Transcript Highlights:

• There are two, or primarily one exceptional item that we had in terms of special education providers.
• And so the question for in terms of this committee is you're telling us that what's in the base budget
• In terms of our exceptional item request on providers, now, there wasn't a discussion within the.
• And so in the short term, what that allows us to do is is put facilities near those population centers
• In terms of. Coordination with our secure facilities in the local school district.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:55.959> or students from completing their term or students from completing their term
• We just started paying out spring term over the last two or three weeks, so this is really fall term
• We just started paying out spring term over the last two or three weeks, so this is really fall term
• > two<01:26:05.760> three out spring term over the last two three out spring term over
• <01:26:07.600> data weeks so this is really fall term data weeks so this is really fall term

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Suber's had indicated is no longer in the bill in terms of creating a situation where EMS personnel could
• Suber's had indicated is no longer in the bill in terms of creating a situation where EMS personnel could
• The bill includes language that says, before release, in terms of when an EMS professional can request
• The bill applies to defendants and allows them to receive a partial refund if the terms and conditions
• of everyone on the dais, particularly, of course, Assemblymember Harabedian, for acknowledging the length

Summary: The Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety heard several bills, with testimony largely focused on criminal justice, public safety, and detention-related issues. SB 498 by Senator Becker would make electronic messaging free for incarcerated people in CDCR facilities and end 15-minute limits on voice calls; the author and supporters argued it would strengthen family ties and rehabilitation, while no opposition testified. SB 953 by Senator Niello would require two DMV points for misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter cases even when diversion is granted; victims’ family members and law enforcement groups supported it as an accountability measure, while the ACLU and Debt-Free Justice California opposed it, arguing diversion should remain an incentive for rehabilitation and safer roads. The committee also heard SB 1306 by Senator Cortese, which would align state law with federal exemptions for certain GBL-containing chemical mixtures used in semiconductor manufacturing; the author and SEMI said it would reduce unnecessary regulation and protect California’s semiconductor industry, and there was no opposition testimony. Members also considered SB 941 by Senator Padilla, which would cap commissary markups in private immigration detention facilities at 35% above vendor cost. The author and supporters described high prices for basic necessities and poor conditions in private detention centers, while no opposition witnesses appeared. SB 691 by Senator Wahab would require law enforcement body-camera policies to include a process for EMS personnel to request redaction of recordings before public release when patients are receiving medical treatment; supporters said it would protect patient privacy, while the Sheriff’s Association opposed it as duplicative and potentially confusing. SB 562 by Senator Ashby would allow partial refunds of bail bond premiums when charges are not filed or are dropped early; supporters framed it as a fairness measure for low-income families, while bail industry representatives and victims’ advocates warned it could discourage bail agents from posting bonds and could affect domestic violence cases. The committee also took up several additional measures on consent or with no opposition testimony, including AB 2796, SB 891, SB 1012, and SB 1143. After discussion, the committee voted to pass SB 953, SB 1306, and SB 941, and to move SB 498, SB 691, and SB 562 forward as well, with some votes initially held open for absent members. Several bills were pulled by their authors and not heard, including SB 1004, SB 1208, SB 1338, and SB 1401. The meeting concluded with the committee adjourning until the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• Coast Protection District is asking again this session for additional support. funds looking long-term
• I'll use the term subcontractor to PUC; that may not be the technical term, but to help them because
• Again, I'm using the term generically, the retail... power line to your primary inspection entity.
• looked at that as a possible solution without, as Chairman Birdwell, you and I have talked about at length
• fact about collet: the collet from one beer bottle can be transformed into fibers for a combined length

Bills: SB410, SB795, SB2510, SB728, SB2689, HB143, HB143

Keywords: Gulf Coast Protection District, navigation safety, special districts, state governance, Texas legislation, Gulf Coast, flood protection, storm risk management, coastal restoration, natural resources, prescribed burns, self-insurance, fire management, liability protection, rural land management, beverage container recycling, deposit return system, container deposit, bottle bill, recycling refund

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress passed a law limiting the FBI director to a single term of 10 years.
• I'm not going to go through the whole length of her Russia associations, but let's just say that a Russian
• many people are applying to the FBI under Christopher Wray's leadership. leadership and during his term
• today on why I will vote against Kash Patel as the nominee to be director of the FBI. spoken to at length
• , 10-year terms.

Bills: SB331

Keywords: fentanyl, controlled substances, drug trafficking, public health, research regulations, law enforcement, Kash Patel, FBI director nomination, S331, Fentanyl Act, committee meeting, legislative discussion

Summary: In this committee meeting, the primary focus was on the nomination of Kash Patel for the position of director of the FBI, which had sparked considerable debate over the past week. Members discussed the extensive vetting process Patel underwent, including a lengthy hearing where he addressed numerous questions, which emphasized his qualifications and the support he received from various law enforcement organizations. The meeting included significant arguments from both sides, reflecting the polarized nature of the nomination, especially regarding the allegations made against Patel by some committee members. As discussions continued, the committee decided to hold off on the Fentanyl Act, listed as S331, until the next meeting, indicating a prioritization of the nomination vote over new legislative measures at this time.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we have been going back and forth in terms of what that true number is.
• So the conversation that has been had at length is where...
• But I'm just saying it in terms of the logic of it.
• That's already been contemplated in terms of how many cars they're going to receive.
• I think it's real clear in terms of what is really needed.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on May 26, 2026, and first took up Senate Bill 433, which would provide Medicaid coverage for certain weight-loss medications. After adopting a House amendment adding customary subject-to-appropriation language, the committee heard from LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein, who said the state currently spends about $240 million a year on GLP-1 drugs for Medicaid patients with obesity and certain other conditions, and that the bill would let the department expand coverage gradually while controlling costs and negotiating better pricing. Members spoke in strong support, and SB 433 was reported favorable as amended. The committee then considered Senate Bill 157, which creates paid parental leave for eligible public K-12 educators and staff. An amendment was adopted to adjust fund language and make the bill proper for Appropriations. Senator Jenkins and supporters, including the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, described the bill as providing six weeks of paid leave for birth, adoption, fostering, and related family-building events, while members discussed whether medical leave should also be included and confirmed the leave applies to fathers as well. The bill drew broad support and was reported favorable as amended. Senate Bill 250, requiring the Office of Group Benefits to offer a comprehensive weight management plan with employees paying the full premium and medication costs, was briefly discussed and reported favorable without objection. The committee then spent considerable time on Senate Bill 237, a child welfare measure from Senator Barrow that would expand notification, access, and investigative procedures for the Child Ombudsman and DCFS, including child-on-child sexual abuse cases and multidisciplinary fatality reviews. Members and agency officials debated the fiscal note, with estimates ranging from about $525,000 to $3.2 million and disagreement over whether some costs were already covered or could be absorbed; after a roll call, the bill passed 10-9 and was reported favorable as amended. Finally, the committee began Senate Bill 155, which requires insurance coverage for medically necessary dental care tied to cancer treatment. Senator Talbot and medical and cancer advocacy witnesses said the bill would remove a barrier to timely chemotherapy or radiation and could prevent more expensive complications later. Members expressed support and discussed a relatively small fiscal note, but the transcript cuts off before final action on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• for the 18th legislative day be length for the 18th legislative day be length for the 18th legislative
• those different divisions to evaluate those different divisions and determine and and what's the length
• and determine and and what's the length and determine and and what's the length of time of time of time
• , a term paper, dissertation, a thesis, a term paper, and grammar English 101 with all of and grammar
• It through the the rest of their term. It through the the rest of their term.

Bills: HB 10, HB 12, HB 147, HB 1522, HB 422, HB 675, HB 204, HB 748, HB 912

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• Because when we think in terms of causality, Because when we think in terms of consolidation, we know
• So the justification, we're looking for the justification in terms of planning, in terms of data, and
• So in terms of juvenile justice specifically? No.
• So in terms of juvenile justice specifically? No.
• That's an interesting question, and one that has come up in terms of DYS, in terms of, you know, in terms

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission on correctional consolidation and collaboration heard testimony focused on how Massachusetts uses custody levels, staffing, programming, and medical release tools, with Prisoners’ Legal Services arguing that the system is overusing expensive high-security settings and underusing step-down options. Dave Rainey said the incarcerated population has dropped substantially over the last several years, but spending and staffing have not fallen in proportion. He argued that DOC overclassifies people into medium and maximum security, relies too heavily on behavioral assessment units that function like segregation, and keeps people in restrictive settings such as Souza-Baranowski and Shattuck Hospital longer than necessary. He also said medical parole is underused and that many people with serious chronic illness or advanced age pose little public-safety risk and should be released through existing legal pathways. Sheriffs and other commission members pushed back on some of those points, emphasizing that staffing needs are driven by the acuity of the current population, that corrections is not overstaffed, and that classification decisions involve serious public-safety judgments. They also stressed that some high-cost medical placements are necessary because people remain under sentence and require care, and that furloughs and other release tools can create security risks if contraband or substance use is involved. The discussion also covered the role of county sheriffs versus DOC in reentry, with several members saying county systems tend to do more day-to-day step-down and release planning, while DOC has more difficulty moving people through lower-security settings before release. Ben Foreman of MassINC offered a more systemwide, data-focused perspective, praising the state’s transparency and arguing that Massachusetts has made major progress in reducing incarceration and increasing public safety. He said the state still has an opportunity to improve by right-sizing facilities, investing in community-based mental health treatment, and using the commission to better understand the capital and operating costs of the current system. In response to questions, he said he was aware of DOC studies on programs like furlough but had not reviewed recent ones, and he noted that total-control facilities like Souza-Baranowski have long been criticized in the research literature for poor outcomes. Nora Wassel of the Women and Incarceration Project then testified that the commission should issue an interim report and scrutinize the planned new women’s prison, which she said is not justified by current population trends or available data. She argued that women are overclassified under DOC’s own tools, that reentry beds and minimum-security placements are underused, and that the system may be failing to account for women’s distinct medical and reentry needs. The meeting ended with continued discussion of reentry, furloughs, day reporting, and whether consolidation should mean fewer facilities, better step-down pathways, or both.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:44:20.400> of higher WBA would have in terms of higher WBA would have in terms of additional
• >> in terms of how we administer? >> Yeah.
• >> what we're talking about here in terms >> what we're talking about here in terms
• >> in terms of how we administer? >> in terms of how we administer?
• It's length of unemployment like claim.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that is pharmacy costs went up almost exclusively in terms of the cost of the drugs.
• I would say, um, just our long-term care. last year and so forth presents the greatest long-term stability
• And we continue to have a big problem with long-term care employees.
• And also the long term, a group that is looking into the additional savings.
• And also the long term, a group that is looking into the additional savings.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I can tell you that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we in the Senate, take that long-term liability
• We have gone to the full length this year at $5.1 billion.
• We have gone to the full length this year at $5.1 billion to meet that schedule of payment.
• of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: other post-employment benefits, which we also carry as a long-term
• Which we also carry as a long-term liability.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, adopted two commendatory resolutions honoring the Plimpton Historical Society’s Deborah Sampson Day recognition and Megan’s Light’s Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month observance, and suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to committee. The chamber also briefly recognized Diane Talk of the South Shore Regional Emergency Communication Center on her retirement after 30 years of dispatch service. Later, the Senate passed two local bills to enactment: House No. 4006, authorizing Dartmouth to grant an additional all-alcoholic beverages license, and House No. 473, relating to the charter of Westwood. The main business was the Senate Ways and Means presentation of the fiscal year 2027 budget, totaling about $63.3 billion. The chair described the budget as balanced, with no new taxes or tax cuts, based on a consensus revenue estimate of $986 million in growth over FY26 (2.4%), and including about $15.8 billion in federal financial participation and roughly $2.7 billion from the Fair Share surtax. The budget emphasized record local aid, including $1.376 billion in unrestricted general government aid, $7.66 billion for Chapter 70 education aid, increased minimum school aid, higher regional school transportation reimbursement, rural aid, and the revival of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. It also highlighted major investments in MassEducate free community college, food security, housing, and support for vulnerable residents. Members then engaged in extended colloquy on the budget’s major cost drivers and policy choices. Questions focused on debt service, pension and OPEB liabilities, MassHealth caseload and rising per-enrollee costs, child care funding, and program integrity in DTA and other benefit programs. The chair said debt service would be about $2.67 billion, pension payments would be $5.1 billion, OPEB would receive a $150 million payment, and MassHealth enrollment was projected at about 2 million with costs driven by acuity and medical inflation. He also said the budget includes no collective bargaining agreements and no state tax changes. Senators supporting the budget praised its investments in education, local aid, homelessness prevention, public health, libraries, and housing, while minority leaders and others stressed the need for fiscal discipline, transparency, and further work on affordability and municipal support. The Senate also received a House message on House No. 5316, which the House had nonconcurred in, and a conference committee was appointed on the disagreement.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:19:27.120> of we are moving the needle uh in terms of we are moving the needle uh in terms
• <00:25:20.480> of trying to uh get from in in terms of trying to uh get from in in terms of
• People use terms incredible stories.
• Um and so we're that term quite often.
• I'm not sure of the proper terms here.

Bills: HF4588, HF3685, HF4577, HF4932

Keywords: veterans, veterans affairs, mental health, behavioral health, rural health, rural areas, access to care, task force, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, general fund appropriation, veteran suicide prevention, PTSD, service members, military families, telehealth, rural psychiatry, high school diploma, armed forces, education policy, military service

Transcript Highlights:

• I thank you for the opportunity to just kind of go under the hood a little bit, if you will, in terms
• <00:03:52.159> of<00:03:52.560> how in terms of how in terms of how uh<00:03:54.560
• of uh the and execute the exact terms of uh the contracts.
• We're the long-term members.
• . term. term.

Bills: SF2434

Keywords: housing, development fund, affordable housing, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, expenditure provisions

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, just kind of a general term that probably means using anything but a pharmaceutical for that term
• We have term limits there.
• We have term >> Okay. Okay. Well, we do. We have term limits<01:58:15.240> there.
• non-term limited chairman. non-term limited chairman.
• <04:07:05.520> Um differently in terms of payment? Um differently in terms of payment?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:40:13.760> of<00:40:14.000> developmental up in terms of developmental up in terms
• rup applications are reported in terms rup applications are reported in terms of<00:51:23.880>
• <00:51:33.280> extra varying tax map key lengths extra varying tax map key lengths extra characters
• mind because they were outliers in terms mind because they were outliers in terms of<01:26:40.280
• <01:44:53.320> of does that come in so in in terms of does that come in so in in terms of

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing of Senate and House committees focused on restricted use pesticides in Hawaiʻi, with opening remarks framing the issue as one of health, environmental impact, and state-level regulation. The briefing reviewed the history of pesticide disclosure efforts, including prior county actions, a 2016 court ruling that shifted responsibility to the state, and Act 45, which enabled disclosure of restricted use pesticide data. Speakers highlighted 2019 reporting data showing concentrated use in parts of Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, especially near schools and communities, and identified fumigants such as 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium as among the heaviest-used products. Concerns were raised about potential links to cancer, respiratory illness, reproductive harms, Parkinson’s disease, and developmental effects, as well as the lack of long-term mixture studies and the need for better buffer zones, reporting, and farmer transition support. The Department of Agriculture’s pesticides program manager described the state’s regulatory framework, explaining the distinction between general use and restricted use pesticides and the department’s role under FIFRA and Hawaiʻi law. He outlined the branch’s enforcement, education/certification, registration, and laboratory functions, including inspections, complaint response, market surveillance, applicator certification, product review, groundwater protection modeling, and special registrations. He also noted staffing and resource limitations, including the absence of an in-house toxicologist and long-term monitoring capacity, and compared Hawaiʻi’s resources to California’s much larger pesticide regulatory program. He said the department supports Act 231, which was passed the previous year and is moving forward this session. A pediatrician speaking for the Hawaiʻi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized concerns about chronic low-level pesticide exposure in children, citing AAP policy statements and technical reports that associate exposure with cancer, leukemia, birth defects, neurobehavioral issues, and asthma. Drawing on work with the Kauaʻi Joint Fact Finding Task Force, the speaker said the group found the west side of the island to be an unhealthy community but could not prove causation because of missing drift, geospatial, and biomarker data. The testimony pointed to elevated cancer mortality, pneumonia admissions, obesity, dialysis, and developmental delay indicators, and described concerns about pesticide drift near schools and homes, including reports of children becoming ill after nearby spraying and low levels of chlorpyrifos detected in dust samples. An environmental health scientist from the University of Hawaiʻi described a pilot project using restricted use pesticide data in a public health context. She said the project began after seeing maps of Central Oʻahu pesticide use and aimed to pair GIS data with health and ethnicity data, while also conducting community focus groups. Preliminary focus group themes included calls to action, voting and policymaker awareness, concern about pesticide use near homes and fields, lack of community consent, and a desire to stay engaged. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Reforming is about improving over the long term.
• The continent of Africa is the future in terms of humanity.
• We have to be vigilant, both in the long term and the short term, to ensure that China is not able to
• that we will see a continuation of in this term.
• I support the President's decision, but we need to push back in the short-term and long-term against

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh well. terms of notification. Our rules are terms of notification.
• So, they have at arm’s length.
• So, they have at arm’s length.
• So, they have at arm’s length.
• PSAO is a very generic term.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 47, sponsored by Senator Regina Birdsell at the request of the Insurance Department. The bill would clarify that a birth mother’s health insurance is the primary policy for a newborn’s care unless the mother has no coverage or no employer-sponsored coverage. Birdsell and Insurance Commissioner DJ Benton Court said the measure simply codifies the department’s long-standing interpretation of existing law. Representative Miles asked whether the coverage would extend to a grandchild if a young woman on her parents’ plan had a baby, and Birdsell said it would. The hearing on SB 47 was then closed. The committee next heard Senate Bill 121, introduced by Grant Bosi for Senator Kevin Avard. The bill requires insurers to notify the Insurance Department when they stop writing an entire line of business or, in some cases, when they change Medicare Advantage offerings. Benton Court said the bill was prompted by disruption in the Medicare Advantage market, where consumers and the department were confused by carriers exiting, changing plans, or narrowing offerings. He said the department does not regulate Medicare Advantage itself, but does license the carriers, and the notice requirement would help the department advise consumers; he also said noncompliance could affect a carrier’s license and could lead to fines. Members discussed the notice period, and the department and AHIP indicated support for changing it from 120 days to 90 days to align with federal timing. The hearing was closed with plans to work on an amendment in subcommittee. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 247, introduced by Representative Brian Cole, which would prohibit network exclusion for pharmacies that refuse to dispense prescriptions when PBM reimbursement is below acquisition cost. Cole said the bill is meant to stop pharmacies from being forced to sell at a loss. Members questioned whether pharmacies voluntarily enter PBM contracts, whether the bill would raise consumer prices, and whether it would mainly affect independent pharmacies. Cole and others said the issue has changed over time because PBMs now control a much larger share of the market, and that the bill would let pharmacies refuse loss-making fills and direct patients to mail order instead. The discussion also noted that the bill excludes Medicare and Medicaid and that the current proposal does not create a middle-ground option for patients to pay a premium at the counter.

Transcript Highlights:

• The long-term costs are the data storage.
• The long-term costs are the data storage.
• term, we were on the Early Childhood Education Committee together.
• was in his second term, we Chair West was in his second term, we were<01:26:07.600> on<01:26:
• <01:36:45.440> lengths,<01:36:45.760> and lengths, just just great lengths, and lengths

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a lot of accountability, which is something that we discussed at length at the last joint committee
• that<00:26:29.360> we<00:26:29.600> discussed<00:26:30.000> at<00:26:30.240> length
• ><00:26:31.039> at<00:26:31.279> the<00:26:31.520> last that we discussed at length
• at the last that we discussed at length at the last joint<00:26:32.320> committee<00:26:32.799
• and try to see if we can work with the state treasurer to drop that number down in more favorable terms

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:17.120> of to know and hear from him in terms of to know and hear from him in terms
• mark and if we go beyond that in terms mark and if we go beyond that in terms of<00:14:06.880>
• . in terms of special education program. in terms of these<00:14:53.199> kids<00:14:54.000>
• the confidence factor um uh in in terms the confidence factor um uh in in terms of<01:00:02.160>
• terms terms of<01:32:19.840> it?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met for its third discussion on special education aid under retained bill 742, with the chair noting that no action would be taken at the meeting. The chair reviewed prior hearings on Medicaid and local special education funding shortfalls, saying the committee was trying to understand why districts are facing proration of special education aid and how to reduce unfunded costs. He raised a series of questions for the Department of Education about the Nessus system, eligibility and ineligibility, invoices and vouchers, audit procedures, reimbursement rates, out-of-state placements, and who enters data at the district level. Rebecca Fdet, director of special education services at the Department of Education, explained that Nessus is the statewide special education information system and that every child in special education must be entered into it. She said most districts use it to develop IEPs and track services, while six districts use it only as a data reporting tool. She described which fields are required, how the system connects IEP development to the financial section, and how districts submit invoices when seeking special education aid, court-ordered placement payments, or episode-of-treatment placements. She said the department reviews invoices against the IEP, pays only for allowable services, and uses a cap that notifies districts when they reach the annual limit. Members asked about who submits the information, how districts decide when to seek aid, and how costs are calculated for individual or group services. Fdet said the district, usually an administrative assistant in the SAU office, submits the documentation electronically, and districts decide when to track students for aid based on their own circumstances. She said reimbursement is based on actual costs tied to the IEP, with group services split among students, and that the department does not generally set rates for local services. The only rate-setting she described was for approved private special education providers, which submit annual cost spreadsheets for tuition rates. She also said out-of-state providers must be approved by their own state, and the department checks licensure and certification through monitoring and investigations if concerns arise. The department also described its monitoring process, called Program Approval and General Supervision Monitoring, or PAGS. Fdet said districts are reviewed on a six-year cycle, with more intensive review for districts needing assistance or intervention and fewer file requests for districts meeting requirements. She said the department can review up to 65 data points on an IEP and that districts must submit special education aid paperwork by July 31, with superintendent verification due by August 15. The meeting ended with continued questions about procurement, audit procedures, and how the department handles out-of-district and out-of-state placements.