Transcript Highlights:

• A file order to expedite business and accommodate our young guests today.
• Okay, we are going to be going back to the business on the daily file.
• Pass temporarily on file item 19. Pass and retain on file item 20.
• Okay, continuing on the business on the daily file, we are skipping back to file item 21, ACR 48 by Assemblymember
• Okay, moving on, we're going to pass and retain on file items 25, 28, and 29.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They brought legislation to us, which I filed.
• They brought legislation to us, which I filed.
• Is this a way in which you can file this with the AG's office?
• Worrell for filing this legislation.
• In 2025, those filings dropped to 180.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a late-file hearing on several bills, with testimony limited to three minutes per individual or set time limits for panels. Chairs Michael Day and Lydia Edwards outlined hearing rules, written testimony procedures, and confidentiality protections before moving through the agenda. The committee heard testimony on bills including H.4876, H.5111, H.4783, H.4826, H.5116, H.5244, S.2975, and S.2976. On H.4876, supporters described it as the “Overcomers Law,” aimed at strengthening supports for survivors of abuse by limiting abusers’ legal standing after death, requiring survivor notification of an abuser’s death, expanding coercive control definitions, improving privacy protections, and creating education and resource programs. On H.5111, the Attorney General’s Office and legislative sponsors backed changes to strengthen Massachusetts antitrust enforcement, including broader jurisdiction over multi-state conduct, higher penalties, clearer treatment of invitations to conspire, labor-market protections, housing-related changes, and a longer statute of limitations. The committee also heard support for H.4783, which would reaffirm the rights of people experiencing homelessness and push back against criminalization of homelessness, and for H.4826, which would update condominium law to give owners more rights and nonjudicial dispute-resolution options. A large portion of the hearing focused on H.5116, which would rename the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court the Judge Leslie E. Harris Courthouse. Representative Worrell, the Harris family, senators, prosecutors, lawyers, educators, and community advocates testified in strong support, describing Judge Harris’s legacy of fairness, mentorship, community service, and support for young people and Black legal professionals. The committee also heard testimony on S.2975, which would prohibit civil immigration arrests in courthouses to protect access to justice, and S.2976, which would create a state cause of action for constitutional violations by federal officers. Finally, H.5244 was supported as a repeal of an archaic criminal statute that advocates said has been used to punish pregnancy loss and should be removed from the books. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded after all registered testimony was heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• So once they say, okay, you’re approved, they file their first claim.
• , filing fraudulently is a problem. ...filing fraudulently is a problem.
• So if a fraudulent claim is filed, there is notification to employers that those claims have been filed
• They file for unemployment. It takes weeks for that to work through your system, okay?
• An employer is subject to escalating penalties for failure to file a report or filing an incomplete report

Summary: The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee opened its 2026 session with member introductions and a work session on the Employment Security Department’s structure and programs. ESD officials described their roles and reviewed paid family and medical leave, WA Cares, unemployment insurance, workforce services, and agricultural worker outreach. Senators raised concerns about call volume, program solvency, fraud detection, employer access to information, and whether workers can receive leave benefits while working other jobs. ESD said WA Cares is in a limited pilot, PFML has seen rapid growth, UI trust fund solvency is projected to be near the statutory trigger level, and they would follow up with more detailed information on eligibility, fraud referrals, and employer scenarios. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5292, which would replace the current PFML rate-setting formula with a forward-looking actuarial model and require a four-month reserve beginning in 2030. Supporters, including the sponsor, JLARC staff, labor advocates, and employer groups, said the change would improve stability and follow JLARC recommendations; opponents warned it could lead to higher payroll taxes and argued the program is already too costly. The chair said she intended to keep the bill narrow as it moved forward. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6014, a technical bill on pregnancy-related accommodations that would preserve the ability of pregnant workers to request certain accommodations without a doctor’s note and create a public records exemption for sensitive complaint and investigation records; the sponsor and supporters said it corrects a drafting error and protects privacy. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 5972, which would remove the population threshold limiting interest arbitration for correctional officers in jails, and Senate Bill 5869, which would make permanent and expand from residential to all building construction sites a requirement that L&I notify employers or owners within 10 working days when a hazard is identified. Correctional officers’ representatives and labor groups supported SB 5972 as a fairness and safety measure, while the sponsor said it would create consistency across jurisdictions. Construction industry groups supported SB 5869, and L&I said it had no concerns but wanted the bill kept narrow; the chair noted the bill’s purpose was to speed hazard communication. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 5874, which would allow ESD to waive penalties for minor errors in quarterly unemployment reports, especially missing SOC/job-title information. The sponsor said small businesses were being hit with unnecessary fines, and ESD said it had identified a sharp rise in penalties and was working with the sponsor on possible fixes. The committee adjourned after the hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have eight bills on file today and we will start today. Two bills on consent.
• The state found evidence of negligence and the parents have filed a lawsuit.
• File item 1 SB 414 the motion is do pass as amended to appropriations. Maricucci aye.
• File Item 2. Can we get a motion and a second? File Item 2, SB 249.
• We need motion and a second for file item 3 SB 373. Moved and seconded.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Somerville was the 11th community to file a home rule petition.
• "House Bill 3449, filed by Chair Barber, and Senate Bill 2292, filed by Senator Jalen.
• That Eversource has filed plans for affecting major streets.
• Filings with the DPU and the city and other public sources.
• We filed this bill to build on that progress and keep the momentum going.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on several climate and utility-related bills, especially H. 3449/S. 2292 to expand the municipal fossil fuel-free building demonstration program from 10 to 20 communities and related home rule petitions for Somerville and other municipalities. Witnesses from Somerville, Salem, Worcester, Cambridge, Newton, Arlington, Wellesley, Watertown, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association argued that local governments should be allowed to opt into fossil fuel-free or net-zero building standards, citing climate goals, environmental justice concerns, housing production, and data showing all-electric construction can cost about the same as or less than mixed-fuel construction. Committee members repeatedly pressed witnesses for cost data and asked for written follow-up, while also discussing whether strong environmental standards affect housing supply; witnesses responded that the main housing constraints are financing and that they would provide more data from local projects and state studies. A second major topic was H. 3564, which would require gas companies to provide municipalities with detailed multi-year pipe replacement plans, allow local review and objections, and limit reimbursement for projects not previously disclosed except in emergencies. Municipal leaders and advocates said the bill would improve coordination of street work, reduce disruption and costs, and help cities plan for electrification, network geothermal, and non-pipeline alternatives. Testimony from Wellesley, Cambridge, Arlington, Newton, and others emphasized repeated problems with last-minute gas main work, the need for advance notice, and the value of municipal participation in planning gas system retirement and alternatives. The committee also heard testimony on the “tactical transition” bills, S. 2249/H. 3539, aimed at managing the gas-to-clean-energy transition. Supporters from Gas Transition Allies, Rewiring America, and 350 Mass said the bills would require joint gas-electric planning, create an advisory council, eliminate subsidies for new gas hookups, shift investment toward repairs and clean alternatives, protect workers through retraining, and make utility plans more transparent. They argued these changes would reduce ratepayer costs, avoid stranded gas assets, and support orderly decarbonization. In addition, HEET testified on H. 3541, which would update greenhouse gas accounting to better reflect methane’s short-term climate impact, and H. 3543, which would establish a framework for managing shared thermal resources and thermal energy networks; committee members asked several questions about the meaning, ownership, and consumer-cost implications of the proposed “thermal commons.” No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You filed this last session, correct? That is correct. And you only had one.
• , employees, you have to file electronically.”
• And that way, when you file your documents with the Internal Revenue Service, you’ll file the same way
• filed under the rules.
• You cannot file an amendment to the amendment once the amendment has already been filed.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not the reality because your annual filings, right?
• That's not the reality because your annual filings, right? They do along the way.
• That's not the reality because your annual filings, right? Your annual filings, right? Correct?
• We get financial statements filed, whether they be audited or attestations.
• </c> know we get financial statements filed know we get financial statements filed whether<00:30:39.440

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several insurance and condominium-related bills. SB 1137 would require insurers to notify policyholders of approved rate changes within 30 days and at least 30 days before the effective date. The Insurance Division supported the bill, while testimony focused on condominium master policies and whether the notice period would be enough for associations to respond to rate increases. The division said the bill would mainly affect admitted carriers, not surplus lines insurers that write many condominium master policies, and warned against limiting the nonadmitted market. SB 293, requiring sellers to disclose when USPS cannot deliver mail or packages to a residential property, was also heard with HAAI Realtors commenting. SB 752 would extend notice periods for cancellation or nonrenewal of property-casualty policies; the Attorney General’s Office raised concerns about contractual impairment and retroactive application. The committee also heard SB 575, which would allow authorized insurers to offer building and hurricane damage coverage for condominium buildings at a lower rate than prior surplus lines coverage. The Insurance Division stood on written testimony, and a condominium owner urged amendments to require a membership vote before such coverage changes, citing concerns about condominium self-governance. SP 1046 would require managing agents to notify unit owners and the Real Estate Commission when a condominium association fails budget and reserve reporting requirements. The Real Estate Commission said the bill was administratively workable as drafted but noted ambiguity over who counts as the “managing agent”; several testifiers opposed the measure, arguing it could disrupt the principal-agent relationship and impose legal judgment on nonlawyers, while others supported it. SP 150, dealing with captive insurance companies seeking exemption from examinations, drew the most detailed discussion. The Captive Insurance Council supported the bill as a way to reduce duplicative oversight and improve Hawaii’s competitiveness, while the Insurance Division opposed it as drafted, citing concerns about broad commissioner discretion, possible missed issues between exams, staffing shortages, and the need to preserve oversight. A committee member asked about a possible middle ground, including a shorter exemption period or limiting the bill to self-attestation companies; the division said it would need more information and that annual filings and approval requirements would still provide oversight. The committee also heard SP 212, which would require at least two Real Estate Commission members to be licensed engineers or architects; testimony included support and a concern about conflicts of interest among people who serve in multiple roles in the condominium and real estate sectors. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided, and the chair moved from one measure to the next after testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• A family from a similar socioeconomic background who files the FAFSA and also files our state aid application
• A family from a similar socioeconomic background who files the FAFSA and also files our state aid application
• A family from a similar socioeconomic background who files the FAFSA and also files our state aid application
• A family from a similar socioeconomic background who files the FAFSA and also files our state aid application
• A family from a similar socioeconomic background who files the FAFSA and also files our state aid application

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Resolutions filed by Ms.
• Resolutions filed by Mr.
• Resolutions filed by Mr.
• Resolutions filed by Mr.
• Resolutions filed by Mr.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• pay that filing fee.
• </c><00:46:20.400><c> a</c> now under statute, you need to file a now under statute, you need to file
• </c> separate case and pay that filing fee. separate case and pay that filing fee.
• </c><00:55:17.839><c> It</c> that filed? I'd love to see it. It that filed? I'd love to see it.
• </c> agenda, House File 3378, Shoeacher. agenda, House File 3378, Shoeacher. Um<01:04:38.319><c> Mr.

Bills: HF3874 , HF3875 , HF3378

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: judicial funding, Chief Justice security, fiscal year 2028, court system, judicial branch, judiciary, court notices, restitution, child protection, publication process, human services, Optum reports, data privacy, transparency, legislative oversight, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Klein's Senate File 1949, Senator Miller's Senate File 2425, Senator Miller's Senate File 3803
• </c><00:08:04.200><c> 3417,</c> current one, Senate File 3417, current one, Senate File 3417, from<00
• If you have a copy of Senate File 4139, If you have a copy of Senate File 4139, it says in the title
• The concern with Senate File 2967 at the federal level is specific.
• Um, Madam Chair, I move that Senate File 3880 be recommended to pass.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Rules and Administration Committee met on March 19, 2026, to consider the referral path for Senate File 4139, the sports betting bill, rather than the substance of the proposal. Senator Franzen, the bill’s chief author, asked that the bill be referred first to the Commerce Committee, saying he had discussed the matter with the relevant committee chairs and that Commerce was the best place to address the bill’s consumer protection provisions. He emphasized that any final path to passage would still require the bill to go through State and Local Government as well. Senator Rasmusson objected and argued the bill should go first to State and Local Government, citing Senate jurisdiction rules, which he said assign gambling bills to that committee. He noted that prior sports betting bills had been referred there first and said a predictable referral process is important. Senator Maye Quade, Senator Dibble, Senator Bar, and Senator Jasinski also supported sending the bill to State and Local Government first, arguing that the committee has primary jurisdiction over gambling and that the bill’s consumer protection language does not change that basic referral. Senator Champion and Senator Miller supported the Commerce referral, saying authors may request an initial committee and that the bill’s consumer protection sections fit Commerce jurisdiction. Senator Marty moved to re-refer Senate File 4139 to the Committee on State and Local Government. Before the vote, members continued debating whether the bill’s structure and prior referral history justified Commerce or whether committee jurisdiction rules required State and Local Government first. The transcript ends with the motion pending and no final vote or disposition shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and Senate 505 filed by Senator Creem.
• Voting Restoration Bill filed by Senator Liz Miranda, Voting Restoration Bill filed by Senator Liz Miranda
• Voting Restoration Bill filed by Senator Liz Miranda, Voting Restoration Bill filed by Senator Liz Miranda
• And advocate for the voting bills S. 505, filed by Senator Cindy Creem, and H. 834, filed by Representative
• And advocate for the voting bills S-505 filed by Senator Cindy Creme and H-834, filed by Representative

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Election Laws

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing on a wide range of voting-access and election-administration bills. The largest portion of testimony focused on same-day voter registration (H. 834/S. 505), with support from Rep. Gentile, Boston and Chelsea officials, civic groups, and election administrators from Maine and Vermont. Supporters argued that same-day registration would help eligible voters who move frequently, miss deadlines, or face administrative errors, and would reduce rejected provisional ballots. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Vermont elections director Sean Sheehan testified that same-day registration has worked in their states without major administrative problems and has helped increase turnout. A Boston-based panel also described high rejection rates for provisional ballots and the burden of registration cutoffs on renters, students, immigrants, and low-income voters. A second major topic was restoration of voting rights for incarcerated people, including S. 524 and related House bills. The committee heard extensive virtual testimony from incarcerated individuals at MCI Norfolk and MCI Shirley, who said voting should be restored as part of rehabilitation, civic engagement, and reintegration. They described disenfranchisement as dehumanizing and argued that voting would help maintain family and community ties, reduce recidivism, and give incarcerated people a voice on laws affecting prisons and reentry. Rep. Erica Uyterhoeven also testified in support, saying the bill would restore municipal voting rights for incarcerated residents and align with broader efforts to expand political participation. The committee also heard testimony on bills affecting election administration and access, including a proposal to reduce or eliminate mandated early in-person voting in primaries and shorten the general-election early voting period, with supporters from the town clerks’ community arguing that low usage, staffing burdens, and costs justify the change. Opponents warned that reducing in-person early voting could hurt voters who do not use mail ballots and could disproportionately affect communities of color. Other bills discussed included decoupling the municipal census from voter registration, requiring periodic accessibility inspections of polling places, and a Somerville home-rule petition on non-citizen municipal voting and another on lowering the voting age in municipal elections. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when a rate filing comes into TDI, our actuaries are reviewing those rate filings for those parameters
• We will talk to the company and have the company amend the filing or have the company withdraw the filing
• Again, 75% of our filings, we go back and forth with the companies.
• There were several bills filed on appraisal.
• Um, we are also unable to meet, um, Our review of filings um to get most of those filing, 87% of those

Transcript Highlights:

• an act granting a local option for a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing, which I filed
• Nineteen cities and towns have filed home rule petitions to make their priorities clear on this issue
• Nineteen cities and towns have filed home rule petitions to make their priorities clear on this issue
• Now almost a dozen municipalities have filed, in addition to several pending statewide enabling bills
• Concord's bill was first filed in 2019, so we've been at this for a while.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility. For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources. The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce. A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• for which they should otherwise filing for which they should otherwise be<00:15:42.560><c> granted</
• their disability claim with the filing their disability claim with the US<00:15:59.000><c> Department
• them file their disability claims<00:16:12.519><c> but</c><00:16:12.639><c> there's</c><00:16:12.839
• the paperwork for them we help them file the paperwork for them we help them file<00:16:34.639><c> the
• the paperwork and then we charge file the paperwork and then we charge them<00:16:35.920><c> these</

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate VMAP Committee met with a quorum and heard three bills. Senate Bill 144, sponsored by Senator Danny Carroll, would require destruction of firearms used in homicides and allow destruction of certain defaced, hazardous, unsafe, or owner-requested firearms, while prohibiting agencies from intentionally damaging firearms before transfer and requiring written agency policies. Senator Tichenor asked about lost auction revenue; KSP said it could not track homicide weapons separately, that auctions bring in about $1.2 million annually, and that most proceeds support Kentucky Homeland Security. Senators Boswell and others said they generally oppose destroying firearms but supported moving the bill forward; the bill passed favorably with no nays. House Bill 191, sponsored by Representative Aaron Thompson and presented with state and veterans’ officials, would align Kentucky law with federal changes to allow additional burials in state veteran cemeteries for certain National Guard and Reserve veterans, their spouses, and dependents who were not previously eligible. Testimony explained the bill would cover veterans who served in reserve components without Title 10 activation, including those who assisted during floods, fires, and tornadoes, and clarified eligibility rules for spouses and children. Senators asked about minimum service and dependent eligibility, and the committee passed the bill favorably and unanimously. Senate Bill 198, sponsored by Senator David Yates, addressed protection of veterans’ benefits by regulating third-party claims consultants. The committee adopted a substitute adding definitions and accreditation-related provisions, and Yates said the bill was intended to curb abusive fee practices and direct penalties to the special license plate fund for veterans. He explained the bill’s fee limits, including a cap tied to three times the monthly increase in benefits and an overall ceiling, while senators questioned whether the cap might discourage good actors and how the dollar limits would work. A veteran witness, Bob Casher, supported the bill and urged more public information on free claims assistance; the committee held further action while allowing guest comments, and the discussion focused on balancing consumer protection with access to legitimate consultants.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:54.840><c> 3793</c> renews her motion that House File 3793 renews her motion that House File
• </c> adopted to House File 3896. adopted to House File 3896.
• You have the House File 1426. I will move House File 1426 before the committee.
• ><c> before</c><00:53:39.920><c> the</c> move House File 1426 before the move House File 1426 before
• </c> House File 1426 in front of us. House File 1426 in front of us.

Bills: HF3426 , HF3896 , HF1426 , HF3793 , HF4061 , HF4246

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Keywords: natural resources, environment, sustainability, conservation, outdoor recreation, wild rice, watercraft regulation, environmental protection, aquatic ecosystems, HF1426, product stewardship, extended producer responsibility, EPR, electronics recycling, e-waste, battery recycling, circuit boards, printed circuit boards, electrical products, covered products

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I bring you the Senate file version of this bill.
• So, because I had to file it right away.
• Please come forward, sir. gross copy um Senate file gross copy um Senate file 101<00:09:14.240><c> on
• </c> Senate File 101. Senate File 101.
• 101, and that cannot be laid to Senate File 101's feet.

Bills: SF0101

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: Second Amendment, firearm regulation, state legislation, public safety, civil penalties, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She asked why the case, initially filed in 2019, was still ongoing seven years later and said that, while
• If this is what she's seeking, this is the statute, and she's outside the time to file.
• If this is what she's seeking, she's outside the statute, and this is the time to... ...file.
• I do know that this claim wasn't filed until early 2025, though.
• It was filed by two relatives, I believe the grandchildren.

Committee: All JBC-CLAIMS

Summary: The Joint Budget Committee’s Claims Review and Litigation Oversight Subcommittee met to consider two proposed litigation settlements from the Department of Corrections and one appealed claim from the Claims Commission. In the first settlement, Caroline Arnett v. Larry Norris, et al., members asked about the underlying sexual assault allegations, whether policies had changed, and whether PREA audits and other safeguards were in place. The department said audits were underway and that steps had been taken to prevent similar conduct. The committee approved the settlement by voice vote. In the second settlement, Latasha Ridgel v. Arkansas Department of Corrections, members raised concerns about the length of the case and the fact that it involved similar allegations. The department cited attorney turnover, COVID-related delays, and scheduling difficulties; the settlement was approved by voice vote. The committee then reviewed Sharon Greer and Deanna Hayes v. Commissioner of State Lands, an appeal of a Claims Commission dismissal involving a 2009 tax sale of family property in Crittenden County. The claimants said they did not learn of the sale or the $4,200 in excess proceeds until 2025, and argued that notice was inadequate and that the overage should not have gone to the county. The Commissioner of State Lands’ office responded that notice was sent to addresses on file, certified mail receipts were returned, and a post-sale notice explained the process for contesting the sale and claiming excess proceeds. The office also argued the claim was untimely, that the commission lacked jurisdiction, and that state law bars monetary damages against the commissioner for actions related to tax-delinquent land sales. Members discussed broader concerns about the tax-sale and excess-proceeds process, including whether excess proceeds should be held longer or routed differently, but noted those issues would require legislative changes rather than action in this case. The committee then voted to affirm the Claims Commission’s dismissal of the claim. The meeting adjourned after the motion passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1117 has been filed in response to a recent Louisiana Supreme Court ruling that determined
• when an insurer makes an unconditional payment on a claim, it restarts the deadline to file a lawsuit
• So instead of a fixed... ...claim, it restarts the deadline to file a lawsuit.
• , you're not relinquishing your right to file a lawsuit within that two-year prescriptive period.
• be prevented from filing a suit after the claim prescribed.

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Fryberg moves House File 3862 before the committee. >> Thank you.
• So, the political principle is something that an individual that's filing as a minor party or someone
• And so, um, that again is based on what folks are currently allowed to do, whether they're filing with
• information and use that as sort filing information and use that as sort of<00:18:34.799><c> the</c>
• </c><00:21:18.559><c> if</c><00:21:18.720><c> a</c> well as in the candidate filings if a well as in

Keywords: 1183, house