Transcript Highlights:

• So, there's no impact to the system directly on that actuarial on this on the system.
• I have seen some of those studies. I have seen some that have suggested other reasonings.

Bills: HB3415, HB2206, HB3414, HB3265, HB3310, HB3413, HB4486, HB1219

Keywords: state government, vendor contracts, subcontracting, public database, contract assessment, transparency, retirement, law enforcement, Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System, school resource officers, public safety, public finance, contract management, service-driven contracts, state accounting, intangible assets, Oklahoma Police Pension, disability benefits, mental health, retirement system

Transcript Highlights:

• WE KNOW IT'S WORKED IN FOUR STATES TODAY AND WE HAVE ACTUARIAL REPORTS THAT SHOW THE SAVINGS THAT GET
• BARTLEMAN, I WILL GET YOU THAT STUDY AND INFORMATION THAT SHOWS THE DISPARITY AND ACCESS OF NEW MEDICATIONS

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll show you—there's a study in your packet.
• The difficulty is insurance actuarial; it wasn't making sense, so most insurance companies have left

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and heard a presentation from Marty Wright, CEO of the West Virginia Healthcare Association, on the state’s long-term care system. He described the continuum from home care to assisted living to skilled nursing facilities, emphasizing that these settings increasingly serve short-term rehab-to-home patients as well as older adults needing round-the-clock care. He also outlined the number of facilities in West Virginia, the predominance of Medicaid as the payer for long-term nursing home care, the private-pay nature of assisted living, and the role of OFAC/CMS in regulation. A major focus of the presentation was workforce shortages and turnover, especially for CNAs, LPNs, and RNs, along with declining interest in nursing careers and the impact of regulatory burden and burnout. Wright said the system is also struggling to serve younger patients with substance use disorder, mental illness, or other behavioral needs, who are often not well suited for traditional nursing home placement but have limited alternatives. Senators raised concerns about where such patients are being housed, the long-term effects of opioid and behavioral health issues, and the gap between school-age special needs populations and adult care needs. Wright said Medicaid can cover long-term nursing home care for those who meet financial and medical eligibility requirements, but affordability and spend-down requirements remain major barriers. He also warned that Medicare Advantage can create confusion and shorter covered stays for rehab patients, and he urged early planning around long-term care insurance and estate planning. No votes were taken on the presentation, and the committee adjourned after questions and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• to come back exempt from the hours and earnings limitations just for the professional services of actuarial
• to come back exempt from the hours and earnings limitations just for the professional services of actuarial

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of bills affecting public employees, retirees, and public safety personnel. Early testimony focused on House Bill 2859, which would make Massachusetts Department of Correction industrial instructors permanent civil service employees after years of provisional status, and House Bill 2995, which would reduce the Boston Fire Cadet Program service requirement from two years to one year. Supporters of the Boston fire cadet bill argued it would improve equity, expand opportunities for Boston residents, and help diversify the Boston Fire Department; committee members asked about the current makeup of academy classes and the effect of a hybrid model, and the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association was described as neutral on a separate age-related police bill. The committee also heard several proposals related to post-retirement earnings and civil service rules for police and fire retirees. Testimony supported bills including H. 2903 and H. 2966, which would loosen earnings limits for retired public safety workers returning to work, and related measures affecting civil service exemptions and professional services for retirement boards. Speakers argued the current limits are confusing, discourage experienced workers from filling needed municipal jobs, and can create safety issues on public works and construction sites. One witness from Worcester Police supported raising the police academy age limit from 32 to 39 to improve recruitment, especially in BIPOC communities, while Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata supported a separate bill to raise the Boston Police Academy age cap from 39 to 45. A substantial portion of the hearing was devoted to H. 2812 and S. 1817, which would increase the pension COLA base from $13,000 to $18,000 and freeze certain retiree health insurance contribution rates, with additional testimony about capping out-of-pocket health costs for some retirees. Educators and union representatives said the current COLA structure has eroded pension value and leaves retirees struggling with rising costs, while one witness described long delays and confusion in navigating retiree health coverage. The committee took no substantive votes on the bills during the hearing and adjourned after hearing all testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it was my understanding that that was a number that we, the legislature, set, independent of the study
• That's based on actuarial analysis.
• It also requires that the department do a study and make a report of what prisons are to be closed, either
• Finally, why did the House reject the Senate offer to require a study of return on investment of privatization
• study of the modifications made on the FRS in this bill.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's an annual study done by a benefits consulting group called Mercer, and they, they, I can provide
• You've, you've absolutely nailed it, and there was a study, uh, 4 or 5 years back that said that looked
• If you look in healthcare and you can look study after study, there's virtually no correlation between
• tracking the data, you know, for the next 1213 years or so, hoping that we can put together the actuarial

Bills: HB139

Keywords: ad valorem tax, tax rates, voter-approval, taxing unit, property tax, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of that driven by the increasing the unfunded actuarial liability, but then gets appropriated.
• So recent national studies have shown that for every dollar invested in higher education, there is a
• But nationally, that's a recent study that's been published.
• That's where I think more study needs to be done.
• I think that just that's something that needs to be studied more robustly and not having data.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's one of those things where you can study it.
• You can keep studying it and nothing happen, or you can study it and communicate, working together with
• I love the idea that we've studied it enough. Let's get going.
• up being some of the last MBA courses, which I made straight A's in. because a lot of it was case studies
• We've got to have an actuarial lease.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They can allow as many days as they want, but they have to pay the actuarial required contribution instead
• as they want, but they have to<00:36:33.040> pay<00:36:33.200> the<00:36:33.359> actuarial
• <00:36:34.560> um<00:36:34.960> um<00:36:35.839> required to pay the actuarial
• um um required to pay the actuarial um um required contribution<00:36:37.040> instead<00:36:37.440

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:05 Attendance Roll Call: 00:10 SB 70 Discussion: 00:58 SB 70 Vote: 04:36 SB 80 Discussion: 05:16 SB 80 Vote: 31:45 SB 127 Discussion: 32:30 SB 127 Vote: 39:38 SB 154 Discussion: 41:25 SB 154 Vote: Adjournment: 47:14, 958, all

Summary: The committee first considered Senate Bill 70, which would modify the Public Pension Oversight Board by adding one House member and one Senate member, automatically placing the House and Senate chairs of state and local government on the board, adding the state treasurer, broadening who the Speaker and Senate President may appoint, and reducing the governor’s board appointments from two to one. After a brief procedural correction about a committee substitute, the bill was explained and then passed by a 9-0 favorable vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 80, a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions after they complete imprisonment, probation, and parole, while excluding certain offenses such as election fraud, violent felonies, sex offenses, and crimes against children. The sponsor and Senator Herron argued that Kentucky’s current system is confusing and leaves the state as one of the few with lifetime disenfranchisement, while witnesses from the Sentencing Project, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, and an advocacy group for people with lived experience supported restoration but urged a simpler, broader, automatic approach without offense-based carveouts. Committee members raised questions about implementation, clerk guidance, and how the proposal interacts with expungement and gubernatorial pardons; one senator specifically asked whether serious offenders, including child rapists, would regain voting rights under a broader version, and the witness answered yes. The bill passed with a favorable expression by an 8-1 vote. The transcript then began discussion of Senate Bill 127, also sponsored by Senator Hickden, but the exchange was cut off before the bill was fully explained or any vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it includes a signed jurat page and actuarial certificate.
• page<00:21:25.440> and includes a signed jurat page and includes a signed jurat page and actuarial
• <00:21:27.919> It<00:21:28.159> also<00:21:28.400> includes actuarial certificate
• It also includes actuarial certificate.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with devotional remarks from Representative Greer focused on perspective, kindness, and the idea that people “earn” respect and love through shared humanity. After that, the chamber suspended rules to introduce 17 House bills by number only, and adopted JRS 3 in concurrence, setting a joint assembly for Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. to receive the governor’s budget message. Several announcements followed, including birthday wishes, a note about the new federal whole milk for schools law, guest introductions, and caucus notices. The House also approved committee transfers for H.393, an act relating to the prohibition of requiring face masks in schools, moving it from Education to Healthcare, and H.334, an act relating to limiting employer restrictions on individuals separating from employment, moving it from General and Housing to Commerce and Economic Development. The chamber then took up H.649 on captive insurance companies. The Commerce and Economic Development Committee explained that the bill, based on Department of Financial Regulation proposals, would prohibit risk retention groups from lending to or investing in members or affiliates, require annual and quarterly filings in NAIC form with a jurat page and actuarial certificate, and create new filing requirements for sponsored captive protected cells. The committee reported unanimous support, and the House amended the bill and ordered third reading. The House next considered S.60, establishing a Farm Security Special Fund. The Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry Committee and Appropriations described the bill as a response to repeated weather-related losses affecting farms and forestry operations, including flooding, freezes, drought, and other extreme events. The House version adds forestry and changes assistance from grants to payments to make aid faster and less cumbersome. The program would be administered by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, with a review board and payments of up to 50% of uncovered losses, capped at 5% of annual appropriations and $150,000 per application. The committee testimony emphasized the need for a permanent, predictable state relief mechanism, and the bill was advanced with strong support.

Transcript Highlights:

• They also assist us with some other work in the department related to actuarial analysis for our managed
• Looking at South Dakota's comprehensive rate study, we were able to really use that and apply a lot of
• We take the section out and replace it with, we're going to do a rate study on basic care.
• Do we need to include the study in the bill, or would that happen anyway?" "Mr.
• So whether it's in the bill or not, it should be a department study, not a legislative study?" "Mr.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations HR Division met with all members present to review the medical services portion of the HHS budget. Sarah Aker, Executive Director of Medical Services, walked the committee through several budget items, including HCBS cost-to-continue adjustments, the DD bed assessment, expansion of value-based purchasing, targeted rate increases for home health and QSP services, and the cross-disability waiver. Members generally supported the targeted increases for home health and QSP, and Aker explained that the cross-disability waiver funding would support startup work, service design, and infrastructure ahead of a planned July 1, 2028 implementation. The committee spent significant time on rate-setting and provider payment issues. Members discussed ambulance rate rebasing, with several senators expressing concern that the proposed increase was too high relative to peer states; the committee ultimately moved toward reducing that item to $1 million rather than zero so it could be revisited in conference committee. They also discussed a House-added critical access hospital networking grant and similarly leaned toward reducing it to $1 million. Aker explained the department’s value-based purchasing plans, including use of a vendor selected through RFP, and clarified how the department’s existing Medicaid managed care and hospital value-based programs work. A major portion of the meeting focused on long-term care and basic care payments, including a House-added extension of the $5 per day basic care add-on and a proposed shift in nursing facility incentive grants toward a withhold-based model. Senator Mathern indicated he would bring an amendment to delay or modify the withhold change, and Aker said the department would prefer language that directly addresses whether a withhold may be implemented. Members also discussed 1915(i) services, FMAP changes, the Medicaid legacy system modernization carryover, and a House-added legislative intent section on medical assistance. The committee adjourned for the morning with plans to return later to continue Human Services budget work and revisit unresolved items in conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yep, so we contracted with an actuary to look at the actual costs of providing our services in the DD
• to look at the actual costs of actuary to look at the actual costs of providing<00:11:33.040> our
• and um our rates hadn't been uh studied and um our rates hadn't been uh studied I<00:11:44.160><
• <00:37:15.119> to<00:37:15.280> look um so that included uh a a study to look um so
• that included uh a a study to look at<00:37:15.720> our<00:37:16.359> our<00:37:16.520

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division of Long-Term Supports and Services presented its budget and program overview as part of the Department of Health and Human Services operating budget review. Leadership described the division’s three bureaus—Aging and Adult Services, Developmental Services, and Family-Centered Services—and explained that the division provides guidance, technical assistance, quality monitoring, and contracted provider oversight across the lifespan. Members also discussed staffing, with reported vacancy rates of 4% in Aging and Adult Services, 15% in Developmental Services, and 6% in Family-Centered Services; the division said the higher BDS vacancy rate is partly due to the small number of authorized positions. The governor’s budget had left eight positions unfunded in the division, including three in Aging and Adult Services and five in BDS. A major topic was the division’s roadmap initiatives, especially building a system of care for healthy aging and strengthening developmental disabilities systems through a new reimbursement rate structure. The division said it contracted with an actuary to study DD service costs and found rates had not been reviewed since 2017 and were significantly below actual costs and other states’ rates, contributing to provider shortages even when services are authorized. Members asked about the impact on service delivery and whether rates would need to rise overall; the division said its strategy is to focus on lower-cost services that help people remain in the community. The division also reported waiver enrollment figures, including about 4,161 people on the Choices for Independence waiver, 3,688 average nursing facility residents, 5,061 people on the DD waiver, 228 on the acquired brain disorder waiver, and 488 children on the in-home support waiver, while noting there is no funding waitlist but provider availability remains a constraint. The division highlighted IT modernization as a major accomplishment, especially moving Adult Protective Services and Developmental Services into the New Heights system. Officials said these changes improve case-note access, data retrieval, service authorization tracking, and transparency for providers, and they asked for future oversight discussion focused on IT leverage. Members noted that New Heights maintenance is budgeted in the Office of the Commissioner under class 27 and suggested better transparency on system costs and benefits. The division also reported that it closed out a long-running CMS corrective action plan for BDS on July 1, 2023, and said it is now focused on strengthening the system rather than compliance alone. Other discussion covered the Aging and Adult Services bureau’s name change from Elderly and Adult Services to Adult and Aging Services, intended to avoid negative connotations and better reflect preventative services. The bureau described Adult Protective Services trends involving scams, financial exploitation, self-neglect, and isolation, and explained that it administers the CFI waiver, determines medical eligibility for nursing facility level of care, and braids funding from Medicaid, state funds, Older Americans Act money, Social Service Block Grants, and other grants. Members asked about waiver growth targets and federal consequences if enrollment remains below projections; the division said it would explain the shortfall in a future waiver amendment and did not anticipate a federal penalty. The meeting ended without any votes or formal actions taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would establish a committee to study the regulation of private animal boarding facilities.
• SB 50 would establish a committee to study the regulation of private animal boarding facilities.
• I've done a study of all of them, and it really works the best.
• come in and by law we have to have actuaries come in and determine what, um, you know, what the reserve
• come in and by law we have to have actuaries come in and determine what, um, you know, what the reserve

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is to address an unfunded actuarial study with the FRS system.
• So that would have answered some of my actuarial questions and fiscal questions.
• It's devastating when you read some of these case studies about individual children who have actually

Bills: S2500, S2502, S2504, S7028, S2506, S2508, S2510, S2512, S2514, S2516, S2518, S0482, S0678, S0984, S1016, S1074, S1706, S7030

Keywords: budget, appropriation, education funding, healthcare, environmental protection, infrastructure, local government, Appropriations Act, funding, education, rural development, economic assistance, collective bargaining, state employees, labor relations, impasse resolution, negotiations, retirement, elected officials, Deferred Retirement Option Program

Summary: The committee heard presentations on the Senate’s proposed 2026-2027 budget, SPB 2500, with chairs outlining major spending in K-12 education, higher education, health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/tourism/economic development, and agriculture/environment/general government. Highlights included a $115 billion overall budget, pay raises for state employees and public safety workers, major K-12 funding increases and enrollment supplements, higher education workforce and nursing investments, expanded Medicaid/KidCare and behavioral health funding, corrections and law enforcement operational funding, transportation and housing investments, and significant environmental and water quality spending. Members asked about civic education funding, declining enrollment, professor retention, APD waiver waitlists, cultural grant allocations, and other line items. Public testimony also addressed HIV/AIDS drug assistance funding and prison air conditioning. SPB 2500 was adopted as a committee bill after amendment consideration and a roll call vote. The committee then took up implementing and related budget bills, including SPB 2502 (implementing the General Appropriations Act), SPB 2504 (state employee bargaining placeholder), SB 7028 (Florida Retirement System contribution rates and related retirement changes), SPB 2506 (fuel tax distributions), SPB 2508 (state agency law enforcement radio system surcharge), SPB 2510 (termination of an unused court trust fund), SPB 2512 (new judgeships), SPB 2514 (K-12 conforming changes), SPB 2516 (higher education conforming changes), and SPB 2518 (health conforming changes). Most were explained as technical or conforming measures tied to the budget, and all were reported favorably as committee bills, with SB 7028 amended to direct a portion of increased contributions to disability and line-of-duty death benefits in the FRS investment plan. The committee also heard and passed several member bills, including CS for SB 1074 on rounding rules for cash transactions in a world without pennies, CS for SB 678 restoring the alcohol loss deduction framework for distributors, and SB 964 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention. SB 964 drew the most discussion, with questions about the one-year death-benefit window, the separate $25,000 cancer diagnosis payment, and whether the bill could create gaps in coverage for firefighters diagnosed or dying just outside the new time limits. Firefighter representatives testified in support, saying the bill would provide clearer protections for members and families. All of these measures were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• INFORMATION WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH MORE PRECISION BUT WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR IS WHEN THE ACTUARY
• WHEN THEIR RISK PROFILE BECOME OF ACTUARIES HAD TO MAKE EDUCATED GUESSES.

Transcript Highlights:

• That ensures contributions are actuarially sound and aligned with the underlying risk.
• into<00:08:40.760> are ensures contributions into are ensures contributions into are actuarially
• 42.440> and<00:08:42.560> aligned<00:08:42.919> with<00:08:43.039> the actuarially
• sound and aligned with the actuarially sound and aligned with the underlying<00:08:43.680> risk.
• standards Nevertheless, we support the standards because they are sound standards, based on strong actuarial

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Scientific studies support this connection.
• A 2021 study surveyed over 200 firefighters in Massachusetts and found a significantly elevated rate
• Scientific studies support this connection.
• A 2021 study surveyed over 200 firefighters in Massachusetts and found a significantly elevated rate
• Scientific studies support this connection.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service held a hearing on May 7, chaired by Senators Mike Brady and Dan Ryan, and heard testimony on a wide range of retirement and benefits bills for public employees and their families. Several bills focused on line-of-duty death or disability benefits for police and firefighters, including Senate Bill 1831 for Joanne Sanji, widow of Rutland Detective John Sanji, whose COVID-19 death was described by family, counsel, and the police chief as a line-of-duty death already recognized by local, state, and federal memorials. Similar support was offered for bills involving the surviving spouse of a State Police officer injured in the line of duty, a Springfield officer injured by a hammer attack during a mental health call, and a bill for a former police officer seeking an increased disability retirement due to PTSD after a traumatic incident. Testimony repeatedly emphasized that these cases had been recognized locally or had already moved through prior sessions, but legislative action was still needed to secure benefits. The committee also heard multiple firefighter-related retirement bills. Representatives and union advocates supported a bill for retired Attleboro Fire Captain Walter Gerton, arguing that an audit and recalculation improperly reduced his pension after retirement and that the correction was requested by the local retirement board. Another bill sought disability retirement for former Westfield firefighter Greg Heath, who testified that Parkinson’s disease has made daily life and family care increasingly difficult; supporters cited studies linking firefighting exposures to Parkinson’s and said the city, retirement board, and local officials backed the measure. The committee also heard testimony for retired Quincy Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Bithrow, who described a Parkinson’s diagnosis following years of exposure at major toxic fires, including the Home Depot and MWRA incidents, and for a related Quincy bill that would treat his retirement as line-of-duty for survivor protection. Additional bills included a proposal to provide flags to next of kin of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty, a bill to resolve employer contribution obligations for the Neshoba Associated Boards of Health in the state retirement system, and several individual retirement or service-credit measures. These included a bill for former State Police gang unit officer David Patterson, a school nurse seeking additional credible service credit for a temporary staffing emergency, and a former Suffolk County sheriff’s deputy seeking an increased disability retirement after a violent inmate assault left him with lasting injuries. Testimony generally came from the affected individuals, family members, municipal officials, retirement boards, and public safety unions, with most speakers urging favorable action and noting that many of the bills had already passed one chamber or had been filed in prior sessions. At the end of the hearing, the committee took no recorded votes on the bills and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm curious, as part of your study of the economics around that detention facility, and I appreciate
• Speaker, gentlemen, they could put together a financial study.
• However, based on the studies and based on the studies and based on the...
• However, based on the studies and based on the new revenue from the fees and taxes, it gives us some
• reviews of proposed legislation that may... ...process for actuarial reviews of proposed legislation

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21, HM25, HB9, SB2, SB19

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• scientific research that backs this up, and I know because I carried a very large box filled with these studies
• carried a very large box filled<00:18:06.120> with<00:18:06.320> these<00:18:06.520> studies
• <00:18:07.159> to<00:18:07.440> nine filled with these studies to nine filled with
• these studies to nine committees<00:18:08.400> in<00:18:08.880> 2023<00:18:09.880> as
• That's what the actuarial study said last year, so it's exactly where we thought it was going to be,

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Publicly accessible data and actuarial analysis can help achieve wildfire mitigation. wide scale needed
• and impose vague requirements on law enforcement agencies, we need to take a step back and further study

Keywords: 988, house, all