Transcript Highlights:

• And then once you hit a cap, you hit a cap. You can't spend any more than that.
• Is there a cap on that? How does that—why is that there in that amount?
• Because it statutorily capped? Yes, sir. Okay. Yeah. It's in law.
• Because it statutorily capped? Yes, sir. Okay. Yeah. It's in law.
• This is the largest volume in state government. No changes to core.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The water volumes are minimal.
• The water<00:40:50.720> volumes<00:40:51.120> are<00:40:51.280> minimal.
• It is a water volumes are minimal.
• But the legislature also provided that there was a 2% cap on how much that could go up.
• I mean, we mentioned that there is a 2% cap.

Bills: HB0116, HB0056

Keywords: water rights, beneficial use, industrial production, hydrogen, applications, public welfare, carbon capture, energy standards, public utilities, environmental regulation, state law, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• less of the tax burden because the way Medicaid paid hospitals, and still does, is based off of a volume
• <00:53:37.920> payment does is based off of a volume payment does is based off of a volume
• It increased substantially, and it blew past that statutory cap.
• It's a $15 million cap in the aggregate, and I think Select's taxes went up just on their end of it by
• So there's really this cap on how much you can use provider taxes before those federal matching funds

Keywords: Medicaid - Room 216, 4 February, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee heard presentations on several Medicaid-related topics. First, a pharmacy representative discussed nonopioid pain medications as a way to reduce opioid dependence and overdose risk, emphasizing that options such as acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and topical diclofenac can be useful for pain management. She cautioned that nonopioids can still have risks and said any policy should avoid requiring patients to step through opioids before accessing safer alternatives, while still allowing reasonable step therapy among nonopioid options. The presenter said the goal is to keep patients from being pushed toward opioids by cost or insurance design. The committee also heard emotional testimony from parents of a child with Prader-Willi syndrome, who described the condition as a rare genetic disorder that causes severe, lifelong hyperphagia and requires rigid supervision and ongoing treatment. They argued that alternative funding programs can disrupt access to medically necessary drugs such as human growth hormone, forcing families into costly and uncertain coverage gaps. They asked lawmakers to ensure insurance coverage remains stable for rare disease patients and thanked Senator Blackwell for prior support of rare disease legislation. Next, a Livanova representative urged the committee to support higher Medicaid reimbursement for vagus nerve stimulator surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy. He said inadequate hospital reimbursement has reduced access in Mississippi, causing patients to travel long distances or go without treatment, and argued that better reimbursement would improve outcomes and save money over time. He cited studies showing seizure reductions, lower ER use, and a projected $2.8 million in five-year savings for Medicaid based on 40 patients, and asked that hospitals be reimbursed at 100% of Medicare rates for the procedure codes. Finally, a Medicaid official gave a broad overview of hospital payment structure, including fee-for-service, managed care, MHAP, DSH, UPL, provider taxes, and related funding mechanisms. She explained that hospital payments are interrelated and have shifted over time, with major changes tied to managed care, MHAP/UPL increases, and provider taxes. At the end of the discussion, the committee was running short on time and asked her to skip ahead to the provider tax component; no votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• thank you for making your way down<00:35:04.800> to<00:35:05.040> the<00:35:05.280> cap
• down to the cap, Mr. Strong and Mr. down to the cap, Mr. Strong and Mr.
• The existing pipes are unable to handle this volume of flow, which only increases as new homes are being
• c><00:45:54.640> to<00:45:54.800> handle<00:45:55.119> this<00:45:55.359> volume
• pipes are unable to handle this volume pipes are unable to handle this volume of<00:45:55.839>

Bills: HF568, HF433, HF1689, HF3135, HF3137, HF3145, HF2887, HF2819, HF2802, HF2664, HF2267, HF799, HF800, HF3049, HF296, HF580, HF1438, HF1237

Keywords: special education, education funding, construction, Minnesota, regional educational programs, HF433, Cloquet Area Fire District, fire station, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, general obligation bonds, public safety, emergency services, fire protection, local infrastructure, Minnesota capital budget, DEED grant, municipal facilities, station construction

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:05:05.960> ever since then the declining in cap ever since then the declining in cap ever
• <01:05:26.480> now I Pro City white Ela Beach and cap now I Pro City white Ela Beach and cap
• I think the volume has definitely increased.
• point right now I think in regard volume point right now I think in regard volume or<03:18:21.840
• <03:18:25.520> has or time to hire I think the volume has or time to hire I think the volume

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But again, we do have caps for County limits are 25 for commercial development in any one county and
• a sense, and you may not know it right now, but how close some of the counties are to reaching that cap
• three, are Bernalillo, Santa Fe, and Sanibel counties. are probably going to be approaching those caps
• Just if you want further information on line 14 on the projections, you can look in your volume 3.3,
• which is the black spiral-bound volume.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I will say the volume of PUC reporting under the bill, the monthly reporting, I'm going...
• The volume of PUC reporting under the bill, the monthly reporting, may pose a burden to our members or
• And your statutory cap is what? 9.27. Have you hit the... ...ROE for your statutory cap is what?
• ROE for your statutory cap is what? 9.7. Have you hit that consistently for the last five years?
• authorizes up to $500 million in pre-event financing and $1 billion in post-event financing, with a cap

Bills: HB 106, HB144, HB145, HB252, HB1732, HB2221, HB2467, HB2468, HB2517, HB2518, HB2963, HB3016, HB3689, HB3960, HB4386, HB4490, HB4751, HB5247, HJR175, HB2213

Keywords: HB 106, oil and gas, Railroad Commission of Texas, overhead electrical lines, electrical distribution system, power line maintenance, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas lease, well operator, energy safety, utility infrastructure, regulatory compliance, cleanup fund, oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund, production safety, leasehold operations, electric utility, distribution poles, inspection

Summary: The committee first handled pending business, including reconsidering SB 715 and then voting out several measures. The committee substitute for SB 1978 was reported favorably, and HB 431, HB 1522, HB 1922, HB 3228, HB 3229, HB 3803, HB 3804, HB 3805, HB 3806, HB 4219, HB 4238, HB 434, HB 1584, and HB 4739 were all reported favorably, many with objections sent to the local and uncontested calendar. HB 1522 and HB 4238 were adopted as committee substitutes before passage. The committee then moved into public testimony on HB 2963, a right-to-repair bill for consumer electronics. Supporters argued it would reduce waste, lower costs, and help independent repair shops by requiring manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and information on fair terms, while opponents said the bill was too broad and the automotive MOU exemption was problematic. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 2467, which would align State Fire Marshal Office investigators’ pay with other commissioned peace officers at TDI; testimony was strongly supportive, emphasizing the office’s arson-investigation role, and the bill was left pending. HB 252, a bill allowing certain state agencies flexibility to pay Schedule A employees twice monthly, was laid out and left pending after limited testimony. HB 2468, dealing with public improvement district notice in real estate transactions, would let buyers terminate within seven days if required PID notice was not provided before contract execution; it drew no public testimony and was left pending. HB 4386, an annuity exchange and surrender process bill, was presented as a consumer-protection measure with deadlines and penalties for insurer delays; it received support from industry witnesses and was left pending. The committee then heard HB 4751, creating the Texas Quantum Initiative within the Governor’s Office to coordinate quantum research, workforce, industry partnerships, and possible future grant funding. Witnesses from universities and industry supported the bill, while several senators questioned whether a new state structure was necessary; the bill was left pending. HJR 175 proposed a constitutional amendment protecting Texans’ right to use mutually agreed forms of exchange, including cash, bullion, digital currency, or private script, and was discussed at length in the context of central bank digital currency and barter; it was left pending after testimony. HB 2221, updating insurance anti-rebating laws to allow wellness and value-added services, drew supportive testimony from the insurance industry and discussion about incentives versus monitoring; it was also left pending. Finally, the committee heard a series of utility wildfire and infrastructure bills: HB 106, requiring oil and gas operators to maintain certain electrical infrastructure near well sites; HB 144, requiring electric utilities to submit pole inspection and management plans to the PUC; and HB 145, requiring wildfire mitigation plans and allowing self-insurance under certain conditions. Utility, insurance, and cooperative witnesses generally supported the wildfire-related bills while asking for clarifications and less burdensome reporting, and the bills were left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cap has fallen so woefully behind.
• Recently, that cap has been more than doubled.
• I would have liked to have known more about those states without caps or higher caps before we got here
• And now it raises the cap, the malpractice cap.
• This bill establishes a 25% cap.

Keywords: March 10, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a fee protection that caps fees at 3% of the transaction amounts.
• I mean, is your position that there should be no caps and no limits at all?
• The transaction limit and the fee cap are sort of two different questions, right?
• The fee cap, from our standpoint, first of all, is not a consumer protection measure.
• So it kind of depends on where you're talking in terms of location and the volume.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the surplus lines space, there is actually almost no capping of fees whatsoever.
• In the admitted market space, that is capped and heavily regulated.
• profession has had significant changes in types of calls, severity of calls, and an increase in the volume
• Suicides and overdoses are now a daily part of our call volume.

Bills: S0302, S0394, S0480, S0546, S0636, S0774, S0796, S1028, S1050, S1066, S1120, S1230, S1288, S1682

Keywords: cybersecurity, information technology, data management, local government compliance, cloud services, state agency oversight, integrated governance, conservation lands, land exchange, state-owned land, Acquisition and Restoration Council, Florida water management, environmental protection, beach management, beach erosion, beach nourishment, coastal resilience, shoreline protection, critical erosion, critically eroded beach

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills, beginning with CS/SB 796, which would create Veterinary Professional Associates as a new supervised veterinary role, expand telehealth prescription timeframes, and set training and scope limits. Supporters said it would improve access to care, lower costs, and create a career path, while opponents argued the proposal lacked a clear regulatory framework, could create liability and federal-law conflicts, and would not address the real shortage in rural large-animal practice. After debate, the committee reported the bill favorably. Members also heard and favorably reported SB 1682 on local authority over derelict and abandoned vessels, CS/SB 1028 on a commercial Citizens clearinghouse for property insurance, SB 394 on exempting certain reinsurance underwriting managers from licensing, SB 636 on beach management and erosion designations, CS/SB 546 on public notice for conservation land sales or exchanges, CS/SB 302 on Biscayne Bay nature-based solutions and related coastal resiliency provisions, SB 1050 on pharmacy choice for pet medications, and SB 774 extending workers’ compensation benefits to 911 public safety telecommunicators for mental and nervous injuries. Testimony on these bills generally focused on access, regulatory clarity, environmental protection, or workforce support, with some concerns raised on insurance consumer protections and beach-management language. Senator Harrell’s bills were also taken up and reported favorably: CS/SB 480, a major overhaul of state IT governance creating DIGIT and new procurement, reporting, and workforce structures; CS/SB 1230, restricting PFAS-containing firefighting foam and adding testing, inventory, and disposal requirements; and CS/SB 1288, a naming bill designating the Andrew Red Harris Shoal and requiring markers. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on SB 1066 regarding restoration of the Oklawaha/Rodman system, with supporters emphasizing ecological restoration, flood-risk reduction, and economic benefits, and opponents warning about local impacts, water quality, and the loss of a world-class fishery. The transcript ends during testimony on that bill, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We could put multiple years on there, but I think this speaks volumes to the changes we're already seeing
• We could put multiple years on there, but I think this speaks volume to the changes we're already seen
• So we put some limits and some caps kind of...
• We put some limits and some caps, kind of in this first six months of a pilot phase, on how many apprentices

Summary: The committee approved the November 3 minutes and then received an extensive presentation from Arkansas education and workforce officials on how the LEARNS and ACCESS Acts are affecting career and technical education, concurrent enrollment, and postsecondary readiness. Officials said the state’s goal is for students to leave high school employed, enrolled, or enlisted, and reported increases in K-12 CTE enrollment from about 161,000 to 171,000 students and concurrent CTE enrollment from about 12,000 to 16,000. They also described the new success-ready pathways, merit and distinction designations, and how those measures tie into school accountability and graduation outcomes. The discussion then turned to scholarships and grants. Officials explained that ACCESS expanded concurrent credit support, increased funding per credit hour, and broadened eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge and Governor’s Scholar programs by adding diploma-of-merit and diploma-of-distinction pathways. They said the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship itself did not change, but the non-distinguished Governor’s Scholar award now includes diploma of distinction as an additional eligibility route. Members raised concerns about how these requirements apply to private school and homeschool students, and officials said the intent is to ensure those students can qualify if they meet the same standards, though some implementation details are still being worked out. Questions also focused on whether students who explore multiple pathways could be penalized in school letter grades; officials said the system allows multiple ways to earn credit, including AP, IB, concurrent credit, technical certificates, and apprenticeships. Officials also reviewed workforce scholarships and short-term training funding. They said the state is developing policy for the Workforce Challenge and related professional skills training to set an 80-hour minimum and tiered funding, and they discussed the new federal Workforce Pell rules, which they said are very narrow and will likely apply to only a small number of Arkansas programs unless providers repackage training into stackable, credit-bearing pathways. Members asked for lists of eliminated programs, apprenticeships, and data on scholarship recipients, and staff said they could provide those. The committee also heard from Cody Waites on a $35.8 million U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement for the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, which Arkansas will administer nationally. He said the grant will support advanced manufacturing apprenticeships, use a pay-for-performance model, and be distributed to sponsors after apprentices are employed for 90 days, with applications opening January 28 and the state expecting to keep administrative costs under 8-9%.

Transcript Highlights:

• Smaller cities, for example, Key West of Saint Augustine, the population caps fines of $5,000.
• They used to be able to turn up the volume, adjust the airconditioning.
• And just the volume adjust the just the song to adjust the temperature. We've gotten past that.
• This bill removes restrictions by eliminating the 200 student cap on non Fhs, a member private school

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That speaks volumes. Congratulations, and we're happy to have you here.
• THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES. CONGRATULATIONS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. Mr.
• Lawrence River Valley, and the subtle black and white hints show the white caps over the St.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior day’s journal, and then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing individuals, communities, and state traditions. The chamber honored Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis posthumously after his Medal of Honor recognition, with remarks from Senator Scarcella-Spanton and others praising his sacrifice and welcoming his parents. Senators also celebrated New York maple producers and Maple Weekends, Bangladesh Independence Day and the contributions of Bangladeshi New Yorkers, York Middle/High School girls varsity volleyball for winning a state championship, Pavilion/York Air Rifle for winning the state invitational championship, and Tartan Day. These resolutions were adopted, and the sponsors opened them for co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the regular calendar and passed multiple bills, including measures on environmental conservation, personal property, agriculture and markets, insurance, state law, executive law, workers’ compensation, election law, correction law, public health, and parks/historic preservation. Most passed with broad support, though some drew a handful of negative votes. One bill on election law, allowing certain 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election, prompted supportive floor debate from several senators and passed 43-17. Another bill on correction law also passed after debate. A notable controversy arose over Calendar 227, a Public Authorities Law bill related to school energy planning and electric buses. Senator Borrello challenged an amendment as nongermane, the Chair ruled against it, and the Senate voted 22-0 to sustain the ruling. The underlying bill then passed, despite criticism from senators who argued the state should repeal the electric bus mandate and instead study safer, more practical alternatives for school districts. The Senate then completed its business and adjourned until March 24 at 3:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we do have some caps on what we're allowed to spend the money on. Moving on to slide four.
• There's a volume three sources and uses. We can get you that. I think there's $20-plus million.
• Chairman, we can get, there's a volume three sources and uses. We can get you that.

Bills: SB193, SB132, SB35, SB145

Keywords: SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law, agricultural water, farmers, Rio Grande, acequia association, forest land protection revolving fund, state fund transfer, irrigation projects, SB132, DOIT, Department of Information Technology, software replacement, equipment replacement

Transcript Highlights:

• That's our highest traffic volume highway that we have in the state.
• It went from $590 to $610 for a cap that $20 million increase.
• We're seeing those volumes and the amount of motor fuel tax used is getting smaller and is beginning

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the environmental property rights challenges with wind and solar waste, and given that we know the volume
• The corridor was established, uh, to restrict height, and one of these restriction caps is on the height
• It's, it's, it's, uh, it's not like you can, you know, pull in and say, I'm going to turn this volume

Bills: HB 246, HB 796, HB 1056, HB 1544, HB 1846, HB 2001, HB 2618, HB 2625, HB 2869, HB 2898, HB 3069, HB 3114, HB 3157, HB 3228, HJR 98

Keywords: federal directives, state authority, Tenth Amendment, government enforcement, local governance, gold standard, legal tender, currency, transactional currency, financial transactions, electronic payment systems, state finance, regulatory compliance, electric trucks, charging infrastructure, advisory council, transportation, sustainability, criminal penalties, official information

Transcript Highlights:

• States arterial system will have to keep up with this growing demand and increased volume.
• It's it's the state that that caps a set. 25 and I'm thankful for that because it can get a bit and really
• if if if we didn't have that cap to work with, but with the 2020 census, we went up to 22 voting members
• And you all know by state statute, we're capped at a max of 25 and the city of Tampa is currently underrepresented

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In Oklahoma, a similar campaign led to a hundred... ...an 85% increase in volume.
• With no cap on out-of-pocket costs, that means essential services like durable medical equipment and
• They then notify what's called the CAP team, the Child Abuse Pediatric team.
• What we're seeing is that for the specialty consult, they're asking their colleague, another CAP at a
• Y'all keep referring to CAP. Is that? CAP, what does that mean? Child Abuse Pediatrician.

Bills: HB107, HB742, HB1639, HB1700, HB2071, HB2187, HB2402, HB2516, HB3211, HB4529, HB5342, HB694, HB923, HB4655, HB107

Keywords: sickle cell disease, registry, health data, confidentiality, healthcare access, human trafficking, first responders, health care, training, reporting, protection, cancer, female firefighters, health study, state health services, fire protection, telemedicine, teledentistry, telehealth, health records

Transcript Highlights:

• We also established a command center which looks at our workload volumes, tracks trends, and forecasts
• Hi, Philippa Lelouz, Department of Fish and Wildlife employee for ten years in CAP-QAW Local 1115.
• I'm a member of CAPS UAW. local 1115 and the financial secretary and I'm also a civil servant I work
• Hi there, Tricia Lee, state scientist, member of CAPS UAW.
• I'm an employee of California Department of Fish and Wildlife and a proud member of CAPS, UAW 1115.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• difficult to calculate over the years, including things like faculty productivity, special projects, volume
• There are maximum caps applied to this.
• There are maximum caps applied to this.
• The workforce development cap might actually help with that.
• , that is one barrier the workforce cap grant does help get rid of.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met to review funding models for the Florida College System and district workforce education programs, with an emphasis on how new dollars are allocated in the program fund and how performance and targeted funding are incorporated. Chancellor Hebda explained the Florida College System model, including base program funding, student success and pipeline funds, performance incentives for industry certifications, and the 2022 president-developed formula that weights enrollment, workforce enrollment, completions, small-college factors, and regional cost differences, plus a targeted funding floor for colleges below a minimum per-FTE level. Vice Chancellor Goodman then outlined the district workforce model, which uses lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local revenue offsets, small-district adjustments, and unmet-need calculations to distribute lump-sum appropriations to school districts offering workforce education. The department also provided updates on several grant programs and funding delays. Goodman said the Workforce Development Incentive Grant, Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant, Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education Startup Grant, and teacher apprenticeship/mentor bonus programs all involve multi-year awards and often require reversions and reappropriations because projects are delayed, extended, or not fully obligated by year-end. She said the department is moving toward an electronic grants system and had already adjusted internal deadlines to speed awards, while acknowledging some reimbursement delays and explaining that mentor bonuses for teacher apprentices will not be paid until the first cohort reaches the statutory timing requirement. Members asked about tracking whether CTE students work in their trained fields, how Xello is used to inform students about career pathways, how FTE is calculated, whether the funding formulas could encourage growth over quality, and how students with disabilities are counted in workforce funding. Questions also focused on tuition, enrollment trends, and the gap between college and university funding. The committee heard that tuition has remained flat for more than a decade, enrollment has rebounded from COVID and is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, and the college system’s funding per FTE varies widely. Valencia College President Kathleen Plinsky testified in support of the proposed formula and an additional $200 million for the Florida College System, saying Valencia is the second-largest college in the state but ranks last in per-FTE funding, which has made it difficult to recruit and retain faculty and admit qualified students in high-demand programs like nursing. The committee took no vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.