Transcript Highlights:

• attempts to enforce, provide material attempts to enforce, provide material aid,<01:47:19.679>
• And there's definition of material aid.
• <01:55:01.040> But<01:55:02.239> that<01:55:02.560> material The material aid
• :04:16.960> about until something material changes about until something material changes about
• <02:26:24.960> to and online 4 PM management audit to and online 4 PM management audit to

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was good supplemental material. Thank you. Thank you. It was good supplemental material.
• I myself have not audited anything.
• Again, I haven’t audited any of this stuff.
• I think an audit would be an appropriate thing.
• We undergo financial audits, grant audits, broadband performance testing, regulatory reporting, environmental

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're have to even look at the audit process, and I'm concerned that when we're audited to ensure that
• we're audited to concerned that when we're audited to ensure<00:38:35.359> that<00:38:35.760>
• No, they buy a lot of curriculum and materials. >> Yes. Um, thank you.
• Our 990s are online, and we're audited annually. We have, you know, a CFO, CEO.
• Our 990s are online, and we're audited annually. We have, you know, a CFO, CEO.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission to study the cost of special education met, confirmed a quorum, introduced members and guests, and approved the minutes from the October 29 meeting. Members noted the commission’s mandate under Senate Bill 57 and emphasized the need to focus on recommendations and findings by July 1, 2026. The chair also distributed additional handouts, including materials related to the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program and administrative rules tied to differentiated aid and disability determinations. The main discussion centered on how students qualify for differentiated aid under the EFA program. Matt Sutherton of the Children’s Scholarship Fund explained that the organization, which contracts with the state to administer EFAs, accepts either school-district/IEP documentation or a medical certification of disability (MCD) from a licensed medical professional. Members questioned how this process relates to the state’s special education rules and whether the school-district examiner standards in ED 107/1107.04 apply to EFAs. Sutherton said the MCD form, created with the department, requires the medical professional to sign that they are qualified to make the determination and to identify the disability. Several members expressed concern that the EFA process is less rigorous than the school-district IEP process and may be inflating disability counts. One member argued that the administrative rules cited are primarily for school districts, not EFAs, and said the Department of Education may not know how many of the roughly 890 EFA students receiving differentiated aid came through school-district documentation versus the MCD pathway. Another member said the EFA system appears more generous than the school system and raised concerns about oversight, auditing, and whether the program’s data are accurate. Sutherton said the organization reviews signed documentation, credentials, and diagnosis information, and may request additional records to help adjudicate expenses. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the prior minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• contextualize the repeal because it would show the repeal alongside any other legislative changes, like new material
• But when we got audited last year, the auditor came in and said she wanted to audit the Statute Law Committee
• And said she wanted to audit the Statute Law Committee.
• I assured the auditor that I was their contact and that they would be auditing the code reviser's office

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But then DHHS vaccine program has never been audited.
• <02:11:53.520> um your testimony was around um audit um your testimony was around um audit
• I've reviewed that audit, so they are audited yearly, but that is simply, did we provide the money to
• What it does not do is audit that.
• There's no audit, zero oversight on that.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How often are these private entities going to be audited to ensure that their cybersecurity policies
• There's not an audit procedure in the state that's going to come in and audit them, but they will get
• It includes public school instructional material and library material in collections adopted on or after
• Are there even any instructional materials that refer to the West “Sure.
• be no cost for them to actually have to change any of their current material.”

Summary: The committee first considered CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all amendment narrowed eligibility to certain contaminated or brownfield properties in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, added adjacency and density/intensity limits, and excluded agricultural land, park land, land outside the urban growth boundary, and land near military installations. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill was reported favorably on an 8-0 vote, with limited support and opposition noted in waived appearance forms. Members then took up CS/CS/SB 212 on sexual offenders and sexual predators. The strike-all added public swimming pools and related child-centered locations to residency and presence restrictions. Testimony was sharply divided: proponents argued the bill would help protect children and law enforcement, while opponents, including treatment experts and homelessness advocates, said there was no empirical evidence the restrictions reduce abuse and warned of retroactive punishment and increased homelessness. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 8-1. The committee also approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after an amendment allowing certain enclaves adjacent to interstates to be developed for commercial, industrial, or single-family residential uses and clarifying exclusions for protected areas. Opponents argued it would weaken zoning and comprehensive plans, while supporters framed it as a property-rights measure; the bill was reported favorably 10-0. SB 554 on nonprofit corporations, a technical update to nonprofit law modeled on prior for-profit corporate revisions, also passed unanimously after supportive waived testimony. Later, the committee approved SB 1338 on charitable giving, which creates a donor remedy for endowment restrictions and limits state reporting burdens on certain regulated or exempt organizations; members discussed cy pres and the sponsor said further changes would be worked out later. CS/SB 532 on court fees was amended to let clerks retain all collections above revenue projections rather than half, with supporters saying clerks have been underfunded for years; it passed 10-0. The committee also favorably reported SB 218 on land use regulations, which restores normal land-use authority to counties not affected by recent hurricanes, and CS/SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability, which creates a presumption against liability for entities that comply with cybersecurity frameworks and reporting requirements; the cybersecurity bill drew concerns about retroactivity and the adequacy of compliance incentives but passed 9-2.

Transcript Highlights:

• , three vehicles for CDL coordinators, audit travel, a semi truck for Class A CDL examiner training,
• Number 13 is a new method... ...using plant reserves for a new hazardous material storage building, and
• It's an amended contract to provide Prison Rape Elimination Act audits.
• This is to provide prison rape elimination act audits. Next item is number three on page 15.
• Actually, they’re doing one in Jonesboro; they’re doing a pre-ed audit in Jonesboro.

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of budget, appropriation, transfer, and contract items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests for several agencies, including the Auditor of State, Department of Education, and Labor and Licensing; ARPA return requests from Workforce Services; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests for State Police and Agriculture; restricted reserve transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic stimulus; a Commerce reallocation of positions and spending authority; cash fund, budget classification, overtime, and pay plan requests; and 17 methods of finance items for universities and other agencies. Most items were approved without objection after brief explanations from staff and agencies. Several items drew questions and were held or discussed further. A Department of Human Services discretionary grant package for the RSVP program was held over after Senator Irvin raised concerns about whether the grants were an effective use of state general revenue and asked for more information on administration costs and program operations. In the contracts section, Representative Richardson questioned a DHS sole-source contract with EMS Link for document management software and a DHS contract with Presidio; the EMS Link item was held for additional answers, while the Presidio item was clarified as not sole-source and was allowed to proceed. Members also asked for more information on a Department of Education mental health referral contract with Care Solace, which officials said is a statewide concierge/referral service connecting students to Arkansas providers and telehealth options. The committee also reviewed monthly reports, including the Medicaid Trust Fund. DHS and DFA officials said the fund was currently sufficient to finish the fiscal year, though it was being drawn down and would likely require a $100 million transfer from restricted reserves in FY27, with another $100 million set aside in the governor’s budget as a backstop. Members discussed the need to define a minimum reserve level and to better account for ongoing Medicaid costs in the budget. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3005 addresses audits that circumvent the Texas Prompt Pay Act and slow down payments to contractors
• Audits on construction projects of a public work are subject to the Texas Prompt Pay Act, and audits
• County clerks can gain instant, auditable access.
• This means titles will be secure, verifiable, and auditable.
• I've given you a packet of materials, and I've overwhelmed your offices with materials that show that

Bills: HB111

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government requires a very different audit than the state.
• What's happening in the audit? Mr.
• Because of the shutdown, our agency has never been late with the audit before.
• I'm happy to get you the material. If you need it.
• I'd be audited probably every week.

Transcript Highlights:

• But wouldn't you expect there to be some reference to this event in the security audit the next year?
• They serve as a resource for those. retailers and place point of sale material and deliver other materials
• Lottery couriers run licensed, audited, and secure operations. Instead of a ban, instead of...
• That program is audited annually every single year by an independent.
• We also have the same AML or anti-money laundering policies, procedures and certifications and audit

Bills: SB 28, SB 687, SJR 34, SCR 9, SB 523, SB 62, SB 847, SB 706, SB 869, SB 890, SB 992

Keywords: lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, SB 687, land surveyor, land surveying, surveying services, construction contract, anti-indemnity, indemnity, hold harmless, defense obligation, standard of care, professional negligence, civil practice and remedies code, local government code, governmental agency, public contracts

Summary: The meeting was a crucial session for discussing several important bills including SB992, which aims to establish a clear time frame for the Attorney General's approval on outside legal counsel for state agencies. Senator Nichols presented the bill, emphasizing its necessity for timely responses to ensure efficient legal processing. Another notable discussion centered around SB523, which seeks to allow parole and probation officers to use a business address on their driver's licenses for safety and security purposes. This bill passed favorably out of the committee, with public testimony supporting the need for such provisions due to the risks these officers face.

Transcript Highlights:

• So are we contemplating the state actually publishing instructional materials? Senator Simon.
• But at the minute, I don't see in the materials...
• So they will still receive their allocation that they currently receive for materials.
• A budget that cannot be understood cannot be audited by the public.
• A budget that cannot be understood cannot be audited by the public.

Summary: The committee first heard SJR 1104, a proposed constitutional amendment on voluntary religious expression in public schools. Senator Massullo said the measure would protect students and school personnel from discrimination for lawful religious expression, while not requiring prayer or religious activity. Questions focused on whether the proposal would change existing law, whether it could be used to protect coercive conduct by school officials, and whether the staff summary accurately reflected the bill. Public testimony included support from religious-freedom advocates and opposition from American Atheists and some senators who said the measure could make minority-faith students uncomfortable. The committee voted to report SJR 1104 favorably. The committee then took up SB 1738 on educational facilities, which directs state education offices to review facility requirements and recommend design and construction practices to improve safety and accountability. Senator Yarborough offered and the committee adopted an amendment removing crime-prevention-through-environmental-design language and adjusting the bill to preserve safe spaces during emergencies. The bill was reported favorably after brief discussion about balancing transparency, access control, and emergency safety. The committee also adopted a delete-all amendment to SB 824 on charter schools, replacing it with a transparency measure requiring districts to submit annual reports on unimproved land holdings to the Department of Education, which would publish a statewide report; the amended bill was then reported favorably. The committee next approved confirmation recommendations for appointees on tabs 7 and 8, then took up SPB 7036, a committee bill sponsored by Chair Simon. The package included school turnaround and early literacy changes, updates to school safety and health policies, early learning revisions, instructional changes, and educator pipeline provisions. The most contentious part was a proposal to let the state develop instructional materials; several senators questioned costs, guardrails, and whether the state should enter the textbook business. Simon said that portion was still being considered and that the bill would need safeguards if it moved forward. The committee adopted a motion to submit the bill as a committee bill and reported it favorably. Finally, the committee heard SB 1620 on public education, described by Senator Leak as a “school board members’ bill of rights.” The bill would give individual board members direct access to district documents and staff, limit district attorneys’ ability to represent both the board and administration, strengthen nepotism rules, and prohibit nondisclosure agreements for employees. Testimony from Volusia County board members, educators, and advocates was sharply divided: supporters argued the bill would improve transparency and protect minority board members, while opponents warned it could undermine superintendent authority, expose confidential student or personnel information, and create confusion in district operations. After debate, the committee voted to report SB 1620 favorably. The committee then heard SB 1170 on cameras in self-contained special education classrooms, with an amendment changing the proposal from a statewide mandate to a district policy allowing parents of students with disabilities to request cameras. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, centered on protecting non-speaking and vulnerable students and documenting abuse; one witness opposed the bill as an unfunded mandate. The committee was still in debate on the bill when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Topics in a meeting between the chief audit executive and their board might include audit resources,
• of internal auditing.
• audits.
• It has a definition of audit, which does have a financial audit, but not necessarily a forensic audit
• So basically, you're not doing audits on them, you're doing audits.

Bills: HB512, HB2248, HB2679, HB2832, HB3112, HB3368, HB3490, HB3512, HB3623, HB3666, HB3700, HB3711, HB3770, HB3963

Keywords: grievance procedures, state agency, employee rights, workplace regulations, employment law, employees, employment actions, appeal, state employees, workplace rights, disciplinary actions, employment conditions, employment disputes, job protections, public information, transparency, government accountability, information access, notification requirements, federal funding

Transcript Highlights:

• We did have a report to you earlier on in January of 2025 on that audit.
• We did have a report to you earlier on in January of 2025 on that audit.
• We did have a report to you earlier on in January of 2025 on that audit.
• We did have a report to you earlier on in January of 2025 on that audit.
• We did have a report to you earlier on in January of 2025 on that audit.

Bills: HF3635, HF3638

Keywords: teacher mobility, interstate compact, licensure, military spouses, education, teacher regulation, teacher qualifications, state sovereignty, educator licensing, paraprofessional credentials, mental health, professional development, data sharing, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I know what you do, the fantastic work you do, how you scrub the material so it can be used by others
• , but that's not exactly the word audit, but that's not exactly it<00:38:14.240> wasn't<00:38:
• 14.560> really<00:38:14.720> truly<00:38:14.960> an<00:38:15.119> audit.
• and kits across delivery of materials and kits across the<00:46:03.680> state.
• that they need to succeed, uh, materials that they need to succeed, uh, regardless<01:16:20.719>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on State Government met for its first meeting and heard a presentation from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KY Stats) by Executive Director Matt Barry and Legislative Director Calli Arnold. The presentation reviewed KY Stats’ statutory background, its evolution from KESUS, its board membership, and its role in housing Kentucky’s longitudinal data system and labor market information office. Barry explained that KY Stats links data from multiple state sources, validates and cleans it, deidentifies it, and uses it to produce reports, evaluations, and responses to data requests for policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Barry described the scale of the system, noting more than 6,000 active data elements, 178 unique file types, and data from 48 sources across 26 agencies. He highlighted the agency’s privacy and security practices, including separate servers for source data and deidentified reporting data, and said KY Stats does not use real-time data. He also outlined the types of reports produced, including the annual high school feedback report and a recent life outcomes report tracking the 2017 public high school cohort’s postsecondary education, completion, wages, and employment outcomes. Members asked about the timeliness and availability of data, especially SNAP and Medicaid information, and Barry said most data arrive annually or quarterly and that Medicaid data had been used in a limited one-time project rather than as an ongoing feed. Questions also focused on artificial intelligence; Barry said KY Stats has not integrated AI but is exploring it cautiously because of privacy and security concerns. Several members encouraged further work with AI tools, while Barry emphasized that any use would need to protect confidentiality. The committee also discussed staffing and funding, with Barry saying KY Stats has about 49 total staff and annual funding of roughly $3.1 million in state general funds, plus federal labor-related funding. Committee members praised the agency’s work and suggested legislators may not fully understand its capabilities. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• political advertising campaign material political advertising campaign material or<00:01:28.360>
• know if it was an internal audit or their own audit or in an audit—highlighted irregularities in the
• 27.920> an<00:48:28.599> audit internal there own audit or in an audit internal there own
• audit or in an audit um<00:48:29.920> highlighted<00:48:30.440> irregularities<00:48:31.240
• internal auditor Andor the annual audit internal auditor Andor the annual audit will<00:53:50.359

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I want to mention that we have, uh, requested last year, we requested an audit of the MyKids system
• in youth court, and that audit, as y'all know, came back. administrative office of courts.
• /c><00:02:41.599> requested<00:02:42.160> a<00:02:43.599> uh<00:02:44.480> audit
• we requested a uh audit of the my<00:02:47.040> kids<00:02:47.360> system<00:02:47.599
• And I think facing material or print.

Keywords: Judiciary, Division A - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee met to discuss several bills, beginning with a block motion on Senate Bills 2138, 2697, 2707, 2717, and 2726. Those measures were described as code-section updates involving redrawn Supreme Court districts, youth court reforms, Administrative Office of Courts matters, replacement of the MyKids youth court computer system, and Mississippi opioid settlement commission procedures. The committee agreed to take them up together, and the motion to report them title sufficient and due pass carried without opposition. The committee then considered Senate Bill 2890, dealing with the judicial operations fund. Members were told the fund no longer has sufficient revenue to cover court operations and requested judicial raises, and the proposed committee substitute would repeal the fund while conforming related code references. The substitute was adopted and the bill was reported title sufficient and due pass. Senate Bill 2730, granting immunity to nonprofits and churches that open during declared emergencies, was amended with a reverse repealer and then passed as amended. Next, Senate Bill 2135 was explained as a change to jury summons procedures so clerks could use the SEMS active/inactive voter designation and summon only active voters, without removing anyone from the voter rolls. The bill drew no opposition and passed, though a reverse repealer was later requested on similar procedural grounds in other bills. Senate Bill 2360 would create a public registry of entities that, though appearing private, are covered by the Mississippi Tort Claims Act; members discussed whether such entities should also be required to identify themselves on websites and written materials, and an amendment to that effect was adopted. A reverse repealer was then added, and the bill passed as amended. Finally, Senate Bill 2362 was presented as a proposal to create a private cause of action under the Unfair Trade Practices Act, allowing claimants to sue directly while still notifying the Attorney General. The sponsor said the bill would not add extra damages and noted similar laws in other states. The committee discussion was cut off in the transcript before a final vote on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• I thought that you know getting these materials meeting materials items and so forth on a Friday at five
• posting rule to cover only business days. and strengthening the mandate requiring readily available materials
• Supplemental material.
• The best I can tell is from the larger counties, not wanting to move up, putting out more, materials
• SAO Classification Compliance Audit, Department of Information Resources, was required to... reclassify

Bills: HB150, HB869, HB876, HB 1043, HB1494, HB1522, HB150

Keywords: cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, information technology, classification officer, job descriptions, state positions, competency-based, information sharing, government efficiency, public sector, private sector, distributed ledger, title registry, real estate, property liens, pilot program, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• microplastics, which are gaining an increasing amount of attention, and other potentially harmful materials
• microplastics, which are gaining an increasing amount of attention, and other potentially harmful materials
• H.B. 633 required a programmatic and financial audit of the managing entities.
• The audit concluded with no findings of fraud, waste, or abuse, and included two recommendations to further
• doing as a result is taking both the information that was produced by that operational and financial audit

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard presentations on the governor’s proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget for the health and human services agencies. Kendall Kelly outlined the overall HHS budget at $48.5 billion, with AHCA accounting for the largest share, and agency heads then highlighted major proposals for Medicaid behavioral health redesign, APD waiver enrollment and facility needs, DCF child welfare, opioid, and mental health investments, DOEA funding for Alzheimer’s, home care, and community services, DOH funding for cancer research, public health initiatives, and lab capacity, and VA funding for facility improvements, cybersecurity, and medication management. Several members praised specific proposals, including increased reimbursement for private duty nursing, Alzheimer’s supports, and the Florida FIRST blood-in-ambulance initiative. Senators also questioned the proposed changes to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), with the Surgeon General explaining that the department expects a reduction in covered patients from about 30,000 to about 20,000 because of funding pressures tied to rebates, federal changes, and premium tax credit issues. Public testimony strongly criticized the ADAP changes, citing lack of transparency and warning that many patients could lose access to medications. Other questions focused on the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, DCF’s substance abuse and mental health data dashboard, Kids Care/CHIP expansion implementation, APD bed and facility planning, and the FX Medicaid technology project. DCF said about $7 million is set aside for the dashboard system, and AHCA said the governor’s budget includes $124.4 million for FX maintenance and continued module development, with $13.5 million to begin claims processing work. The committee did not take a substantive vote on the budget presentations and adjourned after questions and public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• from underground is regulated, uh, and that's naturally occurring in concentrated, uh, radioactive materials
• stakeholders and industry to get something like the nation's only geologic repository for nuclear materials
• So we're asking them to, to materially show us what are they doing?
• You know, with a, with a few exceptions to that, um, but yeah, that, that we have people doing audits
• We're just contacted by somebody who wants to do an audit with us, so, yeah, interesting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think you have my materials there; if you want to wait until the end, that's fine too.
• I wanted to audit. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just teasing.
• I encourage you to be looking at the materials. Thank you, Madam Chair. Representative Duncan?
• Specifically, he suggested audit teams.
• But it is easy to create audit teams to gauge.