Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:15.079> Market Get insurance in the standard market.
• What that meant was they increased the retention, or the deductible, the amount they would pay in the
• the amount they would pay in deductible the amount they would pay in the<00:31:02.080> event<
• <01:00:12.240> carriers it made a lot of our standard carriers it made a lot of our standard
• got 2,000 hours or whatever the standard got 2,000 hours or whatever the standard billable<01:15

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• $5 million to an additional $2 million, from $5 million to basically $7 million in the taxable deductions
• highlight that several areas in Louisiana already have local ordinances that are stricter than the standards
• Several areas in Louisiana already have local ordinances that are stricter than the standards proposed

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• $5 million to an additional $2 million, from $5 million to basically $7 million in the taxable deductions
• highlight that several areas in Louisiana already have local ordinances that are stricter than the standards
• Several areas in Louisiana already have local ordinances that are stricter than the standards proposed

Summary: The Senate Judiciary B Committee met on May 27 and first approved the minutes from the May 21 meeting. The committee then took up House Bill 75, as amended, which would increase the promotional play tax deduction for gaming facilities from $5 million to $7 million and apply the change to racetracks and other brick-and-mortar casino properties on a phased-in basis. The bill’s author and gaming industry witnesses said the measure would help Louisiana compete with neighboring states, drive visitation, and support horse racing purses and tourism. The committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 75 favorably. The committee next considered House Bill 623, which creates a three-tier system for vapor products and includes related technical changes, including a provision allowing in-person delivery of vapor, alternative nicotine, or smokeless tobacco products by third-party contractors from licensed Louisiana retailers with age verification. Amendments were adopted to correct language and address an effective-date issue tied to another bill. The committee then reported HB 623 with amendments. House Bill 302, which would prohibit the sale of vapor products near schools, was also amended and heard with testimony from the New Orleans Health Department and the American Lung Association. Both witnesses supported youth protections but urged clarifying language to ensure local governments can keep or adopt stricter rules and to avoid conflicts with existing local ordinances; the health department also noted concerns that the bill focuses only on vapor products while youth nicotine use is broader. After discussion, the committee reported HB 302 with amendments. The meeting ended with thanks to staff and members, and the committee adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Offense for earned meritorious deductions.
• website, mobile application, and physical facilities to comply with digital and physical accessibility standards
• exclusive jurisdiction and authority to release an adjudicated delinquent child, providing that the standard

Transcript Highlights:

• would have carved out an exemption for small businesses with 50 employees or less, which is the standard
• While these deductions have been running since January, the cash flow impact of this lump sum payment
• While these deductions have been running since January, the cash flow impact of this lump sum payment
• It took us over 6 months of ongoing coordination with our payroll provider to get the tax deductions
• <00:39:53.040> properly to get the tax deductions properly to get the tax deductions properly

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So when you make a statement that the training is inadequate, are there standards that are applied or
• There are also other best practices and standards in state law that require validation at least every
• The report found that the state standards or review medical error reports.
• Yeah, our understanding is the industry standard is to replace computer server equipment every three
• They capture about 28 million standard cubic feet per day of landfill biogas.

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but initially lacked a quorum, so it could not adopt prior minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and new JLARC staff, and noted national recognition for recent JLARC reports. The meeting then moved into a series of preliminary audit presentations and an agency strategic management update, with committee members asking questions after each item. JLARC presented a preliminary audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Staff concluded that crowding, staffing shortages, weak risk assessments, and inconsistent programming combine to create unsafe conditions. The report found that most youth are housed in two large secure facilities operating near or above capacity, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessment tools are not valid for the population, and program access depends more on facility than individual need. JLARC made one recommendation to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF, including improving retention, training, incident response procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, and data quality. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter said the agency agreed overcrowding is a serious problem, described ongoing efforts to improve staffing and safety, and said a detailed response would be provided later. Committee members raised concerns about education access, retaliation against staff or youth who participated in the audit, and whether JR-25 has helped or worsened conditions. JLARC then presented a preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. The audit found that L&I generally meets inspection timelines for health and safety complaints, but not for wage and hour or retaliation complaints, where delays are driven largely by time before assignment to an investigator. Staff said complaint volume exceeds capacity, though the agency has added staff, created screening processes, and reorganized workloads, and 2026 legislation now allows prioritization of complaints and broader investigations. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. An L&I representative said the agency is hiring additional staff and will provide a formal response later. The committee also received a JLARC overview and Department of Health strategic management plan update on hospital data reporting, inspections, complaints, and adverse event reporting. DOH reported measurable progress on inspection compliance, new staffing and licensing systems, translated complaint forms, and plans for future work on language access, adverse event reporting, and financial data dashboards. After lunch, JLARC began its 2026 tax preference performance reviews. The first review covered the Main Street tax credit, which JLARC said has helped increase the number of Main Street communities and businesses, with positive growth near designated districts; JLARC recommended continuing the preference and improving business-count data. The second review covered the equitable access to credit program, which JLARC said appears to support underserved communities by funding loans through CDFIs; JLARC recommended continuing the preference beyond its 2027 expiration. The committee began questions on the program mechanics and the role of the Community Reinvestment Act, and the presentation was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this isn't a high standard, I don't think.
• /c><00:09:36.640> isn't<00:09:36.880> a<00:09:37.040> high<00:09:37.279> standard
• ,<00:09:37.600> I<00:09:37.839> don't and this isn't a high standard, I don't and this
• isn't a high standard, I don't think.<00:09:38.640> Um<00:09:38.959> I<00:09:39.279>
• have federal tax deducted from their weekly<01:34:37.760> benefit<01:34:38.080> amount.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So methadone is actually the gold standard.
• And if you look at decades and decades of data about what is the gold standard.
• Just curiously, from a policy standpoint, what would it look like to standardize care?
• It's a completely different standard that we hold people to with substance use disorders.
• This is Monopoly money, but yet they did get to deduct it off of their revenues.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So there is a little bit of a fluff in what you hear: the 5% is some standard language in House Bill
• Chair and Representative, what you see before you is pretty standard language you give the Department
• I'm wondering if there are indirect costs that are also, I mean, I'm wondering, are being deducted as
• And I think the bill that we were talking about a minute ago would deduct the DRT from the cost of the
• — Continuing to invest in CTE and having clear standards and accountability is a very high priority.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just echo the comments from CSA and say that reducing physician oversight and lowering safety standards
• granted probation. restaurants, motels, and other institutions have long been required to post a standard
• Madam Chair, members, I am pleased to present AB 435, a bill that will implement the five-step test standard
• with job-based coverage are facing higher out-of-pocket costs with a share of workers with a large deductible

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• very similar to how an insurance company running a homeowner's policy or write it with a percent deductible
• for hurricane coverage and that pursuit percent deductible.
• We would take that 10 million dollars apply the their retention to what their deductible and then we
• I want to go to the retention deductible.
• You mentioned that the deductible has been steadily rising.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, the deduction in their tuition when they can minimize it?
• And then that support model relies on standardization. That's that work.
• And to make it meet the standards of WCAG 3.2A level AA, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of lift.
• The NDUS EDU page redesign, we met the WCAG standards. It has about 230 pages.
• There's standards put forth about meeting minutes and recordings and all this stuff.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• very specific for those communities, what works in those communities, and not necessarily able to standardize
• Tier 2 funding, and then lastly we would agree with the Department of Education representative that deducting
• Tier 2 funding, and then lastly we would agree with the Department of Education representative that deducting
• Tier 2 funding, and then lastly we would agree with the Department of Education representative that deducting

Summary: The committee heard presentations on the Governor’s education budget proposals for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Learning Recovery Block Grant, and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), followed by testimony from State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. On LCFF, Finance outlined the proposed 2.43% COLA, repayment of prior deferrals, and a trailer bill penalty for LEAs that fail to adopt Local Control Accountability Plans on time. The LAO said its COLA estimate was slightly lower and raised concerns that the Governor’s proposed TK staffing ratio increase may be more costly than estimated. Members also discussed whether the current COLA formula should better reflect California-specific or district staffing costs, and whether TK should be more clearly separated from the K-3 grade span adjustment to avoid larger K-3 class sizes. The chair asked staff to work with the LAO on both the TK/K-3 issue and alternative COLA calculations. For the Learning Recovery Block Grant, Finance proposed restoring the first of three delayed payments, $378.6 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund, while the LAO recommended adopting the proposal but extending the expenditure deadline by at least a year. The LAO reported that districts had spent $1.6 billion of the $6.8 billion received through 2023-24 and said most districts were only now shifting from federal COVID relief to block grant spending. Members questioned whether the large state and federal investments were improving outcomes, citing declining reading and math trends, while Finance and the State Board president pointed to some signs of improvement, especially in math, attendance, and gains for some student groups. Darling-Hammond emphasized that student needs have grown, that recovery spending has gone to devices, ventilation, staffing, tutoring, summer school, and community schools, and that targeted interventions appear to be helping some districts recover faster than others. On ELOP, Finance proposed adding $435 million to expand universal access by lowering the Tier 1 threshold from 75% to 55% unduplicated pupils, bringing ongoing funding to $4.4 billion. The LAO said the estimate was reasonable but recommended delaying implementation for a year, aligning ELOP with ASES to reduce overlap, moving toward funding based on participation rather than enrollment, and considering a fixed Tier 2 rate. Members and witnesses discussed staffing challenges, the use of funds for students with disabilities, and uncertainty in Tier 2 funding caused by unspent dollars and opt-outs. Darling-Hammond supported ELOP as part of California’s broader after-school and summer learning strategy, said most districts are now offering full-day TK and expanded learning, and urged the state to reduce fragmentation across categorical programs and build more unified systems for funding, reporting, and support.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, it would be subject to the recovery limit that said if you deducted those property taxes as SALT
• <00:03:08.360> said<00:03:08.520> if<00:03:08.640> you<00:03:08.720> deducted
• recovery limit that said if you deducted recovery limit that said if you deducted those<00:03:09.840
• c><00:03:16.200> SALT<00:03:16.480> that<00:03:16.600> you<00:03:16.680> deducted
• <00:03:17.080> the amount of SALT that you deducted the amount of SALT that you deducted the

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 4906, adopted the H4906A1 amendment, and heard a staff explanation that the bill would create a one-time property tax refund in calendar year 2026 for residential homesteads and the house/garage/1-acre portion of agricultural homesteads. As amended, the bill would appropriate $4 billion in fiscal year 2027, distribute payments based on 2026 property tax due, include a clawback for delinquent taxpayers, and coordinate with existing property tax refund programs so recipients would not receive more than they paid in taxes. House Research also discussed a disagreement with the Department of Revenue over whether the refund would be taxable federally, with House Research suggesting it would likely be treated as a non-taxable recovery of prior taxes. Public testimony was largely opposed. Eric Bernstein of We Make Minnesota argued the proposal was too large, would create a deficit and force future service cuts, and would disproportionately benefit higher-income homeowners. Nan Madden of the Minnesota Budget Project said the bill would create a major budget hole, threaten funding for health care, food support, schools, and other services, and exclude renters and lower-income Minnesotans. Members echoed those concerns, citing impacts on public safety, rural EMS, hospitals, education funding, and equity, while noting that renters and many seniors would receive nothing. Representative Howard questioned whether the bill was a cautious use of state resources, and Representative Norris said it missed the mark for struggling renters. Chair Davids defended the concept as a way to put money back in people’s pockets and said the proposal was scalable and intended to start a discussion. Representative Wiener strongly supported the bill, saying many homeowners and farmers in his district are not wealthy and need relief from property taxes; he said the bill should be even bigger. No vote on final passage was taken in the portion of the meeting provided, and the committee moved on after testimony and member discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• We could change the deductions, we could change the requirements of family farms, how they are eligible
• we could change on the deductions we could change on primary<00:16:12.560> residencies<00:16:
• his $300,000 house, not only does it not count as income, but he gets to write off the interest deduction
• 00:32:16.080> off<00:32:16.360> the<00:32:16.519> interest<00:32:16.880> deduction
• gets to write off the interest deduction gets to write off the interest deduction on<00:32:18.000

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation removes the Department of Corrections' authority to deduct wages from incarcerated individuals
• court costs, fines, and other court-ordered payments; they all remain in place and continue to be deducted
• medical care, education, religious services, and programming, should be shouldered by the state, not deducted

Bills: SB309, SB309

Summary: The House Corrections Committee met and considered Senate Bill 309 with Senate Amendment 1, which would end the Department of Corrections’ practice of deducting room-and-board charges from wages earned by incarcerated people. Supporters said the bill would help people in work release and other correctional programs keep more of their earnings for reentry needs, while still allowing deductions for child support, restitution, court costs, fines, and other court-ordered obligations. The sponsor also argued the current collection process costs the state more to administer than it brings in, citing roughly $40,000 in annual revenue versus about $137,000 in administrative costs. A Department of Correction witness clarified that the bill applies to level four work release only, affecting about 300 people, and would not change level five populations or Delaware Correctional Industries programming. He also said the funds are held in a non-interest-bearing account and then sent to the general fund. Public commenters, including a private citizen, the ACLU of Delaware, and the Tide Shift Justice Project, strongly supported the bill and argued that incarceration costs should be borne by the state rather than deducted from already low wages. After discussion, a motion was made to release the bill from committee and a roll-call vote was taken. The vote appeared to have enough support among members present, but because fewer than five members were present, the committee could not fully release the bill and instead would circulate it for additional signatures. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The standards in the licensure compact reflect the state licensure laws, the high standards requiring
• How does the compact treat those particular standards?
• How does the compact treat those particular standards?
• In summary, this bill balances high professional standards.
• This seems unfair to me, and I feel that it is a double standard.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure focused on health care and human services, reviewed testimony logistics, and then heard a long series of witnesses on several bills. Much of the testimony centered on interstate licensure compacts for dentistry, social work, and occupational therapy, with supporters arguing these compacts would improve workforce mobility, continuity of care, and access while preserving state oversight and public protection. Dental witnesses were split on H.455/S.257, with supporters backing the AADB dental compact for its hands-on exam, background checks, and disciplinary safeguards, while opponents argued a competing compact would better promote portability and avoid conflicts tied to proprietary testing and outside commissions. Social work witnesses strongly supported H.380/S.252, emphasizing continuity of care for clients who move across state lines, reduced costs and delays for practitioners, and the compact’s public-protection features; occupational therapy witnesses similarly supported H.427/S.256, citing access, telehealth, military families, and maintained standards. The committee also heard testimony on S.242, which would expand licensure for lactation care providers. Supporters, including lactation counselors and health center staff, said adding certified lactation counselors and related credentials would expand access, improve breastfeeding support, and allow reimbursement for services now often provided without billing. They described the training required and said the bill would help families, especially in underserved communities. Representative James O’Day also testified in support of the social work compact, and a Council of State Governments witness provided background on compact mechanics and state participation. Another major topic was H.419/S.214 on medical debt. Physicians and researchers testified that cancer patients experience long-lasting medical debt and collections burdens, and they supported limits on the sale and collection of medical debt, bans on reporting it to credit bureaus, and related consumer protections. The hearing also included H.465 on a pathway to special licensure for certain long-term limited-registration dentists serving MassHealth patients, which Representative Senna supported as a way to allow immigrant dentists to practice independently. Finally, the committee heard sharply divided testimony on H.444/S.284, which would allow trained dental hygienists to administer Botox and dermal fillers: supporters framed it as a safe, preventive, and access-expanding tool for TMJ, bruxism, and pain management, while dermatologists opposed it as outside hygienists’ training and a patient-safety risk. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 716 Carrillo hydrogen safety standards do pass out on a b-roll call. on an a-roll call.
• AB 1298, Haney, standardized housing permit application, do pass. out on a roll call 1294 sorry oh did
• AB 984 Nguyen, tallyable tax deduction. Hold in committee.
• AB 279, Patel, school library model standards do pass out on an A roll call.
• AB 368 ward passive house standards do pass. Equipment Inventories do pass out on an A-roll call.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• deduction, which allows small business owners to deduct 20% of qualified business expenses, expires
• deduction, which allows small business owners to deduct 20% of qualified business expenses, expires
• He noted that the federal small business deduction, which allows small business owners to deduct 20%
• assessing Standards assessing Standards Board<03:24:25.279> on<03:24:26.279> I<03:
• because the cook is not up to standards because the cook is not up to standards or<04:08:20.359>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 135, introduced by Representative Michael Harrington. He said the bill would codify a portion of the New Hampshire Constitution to bar New Hampshire businesses from being required to collect sales or use taxes for other states unless Congress mandates it, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision created an onerous compliance burden for businesses. He described the patchwork of state and local sales tax rules, thresholds, and product exemptions as extremely complex and said the bill was intended to push the issue back toward Congress and the courts. Members questioned whether the bill’s reference to a “foreign government” would apply to other U.S. states, whether the proposal would conflict with the Supremacy Clause, and whether it would create standing for businesses to challenge Wayfair. Harrington responded that “foreign government” meant any government other than New Hampshire, that he believed the state could challenge the decision in court by passing a law contrary to Wayfair, and that businesses were already being harmed by compliance costs. Some members raised concerns about whether the bill was an unfunded mandate or simply a private compliance burden, and Harrington argued that the state itself would not be collecting the taxes, but businesses would still face recordkeeping and administrative costs. Sam Garland of the Department of Justice then testified. He said the department was not taking a formal position on the bill, but offered technical comments. Garland acknowledged that Wayfair created significant compliance burdens and noted that states have become somewhat more uniform, with all states now having a $100,000 economic nexus threshold, though not all use the 200-transaction threshold and local tax variation remains substantial. He said the department’s concerns were legal, describing the issue as uncharted constitutional territory involving both vertical and horizontal federalism. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you go into the hospital, you pay a $1,600 deductible every time you go into the hospital and
• <00:08:50.480> $1,600 hospital, you pay a $1600 deduct $1,600 hospital, you pay a $1600 deduct
• $1,600 deductible<00:08:52.560> every<00:08:52.880> time<00:08:53.120> you<00:08
• :53.360> go<00:08:53.519> into<00:08:53.760> the deductible every time you go into
• the deductible every time you go into the hospital<00:08:54.399> and<00:08:54.640> there's

Keywords: 1183, house