Transcript Highlights:

• It also has a long-term vision. There is strong county and tribal involvement.
• There is strong county long-term vision.
• It's not only one time only; it's long-term.
• </c> because you're addressing the long-term because you're addressing the long-term legacy<00:13:58.800
• Uh we are creating that seed long-term.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The Con Rep system is broken, and we need serious reforms.
• And it is a broken system. It doesn't work.
• So Liberty Health Care, we do contract with Liberty Health Care to do the placement process and to provide
• more stringent terms or different terms and conditions for the individual.
• We then have those terms and conditions.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee held an oversight hearing on the state auditor’s October 2024 report on California’s Forensic Conditional Release Program (CONREP) for sexually violent predators. Members and witnesses discussed public safety, the long delays in finding community housing, the role of local housing committees, and the Department of State Hospitals’ oversight of Liberty Healthcare, which operates much of the program. Several legislators from rural and high-desert districts said their communities have been disproportionately affected by placements and questioned why many placements end up in remote areas. State Auditor Grant Parks said the audit found that CONREP participants were convicted of new offenses less often than sexually violent predators who were unconditionally released, but that 18 of 56 participants had been revoked and returned to state hospitals for noncompliance. He said it took an average of 17 months to place current participants in the community, with 20 additional people awaiting placement for an average of 20 months, and that the program incurred significant pre-placement costs. Parks also said local officials were often unclear about their role, DSH had not given clear guidance at the time of the audit, and California lacks a transitional housing option used in some other states. He reported that DSH had implemented four of the five audit recommendations, while declining the recommendation to explore state-owned transitional housing. DSH Director Stephanie Clendendon and Liberty representative Ken Carabello defended the program as a court-ordered, highly supervised treatment model intended to reduce reoffending and support reintegration. They said DSH is actively involved in placement review, that Liberty searches countywide under statutory restrictions, and that community feedback and court approval are part of the process. DSH said it has now implemented guidance for housing committee designees, formal program reviews, an outcome tracker, and an analysis of whether to separate some Liberty services into different contracts. DSH continued to oppose transitional housing, arguing it would not solve the core siting and statutory problems and would add cost. Several members remained critical, arguing the program is broken, costly, and unfairly concentrated in certain communities, and some called for major statutory changes or suspension of the program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Elsewhere, broadband providers are hesitant to make long-term, multi-million dollar investments because
• We knew it was going to be a long-term plan, so we opted to go that direction instead.
• Of those contracts, having that long-term arrangement is a pretty sweet deal for the attacher, for sure
• I support that, but asking us to bear the risk and the cost of long-term certainty is a very expensive
• You know, the Chairman, you appropriately pointed out these long-term contracts.

Bills: HB3445 , HB3448

Committee: House S/C on Telecommunications & Broadband

Keywords: telecommunications, electric cooperative, rights-of-way, infrastructure, provider access, right-of-way, pole attachment, regulatory access, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• investments have served as a major economic engine for rural communities such as Quincy, bringing long-term
• When companies make large long-term investments based on the rules in place, changing those rules midstream
• Communities that host these facilities benefit from the jobs, local tax base, and long-term economic
• Data centers are long-term investments and capital-intensive, and they require certainty.
• providers, payment processors, and others, to commit to Washington communities for the long term.

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• term.
• stay intact long term.
• stay intact long term.
• If we change the system and we have the director now corresponding to gubernatorial terms, then we fundamentally
• where they're servicing a vendor opposed to their customer, it's going to be detrimental to their long-term

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Moving forward, we need to take care of our existing system, and we need to look forward to see what
• However, over the long term, that revenue is predicted to flatten or even possibly decline.
• However, over the long term, that revenue is predicted to flatten or even possibly decline.
• In Auburn, for example, their roadways didn't suffer significant long-term damage, but they're still
• A programmatic approach saves the state money over the long term.

Bills: SB5989

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: aircraft fuel tax, tax revenue distribution, aviation funding, transportation, state revenue, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When examining other states or system models, the term low-producing, as I said, or low completions refers
• But at the end of the day, what do we want is a long-term, sensible, straightforward, simple thing that
• But long-term, what is the best sustainable use of our money and workable?
• But how do we want this to function going long term?
• little bit is, you know, part of this kind of, I think, exercise for this group was looking at the long-term

Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review how North Dakota might identify and address low-producing academic programs and to discuss draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the NDUS explained that the State Board of Higher Education is already developing a system-wide policy, using models from other states such as Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, and Connecticut. She described how low-producing programs are typically flagged by multi-year enrollment or completion thresholds, then reviewed for workforce demand, mission fit, cost, accreditation, and regional need before any action is taken. Committee members asked about what counts as a program, how costs are analyzed, whether certificates are included, how exemptions work for mission-critical or high-demand fields, and whether the board or legislature should set the rules. Johnson said the board is the appropriate body to lead the process, but legislators could use funding leverage if they wanted to encourage action; the chair asked the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal uses fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder undergraduate rate of $7,000 per FTE and a graduate/professional rate of $10,500, plus incentives for completions in in-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council walked through the projected funding effects, noting that the model would increase funding for NDSU and reduce it for UND in the current biennium, with different results in the next biennium as enrollment changes are recognized. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the definition of in-demand programs, the treatment of research funding, and the exclusion of state-appropriated dollars from the external grants calculation. The chair emphasized that the numbers were illustrative and that appropriators would set the actual dollar amounts later. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. That model uses fall census FTE without a weighted economic factor, applies a higher undergraduate rate, and adds completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other completions. Members noted that the formula would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and discussed whether the nine institutions should be treated more uniformly or split into smaller groups because of their different missions and sizes. Committee members and staff repeatedly stressed that the formulas are still being refined and that some institutions would likely need hold-harmless adjustments or other transition measures. The meeting ended with the chair directing the committee to continue the discussion later and to expect further work on both the low-producing program policy and the funding formulas.

Transcript Highlights:

• I come from a more urban county, but in rural areas there is real concern that long-term and even mid-term
• Also, note that having a stable health care system is important because we should not forget, Mr.
• Speaker, gentlelady, I think in many ways under-reflect the current overall long-term financial health
• I believe Aging and Long-Term Services is aware. They are definitely in need of more funding.
• To engage with Aging and Long-Term Services. Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• California has had a long-standing history of protecting system-involved youth, and we urge you to uphold
• "So if we care about homeless people, if we care about seniors, if we care about single parents and children
• So if we care about homeless people, if we care about seniors, if we care about single parents and children
• And so I do care about seniors. I care about keeping them in their homes.
• and then when they no longer need it, they no longer need it and don't have to incur the cost of a long-term

Summary: The committee heard several bills from Senator Umberg and Senator Allen, with testimony from supporters and opponents before roll-call votes were taken once quorum was established. SB 253, the annual State Bar fee bill, would keep fees unchanged while requiring two-year notice for substantial changes to the bar exam, including vendor changes, and returning to an older delivery method for the upcoming exam; it was presented as a response to recent State Bar problems and the February bar exam failure. SB 25, the Pre-Merger Notification Act, would require certain merger parties to provide California’s attorney general the same Hart-Scott-Rodino materials filed federally, so state antitrust review can occur in parallel with federal review; supporters said this would reduce delay and uncertainty, while members questioned whether it would add another layer of review. SB 36 would strengthen price-gouging enforcement after the January 2025 Southern California firestorms by requiring rental-listing platforms to report suspected gouging, expanding consumer and prosecutor remedies, and allowing warrants in housing-related cases; supporters said it would close loopholes, while opponents from business groups raised concerns. All three bills were later approved on roll call, with SB 36 and SB 413 placed on call before final passage and SB 253 and SB 25 moving forward on committee votes. The committee also heard SB 413, which would streamline access to juvenile case files in certain civil cases brought by or on behalf of the youth who is the subject of the file, allowing attorneys to use heavily redacted records without first petitioning the juvenile court. Supporters, including Los Angeles County counsel and county associations, said the current petition process is costly, slow, and routinely granted, creating delays in civil litigation and court congestion. Opponents, including the Youth Law Center, argued the bill would weaken longstanding juvenile confidentiality protections by bypassing judicial review and could expose sensitive information unnecessarily. After discussion about redactions, sealing, and the scope of access, the bill was passed on a do-pass-as-amended vote. Finally, Senator Wahab presented SB 436, which would extend the notice period for nonpayment of rent from three days to 14 days. Supporters, including tenant advocates, legal aid groups, and several local governments, argued the change would reduce unnecessary evictions, give renters more time to obtain assistance or a paycheck, and help prevent homelessness. Opponents, including apartment associations, property owners, and the California Association of Realtors, said the bill would burden landlords, especially small owners, and could unintentionally affect commercial leases; members also raised concerns about repeated late payment and the lack of stronger guardrails. The author said she would work on clarifying commercial coverage and safeguards, and the bill remained under discussion as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ed Long. Good morning, Dr. Long. Thanks for being here. You are recognized.
• The current system for re-employment assistance, The current system for re-employment assistance presents
• In terms of where we've seen the types of deployments we've seen, we've seen both kind of short-term
• But if you would mind, how long did it take them to get that HR product implemented in their system?
• Lee, care to chime in on that?

Summary: The subcommittee met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and automation in Florida government. Panelists from Worldwide Technology, OpenAI, the James Madison Institute, and the Florida Digital Service described AI as a tool to improve efficiency, constituent services, fraud detection, translation, HR workflows, public safety, and regulatory review, while emphasizing that AI should supplement rather than replace workers. They also stressed the importance of data readiness, workforce training, governance, and having existing technology systems and policies in place before broader deployment. Members asked about public records concerns, vendor vetting, model integrity, and how to balance innovation with privacy and security. Chief Schoonover said agencies are already using or exploring AI in areas such as Medicaid analysis, environmental data, emergency management, tax forms, and child support, and noted that the Digital Service publishes prohibited vendor and application lists. OpenAI discussed its red teaming, safety evaluations, privacy controls, and government products such as ChatGPT Gov, and said it does not train on personal data or target users with ads. The committee also discussed concrete examples of efficiency gains, including reduced call times, faster translation turnaround, and streamlined HR classification work, as well as concerns about job disruption and constituent access. In closing, members raised data center infrastructure and energy needs, with panelists noting that AI depends on substantial compute, power, cooling, and utility capacity. The chair concluded by encouraging continued dialogue and noting that future AI legislation should be targeted to specific problems rather than overly broad.

Transcript Highlights:

• conducted on 10 to 25 percent of the system.
• These systems are ginormous.
• We want everybody kind of communicating within the same system on these panic alert systems.
• And I'm thinking long-term, I'm thinking past situation, if someone really wanted to go into one of our
• And I'm thinking long-term, I'm thinking past situation, if someone really wanted to go into one of our

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Summary: The committee first heard CS for CS for SB 344, which would modernize the Telecommunications Access System Act of 1991 based on Public Service Commission recommendations. The bill drew no opposition and was reported favorably. Members then took up several Senator Burton measures: CS for SB 714 on non-opioid advanced directives, which was amended to create a Department of Health website access point for a voluntary form allowing patients to notify providers they do not want opioid medications; CS for SB 738 on child care and early learning providers, which streamlines and updates child care regulation and was supported by industry and business groups; CS for SB 756 on health insurance coverage for individuals with developmental disabilities, which removes the age-8 diagnosis limit and age cap for mandated autism-related coverage; and CS for CS for SB 1356, creating a Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU and a newborn genetic testing pilot, later amended to add FIU and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to the board and remove specific appropriations. All of these bills were reported favorably. The committee also approved CS for CS for SB 1624 on higher education, a broad bill affecting tuition policies, workforce programs, institutional governance, and naming changes. The bill generated extended discussion over replacing references to “minority” with “underrepresented,” with the sponsor explaining the intent was to focus on low-income access and student support, while members raised concerns about impacts on majority-minority institutions and preeminence pathways. An amendment added guardrails for private religious postsecondary institutions by requiring public review of affidavits of compliance and giving the Commission for Independent Education enforcement authority. After debate, the bill was reported favorably. The committee then passed CS for SB 1626 on child welfare, which addresses military-family investigations, emergency shelter certification, children’s services council appointments, criminal-background exemptions, group-home rates, licensing extensions, small residential group homes, missing-children procedures, and psychotropic medication refills; it was amended to adjust council board composition and then reported favorably. Additional bills approved included SB 178, directing Florida A&M University to conduct an agronomic study on emerging crops for land taken out of production; SB 1162, expanding boating improvement funding for trailer parking and offering lease incentives for clean marine manufacturers; CS for CS for SB 958, creating a type 1 diabetes early detection information program for parents and schools; CS for CS for CS for SB 1070, requiring ECGs for student athletes with phased implementation and exemptions, after extensive testimony from parents and advocates about sudden cardiac arrest; CS for SB 774, requiring electronic transmission of certain court orders to sheriffs within six hours; SB 1516, creating an International Aerospace Innovation Fund administered by Space Florida; SB 994, revising driver education requirements and prompting a commitment to add distracted-driving instruction; and CS for CS for SB 1402, expanding eligibility for dropout retrieval programs. The committee also took up SB 810 on stormwater management systems, amending it to focus annual inspections on vulnerable MS4 infrastructure. That bill drew significant opposition from the Florida League of Cities, counties, and stormwater groups, who argued the mandate would duplicate existing permit requirements and impose major costs, but supporters said it was a basic flood-prevention measure. The transcript ends during debate on SB 810, before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The establishment of an endowment represents a long-term approach to addressing the state's workforce
• She was in long-term state... market bill.
• She was in long-term state. Steve Munisteri. Right. And Jody Laubenberg, I believe. Yes, sir.
• She was a long-term state rep. You passed Uncle Paul, Tio Pablo's test.
• Institutions have a duty to protect the long-term financial health of higher education.

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The committee heard and discussed several higher education and public school bills. Senator Burwell presented SB 1242 to remove an outdated Coordinating Board approval requirement for Texas State Technical College land and facility acquisitions, and SJR 59 to create a constitutionally dedicated endowment for TSTC capital needs; both drew strong support from industry and workforce groups and were left pending. SB 757, by Senator Middleton, would create a debt-to-earnings accountability system for public college programs, with supporters saying it would protect students from low-value degrees and opponents warning it could unfairly penalize programs with long-term value, especially graduate, medical, and public service fields; it was also left pending. SB 1241, by Senator Millington, would expand acceptable college entrance exams beyond the SAT and ACT, including the Classic Learning Test, and was left pending after testimony from CLT, homeschool, and student groups in support. SB 1085, by Senator Blanco, would let Sul Ross State University offer lower-division courses at its satellite campuses in the Middle Rio Grande region; it too was left pending. The committee then took up a series of public school and higher education measures, voting several out favorably. SB 605, as substituted, limits commissioner approval of charter school expansion amendments for schools under conservatorship or a management team and was reported favorably 9-0. SB 1871 and SB 1873, both by Senator Perry, were revised to narrow teacher immunity, clarify removal and suspension procedures, require periodic review of in-school suspension placements, and align discipline rules; both substitutes were adopted and reported favorably. SB 1872, SB 1874, SB 762, SB 1962, SB 1750, SB 2252, SB 2253, SB 2365, SB 1924, and SB 37 were also considered, with most reported favorably on party-line or near-unanimous votes. SB 1750 would replace a flat charter school facilities funding cap with an attendance-based formula; SB 2252 and SB 2253 address kindergarten readiness, early literacy/numeracy, and educator preparation; SB 2365 concerns student phone use during instructional time; SB 1924 restores local citation authority for certain school offenses and adds reporting, notice, and completion requirements; and SB 37 would expand state oversight of higher education curriculum, governance, faculty senates, and compliance with state law. Other measures heard included SB 769, which would require a Coordinating Board report on barriers faced by students with disabilities in higher education; supporters emphasized the need for better data and accessibility, while witnesses suggested broader reporting on race, disability types, and K-12-to-college transitions. SB 2231 would designate a Free College Application Week in October and was left pending. SB 1878 would modernize the Josie School statute and provide formula funding and aid eligibility for Polytechnic College. SB 1409 would authorize universities to offer self-funded student health benefit plans, with Rice University and Texas 2036 supporting the measure as a way to lower costs and expand coverage. SB 2431 would require universities to give foreign language credit for study abroad programs, SB 2314 would require schools to inform students about opting in or out of record sharing for direct admissions through My Texas Future, and SB 2138 would extend the state’s anti-ESG contracting restrictions to public higher education endowments and governing boards; these later bills were introduced and left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• With this new system, the registry seeks to shift from paper filings and paper checks to an online system
• And so that's not a good system. Nobody wants that system.
• If we hold the funds for too long.
• It feels long overdue.
• long before I was here.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is in child care. system, an automated system.
• We'll also be able to link the child care attendance system that's needed. statewide to the local provider
• In our system, medical benefits are for injured employees, for life, as long. as the treatment is related
• We have health care management, we do have statutory oversight of health care providers. in our system
• We have over 17,500 doctors, healthcare providers in our system providing care to injured employees.

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• IN TERMS OF TEACH PROGRAM THERE IS A NUMBER OF STEPS.
• SYSTEM.
• THOSE LACKING REGULAR ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE IN ASSESSING APPROPRIATE CARE SETTINGS.
• FEE FOR SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEM WILL BE PAID OUT APPROPRIATELY BASED ON SYSTEM AND LIMITATIONS. >> Chair
• BUT IT SHOULD NOT DRAG ON TOO LONG.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The third is a minimum statutory safety weighting, both short-term and long-term, for electric utility
• With that, uh, Over the long term across the entire state.
• Long-term incentive components are usually about 60% of the package.
• Second one is annual bonuses, so the short-term compensation, and the third is the long-term compensation
• Long-term incentive components are usually about 60%.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Enrollees may face long waits, travel unreasonable distances, just to access basic care.
• Enrollees may face long waits, travel unreasonable distances, just to access basic care.
• SB 306 addresses that those persistent problems in the state managed care system, which limits access
• This bill lays the groundwork for addressing our long-term teacher shortage.
• This bill lays the groundwork for addressing our long-term teacher shortage and will help train teachers

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including interns, Denim Day awareness, a resolution honoring Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and a remembrance of former Senator Karen Johnson Gendron. The chamber then moved to special order bills. CS/HB 687 on transportation offenses involving death was substituted for SB 138, amended to add warnings and penalties for refusal of breath or urine tests, and passed 37-0. CS/SB 306 on Medicaid providers, requiring broader after-hours access and network availability for Medicaid enrollees, also passed 37-0. The Senate then took up CS/CS/HB 913 on condominium associations, a major post-Surfside reform bill. Senator Bradley explained that the measure was intended to provide financial relief and flexibility while preserving safety and accountability. The bill was substituted for SB 1742, amended several times to limit milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies to buildings three habitable stories or more, and then passed 37-0 after extensive debate. Senators from both parties praised Bradley, Pizzo, Garcia, and staff for years of work on condo safety and affordability, with several members describing the bill as a balance between protecting residents and avoiding financial hardship. The final major item was CS/HB 1205, the bill on amendments to the state constitution and citizen petition drives. Sponsors Gates and Grohl argued the bill was needed to combat fraud, identity theft, and misuse in the petition process, citing a lengthy Office of Election Crimes and Security report. The House bill was substituted for SB 7016, and the chamber considered a long series of amendments and substitute amendments addressing petition circulator registration, volunteer participation, submission deadlines, invalid-signature thresholds, voter notification, and fiscal impact statements. Several amendments were adopted, while others were debated over whether they would protect access to the citizen initiative process or strengthen election integrity. The transcript ends during debate on the main substitute amendment, before final disposition on the bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's how that system works. So these two systems don't speak to each other.
• These systems are just fundamentally different systems, and they really can't speak to each other.
• These systems are just fundamentally different systems, and they really can't speak to each other.
• the U.S. system, when you have other tax systems, international systems, laid on top of California's
• are fully funded for the long term.

Summary: The joint informational hearing examined California’s taxation of multinational corporations, especially the state’s water’s-edge election versus worldwide combined reporting. The LAO and Franchise Tax Board explained the basic mechanics of unitary taxation, apportionment, and how water’s-edge generally excludes most foreign subsidiaries while worldwide reporting includes the full unitary group. FTB officials said water’s-edge filers are a small share of corporate filers but account for a large share of tax liability, and they described filing trends, industry mix, and the administrative steps needed to administer either system. Members and witnesses debated the policy trade-offs. Supporters of moving away from water’s-edge argued that it enables profit shifting, especially for large multinational and IP-heavy firms, and that eliminating it could raise significant revenue and improve fairness for smaller domestic businesses. They cited estimates of billions in potential revenue and said California already has the audit and reporting infrastructure to handle worldwide reporting, though some transition time would be needed. Opponents argued that worldwide reporting would tax foreign activity unrelated to California, create double taxation, increase compliance burdens and litigation, and could be difficult for foreign-based multinationals to document. They also warned that some of the revenue estimates are highly uncertain because foreign affiliate income is not directly observable. Committee members asked about foreign government pushback, the risk of companies leaving California, the effect on intellectual property shifting, and whether federal or Supreme Court action could block a change. Witnesses generally said major firms would be unlikely to leave because California taxes sales rather than physical presence, but some costs could be passed on to consumers. The panel also discussed alternatives such as conforming to federal international tax rules like NCTI/GILTI and adding anti-abuse rules. No vote or bill action was taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's critical for the sustainability of the service in the long term.
• Senator Clark. care costs across our system care costs across our system and<00:13:32.560><c> having<
• </c> work for a health care system. work for a health care system.
• </c><01:25:13.440><c> And</c> element of our health care system.
• And element of our health care system.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He served three terms as mayor.
• The Brazos has been in my family a long time.
• In terms of his professional background, he's retired with a long ... career in the energy and finance
• What do you have to say about the system?
• His term extends through February 1st, 2031.

Committee: Senate Nominations

Keywords: 1185, senate, all