Transcript Highlights:

• This provides our law enforcement one more mechanism in which to go after...
• This provides our law enforcement one more mechanism in which to go after these perpetrators.
• Versus the old way, they didn't have any mechanism to show how they were going to be treated, and they
• So now we have a process and a mechanism in place, so I ask for your green light on this bill.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Missouri, at the time, was one of the last states to get a statewide funding mechanism in place, and
• acronyms, is the National Board Inspection Code, and the ASME, which is the American Society of Mechanical
• So we think that additional mechanisms that improve safety for our teens will lead to just safety more
• So we think that additional mechanisms that improve safety for our teens will lead to just safety more

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that affordability mechanism for both ends—the patient and the insurer—is built into this.
• Madam Chair, Representative Chavez, we do actually have a reporting mechanism and an audit mechanism
• I'm just interested in how the mechanisms of the language itself works when you're saying that each year

Bills: SB101 , SB21 , HM52 , HB132 , SB14 , SB20

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Keywords: SB 101, Health Care Delivery and Access Act, repeal of repeal, sunset repeal, delayed repeal, health care, healthcare, access to care, medical services, provider regulation, state health law, New Mexico, SB 21, Medicare supplement, Medigap, open enrollment, guaranteed issue, birthday month enrollment, health insurance, insurance regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the mechanism to keep up with the proliferation of that?
• civil penalties, on the development of those civil penalties, and I want to kind of understand the mechanics
• There's really no mechanism in there that would say, other than maybe a licensing mechanism.

Committee: House Children and Families

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am leery of the mechanism. If you're going to engage in the...
• I'm confused because there is already, with these programs, there's already a mechanism in place where
• So as I'm reading this, the request is, since we already have a mechanism for fee recovery for the programs
• was we had one big offender, and it was the federal government, and we needed to have some sort of mechanism

Committee: House House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am leery of the mechanism.
• I'm confused because there is already, with these programs, a mechanism in place where these dollars
• So, as I'm reading this, the request is, since we already have a mechanism for fee recovery for the programs
• was we had one big offender, and it was the federal government, and we needed to have some sort of mechanism

Summary: The House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee met on February 5 and heard three measures. House Bill 246 would provide state matching funds for local governments already approved for federal flood mitigation assistance to buy out and rehabilitate floodplain properties, especially in Lincoln County, to reduce repetitive flood damage and restore land to a more natural floodplain. Supporters included county officials, emergency management, and a racetrack lobbyist, all emphasizing public safety, reduced disaster costs, and community recovery. Some members raised concerns about pre-flood property valuation and anti-donation issues, but the bill passed on a do-pass motion. House Bill 271 would appropriate funds through the Office of Natural Resources Trustee for natural resource recovery and public land access, including disaster recovery projects and expansion of recreational opportunities. Supporters argued it would help restore watersheds, improve access to public lands, and support hunting, fishing, and local outdoor economies. Several members questioned whether the bill was too open-ended, whether it could affect grazing or other existing rights, and why the trustee’s office was the right vehicle; the sponsor and trustee said the office has a transparent public process and that the bill would not create new eminent domain authority or adverse changes to existing rights. The committee approved the bill 9-1, with one member explaining support but noting lingering concerns. House Bill 254 would allow investor-owned electric utilities to count avoided greenhouse gas emissions when evaluating the cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency programs under the utility cost test. The sponsor and utility witnesses said this would help expand programs such as heat pumps, HVAC upgrades, and all-electric development, while opponents worried it could function as a rate increase or “double dipping” because customers already pay fees supporting efficiency programs. The committee passed the bill 7-3. Finally, House Joint Memorial 3 would ask the Environment Department to study PFAS exemptions and report back during the interim as rulemaking on the PFAS Protection Act proceeds. The memorial drew both support and opposition, with critics saying it conflicted with existing statute and was unnecessary, while supporters said it would ensure a thorough review of federal changes and consumer-product exemptions. The memorial passed 8-2, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Already established in our laws for CDTA is some kind of reporting mechanism back to the physician.
• the disease state that the physician decides to collaborate with the pharmacists, these reporting mechanics
• for CDTA is is a some kind of Already established in our laws for CDTA is some kind of reporting mechanism
• the disease state that the physician decides to collaborate with the pharmacists, these reporting mechanics

Bills: SB6226 , SB6305 , SB5924 , SB5990 , SB5185 , SB5845 , SB6071 , SB6258

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: SB 6226, Washington, audiology, audiologist, hearing aid specialist, speech-language pathologist, telehealth, teleaudiology, clinical autonomy, clinical judgment, in-person care, remote care, Board of Hearing and Speech, hearing instruments, hearing aids, dispensing hearing aids, standards of care, professional licensure, health professions regulation, patient-centered care

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, last year you all set up the mechanism for that, and we had $5 million that came down in that fund
• Um last year you all set up the mechanism<00:07:41.520><c> for</c><00:07:41.759><c> that</c><00:07:42.000
• 00:07:42.240><c> we</c><00:07:42.479><c> had</c><00:07:42.720><c> 500</c><00:07:43.520><c> $5</c> mechanism
• for that and we had 500 $5 mechanism for that and we had 500 $5 million<00:07:44.160><c> that</c><00

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:20 Approval of Minutes 00:00:41 Department of Agriculture 00:01:06, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met for its third meeting, approved the minutes, and heard a budget presentation from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Department representatives Brandon Reid, Lee Macintosh, and Mark Bolan outlined the agency’s funding mix and requested support for several priorities in House Bill 500, including continuation of existing items, county fair grants, and an additional $5 million for the new economic development fund. They also discussed a capital request to replace two aging scale trucks, noting the vehicles are from 2002 and 2006 and have become unreliable and expensive to repair. The department emphasized several additional needs: funding to begin regulating and inspecting electric vehicle charging stations through the weights and measures division, retention and recruitment funding after losing 108 employees over three years, and a request to pay off tobacco-related debt service so more money can flow through the tobacco formula. They also cited House Bill 417, filed by Speaker Osborne, as supporting farmland preservation, saying the agency has a program ready but needs funding to implement it. Officials said the farm-to-food-banks and rural mental health items in the budget were acceptable as reduced by the tobacco formula. Members asked questions about pump inspection fees and staffing losses. The department said the inspection fee is $100 per station, not per pump, and that the same fee applies even to larger stations. On retention and recruitment, officials said the cost of turnover is significant but they did not have a dollar estimate. No votes were taken beyond the motion to approve the minutes, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• our institution and our hope is that there would be consideration that that rolls forward in some mechanism
• 35.199><c> some</c> that that that rolls forward in in some that that that rolls forward in in some mechanism
• 36.960><c> was</c><00:04:37.120><c> very</c><00:04:37.440><c> beneficial</c><00:04:38.080><c> and</c> mechanism
• that was very beneficial and mechanism that was very beneficial and needed<00:04:38.639><c> to</c><00

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met to hear from Morehead State University President Jay Morgan, who outlined the university’s budget and capital priorities. He described Morehead as a Kentucky-serving, largely low-income student institution with an aging campus, and said the university’s long-term plan is to renovate existing facilities, decommission older buildings, and replace outdated space with more efficient construction. He thanked the General Assembly for prior support, especially asset preservation funding, fire and tornado insurance premium support, and a prior university inflationary adjustment. On the operating side, Morgan asked that insurance premium support continue, that the earlier inflationary adjustment roll forward, and that the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education’s request for a minimum distribution in the performance funding formula be supported. He noted Morehead has received little or no performance funding in recent years and said that if no additional formula funds are added, the university would prefer a line-item appropriation. On the capital side, he requested continued asset preservation funding and outlined several construction priorities: a new applied science building, a new agriculture science building, a new space science technology building, and a cost-share replacement for the aging Maze Hall residence hall, with the state covering $10 million of a $20 million project and Morehead matching the rest. Morgan also discussed the Craft Academy, saying the current appropriation supports 200 students and that the university would like to increase the line item to expand enrollment by about 20 students. In response to questions from Chairman Tipton, he said Morehead had previously explored but ultimately rejected a public-private partnership model for housing, preferring to own and control its residence halls to keep housing costs manageable for students. He also explained that the land surveying courses in the applied science proposal are a popular part of related programs and that Morehead’s space science program is a major research-and-contracts-driven operation with about 250 students, federal and private research ties, and graduates working both in Kentucky and elsewhere. The committee then approved the prior meeting minutes and discussed that upcoming postsecondary budget meetings would continue over the next several weeks to gather input on the new budget process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Plumbers, Pipefitters, HVAC Service Technicians, and Michael Transeu from the Mechanical Contractors
• Again, for the record, my name is Michael Transeu, and on this bill I'm here representing the Mechanical
• We represent about 52 signatory mechanical contractors, and we employ about 6,000 plumbers and pipefitters
• superintendent of a commercial plumbing service shop with two decades of experience and a crew of over 20 mechanics

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2524 would create a State Security Guards Industry Standards Board within L&I to set minimum standards for security guard pay, leave, benefits, and training, funded in part by a $25 transfer from security licensing fees. The bill’s sponsor and labor supporters said it would professionalize the industry, improve safety, and address high turnover and inadequate training. Security workers described unsafe conditions, retaliation, and being expected to handle crises without enough support. Opponents from business and security companies argued the bill duplicates existing licensing and training rules, would raise costs, and gives too much authority to an unelected board; L&I said it had administrative concerns about timing and fee handling. The hearing on HB 2524 was then closed. HB 2513 would change plumbing license suspension rules by keeping the current three-infractions-in-three-years standard for residential work, while creating a five-infractions-in-five-years standard for non-residential plumbing violations. The sponsor and supporters from mechanical contractors and labor said repeat violators undermine safety and fair competition, and that the bill gives L&I a stronger enforcement tool against bad actors in commercial work. Several plumbing contractor groups opposed the bill as written, focusing on a new subsection they said was vague and could create an undefined corrective process or overly broad discretion for L&I; they asked that the subsection be removed or the bill be delayed for more stakeholder work. L&I requested an effective date of January 1, 2027 to allow time for rulemaking. HB 2611 would reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours starting January 1, 2028, and would also change paid sick leave accrual from one hour per 40 hours worked to one hour per 32 hours worked. The sponsor and labor supporters said a shorter workweek would improve work-life balance, reduce burnout and turnover, and could increase productivity, citing examples from San Juan County and other places. Business, hospitality, grocery, construction, agriculture, and janitorial representatives opposed the bill, saying it would raise labor costs, reduce hours and flexibility, complicate scheduling, and hurt industries with thin margins or seasonal demands. The committee heard no votes or final action on HB 2611 before closing the hearing and ending business for the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have no clear mechanism today for any transfer of funds between Youth Safety and Permanency or child
• And so this is setting up that mechanism to allow us to cover those cases that we've had.
• So does that the mechanism that brings them into the license?
• So is that the mechanism that brings them into the license?

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard budget presentations from Legislative Services analyst Morgan Poloni and Department of Health and Welfare Director Juliet Sharon on the Division of Early Learning and Development, the Division of Public Health Services, and Family and Community Partnerships. Major topics included the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP), the Idaho Home Visiting Program, the Idaho Immunization Assessment Fund, HIV and hepatitis prevention, ARPA-funded public health projects, kinship navigation services, and proposed agency reorganizations and transfer authority changes. Poloni explained that several divisions were recently reorganized, making year-to-year comparisons difficult, and outlined the governor’s and agency’s FY 2027 requests, including additional federal and dedicated funds for child care capacity, public health programs, and prevention services.

Transcript Highlights:

• taken for the vacancies, we actually have been holding positions as one of our fiscal constraint mechanisms
• I believe you're referring to the R-H-H-H kind of mechanism that, when we switched from Luma, our best
• Chairman, yes, I believe you're referring to the R-H-H-H kind of mechanism that when we switch from Luma
• And so it's incredibly important that we find a mechanism to move these people out of the county jails

Summary: The joint Senate Finance and House Appropriations committee reviewed the Idaho Department of Correction budget, beginning with an agency-wide overview and then moving through management services, state prisons, county and out-of-state placement, community corrections, community-based substance use disorder treatment, and medical services. Analysts and the director explained that the department’s budget is heavily driven by personnel, contracts, medical costs, and population pressures, with dedicated funds such as inmate labor and probation/parole receipts declining in cash balance. Members asked about vacancies, overtime, holdback impacts, software licensing, hepatitis C funding, and the department’s use of contracts and technology. The committee also heard that some planned reductions tied to the governor’s holdback remain in place despite the agency being exempted, including cuts to Recidivis, GEO-related services, and some technology purchases, while body-worn cameras were kept in place because of safety and accountability benefits. A major portion of the discussion focused on rising incarceration and housing costs. The director said the department is near capacity, with more people coming in than leaving, and that county jail and out-of-state placements are increasing because state facilities are full. Analysts described the county jail and out-of-state placement budget as highly volatile and based on updated population forecasts, with supplemental and ongoing requests increasing significantly. Members also asked about mandatory minimums, criminal aliens in custody, and the cost of housing inmates in state versus out-of-state facilities. The director said Idaho’s per-day direct prison cost is about $85, or about $95 with administrative costs, while the Arizona contract rate is about $85 per day. The committee also discussed rehabilitation and recidivism-reduction programs, including education, work programs, community reentry centers, and the Bridge 8 tablet system. The director said the tablets are funded through inmate phone-related charges and are used for educational and rehabilitative purposes, not because the state is required to provide them. She said community reentry centers have shown an 11% lower recidivism rate for participants, and that the department has previously eliminated ineffective programs after evaluation. Members asked for more information on inmate labor contracts, hepatitis C treatment funding, and the cost and effectiveness of various programs. The meeting ended before all questions were resolved, and the committee adjourned to continue work groups the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• taken for the vacancies, we actually have been holding positions as one of our fiscal constraint mechanisms
• I believe you're referring to the R-H-H-H kind of mechanism that when we switch from Luma, our best estimate
• Chairman, yes, I believe you're referring to the R-H-H-H kind of mechanism that when we switch from Luma
• And so it's incredibly important that we find a mechanism to move these people out of the county jails

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee met jointly with Senate Finance and House Appropriations to review the Idaho Department of Correction budget, beginning with an agency overview from Legislative Services analyst Noah Peterson and then testimony from Director Bree Derrick. Discussion focused on the department’s overall funding mix, declining balances in dedicated funds such as inmate labor and probation/parole receipts, vacancy management, and the impact of the governor’s holdback exemption. Members also asked about software and technology costs, the Hepatitis C Fund, replacement items, and why some positions remain vacant or are held open as a budget strategy. A substantial portion of the meeting covered the department’s major divisions and cost drivers. In state prisons, county/out-of-state placement, community corrections, community-based substance use disorder treatment, and medical services, the analyst and director explained enhancement requests, supplemental needs, and rising operating costs tied to inflation, population growth, and contract rates. Members questioned the inmate labor fund’s decline, the loss of work contracts, the cost and effectiveness of recidivism and transparency software, the Pocatello reentry center, body-worn cameras, RFID and drone detection technology, and the medical contract with Centurion. The department said some cuts were made or planned in response to budget pressure, including reduced spending on Recidivis and other contracts, while body-worn cameras and some public-safety tools were retained. The committee also discussed prison population pressures, county jail and out-of-state placement costs, mandatory minimum sentences, and the use of county jails as overflow. Director Derrick said the department is seeing more admissions than releases and that Idaho’s incarceration rate remains high relative to neighboring states. She also said the department is working to expand county and out-of-state options and to pursue more inmate labor contracts. Several members asked for follow-up information on staffing, contract counts, program impacts, and fund balances. The meeting then moved to the Commission of Pardons and Parole budget, where Director Christine Starr testified that commissioners are part-time but effectively work full-time, are not paid for training or all preparation time, and that turnover remains a concern. No votes were taken; the committee adjourned to resume the next day after work groups.

Transcript Highlights:

• worry, cities of 6,000 or whatever, you can, all cities can recover their costs through the fee mechanism
• worry, cities of 6,000 or whatever, you can, all cities can recover their costs through the fee mechanism
• worry, cities of 6,000 or whatever, you can, all cities can recover their costs through the fee mechanism
• So yeah, it's Recover their costs through the fee mechanism is just not true.

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are three mechanisms that we've been working through.
• We don't have as many social work graduate students, but that's another mechanism that has been helping
• That has not made it through the legislature, but that was one mechanism that we used.
• individual institution has to apply for them, but we did see at a certain point that the entire funding mechanism

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Quintana said he was in the mechanized or he was in one of the National Guard battalions that used to
• Quintana said he was in the mechanized or he was in one of the National Guard battalions that used to
• In 1997, Congress then began to appropriate an annual funding mechanism for this particular program and
• create awards. from the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, through a capitalization grant mechanism

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Presently, between heavy equipment and small vehicles, our single automotive mechanic services over 20
• single</c> and small vehicles, our single and small vehicles, our single automotive<00:14:08.079><c> mechanic
• </c><00:14:08.720><c> services</c><00:14:09.279><c> over</c><00:14:09.680><c> 20</c> automotive mechanic
• services over 20 automotive mechanic services over 20 vehicles,<00:14:10.480><c> but</c><00:14:10.720

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Capital Project Overview Committee approved the minutes from its February 24 meeting and then received a briefing on the legislative parking garage from Terry Poff, Chief Operating Officer for the General Court. He reported that the pre-stressed concrete garage, being built with panels fabricated by Unistress in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, remains on schedule, with erection expected in late July through August and functional occupancy targeted for March 17, 2026. He said the garage will provide 409 spaces, security cameras, a communications repeater, and a maintenance plan developed from the outset. In response to questions, he explained nearby street excavation is for drainage vaults and oil-water separators, and that temporary closures will be needed during panel deliveries. He also said the garage was designed with future EV charging infrastructure in mind, but current charging stations would need to be located outside the secure facility; he has begun discussions with city officials about possible curbside charging options. The committee then heard and approved a $754,000 capital request for Cannon Mountain/Franconia Notch State Park maintenance projects. The request, recommended by the Cannon Mountain Advisory Commission, covers lodge exterior repairs, lift maintenance, snowmaking pipe replacements and pump controls, and equipment purchases to improve maintenance operations. The committee approved the item after brief discussion. Next, the Department of Transportation presented two toll-credit requests. The first, CAP 250007, sought toll credits to support transportation planning, regional planning commissions, GIS and asset-management work, and related federal planning requirements; members asked about coordination with Granite data and the effect of a prior budget decision on regional planning officers, and staff said the request would not affect the regular federally funded program. The committee approved the item. The second, CAP 25010, sought $245,000 in toll credits for bus terminal improvements, regional mobility management, a statewide transit assessment, and an intercity bus pilot intended to connect Keene with southern New Hampshire or Concord. Members asked about the subsidy structure and ridership reporting; staff said the intercity service would be a net-cost subsidy and agreed to provide updated ridership and route information. The committee approved this item as well. At the end of the meeting, the committee noted that a quarterly capital projects report from DAS and the community college system was informational only, and members opted not to hear a separate presentation that day. The next meeting was set for September 29 at 9:00 a.m., with a request to invite HHS to discuss closed-loop referral system projects. Members also asked for future updates on the planned sale of the Cenuunu Center, and the committee adjourned after a motion carried.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there an enforcement mechanism for that, since this is relatively a new law like we haven't had it
• As far as an enforcement mechanism, I don't believe so.
• that to confirm it, but off the top of my head, I don't believe there's necessarily an enforcement mechanism
• Morales Shaw: There's general enforcement mechanism with SOS over election administration, correct?

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• Prosthetic legs can cost up to $70,000 uh if they're the new mechanical, I mean the computerized versions
• 00:02:39.840><c> they're</c><00:02:40.000><c> the</c><00:02:40.239><c> new</c><00:02:40.400><c> mechanical
• </c> $70,000 uh if they're the new mechanical $70,000 uh if they're the new mechanical I<00:02:41.120

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee heard testimony on several resolutions. HCR 190, asking the Department of Health to convene a demolition waste reduction work group, drew only written testimony; the Department of Health provided comments in opposition and the Department of Attorney General Services supported it. HCR 91, on requiring insurers and managed care providers to cover prosthetic and orthotic devices, received supportive testimony from SHIPA and an amputee youth advocate who described the high cost and importance of sports prosthetics. HCR 174, on examining the availability and use of land-based learning programs for youth in the juvenile legal system, drew support from the Office of the Public Defender, youth advocates, and a youth council that described land-based learning as culturally rooted and rehabilitative. HR 171, on assessing the social and financial effects of mandatory coverage for continuous glucose monitors, received support from SHIPA, the Hawaiʻi Medical Association, and kidney care and dialysis groups. HCR 146, on the Elderly Simplified Application Project for SNAP, drew support from disability, hunger, and public health groups, with DHS explaining it could implement the project but would need to do manual certification work until its new system is ready. During decision-making, the committee deferred HCR 190 because the Department of Health said it could not carry out the work group without an appropriation. The committee voted to pass HCR 91 as is. HCR 174 was recommended for passage with amendments to clarify that the resolution would request continued use of land-based learning programs and to reflect existing work already underway. HCR 171 was recommended for passage with amendments to correct a statute description. HCR 146 was recommended for passage with amendments to add language that DHS should apply for and implement the project when capable, acknowledging current system limitations. All recommendations were adopted, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, once again, as I mentioned yesterday, we are employing the Representative Phyllis Khan mechanisms
• employing the representative<00:04:09.920><c> Phyllis</c><00:04:10.360><c> Khan</c><00:04:10.680><c> mechanisms
• </c> representative Phyllis Khan mechanisms representative Phyllis Khan mechanisms in<00:04:11.400><c

Bills: HF1224 , HF1615 , HF2403

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: foreclosure, mortgage postponement, homeowners, redemption period, Minnesota Statutes, cannabis, hemp, lower-potency, edibles, regulations, licensing, local control, consumer safety, age restrictions, commerce policy, financial institutions, insurance regulation, limited long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement, health insurance