Video & Transcript Research : 'benchmark tests'
Page 40 of 415
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- It reduces overuse of benchmark exams and practice tests, returning valuable time to teachers for classroom
- In short, the end-of-year test will be an actual end of the school year test.
- test at the end of the year.
- test.
- A norm-referenced test is not exactly the same type of diagnostic instrument as the STAAR test.
Keywords:
district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations
Summary:
The committee first took up House Bill 2853, which would allow the UT System Board of Regents to adjust the University of Texas at El Paso student union fee above the current statutory cap, subject to student approval, to help fund a new student union building. Senator Blanco explained the bill and the committee substitute, there were no questions or witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair.
The committee then heard House Bill 610, which would limit severance payments for terminated independent school district superintendents to six months’ salary and benefits. Senator Paxton described large severance payouts and said the bill had passed the House overwhelmingly. There were no witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the bill was left pending.
A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 4623, which would waive school district immunity in certain cases involving negligent hiring, supervision, or employment of professional school employees who commit abuse or related misconduct against students. Senator Paxton and several witnesses, including survivors and parents, argued the bill was needed to address cover-ups, delayed reporting, and repeated failures to remove dangerous employees; some members raised concerns about liability caps, litigation, and how the bill would interact with the Tort Claims Act. The committee also heard from TEA staff and employee-group witnesses who discussed possible injunctions and stronger no-hire protections. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending.
Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4, an accountability and assessment bill that would restore A-F ratings, change the state testing system, and replace STAAR with shorter, more instructionally useful assessments. Senator Bettencourt explained the committee substitute, including annual ratings, limits on taxpayer-funded lawsuits, and a phased-in testing redesign with beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments. Testimony was generally supportive from education and business groups, though some witnesses favored norm-referenced testing while others emphasized criterion-referenced, TEKS-aligned assessments; one witness noted social studies assessments were restored in the bill. The hearing concluded with additional invited testimony and no final vote reported in the transcript.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- But also, this might be an opportunity to test out this new model.
- 01:09:34.560>
to also, this might be an opportunity to also, this might be an opportunity to test - test out this new model. test out this new model.
- demand for cosmetology-related occupations in the region, and wages meet or exceed livable wage benchmarks
- wage benchmarks. wage benchmarks.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Artificial Intelligence Task Force 2025 (9-11-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- any person can go on there and talk about invasive species and fertilizers and strategies and soil testing
- fertilizers and uh strategies<01:27:33.520>
and <01:27:33.840>soil <01:27:34.239>testing - <01:27:34.560>
and <01:27:34.880>those strategies and soil testing and those strategies - and soil testing and those kinds<01:27:35.280>
of <01:27:35.440>things. - Um I think you're you're benchmark.
Summary:
The Intelligence Task Force met with a quorum present and approved the minutes from the August 14 meeting. The first presentation was from the National Retail Federation on artificial intelligence in the retail sector. NRF described AI use cases in three areas: consumer-facing tools such as chatbots, product descriptions, and marketing; employee-facing tools such as company-specific apps trained on employee manuals; and internal uses such as supply chain forecasting, inventory planning, fraud detection, cybersecurity, and coding support. The presenters said retail has been among the top deployers of AI and emphasized that the goal is to improve both customer and employee experience.
NRF also outlined its principles for responsible AI use, organized around governance and risk management, customer engagement and trust, workforce applications, and business partner accountability. The group said retailers should maintain strong internal oversight, be transparent with customers, ensure compliance with existing laws, closely review workforce-related uses because they can be high-risk, and clearly define responsibilities between retailers and third-party developers. In policy discussion, NRF urged a tiered approach focused first on high-risk uses such as hiring, health care, financial, mortgage, and rental decisions, warned against fragmented rules that could favor only the largest firms, and encouraged voluntary standards and worker upskilling incentives. In response to a question about dynamic pricing, NRF said its members do not target consumers based on pricing and offered to follow up with more information.
The committee then moved to a follow-up discussion on energy policy and data centers, hearing from Bartley Cleland of NetChoice. He explained that AI runs largely in data centers and that cloud computing shifts processing and storage away from individual devices, which he argued improves efficiency and can reduce costs. He said electricity demand has been rising over time and that AI will increase compute-related electricity use, but framed electricity as a normal input to economic growth. No votes or formal actions were taken after these presentations.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on State Government (7-29-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:48:39.920>
um <00:48:40.079>in exceeding um Anthem's benchmarks um in exceeding - um Anthem's benchmarks um in in<00:48:40.559>
all <00:48:40.720>of <00:48:40.800>these - We're seeing year-over-year improvement in these numbers, and we're now beating Anthem benchmarks in
- You know, our cost trend is actually a little bit better than their benchmark for the cohort that needs
- <00:57:32.000>
Um <00:57:32.480>and And so we look to industry benchmarks and our own
Keywords:
Voter List Maintenance - State Board of Elections -- 05:38
State Employee Health Insurance Plan – 44:18
Discussion of HB 622 (2025 RS) – 01:01:43, 958, all
Summary:
The Interim Committee on State Government met on July 29, established a quorum, approved the June 24 minutes unanimously, and heard an update from the State Board of Elections on voter list maintenance. Taylor Brown, the board’s general counsel, explained the federal NVRA requirements and Kentucky’s statutory process for maintaining voter rolls, including use of USPS change-of-address data, ERIC reports, and agreements with non-ERIC states. He said Kentucky has entered or discussed agreements with several states, and that the board sends postcards to voters believed to have moved; if a voter does not respond to an 8D2 postcard and does not vote over two federal election cycles, the registration may be removed. He also described other removal categories such as death, felony conviction, incompetency, duplicate registrations, and self-requested cancellations.
Brown reported that between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, the board removed 284,381 registrations from the rolls, including 42,675 for death, 5,940 for felony conviction, 5,527 for registration in another state, 578 for incompetency, 223 based on jury questionnaires indicating non-citizenship, 746 self-removals, and 3,381 duplicates, along with 225,311 removals through the address-maintenance program. He said Kentucky’s total registrations decreased by roughly 169,000 over the year and are now below the Census Bureau’s estimate of the state’s voting-age population. Brown emphasized that receiving a postcard does not mean a voter has been purged and that failure to vote alone does not trigger removal.
Members asked about the 223 non-citizen-related removals, the availability and effectiveness of alternatives to ERIC, the partisan criticism of ERIC, and how duplicate registrations are identified. Brown said the non-citizen jury questionnaire cases had been referred to the Attorney General for further review, that Kentucky currently has no organized alternative to ERIC but is pursuing reciprocal agreements with states such as Florida, and that ERIC recently changed bylaws to remove a postcard requirement that had been costly for member states. On duplicates, he said the board uses multiple data points, not just name and address, and noted that fuller Social Security data could improve accuracy. Committee leaders praised the board’s work and said they wanted to meet before session to discuss possible statutory changes to improve voter list maintenance.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The compliance is a two-part test. So our investigation focuses on two questions.
- The compliance is a two-part test. So our investigation focuses on two questions.
- Who's out there that is actually failing this test?
- We use a hypothesis-testing framework for our analysis.
- It takes you through all of the different benchmarks on a CCN for a new transmission line.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- We know this, though, just like with these vehicles, they have been tested through millions and millions
- They have been tested through millions and millions and millions of miles in every scenario.
- Just for, you know, as a benchmark, the average human drives something like several hundred thousand
- And there's been a couple of tests of a successful run, I believe.
- I know that there has been one test case, one single case, with the Court of Appeals here in Missouri
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee 2/11/25
Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Department of Revenue looked into all of that and did benchmarking, but made no recommendations on distribution
- and<00:47:35.599>
did of that and what other and did of that and what other and did benchmarking - but<00:47:37.000>
made <00:47:37.240>no <00:47:37.480>recommendations benchmarking - but made no recommendations benchmarking but made no recommendations on<00:47:38.800>
distribution - This exemption would allow manufacturers time to develop and test PFAS-free safe alternatives because
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Science, Technology and Energy (02/10/2026)
Science, Technology and Energy
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- should be more upfront with LEAs and schools about what will be tested so they can focus on it.
- He said that should be something considered, but that all they have is the ACT test.
- Representative Hamilton said she is not saying to get rid of the test.
- She added that the ACT does not test what they teach in Arizona.
- As you've come before, there was a parity-related benchmark bill last session.
Keywords:
corrections oversight, appropriation, independent office, public safety, funding, firefighters, insurance rates, workers' compensation, firefighter cancer reimbursement, rate deviations, cost analysis, premiums, border security, drug trafficking, human smuggling, law enforcement funding, Arizona, immigration, education reform, K-12
Summary:
The committee heard several appropriations and policy bills, with testimony often focused on public safety, education, and procurement. HB 263 would appropriate $1.5 million in FY2027 to the Independent Correctional Oversight Office; the sponsor and supportive testimony argued the office is needed to address serious problems in the corrections system, and the bill received a due pass recommendation, 17-1. HB 2993, as amended, would allow DPS to spend on legal services independent of the Attorney General and redirect $5 million from the Consumer Protection/Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund to the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission Fund; the Speaker framed it as supporting law enforcement and public safety, and it passed 17-0.
HB 2271 dealt with firefighter cancer coverage and insurance rates. The bill would allow an insurer covering firefighters and fire investigators to file a uniform rate deviation only if it is not reimbursed by the municipal firefighter cancer reimbursement fund. Testimony described the measure as a temporary shell pending a broader consensus agreement to bring fire districts into the reimbursement system; members stressed that firefighters should not see changes in claim handling, but several said the bill still needed work. It received a due pass recommendation on a 16-1-1 vote. HB 2416 would appropriate $20 million to DPS for local border support, including law enforcement positions, prosecution and detention costs, and equipment; sheriffs and the Arizona Sheriffs Association supported it as a continuation of existing funding for drug interdiction and border-related crime, and it passed 11-6-1.
The committee also advanced HB 2692, which revises public construction procurement rules and authorizes progressive design-build and one-step competition for certain federally funded projects. Construction and procurement stakeholders said the bill was the product of a long consensus process, while some members worried about taxpayer impacts and the move away from standard procurement; it passed 10-7-1. HB 2478, as amended, creates the Arizona Commission on Student Outcomes to study K-12 accountability, standards, graduation requirements, early childhood education, and a trade pathways diploma, funded by Classroom Site Fund dollars; members debated whether the work should instead be done by ADE or the State Board, and the bill passed 11-7. The committee also heard HB 4044, which would create a Public Safety Parity Fund to support DPS and corrections salaries using investment earnings from the Budget Stabilization Fund and proceeds from forfeited digital assets; the sponsor and a troopers association witness argued it would provide a stable long-term funding source to address chronic vacancies and pay gaps.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 3/11/26
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:57:31.599>
has <00:57:31.839>stood <00:57:32.079>the <00:57:32.319>test - transit system that has stood the test transit system that has stood the test of<00:57:32.799>
- time.<00:59:17.119>
Uh <00:59:17.920>we <00:59:18.160>also <00:59:18.400>benchmark - Uh we also benchmark ourselves time.
- Because our agencies are smaller and more flexible, we've been able to test, pilot, and refine new ideas
- time.<00:59:17.119>
Keywords:
Safe at Home, address confidentiality, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, victim privacy, survivor protection, confidential address, protected address, secret address, identity protection, residential confidentiality, program participant, nondiscrimination, court disclosure, protective order, service of process, driver's license, state ID
VT
Transcript Highlights:
- maximum payment amount for specific medical procedures and services, usually based on a transparent benchmark
- > and services, usually based on a and services, usually based on a transparent<00:03:49.920>
benchmark - benchmark like Medicare reimbursement<00:03:52.560>
rates. - <01:27:07.600>
and <01:27:07.760>to Medicare rates as the benchmark and to Medicare - rates as the benchmark and to bring<01:27:08.239>
commercial <01:27:08.719>hospital <01
Summary:
The House took up S. 190, a health care cost-containment bill relating to the Green Mountain Care Board, reference-based pricing, and a study of a public employee health benefit authority. The House first suspended rules to take the bill from the notice calendar, then heard committee reports from Health Care, Ways and Means, and Appropriations. The Health Care committee chair described the bill as a strike-all amendment intended to carry out Act 68’s hospital reference-based pricing timeline, saying it would let the Green Mountain Care Board begin implementation for fiscal year 2027, expand reference-based pricing to qualified health plans and the Vermont Education Health Insurance program, and address hospital pricing transparency, outsourcing, and critical access hospital Medicare outpatient cost-sharing issues.
Supporters argued the bill would lower insurance costs, help reduce property taxes, and improve hospital sustainability by reducing the need for hospitals to limit access as they approach revenue caps. The Ways and Means committee said the bill could reduce education spending by lowering health care costs for school employees and reported the bill favorably on a 7-4 vote. The Appropriations committee said it reviewed the bill and an amendment, and noted that much of the detailed language would be changed by the appropriations amendment; it also discussed a possible state innovation waiver under the Affordable Care Act. The Health Care committee reported its strike-all amendment favorably on a 10-0 vote.
The bill’s provisions were described in detail, including requiring hospitals and insurers to express rates as a percentage of Medicare, setting a path toward national median hospital prices by 2030, limiting certain reimbursements for QHP and VHI plans, requiring a report on hospital outsourcing and provider tax impacts, and creating a public health system performance tool if funding is available. The speaker also noted that the bill would not affect critical access hospitals or Vermont’s Medicare-dependent hospital in the reimbursement cap provisions, and that critical access hospitals were already working with the Green Mountain Care Board on solutions to Medicare outpatient cost-sharing concerns.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement - 03/10/26
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Again, we think exceptional performance exceeding all of our long-term benchmarks as well as our composite
- benchmark. um for the one-year time period ending um for the one-year time period ending December<00
- c><00:15:01.600>
long-term exceeding all of our long-term exceeding all of our long-term benchmarks - 03.080>
well <00:15:03.400>as <00:15:03.560>our <00:15:04.120>composite benchmarks - as well as our composite benchmarks as well as our composite benchmark. benchmark. benchmark.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- My biggest concern on the bill is testing.
- So I'm concerned about the testing.
- So I'm concerned about the testing. That is not...
- So this is my biggest concern: how the testing will include diversity, how much testing is already being
- After being in the classroom for 25 years, it was like more testing.
Keywords:
foster children, school transportation, education funding, public education, child welfare, New Mexico Highlands University, soccer field, women's sports, infrastructure improvement, funding allocation, student athletes, appropriation, New Mexico State University, nutrition, travel support, funding, education, university support, financial assistance, parenting students
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/11/2026 - Senate Health and Human Services
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- Madam Chair, Senator Shamp, I'm not saying that all diagnostic tests are necessary.
- and medications, removing the guard rails meant to ensure that diagnostic tests are clinically valid
- Madam Chair, Senator Schamp, I'm not saying that all, that no diagnostic tests, Madam Chair, Senator
- Schamp, I'm not saying that all, that no diagnostic tests are necessary.
- This is proven policy we created by benchmarking other states.
Bills:
SB1086, SB1193, SB1318, SB1345, SB1346, SB1451, SB1496, SB1611, SB1630, SB1631, SB1632, SB1672
Keywords:
reimbursement, healthcare, laboratory services, noncontracting providers, Arizona health care cost containment, personal identifying information, PII, privacy, confidential records, public records exemption, commercial disclosure, data privacy, licensure, certification, health professions, health care licensing, Arizona Department of Health Services, ADHS, emergency medical care technician, EMCT
Summary:
The committee first approved the February 4 minutes and then heard Senate Bill 1086, which would require AHCCCS contractors to reimburse non-contracting providers for certain laboratory services when a member was referred by a contracting provider, and would bar prior authorization for diagnostic services and retaliation tied to such referrals. AHCCCS testified neutral but warned the prior-authorization ban could increase utilization and create fiscal and federal compliance concerns. The committee adopted the Warner amendment limiting non-contracting reimbursement to no more than contracting-provider rates, then passed SB 1086 as amended on a 4-2 vote.
The committee next took up Senate Bill 1611, an emergency measure to require AHCCCS to contract with an administrative services organization for program integrity and case management functions for the American Indian Health Plan, while keeping AHCCCS ultimately responsible. The chair’s amendment expanded the ASO’s duties to include provider support, quality improvement, and data analytics, removed AHCCCS claims payment authority, added more tribal observers, and exempted IHS and tribal facilities. Testimony strongly supported reforming the system after fraud and overcorrection harmed Native members and providers, but AHCCCS raised concerns about the fast timeline, possible duplication of fraud-fighting functions, and the need for 45 days of tribal consultation. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1611 as amended on a 5-2 vote.
Senate Bill 1630 would create a Medicaid-funded home and community-based services program for adults with serious mental illness, capped initially at 250 members under the Angius amendment, with semiannual reporting and a process for future expansion only if costs are reduced or neutral. Supporters said the bill would help the sickest SMI patients avoid repeated hospitalizations, jail, and homelessness, and could save the state general fund by shifting costs to federal Medicaid funding; AHCCCS was neutral and said it was finalizing the fiscal estimate. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1630 unanimously. The committee also passed SB 1193, protecting emergency medical care technician personal information from disclosure; SB 1318, repealing an outdated state dense-breast notification requirement to align with FDA language; and SB 1345, restricting anonymous complaints against health care institutions, though AHCCCS warned that federal law may still require investigation of complaints from any source and that the bill could reduce reporting and invite litigation.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/5/26
Commerce Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, so I was just wondering if you could kind of give me what the cost breakdown is of genetic testing
- , preventative care after a positive test, versus treating stage four cancer, and especially if there's
- ,<00:10:29.519>
um, breakdown is of of genetic testing, um, breakdown is of of genetic testing - ><00:10:31.200>
after <00:10:31.600>a <00:10:31.920>positive <00:10:32.399>test - preventative care after a positive test preventative care after a positive test versus<00:10:33.839
Keywords:
HF3388, Minnesota premium security plan, reinsurance, health insurance, group health carriers, MCHA, MNsure, individual market, premium stabilization, carrier assessment, health insurance assessment, premium security plan account, state innovation waiver, high-risk pool, reinsurance payments, healthcare premiums, insurance carriers, deferral of assessment, financially impaired condition, HF400
Summary:
The committee approved the minutes from the prior day and then heard House File 400, a bill described as a defrayal measure for health insurance mandates. Representative Perryman said the bill would not block future mandates, but would require the state to pay the added costs of any new mandated benefits so those costs would not be shifted to premium payers. She and supporters framed the bill as a way to protect affordability for Minnesota employers, workers, and families, especially in the fully insured market.
Testimony in support came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Council of Health Plans. They argued that Minnesota has a high number of mandated benefits, that each new mandate adds cost to premiums, and that businesses—especially small and midsize employers—are already struggling with rising health insurance costs. The health plans representative said the bill would use the existing Commerce defrayal process to reimburse plans for eligible mandate-related claims, allowing those costs to be removed from premium rates. Several members echoed support, saying the bill would improve transparency by showing the fiscal impact of proposed mandates and help prevent people from being priced out of coverage.
Members also explored how mandates apply in the market and how premiums are set. Deputy Commissioner Julia Dryer explained that, unless otherwise specified, mandates generally apply to the individual, small group, and fully insured large group markets, while self-insured ERISA plans and other markets are generally outside that scope. Representative Elkins noted that the affected market is relatively small and said small businesses are increasingly moving to self-insured plans because of cost. He and others raised concerns about affordability, while Representative Smith argued that mandates often ensure needed care and that the bill shifts costs to taxpayers rather than insurers. Representative Bacham added a personal example from tribal self-insurance, saying preventive physicals had saved lives and asking whether other factors besides mandates are driving insurer costs. No amendments were offered, and the bill was laid over for possible future consideration.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation of The American Legion and multi VSOs: Minority Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A, National Association of County Veterans Servic Feb 26th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Senate Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- NACVSO would like to publicly oppose any future policy or legislation that would seek to means test a
- An economic means test would have penalized him for his decision to seek employment.
- addition to disincentivizing veterans to seek vocational rehabilitation, any policy intending to means test
- Such means testing would break our country's sacred and shatter President Lincoln's commitment to care
- By setting clear, outcome-driven benchmarks, we can ensure that Every dollar is spent where it will have
Keywords:
veteran services, homelessness, unemployment, VA funding, mental health, congressional oversight, testimonies, American Legion, Dole Act, suicide prevention
Summary:
This meeting focused on veteran services, emphasizing the urgent need to address the alarming rate of unemployment and homelessness among veterans. Numerous testimonies were presented detailing the impact of mass furloughs and cutbacks at the VA on personnel, notably veterans who were serving as employees. Various representatives expressed deep concern over how these firings could drastically affect the quality of care available to those who have served the nation. There was a strong call for Congress to bolster funding for existing programs aimed at alleviating veteran homelessness and improving overall care quality, especially in mental health services.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 23rd, 2025
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- This is a line item, both in the LESC and LFC recommendations, to test that out for three years.
- Education Act primarily to do specific activities such as updating the Spanish language proficiency test
- This line item essentially Pays for the testing fees.
- It helps to support students who can't afford the testing that culminates those programs.
- And then we can measure those outcomes against those benchmarks that we set ahead of time.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Did you use that as part of your analysis to kind of benchmark? Sure. What you might expect.
- analysis<00:52:32.800>
to <00:52:32.960>kind <00:52:33.040>of <00:52:33.119>benchmark - analysis to kind of benchmark? Sure. analysis to kind of benchmark? Sure.
Keywords:
retirement, law enforcement, pension, public safety, employee contributions, Law Enforcement Standards Board, LESB, civil service exemption, collective bargaining exemption, law enforcement certification, police standards, law enforcement training, officer certification, training and curriculum coordinator, lead investigative agent, administrative manager, administrator, Hawaii HRS 76-16, Hawaii HRS 139-3, personnel exemption
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Benchmarks for 100% clean energy, and so therefore we removed that requirement, leaving just the 65%.
- We need to be able to test some of these things on a smaller scale to ensure that it works.
Keywords:
water appropriation, data centers, environmental review, energy conservation, permit application, carbon-free energy, geothermal energy, renewable energy, Macalester College, appropriation, sustainability, solar energy, pollinator programs, license plates, agrivoltaics, environmental sustainability
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And so we set about benchmarking those programs and Uh, identifying what would be the best fit for Texas
- There's some people from our area here to test to, I believe, I think at least one, and it distributes
Keywords:
commercial sexual exploitation, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, child welfare, foster care, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, juvenile probation, risk assessment, needs assessment, trauma screening, child abuse prevention, exploitation screening, validated screening tool, evidence-informed tool, conservatorship, juvenile justice, at-risk youth, trafficking prevention, Child Sex Trafficking Prevention Unit