Transcript Highlights:

• In the House of Representatives, House Bill 503 by the Resources and Conservation Committee, an act relating
• to the Soil and Water Conservation Commission, to revise provisions regarding the Idaho State Soil and
• Water Conservation Commission.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WITH INNOVATIVE LAND USE PROVISIONS THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE OR MORE PEOPLE CAN LIVE, WORK AND RAISE
• IS IT THE BILLS POSITION MUNICIPALITIES CANNOT ENFORCE THAT UNTIL THERE IS AN OFFICIAL PROGRAM GOING
• THOSE ARE SERVICED THROUGH THE RETIREMENT PROGRAMS FROM THE CITIES.
• RATHER THAN MOVING FORWARD WITH ONE OF THOSE MANY OPTIONS IN THE REPORT THAT INCLUDED PILOT PROGRAMS,
• A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BANNING IT, ADDITIONAL FEES, DEPOSIT PROGRAMS, REQUIRING A CERTAIN AMOUNT

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a program that covers a handful of the highest-cost drugs for our people.
• You know, they— ...really can't handle that participation, that type of program.
• They were enrolled in our medication synchronization program. This is a program.
• They were enrolled in our medication synchronization program.
• This is a program that a lot of your independent pharmacies do.

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The committee first took testimony on House Bill 1681, which would require health carriers and pharmacy benefit managers to count amounts paid by or on behalf of an enrollee for certain medications toward out-of-pocket maximums when no generic substitute is available. The sponsor described the bill as helping patients with serious illnesses afford needed drugs. The committee then adopted a substitute that rolled HB 1681 together with House Bills 1941 and 2279, including an ERISA-related labor exemption, and passed the combined committee substitute by a vote of 15-2. The committee next heard House Bill 2365, which was also combined with related bills through a substitute that changed terminology to “delivery systems.” That substitute was adopted by voice vote, and the House Committee substitute for House Bills 2365, 2490, and 2249 was then approved unanimously, 18-0. After that, the committee heard House Bill 2149, the dementia care coordinator bill. The sponsor and supporters from the Alzheimer’s Association and family caregivers argued the state needs a central point person to coordinate resources, improve early detection, support caregivers, and connect rural residents to services. Members raised concerns about the fiscal note, whether the work duplicates existing Area Agencies on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association services, and whether two FTEs would be effective statewide. No vote was taken on HB 2149 during the portion provided. The committee also heard House Bill 2309, which would prohibit Missouri insurance coverage for organ transplants or related services involving organs taken from prisoners of conscience in China. The sponsor and supporters framed the bill as a human-rights measure aimed at condemning organ harvesting and abuse of Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience. Members asked whether there was documentation of such transplants in Missouri and whether federal oversight exists; the sponsor said there is no reporting mechanism and no known opposition. No action was taken on the bill in the excerpt. Finally, the committee began testimony on House Bills 1975 and 1850, pharmacy benefit manager reform bills. The sponsors said the measures are intended to protect local pharmacies, improve transparency, limit harmful audit practices, and create a critical access pharmacy program. Supporters, including a pharmacy business group, argued PBM practices drive up drug costs and close pharmacies. Opponents, including a carpenters’ health plan representative, warned the bills could increase costs for self-funded plans, limit network and mail-order arrangements, and shift more administrative burden onto plan sponsors. The hearing continued with questions and testimony, but no final vote is shown in the provided transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you enumerate a number of the different programs that are allotted here.
• But in line 38, you also open it up to any other income-based assistance program. Why that line?
• What that line is doing is saying that we may, in fact, create another type of program, and instead of
• having to then add that program by legislation, we now permissively allow the state to use that program
• But it's my understanding we've taken prime farmland completely out of the build-ready program.

Committee: Senate Energy And Telecommunications

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, chaired by Senator Kevin Parker, considered several Public Service Law bills and advanced each one to the Rules Committee after brief discussion and recorded no votes or without-recommendation votes on some measures. The bills included proposals to prohibit utilities from using ratepayer funds for certain activities (1012A), establish minimum standards for payment plans for eligible customers (1327), adjust residential fixed charges (1329), require the Public Service Commission to consider economic impacts when setting rates (1847), require utilities to adopt PSC-authorized equity ratios and returns on equity (1896), create the Rate-Hike Notice Act (5553C), suspend certain utility rate changes while allowing retroactive revenue recovery (5593), allow consideration of non-economic losses in penalty determinations (7165A), change the composition of the Public Service Commission (7328A), and let utilities retain revenues above authorized returns on equity (7693). Members asked questions about who would be affected by the bills, including whether fixed-charge reductions would apply to vacant units or vacation homes and whether economic-impact considerations could affect customers differently depending on where they live; the chair and sponsors generally explained the measures as territory-wide or applicable to all residential customers, with no occupancy or income-based circuit breaker in the text. The committee then heard testimony from Alexandra Fasulo, introduced as an entrepreneur and farmer in Schuylerville, about her concerns regarding the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) and utility-scale solar development on farmland and grasslands. She argued that solar developers were pressuring landowners, including older and lower-income property owners, into long-term leases, that ORES approves most projects despite local opposition, and that the process lacks transparency, with redacted documents and limited public access to information. She also criticized the siting of solar projects on productive farmland and said decommissioning rules could leave equipment buried in the soil. Committee members responded that the Legislature has already taken steps to protect high-quality soils, that ORES was created by statute and operates within the Public Service Department, and that DEC and ORES are supposed to work together rather than ORES superseding DEC. Several senators said they were sympathetic to concerns about farmland and community engagement, but also emphasized the need to expand renewable energy and balance that with land preservation. Members suggested that specific complaints about ORES transparency or solar siting could be addressed through future legislation or by inviting ORES and PSC officials back for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Alabama and Auburn is hosting an engineering program. May be hosting an ag program.
• </c> program where the lab is applicable. program where the lab is applicable.
• </c> engineering program. engineering program.
• </c> May be hosting a egg program. May be hosting a egg program.
• </c> Auburn is hosting a ad program. Auburn is hosting a ad program.

Bills: SB344 , SB344

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, monuments, historic preservation, memorial buildings, memorial schools, memorial streets, architecturally significant buildings, public property, waiver process, Committee on Alabama Monument Protection, Attorney General, civil penalty, historic marker, renaming, relocation, removal, public memorials, heritage preservation, state historic preservation fund, governmental entity

Transcript Highlights:

• and programs serving lower census levels than the maximum budget the program is projected to support
• the delayed activation of a new Central California FACT program that will replace the program we've
• If they land in a diversion program, that diversion program will be funded by the DSH program, the DSH
• Diversion program.
• It was a pilot program investment. I don't think it's a pilot program. It was investment.

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of State Hospitals (DSH), the Commission for Behavioral Health, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on budget proposals and implementation updates. DSH outlined its proposed 2026-27 budget, including funding for patient operating expenses, IST solutions savings, conditional release program costs, LPS bed allocation changes, electrical infrastructure projects at Napa and Patton, SB 380 transitional housing feasibility work, and expanded dental services at Metropolitan and Patton. DSH also reported that it has met court-ordered IST treatment benchmarks in the Stiavedi v. Clinton case, with average time to initiate treatment down to about five days and pending placements reduced to roughly 250, while noting that Proposition 36 could increase referrals and SB 1323 may divert some individuals earlier into community-based treatment. Members asked about rising outside hospitalization costs, Medicare enrollment, the timing and structure of capital projects, and whether IST solution funds are being fully used; DSH said the savings reflect slower-than-expected ramp-up of community programs and that the Central California FACT replacement program is still on track for January 2027 activation. The Commission for Behavioral Health described its role under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), including data, evaluation, grantmaking, technical assistance, and transparency work. It highlighted the new statewide Innovation Partnership Fund, a five-year, $20 million-per-year program with small and large grant categories; the first RFA drew strong interest, with more than 400 questions and over 1,000 bidders’ conference participants. The Commission also discussed a proposed extension to spend down about $4.1 million remaining for the Alcove Youth Drop-in Center grants so sites can finish implementation and Stanford can complete the final evaluation. Members asked about grant duration, whether projects can be renewed, what qualifies as innovation, and whether the fund could support service delivery rather than awareness campaigns or training; the Commission said awards are expected to be three-year contracts and that proposals must be new or meaningfully expanded approaches that support BHSA priority populations. DHCS reviewed major behavioral health changes under CalAIM and BH Connect, including peer support, mobile crisis, contingency management, traditional health care practices for tribal members, updated specialty mental health access criteria, and new substance use treatment standards based on ASAM’s fourth edition. DHCS reported strong contingency management results, with more than 13,000 members served and 95% testing negative for stimulant use during treatment, and said 21 Indian health care providers have been approved to offer traditional health care practices. It also described BH Connect initiatives such as the $1.9 billion access reform and outcomes incentive program, workforce investments, evidence-based practice expansion, IMD participation by four counties, and transitional rent services. On BHSA implementation, DHCS said it is not tracking individual county contract cuts but is monitoring county plans and statewide outcomes, while stakeholders raised concerns about local prevention and service gaps. DHCS also outlined its H.R. 1 implementation strategy, including outreach, streamlined renewals, exemptions for disabled, substance use, and medically frail individuals, and proposed clinic navigator and outreach funding; it said it has not yet produced a focused estimate of H.R. 1 impacts on behavioral health populations. The discussion ended with DHCS noting that B-CHIP bond funding has supported 437 infrastructure projects, creating 546 new or expanded facilities and more than 9,500 residential beds across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:15:39.160><c> adoption</c> how it would work for future adoption how it would work for future
• I serve solar programs at Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.
• My life's mission is to make a meaningful difference in our future energy recipe.
• My life's mission is to make a meaningful difference in our future energy recipe.
• I'm here to address HF 845 and its impact on Minnesota's clean energy future.

Bills: HF845

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: net metering, distributed generation, solar energy, rooftop solar, renewable energy, utility rates, electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, public utilities, Public Utilities Commission, net billing, bill credits, cost of service study, standby charge, qualifying facility, energy policy, clean energy, customer generation, interconnection, Minnesota Statutes 216B.164

Transcript Highlights:

• Hyannis as the Thomas Escahe[r] Cape Cod Transportation Center; and House Bill 5463, relative to a conservation
• An act relative to a conservation restriction in the town of Middleton, House Bill 5463.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not create a hydrogen deployment program.
• And we have reached another lull in our programming.
• And we have reached another lull in our programming.
• My kid hates AI and thinks that it's probably ruining their future.
• Michaela Bird, on behalf of The Nature Conservancy, in support.

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for consideration by the House: Senate Bill 2895, an act further regulating the amendment of a conservation
• An act further regulating the amendment of a conservation restriction in the town of Hanson, Senate Bill

Summary: The House took up several local and individual relief bills. The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling recommended Senate Bill 2895, concerning amendment of a conservation restriction in Hanson, and House Bill 4962, establishing a sick leave bank for Sally DeRosiers of the Department of Correction; both were ordered to a third reading. House Bill 463, authorizing the Milford select board to appoint a highway surveyor, was taken up on final passage and enacted. The House then considered a series of engrossment votes on bills directing the Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age requirement for specific applicants: House Bill 4092 for Chris Garolopoulos, House Bill 4142 for Jason DeLeon, and House Bill 4246 for Giselle Mello. Each bill passed to be engrossed. The chamber also adopted an order to reconvene the following Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. Members then adopted a special adjournment in memory of James A. Sheets, a former Quincy representative and mayor of Quincy. The House adjourned to meet Tuesday next at 11 a.m. in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• CalFresh is more than a food program. It is one of the CalFresh is more than a food program.
• For future submissions to the federal government of the MCO tax,” “Future federal, for future submissions
• They're in the CMSP program.
• accuracy and program access.
• Cutting these critical programs either now or in the future is not only short-sighted, but will ultimately

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California’s safety net, focusing on Medi-Cal and CalFresh. The chair and vice chair framed the issue as a major federal disruption that would reduce benefits and shift costs to the state, counties, hospitals, and other local systems. The first panel included the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Department of Finance, the UC Berkeley Labor Center, and the Food Research and Action Center, each describing projected enrollment losses, higher state and county costs, and implementation challenges. The LAO outlined H.R. 1’s main changes: new and expanded work requirements, more frequent eligibility redeterminations, restrictions on certain non-citizen eligibility, and financing changes affecting provider taxes and federal matching rates. The LAO estimated that 1 to 2 million people could be disenrolled from Medi-Cal and more than 600,000 could lose CalFresh, with additional costs from reduced federal support and possible state and county administrative burdens. The Department of Finance said the Governor’s budget includes about $1.4 billion General Fund in 2026-27 to respond to H.R. 1, with larger out-year reductions in federal funds and projected Medi-Cal caseload losses of up to 2 million by 2029-30. The UC Berkeley Labor Center projected up to 3 million Californians could lose full-scope Medi-Cal by 2028 when H.R. 1 is combined with state budget changes, while noting the state could choose policies that would reduce some of those losses. The Food Research and Action Center warned that CalFresh cuts and time limits would increase hunger, worsen health outcomes, and strain local economies and emergency systems. Members questioned the witnesses about procedural disenrollments, regional variation, the overall growth in Medi-Cal spending, the future of the MCO tax, the CalFresh error rate, and the downstream effects on hospitals and county indigent care. Several senators argued that the federal law was driven by tax cuts for high-income earners and would disproportionately harm low-income Californians, immigrants, and communities of color. Administration witnesses said some impacts are still being analyzed, that counties and departments are working on implementation, and that the Legislature may need to use statute, reporting, and oversight tools as federal guidance develops. No votes or formal actions were taken during this portion of the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• CT scans, one visit it to for future CT scans, one visit it to manage<00:18:51.200><c> feeding,</c><
• </c> demonstrating that of the conservatively demonstrating that of the conservatively estimated<00:34
• And maybe that will happen in the future. I don't know.
• But I know that we future. I don't know.
• So, I'm just asking for folks to future.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• CalFresh is more than a food program. It is one of the CalFresh is more than a food program.
• And the last thing I'll add is that SNAP is not a permanent program. It's a cyclical program.
• They're in the CMSP program.
• accuracy and program access.
• Cutting these critical programs either now or in the future is not only short-sighted, but will ultimately

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:24:12.800><c> commission</c> conservation commission conservation commission and<01:24:15.280><c>
• </c> conservation commission is. conservation commission is.
• something conservation commission or something like<01:52:28.000><c> that.
• And can we also include conservation commission?
• And can can we also include conservation<03:36:37.120><c> commission?

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> not to mention a new program like this. not to mention a new program like this.
• You spoke of Ohio, and uh my understanding their program is a voluntary program.
• You spoke of Ohio, and uh my understanding their program is a voluntary program.
• </c> a voluntary program. a voluntary program.
• program?

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:07 Roll Call 00:00:13 Approval of Minutes from August Meeting 00:01:55 Discussion of County Jails 00:03:31 Discussion of Centralized Collection of Net Profits and Occupational License Taxes 01:02:12 Adjournment 01:54:56, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the August 26 minutes, and then took up a discussion of county jail funding. KACO representatives and county officials said jail operations are an ongoing strain for counties because they must pay for inmate care, facilities, and mandated standards, while many counties also rely on jail revenue to offset costs. They described Kentucky’s jail system, including 77 jails, 43 closed counties without jails, and the mix of county, state, federal, and controlled-intake inmates. KACO emphasized that counties remain financially responsible for inmates even when they must contract with other jails, often at costs above the state’s per diem rate, and said it is developing a broader proposal to present later. The testimony focused on rising expenses and shrinking revenue. KACO said counties spent about $374 million on jail operations in FY24, up 24% from FY19, and about $41 million on jail medical costs, up 40%. General fund support for jails was said to total $147 million in FY24, more than double pre-COVID levels. Speakers also noted that state inmate populations in county jails have fallen from about 11,500 in 2019 to 7,212 in 2025, while federal inmates have increased because they are more lucrative for counties. The state jail per diem of $35.34 was described as insufficient to cover actual costs, especially medical care. County judges from Webster, Knox, and Hardin counties gave examples of local budget pressure. Webster County said it now houses 114 state prisoners, 47 county prisoners, and 24 out-of-county prisoners, and that it transferred $512,000 from its general fund to the jail last year, about $77 per taxpayer. Knox County said its jail budget has grown from an initial $2.8 million projection to $5.7 million, with $3 million coming from occupational tax revenue. Hardin County said its jail has an approximate $11 million expense budget against $5 million in revenue, creating a $6 million deficit, driven by higher payroll, medical, and insurance costs and a 29% drop in state prisoner revenue. The judge said the county has responded with property tax increases and an expanded occupational tax district, but still uses reserves to cover other county services. A Grant County magistrate then began speaking from the perspective of magistrates and commissioners, describing her background working at a local jail before serving in county government. The discussion remained centered on the fiscal burden of jails and the need for counties and the legislature to work together on a long-term solution.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:59:29.280><c> vaccine</c> causality and to refine future vaccine causality and to refine future
• So, look forward to presenting that in the future.
• But but uh I will do that in the future.
• </c> special committee. in the uh future special committee. in the uh future probably probably probably
• </c><02:51:54.880><c> Uh</c> the future. Uh the future.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met as a special House committee on COVID response efficacy, noted absences, and restated its mission to review New Hampshire’s pandemic response, including federal guidance, federal funds, emergency use authorization vaccination efforts, long COVID treatment, patient bill of rights implementation, and vaccination policies. The main business was discussion of a proposed letter or report language concerning current COVID vaccine recommendations for young children, especially those under age two, and how to support any conclusions with cited scientific and state sources. Representative Polozov argued that the committee should ask the governor or agencies to reconsider current recommendations, saying the committee should focus on whether vaccination is needed for that age group, whether it is effective, and whether the risks outweigh the benefits. He said he had distributed articles and wanted the committee to pair its conclusions with scientific and statistical data. Other members asked him to identify the specific New Hampshire DHHS and American Academy of Pediatrics sources for the recommendation, clarify the age range being discussed, and separate any evidence about adverse effects in other age groups from the infant/toddler demographic so the letter would be transparent and not misleading. Members generally agreed the letter should be carefully sourced and refined, with citations for each claim. The chair said the committee would treat the request as urgent and try to finalize a version by the next meeting, noting that some members would be traveling. The committee also discussed scheduling additional testimony in September and October, possibly with extra meetings, to continue gathering evidence and to hear from witnesses. The chair then began reviewing supporting articles, including studies he said were new since the 2024 report, and introduced a 2025 South Korea cohort study and another 2025 Italian cohort study as examples of the evidence he wanted to incorporate into an updated 2026 report.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is an established program.
• The program needed a GR...
• it's a good program, too.
• This is a really good program.
• program.

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All in favor, the bill is reported. 7773, Harckham, and then the Environmental Conservation Law.
• And then the Environmental Conservation Law. Moved by Senator Liu, second by Senator Mayer.

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The meeting was a committee vote session on a large slate of bills, with members repeatedly moving and seconding measures and then reporting them out. The bills covered a wide range of subject areas, including Education Law, Insurance Law, Internal Revenue Law, Environmental Conservation Law, Social Services Law, Executive Law, Financial Services Law, Tax Law, and other state law provisions. Many of the items were identified by bill number and sponsor, and the chair noted each one as reported after the vote. Most of the measures were approved with broad support, often described as “in favor” or “all in favor,” though several were noted as having some opposition or abstentions. A few bills drew more mixed responses, but the transcript does not indicate any bill being defeated; instead, the recurring action was that the bills were reported out of committee. Senators mentioned in motions and seconds included Sepúlveda, Ortt, Bado, Tedisco, Fernandez, Myrie, Harckham, Mayer, Liu, Comrie, Griffo, Gallivan, Sanders, and others. The session ended with the statement that none of the reported bills would be taken up on the floor that day. No substantive debate or testimony is included in the transcript, only motions, seconds, vote outcomes, and reporting actions on the listed bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Resources and Conservation Committee will not meet Thursday, January 15th, Mendive, Chairman.
• House Resources and Conservation Committee will not meet Thursday, January 15th, Mendive, Chairman.

Summary: The House convened, completed roll call with 69 members present and one absence, then opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. No substantive legislation was taken up during the meeting. The only formal action on the floor was approval of the House Journal for the third legislative day, which passed by voice vote after a motion and second. During announcements, members were informed that single-scoop ice cream was available in the back room courtesy of the Idaho Farm Bureau Foundation. The clerk also read the committee schedule, noting several committees would meet later that day while others would not meet on Thursday or Friday. With no further business, a member moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote, and the House adjourned until 9:00 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Resources and Conservation Committee will not meet Thursday, January 15th, Mendive, Chairman.
• House Resources and Conservation Committee will not meet Thursday, January 15th, Mendive, Chairman.

Keywords: 989, all