Transcript Highlights:

• and state for instate tuition rates and state financial<01:09:18.640><c> aid</c><01:09:19.279><c> if
• rates and state financial<01:10:13.520><c> aid.
• </c><01:30:36.080><c> and</c><01:30:36.400><c> substantial</c> in our retention rate and substantial
• Additionally, survivability rates of mature trees are far greater than those rates for seedling- and
• , survivability rates of Additionally, survivability rates of mature<01:37:31.600><c> trees</c><01:37

Bills: HF1323 , HF3500

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Without it, rates already incredibly high are very likely to increase for families.
• </c><00:37:06.480><c> and</c> or do they re raise their rates and or do they re raise their rates and
• Because of the stress of the job and the low wages, the turnover rate nationally is between 25 and 40%
• Because of the stress of the job and the low wages, the turnover rate nationally is between 25 and 40%
• </c> raise rates. raise rates.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've got an increase in the rates. That's what I mean. It's a dense report.
• So we've got an increase in the rates. That's what I mean. It's a dense report.
• So we've got an increase in the rates. That's what I mean. It's a dense report.
• that we receive the reimbursement rates that we receive the individuals<01:51:43.679><c> that</c><01
• should better reflect that pay rates should better reflect that reality<01:51:55.360><c> our</c><01:

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• the California policyholders receive a non-renewal notice from their insurers at the fourth highest rate
• Remember, California, even with the latest rate increases, has had inadequate rates for over 20 years
• In a state where rates have to be approved, it can take years to get approved.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to consider several insurance-related bills, with SB 1301 by Senator Allen and SB 876 by Senator Padilla receiving the most discussion. SB 1301 would reform residential property insurance non-renewals by requiring clearer written explanations, giving policyholders a chance to fix identified issues, and limiting non-renewals based on unreasonable grounds. The bill was supported by consumer advocates, fire survivors, local officials, and several organizations, while insurers said they had worked extensively with the author and were moving to neutral, though they still raised implementation and proprietary-information concerns. The committee voted to pass SB 1301 as amended to Appropriations, with the roll left open briefly before the bill was declared out. SB 876 would overhaul wildfire and disaster claims handling by requiring updated replacement-cost estimates, stronger extended replacement-cost and building-code coverage options, faster status updates when adjusters change, and other consumer protections. Supporters included the Department of Insurance, United Policyholders, consumer groups, and local representatives, who argued the bill addresses underinsurance, delays, and inconsistent claims handling exposed by recent wildfires. Several industry groups said recent amendments resolved major concerns and moved them to neutral, while the California Fair Plan remained respectfully opposed pending further review. The committee approved SB 876 as amended to Judiciary, again leaving the roll open briefly before finalizing the vote. The committee also took up a consent item, SB 536 by Senator Archuleta, which was approved unanimously to Appropriations. Other bills listed at the start of the hearing, SB 555 and SB 795, were pulled at the request of the authors and were not heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're already worried about your insurance rates potentially going up because of this loss.
• If it's going to affect people's rates, it's going to affect people's credit, it's going to affect all
• It's going to affect people's rates. It's going to affect people's credit.
• or a small city, but the significance in terms of dollar amount and how that would affect insurance rates

Bills: HB3045

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Summary: The Public Safety Committee first considered several gubernatorial nominations. Brent Black of Bixby was renominated to the Forensic Review Board, with Senator Guthrie noting the board’s seven-member makeup and the need for mental health professionals; the nomination was advanced 8-0. Lou Ann Moody of Henrietta was then presented for the Forensic Review Board. Moody described her long legal career, her work as city attorney and in juvenile/dependency matters, and her decision to avoid criminal defense work to avoid ethical conflicts. Members asked about the board’s caseload and meeting schedule, and the nomination was advanced 8-0. The committee also heard the nomination of a retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer, Mr. McCoy, to the OSBI Commission. He emphasized his decades of law enforcement and emergency-management experience, and the nomination was advanced 8-0. The committee then took up House Bill 3045, with an amendment offered by Senator Reinhart. The amendment would allow certain fire departments, rural fire districts, and fire protection districts in municipalities under 200,000 population to recover accident response fees, while preventing those fees from going into general revenue or funding non-fire services. Reinhart explained the bill was intended to address fire departments’ ability to recover costs while limiting the impact on the state’s two largest cities. Senator Brooks questioned why the exemption would apply only to the largest municipalities, and Reinhart responded that Tulsa and Oklahoma City would see the greatest fiscal impact and that rural departments lacked comparable revenue sources. Senator Murdoch raised a point that the bill had an unescorted fiscal impact on municipalities and asked for a ruling under the Municipal Fiscal Impact Act. The chair took the matter under advisement and, at the sponsor’s request, laid the bill over rather than proceeding further. The meeting concluded with members offering extended personal remarks thanking the chair and vice chair for their leadership and service, and the chair adjourned the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• situations that come up that the understanding is simply not there with regard to contracts, interest rates
• situations that come up that the understanding is simply not there with regard to contracts, interest rates
• situations that come up that the understanding is simply not there with regard to contracts, interest rates
• This includes understanding interest rates, loans and promissory notes, credit scores, insurance and

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:

• bringing it forward, noting that identifying that one of the core reasons for the low college-going rate
• forward to the point that identifying that one of the core reasons we have such a low college going rate
• bill, it is very important that we have this bill moved forward to move from 48th in college-going rate
• bill, it is very important that we have this bill moved forward to move from 48th in college-going rate

Summary: The House Education Committee met in executive session to consider several Senate bills. On Substitute Senate Bill 5242 concerning anaphylaxis medication in schools, staff described the underlying bill as expanding school authority to administer epinephrine and related protections, and a striking amendment by Representative Marshall was adopted after a technical correction to fix an albuterol reference. Members spoke in support of broader access to life-saving epinephrine in schools, and the bill was reported out with a do pass as amended recommendation by a 19-0 vote. The committee also advanced Substitute Senate Bill 5346 on student use of mobile devices in public schools. An amendment sponsored by Representative Santos was adopted to update terminology, adjust reporting timelines, and clarify that districts may limit possession and use of mobile devices during instructional hours while considering OSPI research and recommendations. Supporters said the bill balances local flexibility with guidance to reduce classroom disruption and bullying; it passed 17-1 and was reported out as amended. Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which strengthens high school and beyond plan requirements related to financial aid information, was amended to add College Bound Scholarship identification and more explicit review of financial aid application completion. Members supporting the bill said it would help students understand scholarship and grant opportunities and improve college-going rates, though one member noted the added burden on school counselors. The committee also passed Substitute Senate Bill 6268, requiring OSPI to keep a freely accessible 20-year online record of final special education complaint decisions, and Senate Bill 6278, which codifies ongoing review of teacher and principal preparation programs by the Professional Educator Standards Board. Both bills were reported out unanimously, and the committee adjourned after reminding members about amendment deadlines for future executive sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• you take advantage of uh registering your tag online and they mail you the tag, uh, their postage rates
• tag uh tag online and they mail you the tag uh their<00:11:05.920><c> postage</c><00:11:06.399><c> rates
• ><00:11:06.800><c> are</c><00:11:07.040><c> highly</c><00:11:07.360><c> affected</c> their postage rates
• are highly affected their postage rates are highly affected every<00:11:08.000><c> year</c><00:11:08.160

Bills: HB136 , HB137 , HB220 , HB213 , HB256 , HB136 , HB137 , HB220 , HB213 , HB256

Committee: House State Government

Keywords: Teacher's Retirement System, TRS, DROP, Deferred Retirement Option Plan, retirement benefits, teacher retirement, classroom teacher, Tier I, Tier II, public pension, pension reform, education employees, retirement system, sick leave, cost-of-living adjustment, COLA, beneficiary, lump-sum payout, rollover, service retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• If a health plan has a contracted rate and cost sharing is limited, the plan or insurer is still obligated
• to pay the entire contracted rate to the provider. ...the plan or insurer is still obligated to pay
• the entire contracted rate to the provider, and I'm committed to continuing conversations with any concerned
• look forward to working with Madam Chair and a small little tweaks as it relates to reimbursement rates

Committee: House Health

Transcript Highlights:

• care of a certified lay midwife, there's no evidence that this practice improves infant mortality rates
• With our suicide rates being so high, we need to take this seriously. ...suicide rates being so high,
• The suicide rates have been so high, and we have a lot of medical...

Bills: SB87 , HB491 , SB43 , SB101

Committee: House Health

Keywords: midwifery, licensed midwives, State Board of Midwifery, licensure fees, professional liability insurance, complaints investigation, emergency care plan, out-of-hospital care, HB491, public schools, K-12, school nutrition, school lunch, cafeteria, artificial dyes, food additives, food coloring, synthetic dyes, Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40

Transcript Highlights:

• removal, there is a rural grant program through the Department of Commerce that has a good utilization rate
• ... ...grant program through the Department of Commerce that has a good utilization rate, but maybe,
• And at that time, they indicated that the bond rates were lower than the interest rates.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee met to work on three remaining policy bills. On HB 2225, members discussed an amendment reducing the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund housing grant program from $50 million to $30 million, lowering the maximum grant amount, and clarifying that existing lots can qualify after a certificate of occupancy is issued so the program can help communities like Watford City and Williston use prepared lots. Members also discussed the matching requirements, tribal eligibility, and how Commerce would score applications to ensure the money lowers lot costs rather than being absorbed by political subdivisions. The amendment and the bill as amended both passed 22-0, and Representative Murphy was assigned to carry the bill. The committee then took up SB 2200, which funds the 988 crisis hotline. After discussion, members agreed to strip out the proposed phone-line charge approach and instead provide a $500,000 appropriation from the Community Health Care Trust Fund, consistent with the Senate version, to supplement existing funding for increased staffing and texting-related demand. The amendment and the bill as amended both passed 22-0, and Representative Nelson will carry the bill. Finally, the committee considered SB 2342, which creates a value-added milk processing facility incentive program. The amendment reduced the proposed line of credit from $10 million to $5 million, with the program intended to support dairy-related processing infrastructure such as utilities, roads, water, wastewater, and rail access. Members noted the program would be administered through the Agriculture Diversification and Development Committee, could potentially support one or multiple facilities, and sunsets June 30, 2027. The amendment and the bill as amended both passed 22-0, and Representative Brandenburg will carry the bill. The committee then adjourned, planning to reconvene the next morning to take up additional bills and budget adjustments.

Transcript Highlights:

• financing these for, say, a couple in their 50s or even getting closer to retirement, the interest rates
• low-income homebuyers in time to occupy those homes when they are finished at the same time as market-rate
• income home buyers in time to occupy those homes when they are finished at the same time as market rate
• As currently in print, AB 939 would centralize control of all future below-market-rate ownership units
• again, the goal is to help people with that down payment that they need to be able to get into market-rate

Summary: The Senate Committee on Housing met without a quorum at first and operated as a subcommittee, then later established a quorum and took up several housing-related bills. Early presentations included AB 2390, a cleanup bill on housing streamlining and project modifications, which was described as clarifying that minor and subsequent modifications are reviewed under the standards in effect when the original application was filed; there was no opposition, and the bill was moved on a due pass motion but held on call for absent members. AB 1890, which would increase state matching support for Napa County farmworker housing centers from $250,000 to $500,000 annually and extend the program through 2036, drew strong support from Napa County officials, the Farm Bureau, hospitals, and vintners, and was also moved to Appropriations and held on call. AB 956, an ADU bill allowing more flexibility in how accessory dwelling units are built and clarifying application of ADU law in common interest developments, drew support from housing advocates and opposition from the League of California Cities over density, infrastructure, and local control concerns; the committee discussed amendments to avoid triggering density bonus law, then passed the bill as amended to Local Government, with some members expressing reservations or abstaining. The consent calendar, including AB 739, AB 2162, AB 2320, and AB 2692, was also acted on and held on call for absent members. Later, the committee heard AB 939, which would remove a 180-day resale restriction for certain income-restricted ownership units when a nonprofit affordable housing organization is ready to buy and sell them to qualified low-income buyers. Supporters, including Habitat for Humanity and California YIMBY, said the bill would reduce vacancy, carrying costs, and delays in getting affordable homes to buyers; the California Association of Realtors opposed unless amended, arguing the bill could limit buyer choice, codify first-right-of-refusal provisions, and reduce wealth-building opportunities. Members questioned those concerns, and the author said amendments were being worked on; the bill was moved to Appropriations and held on call. AB 1165, the California Housing Justice Act, would require state housing agencies to develop a fiscal analysis and long-term financial plan for ending homelessness and addressing housing affordability; it received broad support from supportive housing, civil rights, and homelessness organizations, with no opposition filed, and was moved to Appropriations and held on call. AB 1184, an HOA transparency bill requiring more notice and access around litigation and recordings, was moved to Judiciary after discussion about whether it duplicated existing HOA law and whether the proposed amendments were too broad. AB 2035, a narrowly tailored bill for Laguna Woods Village to lower the vote threshold needed to petition a court to amend outdated CC&Rs, was supported as a one-time fix and moved to Judiciary. Finally, AB 1573, pulled from consent, would add survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking to housing element target populations; supporters said these groups are overrepresented among people experiencing housing instability and should be explicitly included in local housing planning.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:10:08.239><c> set</c><02:10:08.400><c> in</c> sentence says any tax rate set in sentence says
• in your submitted testimony was SAUs do not make appropriations or have separately determined tax rates
• separately appropriations or have separately determined<02:17:07.359><c> tax</c><02:17:07.679><c> rates
• </c><02:17:08.080><c> Their</c><02:17:08.319><c> budgeted</c> determined tax rates.
• Their budgeted determined tax rates.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• succeed ecologically in California, instead relying on extrapolated habitat models and demographic rates
• So it definitely... ...is at a different rate, but that doesn't change the fact that they would need
• solutions to destruction that are tearing down our lives, our communities, and driving up insurance rates
• public dollars, or at least the backstop of public dollars, to unlock private capital, lower interest rates
• using a loan loss reserve that de-risks private lending, the program can offer below-market interest rates

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water

Summary: The committee heard SB 872, which would direct $300 million annually for 20 years to repair Central Valley subsidence damage and Delta levees to protect State Water Project deliveries. The author and supporters said the bill is needed to safeguard water for 27 million Californians, prevent threats to life and billions in infrastructure, and address long-standing levee and canal vulnerabilities. Testimony in support came from Restore the Delta, the Central Coast Water Authority, and a broad coalition of water agencies, environmental groups, local governments, and business interests; one organization, the California Chamber of Commerce, supported if amended to include federal conveyance infrastructure. No opposition witnesses appeared. Members from both parties praised the bipartisan coalition and discussed funding, beneficiary-pays concerns, and the need to prioritize water infrastructure. The committee voted 5-0 to pass SB 872 as amended to Appropriations, with the bill placed on call. The committee then heard SB 1305, a study bill on the feasibility of reintroducing the California grizzly bear. The author and tribal co-sponsors framed the measure as a science-based, consultation-driven roadmap that would not authorize reintroduction but would evaluate habitat, impacts, and implementation. Supporters, including tribal representatives, conservation groups, and animal welfare organizations, emphasized the grizzly’s cultural significance, ecological role, and the value of planning for coexistence. Opposition came from retired and current law enforcement, county officials, ranching and hunting groups, and rural representatives, who raised public safety, staffing, livestock, and wildlife-management concerns, arguing the Department of Fish and Wildlife lacks resources for another apex predator. Committee members debated whether risk, public safety, local control, and potential reintroduction areas should be addressed earlier in the process. The author agreed to consider amendments on those points and on funding and local authority. The committee voted 4-1 to pass SB 1305 as amended to Appropriations, with the bill held on call. The committee also heard SB 1079, which would create a Cal Fire Fire Innovation Unit to identify firefighter needs, test new technologies, and speed deployment of successful wildfire tools. The author said the bill would formalize a pipeline from pilot projects to statewide use and build on existing Cal Fire technology efforts. Support came from Megafire Action, Fireworks, Aurora Tech, and the Orange County Fire Authority; the California Association of Realtors supported if amended to allow nonprofits to administer grants directly to homeowners. With no opposition testimony, the bill was moved on a 2-0 vote and held on call pending additional members. The committee later took up SB 997, a district bill for the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency that would grant lien authority so it can enforce groundwater fees and sustainability plan requirements without relying on civil litigation. Support came from water contractors, rural counties, and county associations; members discussed whether similar authority should be extended to other GSAs. The bill was moved on a 2-0 vote to Judiciary and held on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also requires those returning administrators to have earned a proficient or higher rating in three
• that many of our agencies are experiencing the same problem with state employees and the turnover rate
• The State Board of Corrections currently reimburses counties at the rate of $55 per day for the first
• This legislation will increase the daily reimbursement rate to the counties for housing state inmates
• The legislature has not increased the reimbursement rate to the counties since 2018.

Transcript Highlights:

• businesses that make state PTE elections often pay more state taxes due to paying at the highest state tax rate
• You have to pay at the full rate, 9.85%, every quarter throughout the year.
• pay</c><00:30:37.560><c> at</c><00:30:37.720><c> the</c><00:30:37.840><c> full</c><00:30:38.160><c> rate
• ,</c><00:30:38.440><c> 9.85%</c> have to pay at the full rate, 9.85% have to pay at the full rate, 9.85%
• Peterson continued: “Sent in your packet, these property owners already pay higher property tax rates

Bills: HF3396

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: property tax, task force, assessment, state revenue, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• Rents in New Mexico have been rising at more than double the rate of the U.S. overall.
• Rents in New Mexico have been rising at more than double the rate of the U.S. overall.
• Yes, we do have a dearth of a lack rate of affordable housing, but. of a lack rate of affordable housing
• But we just don't have the commercial infrastructure to be able to pay commercial rates.
• But we just don't have the commercial infrastructure to be able to pay commercial rates.

Bills: SB211 , SB131 , SB183 , SB222 , SB246 , SB254

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: appropriation, local government, Las Vegas, Rodriguez Park, public facilities, zoning reform, building regulations, residential apartments, commercial use, multigenerational housing, local government authority, healthcare, urgent care, emergency services, feasibility study, medical facilities, physician training, medical residency, New Mexico, massage therapy

Transcript Highlights:

• The hourly contract rate for snow and ice drivers is up 12% over the past two years, while the contract
• mowing hourly rate is up 36%.
• The hourly contract rate last benium.
• The hourly contract rate for<00:08:44.880><c> snow</c><00:08:45.120><c> and</c><00:08:45.360><c> ice<
• </c> mowing hourly rate is up 36%. mowing hourly rate is up 36%.

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met without a quorum at first, then later approved the minutes once quorum was established. The committee heard presentations from Transportation Cabinet officials Mike Hancock, Jeremy Slinker, and Sean McCarnieran on maintenance, vehicle regulation, general administration, highways, and related capital projects. Hancock emphasized that maintenance is the cabinet’s most visible public service, especially for snow and ice removal and routine roadway upkeep, and said rising costs have outpaced funding. He cited a 61% increase in highway construction costs since 2020 and said maintenance spending was $488 million in FY 2024 and $511 million in FY 2025, while the FY 2026 baseline request was $483.3 million. The cabinet’s additional maintenance request would add $23.6 million in FY 2027 and $38.6 million in FY 2028, with expected impacts on litter pickup, mowing, vegetation management, and pothole repair if not funded. The cabinet also outlined five maintenance-related capital projects: additional funding for Ballard County maintenance/salt storage, Hopkins County maintenance/salt storage, Whitley County maintenance/salt structure, and the District 2 office and materials lab, plus reauthorization of the Breckinridge County maintenance and salt facility. Hancock also asked for budget language allowing the cabinet to use unexpected restricted and federal funds more quickly, similar to existing authority for federal earmarks. McCarnieran described the governor’s inclusion of funding for the ASHTOWare system, employee health exams, priority IT projects, and a District 7 office renovation request, noting that some items were not funded because they ranked low among competing projects. He also said the governor’s budget included a $7.5 million annual maintenance pool for the cabinet’s 1,200 facilities and requested additional restricted fund authority for Trimark and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. Slinker focused on the Department of Vehicle Regulation, saying recent investments in staffing and equipment had reduced wait times and improved customer service in driver licensing offices. He requested $535,600 to keep temporary contract workers in place for the rest of the year, warning that without it regional office operations would have to be reduced. He said the surge in demand was driven by new 15-year-old licensing requirements, vision testing, and Real ID implementation, but believed the volume was beginning to level out. He also outlined FY 2027 and FY 2028 plans totaling $20.38 million and $19.85 million, including six new regional offices and a shift away from temporary workers toward state positions. Additional requests included $106,000 for debt service on the new driver’s license modernization system and operating costs of $5 million in FY 2027 and $2.5 million in FY 2028 to support the transition from the old system. Members asked about the cabinet’s funding sources, and officials said the road fund is the primary source, supported by motor fuels tax, usage tax, driver-related receipts, and some restricted funds; they stressed that the requests were not for additional general fund dollars. Questions also covered employee health exam reimbursements, the annual Trimark/Cumberland Gap contract, and the District 7 renovation request. No votes were taken on the budget items during the meeting, beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, will this cause those rates to go up? >> Okay.
• Uh, will this cause those<00:20:24.320><c> rates</c><00:20:24.640><c> to</c><00:20:24.880><c> go</c><
• </c> those rates to go up? those rates to go up?
• It maintains actuarially sound rates, reserves, and excess insurance.
• actuarily sound rates, maintains actuarily sound rates, reserves,<00:29:51.360><c> and</c><00:29:51.600

Committee: Joint Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• And the only other somewhere else is the general fund budget or contribution rates.
• higher, so that amount of extra money has helped every budget for years and has kept contribution rates
• purchasing the ability to invest in all these companies from third parties who charge us really low rates
• past decade, fossil fuel assets have been quite volatile and have significantly underperformed the rate
• I am willing to accept the lower rate of return on my pension. Thank you. Elaine. Thank you.

Bills: SB5439 , SB6109 , SB6304

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: investment, thermal coal, divestment, state investment board, fossil fuels, environmental impact, renewable energy, detention facilities, state funds, privatization, criminal justice reform, Washington State Investment Board, responsible investment, sustainability, corporate governance