Transcript Highlights:

• What type of a plan is going to be in place through the department in case there is a shortfall?
• So, in that business plan, what is the amount of liability insurance going to be required for these providers
• So, in that business plan, what is the amount of liability insurance going to be required for these providers
• And then all of a sudden, the insurance guy says, you're going to do what?
• of the Department of Public Safety to study the various problems on United States Highway 491, from

Summary: The Senate debated and passed Senate Bill 241, a child care assistance measure. Opponents raised concerns about the bill’s education requirements, residency definitions, sustainability if oil and gas revenues decline, fraud and misuse of funds, staffing needs for unannounced inspections, liability insurance, and whether the state would be left covering costs in a shortfall. Supporters argued the bill reflects the reality of working families, would expand access to child care, and includes guardrails and a five-year funding plan. After debate, the Senate passed the Senate Finance Committee substitute for SB 241, as amended, by a vote of 25-15. The chamber then received House messages announcing passage of several House bills and referred them to committees: HB 63 on water project funding to Senate Conservation, HB 64 on appropriations to Senate Finance, HB 165 on industrial revenue bond lease assessments to Senate Tax, Business and Transportation, HB 285 on disabled veteran property tax exemptions to Senate Tax, Business and Transportation, HB 184 on the Conservation Legacy Permanent Fund to Senate Finance, and HB 291 on a range of tax and revenue changes to Senate Tax, Business and Transportation. Senate Memorial 30, requesting a study of safety and maintenance issues on U.S. Highway 491, was introduced and referred to Senate Rules. During announcements, members outlined upcoming committee meetings, including Rules, Tax, Business and Transportation, Education, Finance, Conservation, and others. The Senate also discussed the upcoming 100th Bill Party and related social events. The body then recessed until 11 a.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Quality, Department of Fish and Game, the Department of Lands, the Endowment Fund Investment Board,
• the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Department of Water Resources.
• , Department of Insurance, Department of Labor, Public Utilities Commission, Commission on Hispanic Affairs
• Lastly, on page 14, there is a piece of language for the Department of Insurance that prohibits them
• Department of Environmental Quality.

Summary: The committee received an LSO update on the latest green sheet, including the fiscal effects of House Bill 559, recent cash transfers, and the Idaho Budget Rescissions Act for FY 2026. Staff then walked through FY 2027 maintenance budgets, explaining how statewide decisions, benefit costs, contract inflation, and cost allocation were built into the numbers. Members also discussed clarifications to the health insurance calculation language and the treatment of certain agency plans, including graduate medical education and the Secretary of State’s cash balance approach. The committee considered and approved maintenance budgets for the legislative branch, public safety, natural resources, health and human services, economic development, the judicial branch, constitutional officers, and general government. Several members objected to the across-the-board reductions, arguing they would create long-term costs, harm staffing and services, and shift expenses to other parts of government or to the public. Supporters said the committee needed a target, that the maintenance budgets were structurally balanced, and that further changes could be addressed in the enhancement process. Most budget motions passed on divided votes, and the committee also adopted standard language for each packet. The committee debated several pieces of nonstandard language, including provisions related to budget integrity, reporting requirements for large Health and Welfare acquisitions, a cash transfer for livestock depredation prevention, public defender parking, insurance reimbursement limits, and a proposal to use reserve funds to hold state employee health insurance premiums flat. Some language was adopted by unanimous consent, while the employee premium language prompted extended discussion over which reserve funds could be used and whether the proposal should apply differently to elected officials and other employees. The meeting ended while that issue was still being worked through, with the committee having advanced multiple budget packets and accompanying language to do-pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of this is Department of Transportation and technology.
• A lot of this is Department of Transportation and technology.
• A lot of this is Department of Transportation and technology.
• A lot of this is Department of Transportation and technology.
• A lot of this is Department of Transportation and technology.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Jared Larson, Chief of Staff at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
• This does affect both the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections, and I have Director Dowell here should
• So I don't think there is anything... ...insurance should they qualify for private insurance.
• There is some respect to this that may be a cost savings to counties and the Department of Correction
• or potentially even the Department of Juvenile Corrections from their budgets if they were expenses

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a clear appraisal process when the insurer and the policyholder cannot agree on the value of the vehicle
• So are there any, like, independent appraisers that wouldn't be underneath the umbrella of an insurance
• The bill reflects a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Insurance Department and the Oklahoma Captive
• It's a bill that I've been working on with the insurance department since last summer. Yes.
• It's a bill that I've been working on with the insurance department since last summer. Yes.

Summary: The committee considered several insurance, licensing, and workforce bills, often adopting PCRs/PCSs and, in some cases, striking title while continuing to work on language. HB 3127, as amended, would allow employers to adopt zero-tolerance drug policies while retaining existing safety-sensitive position provisions; it passed 11-3. HB 4488, the “right to appraisal” bill for motor vehicle insurance claims, passed 14-0 after questions about appraiser competency and certification. HB 2955, updating the Oklahoma Captive Insurance Company Act in coordination with the Insurance Department and the Captive Insurance Association, passed 13-1. The committee also advanced HB 3781, a homeowners insurance transparency measure that would move the state from a “use and file” to a “file and use” system and give the insurance commissioner more authority to review rates; members and the chair emphasized the bill was still being refined, but it passed 10-3. HB 3783, a plumbing workforce bill, was amended to allow candidates to take the exam earlier after completing training, with the license held until work requirements are met; after discussion about training hours and workforce benefits, it passed 14-1. HB 3802, a constituent-request bill to prevent a widow’s auto insurance from increasing until renewal, passed 15-0. Chairman Hill then laid over HB 2471, a bill concerning the Workforce Commission, saying recent discussions had resolved concerns and that further work was preferable to a “knee-jerk” reaction. The meeting ended with Leader Lawson praising Chairman Hill’s service and leadership before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• These types of CCRCs are required under the bill to submit an actuarial analysis to the Department of
• Once the OIC's review is complete, it must notify the Department of Social and Health Services of the
• review of these insurance-like contracts.
• The oversight of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner could have brought the actions of Heritage
• cost to dispose of the medications possessed by the Department of Corrections.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several health-related bills. House Bill 2384 would require continuing care retirement communities that offer life care contracts to submit actuarial analyses every other registration cycle for review by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, with the Department of Social and Health Services using the review in registration decisions. The bill sponsor and residents’ advocates said it would improve transparency and protect seniors’ prepaid care promises, while the CCRC industry supported the goal but raised concerns about scope, cost, and implementation details. House Bill 2505 would exempt certain foster family homes and child-specific foster care homes from adult family home licensure when former foster youth remain in the home as adults and certain safety conditions are met; DSHS supported the narrow exemption as a way to avoid displacing vulnerable young adults. House Bill 2402 would phase out DEHP and other orthophthalates in IV solution containers and later IV tubing, with exemptions for certain blood and cell therapy products; supporters cited health and environmental risks and the availability of safer alternatives, while manufacturers and hospitals supported the goal but asked for longer timelines, supply-chain protections, and implementation assistance. In executive session, the committee took action on a series of bills. It adopted an amendment and passed House Bill 1904, which prohibits cat declawing, on a 13-3 vote. It passed a proposed substitute for House Bill 2145 on the 340B drug program on an 11-5 vote after debate over reporting requirements and the state’s authority. It rejected several amendments to House Bill 2182 on abortion medications held by the Department of Corrections, adopted an Indian health care provider priority amendment, and passed the bill on a 10-6 vote. House Bill 2211 on medically tailored meals passed 15-1. The committee also passed Substitute House Bill 2247 on veterinarian-client-patient relationships, Substitute House Bill 2329 on midwives and lactation consultants, and Substitute House Bill 2339 on nurse licensing, each with technical amendments and broad support.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the House floor this week.
• It directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to convene a work group, The Department
• She added that the bill uses existing structures through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Will say I do like the idea of including experts in this development of a curriculum.
• it's included in 2303 as well, about having a member of the insurance industry on the DESE board, I

Committee: House Financial Institutions

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and approved House Bill 2863 by a 14-0 vote. It then took up House Bill 2967, adopted a committee amendment that removed a fixed one-third allocation and allowed funds to be allocated by the body as needed, rolled the amendment into a substitute, and passed the House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2967 by a 15-0 vote. Members discussed how the bill related to another expungement-fund measure already passed by the House, and were told the two bills were intended to mirror each other and would not conflict. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 2303 and the mirrored House Bill 2867, both aimed at expanding Missouri’s personal finance education requirements. Sponsor testimony said the bills would require a half-credit in personal finance for graduation beginning in 2027-28, broaden instruction to include budgeting, credit, investing, fraud prevention, taxes, contracts, and major purchases, and create a DESE work group with industry and educator input to update standards every seven years. Sponsors and supporters said the goal was to better prepare students for real-world financial decisions, reduce debt traps, and improve workforce readiness. Witnesses from the Missouri Bankers Association, mortgage bankers, consumer credit groups, financial advisors, and individual advocates testified in support, emphasizing the need for updated, practical financial literacy instruction and regular curriculum review as financial products change. Committee members asked about the bill’s interaction with existing personal finance requirements, whether it would apply to public, private, homeschool, and GED pathways, and how early course completion waivers would work. Members also suggested adding insurance and gambling/probability topics to the curriculum discussion. No opposition testimony was offered, and House Bill 2119 was postponed to a future hearing before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• those and the cloud of insurance?
• or a part of insurance, then you're gonna, there's more opportunity and so you see growth.
• , uh, and, and also those people who are leaving, many of them have less than 5 years on the department
• The department could then break up the loop of always being 1200 officers short.
• I'm also a 38-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, and I am here testifying for House Bill

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Oi and the Department of Education, one of the things that we expect from the Department of Education
• of</c> and the Department of Education one of and the Department of Education one of the<00:57:30.000
• /c><00:57:33.119><c> oversight</c> Department of Education is the oversight Department of Education is
• see</c><00:57:49.119><c> the</c> Department of Education really see the Department of Education really
• is</c> that the department of Ed's Charter is that the department of Ed's Charter is you<01:04:33.960

Bills: HF957 , HF877

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: education, mandate relief, school funding, local control, state laws, fund transfers, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• insurance guy and as a member of this committee?
• I intend to work with the Department of Insurance to find out the actual cost.
• So when we went to the State Insurance Department of Insurance to get the general cost, the actual cost
• Most of us don't know what's going on with our insurance.
• Most of us don't know what's going on with our insurance.

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee first briefly took up RS 33-691, a proposal related to the SNAP soda and candy restrictions passed the prior year. Sponsor Rep. Jordan Redman said the measure would refine the earlier law so more nutritious foods remain eligible while still excluding traditional soda and candy. The committee moved to introduce the RS and the motion carried. The committee then heard House Bill 818, sponsored by Rep. Brooke Green, which would require insurance coverage for fertility preservation for cancer patients facing treatment-related infertility. Green, Dr. Rihanna Menon, and Dr. Kristen Slater testified that cancer treatment can quickly threaten fertility, that decisions must often be made within days, and that the procedures can cost thousands of dollars up front. They described the bill as medically necessary, time-sensitive, and especially important for younger patients, including those with breast cancer, leukemia, and testicular cancer. Several patients and survivors also testified about their own experiences, emphasizing the emotional strain, the short decision window, and the financial burden when insurance did not cover the treatment. An insurance representative, Norm Varian of PacificSource, explained that the bill would create a new mandated benefit for non-self-funded plans and could trigger state reimbursement under federal benefit-deferral rules, with a fiscal note attached. Some members raised concerns about whether the bill should be limited to cancer patients when other conditions also cause infertility, while others supported the measure as a pro-family, pro-life policy. Rep. Green said she would refine the bill and return it next year, and the committee voted to hold House Bill 818 in committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 3453 by Bond, relating to the liability of nonprofit entities contracted with the Department of Family
• the Department of Family and Protective Services, referred to the Committee on Human Services.
• HB 3496 by Oliverson, relating to the authority of the Texas Department of Insurance to publish and maintain
• HB 3514 by Canales, relating to the operation of a program at the Texas Department of Transportation
• Department of Transportation Highway projects for to the Committee on Transport.

Summary: The House met briefly to read a large number of first-reading bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions and refer them to the appropriate committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including public health, education, criminal justice, taxation, transportation, water and natural resources, elections, housing, veterans issues, local government, and constitutional amendments. Several bills focused on school policy, health care regulation, property tax and sales tax changes, criminal penalties, and local or state agency authority. Among the notable items were proposals on name and sex changes on birth records, college admissions inquiries into criminal history, foster care contractor liability, school nutrition and assessment policy, election procedures, homestead and franchise tax exemptions, public retirement system reporting, and numerous transportation and infrastructure measures. The House also received resolutions designating local honors and observances, including Brownsville as the bicycling capital of the Rio Grande Valley, Port Aransas as the fishing capital of Texas, and Selena Quintanilla Perez Day. Some measures proposed constitutional amendments on legislative procedure, homestead taxation, and election-law enforcement authority. No debate or testimony occurred in this segment; the action was limited to first reading and referral. The session also referred several resolutions to the Local and Consent Calendars. At the end of the proceedings, the House adjourned without objection until 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of those areas was... ...SB 5928, sponsored by Senators Warnick and Short by request of the insurance
• The bill before us specifies a number of requirements for property insurers regarding their use of wildfire
• The two co-chairs were the insurance commissioner and the commissioner of public lands, Department of
• I'm the executive vice president of the Big I, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington
• We are also seeing a growing trend of denials tied to the presence of volunteer fire departments.

Bills: SB5928

Committee: Senate Business, Trade & Economic Development

Keywords: wildfire risk, disclosure, safety, environmental policy, risk assessment, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The insurance companies make millions and billions of dollars.
• I have a good friend of mine that owns an insurance company for... ...billions of dollars.
• I have a good friend of mine that owns an insurance company for workers' comp.
• There are plenty of insurance companies that pay taxes to the state and do things that don't get the
• That's really more of a Department of Insurance question.

Committee: House Labor & Industrial Relations

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 408 by Senator Myers, a workers’ compensation overhaul creating an all-claims medical database, requiring electronic reporting and billing, and setting up confidentiality, rulemaking, and penalties. Senator Myers said the bill was meant to modernize a paper-based system, speed injured workers back to care and work, reduce disputes through a more predictable fee schedule, address outliers and abuse, and generate reliable data for future fee-schedule decisions. Representative Melarine then offered a large amendment package combining portions of House Bills 780 and 1101 into SB 408, adding preliminary-determination procedures, changes to benefit durations, fraud language, and a deadline for the department to establish a fee schedule if no agreement is reached. Supporters said the package would create a more complete reform; opponents argued the additions were rushed, not germane, and would harm injured workers, especially those without lawyers, by adding technical filing burdens and stricter fraud consequences. After debate, the committee adopted the amendment package, then adopted a follow-up amendment removing the word “potential” from a fines provision and deleting the fraud section, and finally reported SB 408 with amendments on a divided vote. Testimony on SB 408 was sharply split. Proponents, including Alton Ashy and Trey Mustian, argued the bill’s transparency and data-collection provisions were the most important part, that the system needs a modern fee schedule, and that the added reforms would help control costs and speed payment. Opponents, including Shannon Lindsay and another injured-worker advocate, said the original bill was a good compromise but the added provisions changed its character and would disadvantage pro se claimants, remove materiality from fraud law, and reduce benefits for seriously injured workers. Committee members also questioned the timeline for the database and fee schedule, the effect of historical data gaps, and whether the reforms would help employers and injured workers alike. The committee ultimately agreed the bill still contained its core goals of faster care, predictable fees, anti-abuse measures, and modernization. The committee then moved to House Bill 585 by Representative Chasson, a workplace-violence/safety measure for small-box discount retailers. Chasson explained that the bill had been narrowed to require retailers to submit an existing written workforce safety plan, or develop one if they do not already have one, with no penalties attached. The committee adopted a substitute bill incorporating prior amendments. Representative Glorioso noted continuing concerns about civil-liability implications and the duty to protect against third-party criminal acts, but the bill was advanced from committee after the substitute was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• I assume the Department of Ag, but I don't know that. Yeah, because they...
• I assume the Department of Ag, but I don't know that, you know.
• They don't have to insure the gold. ...how they would do some of these things.
• ,' and maybe they provide the state with the certificate of insurance... ...they can do that one day,
• And like I said, between your security divisions and your Department of Finance, there probably are ways

Committee: Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The committee took up several House measures. HCR 66, as amended, asked Louisiana Economic Development and the Governor’s Office of Rural Development to study rural parish assets, infrastructure, workforce, and development opportunities, and it was moved forward without objection. HB 387, a clarification to allow the fire marshal’s office to review architectural and engineering plans equally, also passed favorably without objection. HB 1223, which would have LED promote Louisiana’s clinical trial capacity and adjust internal review board processes, was amended and moved favorably. HB 950, aimed at helping older adults recognize and avoid fraud through materials and resources from the Office of Elderly Affairs, was reported favorably. HB 975, a routine measure to recreate the Public Service Commission, was also reported favorably. HB 1186, which would create a more uniform statewide building code and licensing system for inspectors, was amended and moved favorably. HB 1222, described as a Grocery Initiative Act to let LED identify ways to address food deserts and food insecurity, was introduced near the end of the meeting. The most extensive debate centered on HB 617, a consumer transparency bill requiring mandatory fees to be included in upfront pricing. The author said the bill was intended to curb hidden fees and help consumers compare prices, with examples such as hotel resort fees and automatic restaurant service charges. Supporters argued it would improve transparency, while opponents from grocery, restaurant, hotel, housing, retail, and business groups said the bill was too broad, vague about terms like “total price,” unclear on enforcement and penalties, and could create compliance burdens and litigation risk, especially for small businesses. Housing advocates opposed the bill’s housing carve-out, arguing it could weaken renters’ ability to bring unfair-practice claims. Senator Morris moved to defer HB 617, and the committee agreed without objection. The committee also heard lengthy testimony on HB 797, which would create a Bayou Gold certification for certain transactional gold vendors that meet state-defined standards such as segregation, insurance, and nearby storage. The sponsor said the goal was to give consumers confidence and encourage vendors to keep gold closer to Louisiana, while critics argued the program would amount to a state endorsement of private companies, create misleading consumer impressions, and expose the state to confusion or liability. The bill drew opposition from the Sound Money Defense League and others, but the committee ultimately reported HB 797 favorably, with the understanding it still had to go to Finance. HB 1228, a hearing-aid cleanup bill updating definitions, contracts, testing periods, and licensing rules, was also moved favorably without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill aims to address the growing concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the insurance
• It will also provide a comparison of the annual homeowners insurance premiums for each ensure in the
• agent and insurance companies. >> Senators, any other questions of the bill sponsor?
• After that, Mister Tanner Collins as director division of Treasury, the Florida Department of Financial
• Services because served as director of division of Treasure within the Department of Financial Services

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then line 17, the director of the Department of Social Services shall explore and recommend other
• Well, it's hard to speak for one of them because almost every different trooper or police department
• hard for them to get coverage with insurance, which effectively takes them out of those task forces.
• I said, 'All right, I'm going to pay for it out of pocket.' I had insurance.
• That's an example of what a contract term... Because you just said the insurer can't steer them.

Committee: House General Laws

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What changed was health plans and the Department of Commerce's interpretation of the law that has been
• of Commerce's interpretation Department of Commerce's interpretation of<00:01:53.240><c> the</c><00:
• </c> Department of Commerce. Department of Commerce.
• all of you MA will Insurance is telling all of you MA will cover<00:09:40.000><c> it.
• Somehow the Department of Commerce and Department of Health have failed to enforce the law.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on a health insurance/home care nursing provision and on other consumer protection items. Nick Keis and Emily Walters, both parents of medically complex children, testified that commercial health plans had recently begun capping home care nursing as if it were intermittent home health visits, which they said was contrary to Minnesota law and legislative intent dating to 2010. They described severe impacts on their families, including hospitalizations, loss of nursing coverage, strain on waiver budgets, and the risk of children being forced out of the home and into institutions. Representative Bierman echoed that the bill was a straightforward clarification of existing law, not a new mandate or added cost, and a staff member later cited the statutory definition of home care nursing as ongoing, continuous nursing services that cannot be met through intermittent or visit-based care. The committee also discussed the practical difference between home health visits and private duty/home care nursing, with testimony emphasizing that the latter is medically necessary, assessed, and not unlimited in practice. Laura Sales of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office testified on changes to the Consumer Protection Restitution Fund (CIPRA). She said the fund has begun distributing restitution, starting with consumers harmed by the closure of Woodbury Dental Arts, but that current statutory language limits the office’s flexibility to prorate payments. She asked for an amendment allowing the AGO to distribute available funds more equitably so more eligible consumers can receive some payment, rather than requiring full payment to the oldest claims first. Annette Meeks, representing Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, testified in support of banning sweepstakes gambling in the Commerce Committee omnibus report. She argued that online sweepstakes casinos are an illegal gray-market form of gambling, cited rapid growth and billions in revenue, and said other states have acted through enforcement and legislation to stop them. She urged the committee to include language from Senate File 4474 to clarify state law and prohibit sweepstakes gambling. No votes were taken in the portion of the meeting shown; members mainly asked questions and received testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• follows: 15% to the Office of Medical Cannabis for administrative purposes, 15% to the Department of
• The Department of Human Services shall provide confirmation to the superintendent within 48 hours of
• to the Department of Homeland Security, Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, correctional units
• of certain allowance for teacher and leader induction funds that were retained by the Department of
• The grant program is funded every year with the Department of Commerce, when the Department of Commerce

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of House bills on third reading, with several title amendments and a few effective-date motions adopted. Early in the session, members passed HB 4452 removing acreage limits on land owned by church or religious trustees, HB 4577 creating reciprocal driver’s license recognition agreements with Ireland and Japan, HB 4588 authorizing West Virginia participation in a federal tax credit scholarship program, and HB 4592 requiring higher education institutions to create coordinated campus safety maps. HB 4602 was amended to align with a prior Senate child welfare pilot program, and members discussed its projected cost and implementation timeline before passing it. HB 4603 created a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition process in abuse and neglect cases, and HB 4606 narrowed bail rules by requiring consideration of residency and community ties while prohibiting personal recognizance bonds for violent felony offenses after an adopted amendment. The Senate also passed HB 4710 changing the party-registration deadline for candidates from 60 to 180 days before an election, with debate over its impact on independents, and made it effective January 1, 2027. HB 4712, known as Bailey’s Law, increased penalties for DUI causing death and related conduct, with emotional testimony from members about the victim and similar tragedies. HB 4765 established a pay raise for teachers, school personnel, and state police and added a market-pay enhancement system based on county cost-of-living differences; an amendment to the amendment capped county differentials and guaranteed at least a 1% increase in every county. HB 4865 created an optional program for high school and homeschool students to serve as election official trainees, and HB 4869 established narrow guaranteed-issue rights for Medicare supplement policies. Later bills included HB 4995, which strengthened video/audio recording rules in special education classrooms and was passed, then reconsidered and passed again; HB 4996 creating a new crime for making threats of violence against schools or children; HB 5048 guaranteeing virtual instruction for foster children in temporary placement; HB 5065 adding recordkeeping and geolocation requirements for hotel marketplace facilitators to ensure proper hotel tax remittance; and HB 5074 reallocating medical cannabis fund revenues to child protection, homeless services, research, law enforcement, and other purposes. The Senate also passed HB 5101, the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act, which increased penalties for domestic violence offenses and adjusted bail provisions, after amending it to conform with the earlier bail bill. Additional measures passed included HB 5166 requiring notice before political committees are fined for filing violations and allowing limited extensions, HB 5168 directing $12 million in lottery funds to EMS first responders and county EMS support, HB 5182 authorizing certain state treasurer security personnel to carry concealed firearms, HB 5212 streamlining higher-education financial aid rules, HB 5214 allowing court-ordered drug testing of parents before reunification in abuse and neglect cases, HB 5353 regulating virtual currency kiosks with licensing, disclosures, and transaction limits, and HB 5366 exempting J-LAP records from FOIA to protect confidentiality for lawyers and judges seeking assistance. Most bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 5074 and HB 5353 drew some dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is stealing from us and I'll get to examples of how that sort of steals from taxpayers, from insurance
• of uh Labor and And um so Department of uh Labor and Industry<01:14:16.960><c> is</c><01:14:17.400><
• </c> filings from the Department of Revenue. filings from the Department of Revenue.
• ><01:38:06.440><c> out</c><01:38:06.520><c> with</c> Department of Labor has come out with Department
• c><01:38:53.800><c> you</c><01:38:53.920><c> need</c> Department of Labor, "What do you need Department

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee met to discuss worker misclassification, beginning with approval of the March 4, 2026 minutes and a note that a late-posted bill would not be heard at this time. Chair Pinto opened the hearing by framing misclassification as timely and invited Lea Takapu of the Attorney General’s office to explain the issue. Takapu described misclassification as labeling workers as independent contractors when they are really employees, which can deprive workers of minimum wage, overtime, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and other protections while also reducing tax revenue. She said the Attorney General’s office and the MEAP partnership have been working on the issue and cited estimates that Minnesota workers lose billions annually and the state loses hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars in revenue, while noting that legitimate independent contracting is not the target. Members questioned how the committee could rely on estimates when the exact number of misclassified workers is unknown. Takapu responded that the figures were based on studies and complaint data, and that underground or undocumented work makes exact counts difficult. Chair Pinto noted the numbers were estimates and referenced a 2024 Legislative Auditor finding that Minnesota lacked an adequate, coordinated approach to proper worker classification, while saying progress had been made since then. Several industry witnesses then testified in support of stronger enforcement. Kevin Pranis of LiUNA said misclassification remains rampant in parts of construction, especially drywall, stucco, thin stone, and broadband installation, and argued it is tax, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation fraud that harms law-abiding contractors and taxpayers. Matt Wollers of Braxton and Sons said his company loses bids to competitors that misclassify workers, creating a labor-cost advantage of 30% or more, and asked for meaningful enforcement rather than new legislation, including regular unannounced jobsite visits. Jesse Madison of Purple Tally Productions said misclassification is anti-competition and described examples from live events and entertainment, urging front-end checks on workers’ compensation, unemployment coverage, and W-2 versus 1099 status before work begins. The next testifier, Ben Ballou of the Minnesota Nurses Association, began his remarks as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Number of clinic visits are down. Number of emergency department visits are down. Why?
• We don't bill any of the insurance companies.
• Next up is the Louisiana Department of Health.
• also the Department of...
• And that means our all Louisiana—it's not just the Department of Medicaid, the Department of Health—

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 965, house, all