Transcript Highlights:

• But each time, they work out an agreement, a home agreement, in which they have... ...to be able to show
• Now, it could... they work out an agreement, a home agreement, in which they have to be able to show
• If they can go out and they sign an agreement and the judges go along, the lawyers go along with it,
• If they can go out and they sign an agreement and the judges go along, the lawyers go along with it,

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted a House Committee substitute combining House Bills 2592, 2834, and 2787 into one measure. The combined substitute was then voted do pass by a unanimous roll call, recorded as 15 ayes and 0 noes after a brief correction to the tally. The committee then heard House Bill 1786, which would raise the Highway Patrol’s spending threshold for purchasing vehicles, watercraft, aircraft, and related specialized equipment without returning to the legislature from $100,000 to $500,000. The sponsor and Highway Patrol witnesses said the current cap is outdated because boats, armored vehicles, bomb trucks, and aircraft equipment now cost far more than $100,000, while members asked about inflation, the revolving fund, and whether a lower increase might be more appropriate. No opposition testimony was offered. Next, House Bill 2885 was heard. It would redirect the first $1 million in annual boat registration fee revenue away from general revenue and into the Missouri Water Patrol Division. The sponsor and Highway Patrol said registration revenue has declined while operating costs have risen, and the division needs the money to support enforcement, search and rescue, dive operations, and boating safety programs. Members asked how much revenue is collected and whether the change would affect other programs; testimony indicated the bill would mainly earmark existing revenue rather than increase overall department funding. The committee also heard House Bill 2694, which would exempt four fee-supported funds from the end-of-biennium sweep to general revenue: the Highway Patrol Academy Fund, the State Forensic Laboratory Account, the Boiler and Pressure Vessels Safety Fund, and the Elevator Safety Fund. The sponsor and Department of Public Safety witnesses said the sweeps make long-term planning difficult and can disrupt training, lab support, and safety inspection operations, though members raised concerns about excess balances, guardrails, and whether fee reductions should be considered if reserves grow too large. Finally, House Bill 1712 was heard; it would make intentionally failing to charge an electronic monitoring device a crime, closing a loophole in existing tampering law. The sponsor, a sheriff, and other witnesses said the bill addresses deliberate attempts to evade monitoring, while members discussed battery warnings, rural access to electricity, and the costs and benefits of pretrial release. No votes were taken on the later bills before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• ended the last committee with Senator Stefanix agreeing to do a carryover, yes, to go ahead of some agreements
• with tribal... ...different counties can do intergovernmental agreements with tribal nations, other
• Have you guys looked at intergovernmental agreements to pay for this between maybe Rio Arriba County
• And then they have all these agreements where people are paying into Sandoval County for the dispatcher
• You signed this agreement, but you just got out of whatever it is you...

Bills: SB20 , SB111 , SB211 , SB218 , SB14

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder

Transcript Highlights:

• the last committee with Senator Stefanics agreeing to do a carryover, yes, to go ahead of some agreements
• Have you guys looked at intergovernmental agreements to pay for this between maybe Rio Arriba County
• And then they have all these agreements where people are paying into Sandoval County for the...
• And then they have all these agreements where people are paying into Sandoval County for the dispatchment
• Okay, well, we're going to—you signed this agreement, but you just got out of whatever it is.

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 20, a prior-authorization and step-therapy measure, on a committee substitute that had already incorporated many stakeholder changes. The sponsor and agency witnesses described revisions to definitions of chronic health condition and serious mental illness, shorter prior-authorization periods, and limits on reporting requirements. Supporters, including a nurse practitioner and disability advocates, said the bill would reduce barriers to needed medications and urged broader protections for chronic and behavioral health conditions. Health insurance and pharmacy benefit management representatives remained opposed, arguing prior authorization is an important patient-safety tool and objecting to the bill’s limits on its use. Senator Hickey offered two amendments: one to conform electronic prior-authorization response times to existing law by changing seven days to three, and one to restore the prior-authorization period from 12 months to three years. The first amendment was accepted; the second passed on a 5-4 vote. The committee then approved the amended substitute 6-3. The committee next heard Senate Bill 111, which would expand the confidentiality of personal information held by the Motor Vehicle Division to include sex, gender identity, national origin, and immigration status. Tax and Revenue officials explained that the bill would not change what documents MVD collects, but would limit disclosure of sensitive information contained in scanned records unless a statutory exception applies. Members asked about what appears on licenses, what is stored in MVD’s system, and whether law enforcement access would change; officials said criminal law enforcement exceptions would remain in place and that the bill mainly affects public disclosure requests. The committee voted 8-1 to give the bill a do-pass recommendation. Senate Bill 218, funding a Los Alamos Emergency Operations Center, was presented as a regional disaster-response and training facility for northern New Mexico. Los Alamos County witnesses said the project would support emergency management training and coordination across the region and requested $5 million. Several senators questioned whether the county had explored bonding, intergovernmental agreements, or regional cost-sharing, and raised concerns about Los Alamos’s debt capacity and whether the project was truly regional. Supporters said the county has a long capital backlog and that the center would serve communities from Santa Fe north. The committee ultimately voted 9-1 to advance the bill. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 14, a major health professional loan-repayment proposal. Senator Hickey described it as an effort to recruit and retain physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals by increasing repayment amounts, prioritizing physicians and doctors of osteopathic medicine for 50% of the fund, and allowing service commitments with some flexibility, including part-time work. Supporters from medical, nursing, and behavioral health groups said the bill would help address workforce shortages and make New Mexico more competitive. Committee members asked about the inclusion of physician assistants, the 90-day start requirement, anti-donation concerns, tax treatment, tribal and IHS providers, and whether the 50% physician set-aside would leave enough for other professions. After discussion, the committee voted 10-0 to send the bill forward with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you have collective bargaining agreements in place and 86% of your salary or your revenue is in that
• , those are agreements that you collectively made, and you're trying to honor those to retain and retrain
• , and you look at your enrollment trends, and you look at your patterns of collective bargaining agreement
• know if they've overextending themselves in being overly generous with their collective bargaining agreements
• that sometimes collaboratively with their education associations through a collective bargaining agreement

Bills: HB2440 , HB2551 , HB2593

Committee: House Education

Keywords: education, ombudsman, record-keeping, transparency, advocacy, school funding, financial solvency, education budget, district financial health, state funding, accounting, budgeting, reporting, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She said that if districts have collective bargaining agreements in place and 86% of revenue is tied
• up in those agreements, they are trying to honor commitments and retain the best staff possible, leaving
• When you look at the four-year outlook, enrollment trends, and patterns of collective bargaining agreements
• know if they've overextending themselves in being overly generous with their collective bargaining agreements
• that sometimes collaboratively with their education associations through a collective bargaining agreement

Summary: The House Education Committee heard public testimony on three bills focused on school district finances and education ombuds confidentiality. House Bill 2593, an OSPI request, would require school districts to maintain minimum general fund balances beginning in the 2031 school year, with OSPI calculating district-specific amounts and adopting rules. It would also require monthly financial reporting starting in 2028-29 and allow OSPI to withhold apportionment for late reporting or require repayment plans if districts fall below the minimum. Supporters, including OSPI and the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to prevent districts from reaching binding financial conditions and to provide earlier intervention; opponents from WASDA, rural districts, and school boards argued it would reduce local control, create cash-flow problems, and impose rigid limits that do not fit different district circumstances. Several witnesses also raised concerns about the proposed maximum fund balance and the impact on districts with enrollment volatility, federal impact aid, or special project savings needs. The committee also heard House Bill 2551, which would let school districts with estimated ending fund balances at or below 3% of revenues seek OSPI approval to sell real property before entering binding financial conditions, with proceeds used to restore solvency rather than being deposited into capital or debt service funds. The prime sponsor and Tacoma School District testified that the bill would give districts flexibility to avoid deeper fiscal distress, while OSPI said it supported the concept but suggested a higher threshold and broader minimum fund balance policy. Testimony in opposition or concern focused on the risk of selling appreciating assets, the possibility of one-time sales being used to solve ongoing budget problems, and the need for stronger state funding rather than asset liquidation. The committee also heard House Bill 2440, which would make identifying information in Office of Education Ombuds complaint records confidential, allow limited disclosure by consent or under legislative or gubernatorial subpoena, and require release of a complainant’s own records with redactions; the bill was supported by the ombuds office and its sponsor as a way to protect complainants and encourage reporting. No votes or executive actions were taken. The committee closed the public hearings after hearing testimony and recorded sign-ins, and the chair noted that the bills could be eligible for executive action beginning the following Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're using a single case agreement process right now. We're doing it primarily with UAMS.
• We’ve defined sedation in the PASS agreement, what they will cover, what fee for service covers, all
• of that has been outlined in the PASS agreement, and we don’t need a rule to implement that.
• We have implemented it through the PASS agreement and by defining sedation dentistry inside of the PASS
• agreement.

Committee: All ALC-ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council reviewed several agency rules and requests. The Insurance Department’s amendment to its holding company system rule was reviewed and approved, as were two State Board of Election Commissioners rules: one clarifying poll watcher conduct, vote challenges, and provisional voting, and another increasing pay for certified election monitors and defining training, observation, and report-writing compensation. The Arkansas Financial Education Commission also had its rule reviewed and approved after removing membership requirements tied to DEI language to comply with Act 938. The committee held over the Department of Education’s request to be excluded from reporting requirements for one month to allow further discussion about who should write or implement the rules. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Human Services’ request to be excluded from reporting requirements for Acts 567, 568, 967, and 1025. DHS said CMS had raised comparability and other federal approval concerns, especially for the dental and diagnostic lab provisions, and that it might not be able to meet the acts’ effective dates. DHS described several possible paths forward, including broader benefit changes, waivers, or splitting the dental provisions so the pediatric rate increase could move separately from the special-needs adult cap increase. The Arkansas State Dental Association disputed DHS’s conclusion that the acts could not be implemented as written, argued that Act 1025 is workable, and urged DHS to continue pursuing implementation and preserve the September 1 effective date where possible. Public testimony also supported expanded dental access for adults with disabilities and special needs. After discussion, the committee voted not to exclude DHS from reporting requirements for those acts. The committee then reviewed the Division of Higher Education’s Act 781 report. The division said it has 32 rules in effect, asked to repeal three rules—two replaced by new rules and one no longer supported by authority or current law—and to continue the remaining 29 rules. The committee approved that request, with the repeals effective upon adjournment of the Legislative Council meeting on January 16, 2026. The meeting concluded with no questions on the remaining written rulemaking updates from prior and current sessions, which were filed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think a lot of the information and a lot of the agreements that we make with somebody who, trafficking
• But I think a lot of the information and a lot of the agreements that we make with somebody who, But
• I think a lot of the information and a lot of the agreements that we make with somebody who legitimately
• wants to help law enforcement combat this issue, those agreements and those plea bargains are made before
• Pinal County has already—is one of the only counties that has partnered with an agreement with ICE, and

Bills: HB2043 , HB2044 , HB2108 , HB2131 , HB2132

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: felony murder, unborn child, homicide, Arizona Revised Statutes, life imprisonment, death penalty, abandonment, concealment, dead body, class 5 felony, criminal offense, unlawful flight, eluding police, fleeing law enforcement, police pursuit, vehicle pursuit, reckless endangerment, felony enhancement, class 4 felony, class 2 felony

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I don't know that the timing will fit for us to have the finalized version or finalized agreement
• Um, I don't know that the timing will fit for us to have the finalized version or finalized agreement
• Um, I don't know that the timing will fit for us to have the finalized version or finalized agreement
• yet</c><00:20:47.440><c> for</c><00:20:48.080><c> the</c><00:20:48.320><c> third</c> or finalized agreement
• yet for the third or finalized agreement yet for the third party<00:20:49.039><c> security</c><00:20

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Was that not part of the agreement? Mr. Teubek, looks like everyone was pointing at you.
• And my question is, is that not part of the agreement that you had with this organization?
• And so we worked with them to come to an agreement about those things, the items that were delivered
• And what is the WellSky service agreement?
• is there a... ...downtime is obviously priority number one, but is there a kind of service level agreement

Summary: The subcommittee heard a lengthy presentation on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ I-Connect system, based on an ILAB assessment of the platform’s performance and requirements. ILAB said the system provides useful centralized records, reporting, compliance support, and audit trails, but users described it as cumbersome, outdated, and inefficient, with excessive manual entry, weak navigation, limited notifications, no mobile app, poor printing/export options, and performance issues. ILAB also said the original 2013-era requirements were too high-level and that only a portion of the requirements could be verified, with some features de-scoped or never implemented. Their recommendations included better integration with electronic health record systems, improved performance monitoring, electronic signatures, OCR, and more modern export and verification tools. Public testimony from providers and advocates echoed those concerns. A support coordination provider said the system is nicknamed “I Disconnect,” described problems with EVV/GPS sign-ins, lengthy support plans, lack of a phone app, and possible HIPAA concerns. Another advocate said the system should have preserved family access to records and criticized the need for providers to use workarounds and additional software. APD staff said the agency has spent about $19.7 million through FY 2023-24, has regular build updates under the current contract with WellSky, and uses an internal help desk and vendor ticketing process to triage bugs versus enhancement requests. They said some issues are handled case-by-case, critical tickets have SLAs, and the agency is working on interoperability and other requested improvements. Members questioned whether the system should be fixed or replaced, whether the original contract and SaaS arrangement were sufficient, and whether the state received value for the money spent. APD said the system went live in phases and that all functionality was in place by June 2024, while ILAB and members noted significant technical debt and unresolved gaps. The committee also discussed record retention, provider access to records after a consumer changes providers, and whether federal funding or compliance could be affected. The meeting ended with broader budget remarks emphasizing completion over expansion, stronger upfront planning for technology projects, and more accountability before funding new systems or major enhancements.

Transcript Highlights:

• employees' due process rights to a fair investigation that is protected in our collective bargaining agreements
• that I believe you yourself voted against, including pre-award risk assessments, more detailed agreements
• that I believe you yourself voted against, including pre-award risk assessments, more detailed agreements
• that I believe you yourself voted against, including pre-award risk assessments, more detailed agreements
• Thank you. assessments, more detailed agreements, assessments, more detailed agreements, mandatory<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Learfield is the company that runs their sponsorship agreements.
• This year we did it as a three-year agreement so that we could lock in that rate for three years and
• So we're doing a three-year agreement, and then where it says total is $260,400, that is the total for

Committee: All ALC-LOTTERY OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The committee met to review Arkansas Scholarship Lottery contracts and receive updates on operations and finances. Sharon Strong, the lottery’s executive director, presented a new three-year advertising and marketing contract with Cranford Company for $19.29 million, replacing an expiring contract and coming in below the prior three-year amount. Members asked about the RFP process, number of bids, and how cost is weighted in the award formula; the contract was reviewed and approved without objection after a motion and vote. The committee also reviewed a three-year Learfield sponsorship contract tied to University of Arkansas promotional events for $86,800 per year, with a corrected three-year total of $260,400; members questioned a system-generated summary figure that incorrectly showed a seven-year total, and staff clarified the contract itself was only for three years with no extensions. That item was also reviewed without objection. Strong then presented the fiscal 2027 budget, highlighting expected savings of about $1 million each from the new gaming system/scratch ticket contracts and the new advertising contract. The lottery projected slight shifts in instant and draw ticket revenue, corresponding prize payout changes, and net proceeds of about $108.2 million transferred to the scholarship account. In the monthly disclosure report for May 2026, she reported flat instant game sales, a 12.6% increase in draw game sales, and year-to-date net proceeds ahead of budget, with strong draw game performance attributed in part to Powerball. Members asked about unclaimed prizes, which remain in reserve during the year and are transferred at fiscal year-end to the scholarship trust account except for a $1 million reserve, and about how scholarship funds are distributed through the Division of Higher Education based on student rosters and class year awards. The committee also discussed the lottery’s financial statements, including revenue, prize payouts, operating expenses, trust account balances, and unclaimed prize balances. Staff explained that the lottery is self-sustaining and funded by lottery revenue, not taxpayer appropriations, and that the trust account balance is used to meet scholarship requests from higher education. The meeting ended with Senator Hill praising the lottery staff’s marketing around a recent large winner in Little Rock, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, as this is my amendment, this is, as in every session, there are late-breaking agreements in order
• So as this is my amendment, this is, as in every session, there are late-breaking agreements in order
• likely be a constrained situation with project increases, declining revenues, and fuel taxes, culvert agreement

Bills: HB2347

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: luxury aircraft tax, tax reduction, economic impact, business aviation, state revenue, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Assistant Attorney General Ben Wester, and I'm here before you today in the matter of the settlement agreement
• The civil penalty contained in this settlement agreement is $1,500, an amount that is well established
• The settlement agreement has been signed by the hearing officer and is now before this board for final

Summary: The Louisiana Gaming Control Board met on January 15, 2026, and first approved the minutes from its December 18, 2025 meeting. Staff then reported strong December gaming revenues across riverboats, Caesars New Orleans, racetrack slots, video gaming, sports wagering, and daily fantasy sports, with several categories showing month-over-month and year-over-year increases. Board members noted the overall growth in the industry and did not raise questions on the revenue report. The board next approved a temporary certificate of compliance extension for Bally’s Shreveport Casino and Hotel. Officials said most life-safety deficiencies from the annual inspection had been corrected, and the remaining issue involved the emergency generator, which had recently been repaired and tested successfully, though a final verification inspection was still pending. The temporary certificate was extended through February 28, 2026. The board also approved a $1,500 settlement with MPL Enterprises for late submission of required annual forms and fees. In the final agenda item, the board heard an appeal from Thomas Rasko challenging the revocation of his non-key gaming employee permit. Rasko acknowledged the underlying violation and asked for a shorter penalty, while the Division argued his conduct during an arrest showed he lacked the suitability required for gaming participation. The board voted to affirm the hearing officer’s decision, revoking his permit and finding him unsuitable to participate in Louisiana’s gaming industry, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• relations to provide additional oversight and compliance on the implementation of collective bargaining agreements
• division to engage agency partners. with the federal government regarding collective bargaining agreements
• negotiating essentially a conference committee during a normal committee session before we even reach an agreement

Bills: HF2783

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: state government finance, biennial budget, appropriations, Minnesota Management and Budget, Healthy Aging Subcabinet, Office of Healthy Aging, older adults, aging policy, long-term care, caregivers, public health, Medicaid fraud, medical assistance fraud, attorney general subpoena power, fraud enforcement, business filing fraud, Secretary of State, deceptive mailings, consumer protection, certified public accountant

Transcript Highlights:

• UMC entered into an FDA agreement, a clinical trial. 10 families were selected.
• UMC entered into an FDA agreement, a clinical trial. 10 families were selected.
• ,</c><00:58:50.080><c> a</c> UMC entered into an FDA agreement, a UMC entered into an FDA agreement,
• In section 8, it is just an agreement with a lead consortium.
• </c><02:26:25.440><c> that</c> think there's a a general agreement that think there's a a general agreement

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 5 March, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> bargain agreement. bargain agreement.
• </c> collective bargaining agreements. Okay. collective bargaining agreements. Okay.
• non-compete agreements for prevents any non-compete agreements for those<01:54:54.239><c> making</c><
• </c> no sealing my employee agreement. no sealing my employee agreement.
• </c> between those two types of agreements? between those two types of agreements?

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that an area of agreement would be the pharmacy benefit managers, as an example.
• I think that an area of agreement would be the pharmacy benefit managers, as an example.
• I think that an area of agreement would be the pharmacy benefit managers, as an example.
• I think that an area of agreement would be the pharmacy benefit managers, as an example.
• I think that an area of agreement would be the pharmacy benefit managers, as an example.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Clarifies what should be in an agreement, including performance expectations and an important dispute
• Clarifies what should be in an agreement, including performance expectations and an important dispute
• agreement is entered into.
• and the process by which the agreement and the process by which that<00:51:02.240><c> agreement</c><
• </c> that agreement is actually entered into. that agreement is actually entered into.

Bills: HF3714 , HF4399 , HF4176 , HF2544 , HF60 , HF4231 , HF4232

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: foster care, child welfare, enrollment priority, education programs, child care assistance, education, school board, elections, local governance, school district, site-governed schools, education reform, local control, autonomy, interchange, bond issuance, transportation, infrastructure funding, Sherburne County, student eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• They are requesting items number 62, 63, and 64 on the September memorandum of agreement routine pink
• routine pink list be of agreement routine pink list be deferred<00:27:53.120><c> again</c><00:27:53.960
• list, the memorandum of agreement amendment list, and the Kentucky Entertainment Incentive Program agreement
• </c> 16 on the Memorandum of Agreement 16 on the Memorandum of Agreement Amendment<00:55:33.760><c> yellow
• </c><01:14:16.320><c> Amendment</c> the Memorandum of Agreement Amendment the Memorandum of Agreement

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the September 19 meeting minutes and then took up a deferred University of Kentucky personal services contract amendment for guardianship services. UK officials explained that the contract covers court-appointed guardians for patients who cannot make medical decisions and are not eligible for state guardianship, with the work funded by UK Medical Center agency dollars rather than the general fund. Members questioned the large increase in the not-to-exceed amount, the number of cases, the hourly billing structure, and whether there are safeguards to prevent unnecessary costs or reimbursement issues if a patient later has resources. UK said the increase reflects shifting work from a prior firm, anticipated new cases, a move from a monthly fee to hourly billing, and the need for a second firm because one prior attorney died and another firm has had difficulty appearing in court promptly. The committee ultimately approved the contract, while Senator Thomas said he would vote aye but urged future review of attorney fee limits and broader guardianship statutes, which he described as outdated and inconsistent. The committee then deferred three Office of Energy Policy memorandum of agreement items to the November 2025 meeting without objection. After that, it approved the remaining agenda items, including the contract lists and deferred items not separately selected for review. The final major item was a University of Kentucky personal services contract related to fundraising and philanthropic outreach. UK representatives said the contract supports marketing and donor engagement efforts to grow the university’s endowment pipeline and philanthropic support. The transcript cuts off before the committee finished its questions or took final action on that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mono and Matt Road, and that the Colorado Department of Transportation may explore a cooperative agreement
• </c><01:09:56.560><c> with</c> may explore a cooperative agreement with may explore a cooperative agreement
• </c> a lawyer enter enter into an agreement a lawyer enter enter into an agreement with<01:52:20.639>
• And but I do agree that we need to have a point of uh agreement in that, have a point of uh agreement
• </c> I'm in agreement. Our purpose here is to secure these rights of the citizens of Colorado.

Keywords: 981, all