happen faster and that the current draft could reduce expected revenues and disrupt long-term planning. Members also pressed CARB on carbon capture and sequestration, asking that the regulations clearly recognize it as a compliance pathway, and on whether the SB 905 rulemaking for carbon capture should move forward on schedule. A second major topic was industrial allocations, especially for refiners and other sectors at risk of leakage. CARB said it is keeping all industries at high leakage risk through 2030, maintaining the current cap-adjustment approach, and leaving room for additional comments and data on whether refiners need more allowances to avoid economic leakage and preserve in-state refining. Members also questioned how imported gasoline is treated, and CARB explained that transportation fuel is regulated at the rack and through the low-carbon fuel standard, while cap-and-invest covers in-state tailpipe and smokestack emissions rather than full life-cycle emissions. CARB said it is open to using additional data, including SB 253 reporting, to improve fuel carbon-intensity estimates. The panel of outside experts largely agreed that the program must balance affordability, ambition, and leakage concerns, but they differed on how much allowance value should go to utilities, industry, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The Legislative Analyst’s Office emphasized that the Legislature should scrutinize CARB’s allocation choices now because they will be hard to change later. An IEMAC representative said the proposal appears to shift more allowance value to industry and utilities, which could reduce GGRF revenues, while EDF argued the cap could be tightened further in the near term without triggering price containment. SCAPA, representing publicly owned utilities, warned that the proposal would reduce utility allowances and could raise costs for ratepayers and undermine early decarbonization investments. No votes were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's House Bill 551, Property Tax Assessment.
• Representative Cheatham, introduce yourself again for the record... ...Property Tax Assessment.
• discussed how fire districts and ambulance districts who were not in urban renewal districts would assess
• This bill adds a... ...districts would assess their levy and how they would be paid.

Summary: The House Revenue and Taxation Committee met on February 5, 2026, and first considered RS 32981C1, sponsored by Representative Rick Cheatham. He said the proposal would codify a recent Idaho Supreme Court decision on the distribution of fees and interest collected on delinquent property taxes, ensuring taxing districts receive those amounts. Cheatham said the draft had been reviewed by the Association of Idaho Cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions, and that stakeholders were supportive. The committee voted to introduce the RS. The committee then heard House Bill 551, another Cheatham measure, described as a cleanup bill for prior legislation on property tax assessment for fire protection and ambulance districts in urban renewal areas. Cheatham said the bill corrects missing language affecting how those districts assess and receive levy funding, and he noted the Tax Commission had identified implementation problems in about 10 cases statewide. Alan Dornfest of the Idaho State Tax Commission provided technical explanation, saying the bill would fix an inconsistency in how new construction is treated for districts that opt out of urban renewal, especially for areas formed after July 1, 2025. No public testimony was offered, and the committee voted to send HB 551 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's House Bill 551, Property Tax Assessment.
• Representative Cheatham, introduce yourself again for the record, Property Tax Assessment.
• discussed how fire districts and ambulance districts who were not in urban renewal districts would assess
• This bill adds a... ...districts would assess their levy and how they would be paid.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It has a $474,000 $474,000 $474,000 assessment assessment assessment and<01:18:24.480><c> it</c><01:18
• <01:43:26.000><c> Assessed</c><01:43:26.480><c> town.</c> &gt;&gt; assessed? Assessed town.
• &gt;&gt; assessed? Assessed town.
• It was assessed at 318.
• It was assessed at 318. They property. It was assessed at 318.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We revised that HRMS Division must publish criteria utilized in assessing whether a condition qualifies
• No takings assessment was required because the rule does not limit the use of real property.
• A constitutional takings assessment was not required by North Dakota Century Code 28-32-09 and was not
• No constitutional takings assessments were required or prepared.
• A constitutional takings assessment was not required.

Summary: The Administrative Rules Committee met on June 11 and first approved the March 12, 2026 minutes by voice vote. It then granted the Board of Medicine an extension of time to implement rules tied to recent legislation, including North Dakota’s participation in the physician assistant licensure compact and a new physician nutrition continuing education requirement. The Board said it was waiting on compact rules and fee information before finalizing its own changes. The committee heard a lengthy presentation from the Office of Management and Budget on broad personnel rule revisions, including salary administration, recruitment, leave, sick leave, funeral leave, service awards, appeals, and shared leave. OMB said the changes modernize HR language and implement recent legislation such as enhanced annual leave for hard-to-fill positions and new hire leave. Members questioned the hard-to-fill leave provisions, but OMB and counsel said those standards come from statute, not the rules. The committee also heard and accepted rule packages from the Lottery, the Board of Examiners for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, the State Electrical Board, the Industrial Commission, PERS, and Health and Human Services, with each agency describing mostly technical, clarifying, or statutory-conforming changes and noting the public notice and comment process. The most significant action came during the Gaming Commission rules presentation. After questioning whether the commission had authority to raise the poker tournament buy-in limit from $300 to $1,500, members moved to void Section 99-01.3-09-01 on the ground that the agency lacked statutory authority for that change. The motion passed on a roll call vote. The committee also discussed several gaming-related issues, including online raffles, kiosk use, advertising restrictions, and the broader policy question of whether charities should be allowed to own bars, but took no further formal action on those topics.

Transcript Highlights:

• . by resource disparities rather than individualized risk assessments.
• It allows courts the discretion to analyze and assess the treatment plans and, more importantly, to assess
• It allows courts the discretion to analyze and assess the treatment plans, and more importantly, to assess
• public safety by to analyze and assess the treatment plans, and more importantly, to assess public safety
• plans and to assess public safety.

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a point in time assessment for one month in my city alone.
• A statewide assessment of the impacts of Operation Metro Surge is critical for all of us wherever we
• </c><00:08:41.120><c> for</c><00:08:41.280><c> 1</c> This is a point in time assessment for 1 This is
• a point in time assessment for 1 month<00:08:42.159><c> in</c><00:08:42.320><c> my</c><00:08:42.479>
• A<00:09:04.640><c> statewide</c><00:09:05.160><c> assessment</c><00:09:05.800><c> of</c><00:09:05.920

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• would authorize security personnel of the Administrative Office of the Courts to conduct threat assessments
• The bill would also authorize bailiffs of the Supreme Court to conduct threat assessments on behalf of
• The bill before you adds upon... ...Supreme Court bailiffs to conduct threat assessments for the justices
• Senate Bill 6011 would authorize bailiffs of the Court of Appeals to conduct threat assessments on behalf
• Again, we want to ensure safety by authorizing our bailiffs to be able to conduct these threat assessments

Summary: The committee heard Substitute Senate Bill 5520, which revises Washington’s wrongful conviction compensation law. Staff said the bill changes the proof standard for filing claims, expands treatment of Alford pleas, requires the Attorney General to concede qualifying claims in most cases, includes civil detention in compensation calculations, changes attorney fee provisions, and extends filing deadlines. The prime sponsor and supporters from the Washington Innocence Project and exonerees said the bill would reduce unnecessary relitigation and improve access to compensation, while one witness argued it would broaden eligibility and state costs. The bill was not acted on in the excerpt, but testimony was taken and questions focused on the term “actually innocent.” The committee then heard Senate Bill 5536 on property division in dissolution and legal separation cases, which would direct courts to consider real-estate sale costs, homelessness risk, and housing needs when dividing property and liabilities, and would clarify enforcement of real property orders. The sponsor said the bill is meant to make property divisions more equitable when one spouse must keep and later sell the family home. No public testimony was taken on the bill in the excerpt. In executive session, the committee considered Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925 on Attorney General civil investigative demands. Members debated and voted on many amendments; most Republican-sponsored amendments were rejected, but Amendment 279, limiting use by the Criminal Justice Division, and Amendment 273, requiring consultation with local law enforcement in matters that may involve criminal violations, were adopted. The committee then passed the bill out with a do pass as amended recommendation by a 7-5 vote. The committee also heard and advanced Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6002 on automated license plate readers, adopting a striker and then passing the bill out 7-5 as amended, with members emphasizing privacy protections, retention limits, and limited law-enforcement uses while some members urged broader operational flexibility. Later, the committee took brief public testimony on Gross Substitute Senate Bill 6086, which would let Administrative Office of the Courts security staff conduct threat assessments and expand Supreme Court bailiff authority; witnesses described rising threats to judges and court personnel. It also heard Senate Bill 5868 to add one superior court judge each in Skagit and Yakima counties, with local officials citing caseload growth and budget strain. Senate Joint Memorial 8006, urging restoration and expansion of the limited license legal technician program, drew support from a paralegal and victim advocate who said it would improve access to justice for domestic violence survivors. Finally, the committee considered Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5993 on medical debt interest rates, which would lower the interest cap on new medical debt and prohibit interest in certain circumstances; the bill was moved out of committee with a do pass recommendation in the excerpt.