Transcript Highlights:

• of at the breakfast and lunch at the age of at the age<00:17:48.080><c> of</c><00:17:48.320><c> 21.
• The system does not support age of 21.
• It is if you were the age of 20 to 22.
• And I did eligible at the age of 20.
• It was a big difference between my age.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Among school-age parents in the PPI poll that came out just this month, only 7% of parents in the entire
• and as a mother of two children, when I had to pull my kids out and put them in another academic facility
• , it was really heartbreaking the hurdles. ...in another academic facility.
• preschool all the way to high school and community college, and I've also taught in three prison facilities

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• way they operate and can even undermine quality of service if they can't raise capital to upgrade facilities
• importance of making smart investments to support the safety of the gas system because we do have aging
• mostly retired railroad people live, where La Paz is, where the Sezerus is, where the Cesar Chavez facility
• ... ...retired railroad people live, where La Paz is, where the Cesar Chavez facility is.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing focused on electric rates, utility regulation, affordability, reliability, and wildfire-related costs. The chair framed the discussion around the challenge of transitioning to a cleaner grid while keeping bills affordable and the system reliable, and noted the hearing also served as the annual update from the CPUC and Public Advocates Office. Professor Severin Borenstein gave a primer on utility regulation, explaining the split between deregulated generation and regulated transmission/distribution, the basics of cost-of-service regulation, and the role of return on equity. He argued that high allowed returns can encourage capital-intensive spending and that many public policy costs now embedded in rates would be better funded through the state budget, while warning that price caps or performance-based regulation are not silver bullets. CPUC President-designate Alice Reynolds described the commission’s role as economic regulator of investor-owned utilities and said affordability is being addressed through rate case scrutiny, reasonableness reviews, and legislative direction. She said wildfire mitigation and insurance costs have been major drivers of rate increases, but some wildfire-related costs are time-limited and will roll off rates over time. She also highlighted progress on clean energy procurement, battery storage growth, and integrated resource planning to meet climate goals while maintaining reliability. Reynolds said the CPUC is reviewing utility spending, disallowing imprudent costs where appropriate, and litigating at FERC to challenge transmission costs. Members pressed both witnesses on several issues, including whether rates are being inflated by legislative mandates and balancing accounts, whether utility returns are too high, and whether the state should shift more public-policy costs off electric bills and into the General Fund. Senators also raised concerns about load growth from data centers and ports, gas-system stranded assets as electrification advances, and whether the CPUC is over-regulating or discouraging innovation. Reynolds said the CPUC is working with the Energy Commission, CAISO, and the Air Resources Board on a holistic planning process, and pointed to tools such as interconnection reforms and demand flexibility. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with several follow-up requests for reports and data.

Transcript Highlights:

• way they operate and can even undermine quality of service if they can't raise capital to upgrade facilities
• way they operate and can even undermine quality of service if they can't raise capital to upgrade facilities
• importance of making smart investments to support the safety of the gas system, because we do have aging
• mostly retired railroad people live, where La Paz is, where the Severs is, where the César Chávez facility

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing focused on electric rates, utility regulation, affordability, wildfire costs, and the California Public Utilities Commission’s role. Chair and members framed the discussion around the challenge of transitioning to a cleaner grid while maintaining reliability and keeping bills affordable. The hearing also served as the annual update from the CPUC and the Public Advocates Office, with testimony from Professor Severin Borenstein and CPUC President-designate Alice Reynolds. Borenstein gave a primer on utility regulation, explaining that generation is largely deregulated while transmission and distribution remain regulated, and that most rate-setting follows cost-of-service regulation. He emphasized that the hardest issue is setting the allowed return on equity: too high can raise bills and encourage capital-heavy spending, while too low can deter investment and harm reliability. He argued there is no silver bullet, said performance-based regulation and price caps have limits, and suggested some costs now charged through electric bills—such as climate programs, low-income subsidies, and wildfire-related public policy costs—might more appropriately be paid through the state budget. Reynolds described the CPUC’s oversight role, saying the commission reviews utility spending through general rate cases, balancing accounts, and other proceedings, and that affordability is addressed through front-end scrutiny, post-spend accountability, and legislative direction. She highlighted wildfire mitigation as a major driver of rate increases, noted recent progress on clean energy procurement and battery storage, and said the CPUC is working on return-on-equity decisions, FERC advocacy on transmission costs, and implementation of SB 254 and other statutes. Members pressed on a range of issues, including wildfire securitization, load growth from EVs and data centers, gas-system stranded assets, balancing accounts, and a water-service dispute in Keene involving Union Pacific. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with several follow-up commitments from the CPUC to provide data and updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• way they operate and can even undermine quality of service if they can't raise capital to upgrade facilities
• importance of making smart investments to support the safety of the gas system because we do have aging
• mostly retired railroad people live, where La Paz is, where the Sezerus is, where the Cesar Chavez facility
• ... ...retired railroad people live, where La Paz is, where the Cesar Chavez facility is.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> qualify for a high acuity facility? qualify for a high acuity facility?
• </c> a separate facility that stands alone. a separate facility that stands alone.
• </c> a a treatment facility would look like. a a treatment facility would look like.
• </c> would want to work uh in that facility. would want to work uh in that facility.
• </c> more than doing an individual facility. more than doing an individual facility.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard from the Department of Corrections first about Wellpath’s medical services contract and the contractor’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. DOC officials said Wellpath’s reorganization plan was confirmed in May 2025, the contract was automatically assumed, and services have continued without lapses. They said DOC has not seen any reduction in care, staffing problems, or known impact on Kentucky operations, and that DOC and health services staff meet with Wellpath almost weekly. Members asked whether “emergence” meant discharge from bankruptcy; staff clarified that Wellpath has not yet been discharged and is still in the process of paying debts. The discussion then shifted to the Department of Juvenile Justice’s proposed high-acuity juvenile mental health treatment facility. DJJ said the facility is still in the conceptual and preliminary programming stage, with no full design funding yet and no entry into the formal A/B process with DECA. The proposed facility would have 24 beds total, split into 16 clinical beds and 8 assessment/stabilization beds, and would need to separate males and females as well as high- and low-risk youth under Senate Bill 162. Officials said the concept was developed with DJJ and CHFS mental health staff and outside design experts, and that the project was submitted in the capital plan for consideration. Members questioned the need for the facility, the estimated construction and staffing costs, and whether the state has enough youth to justify it. DJJ said the number of youth needing this level of care changes frequently, that they currently have one youth in Pennsylvania and typically send one to five youth out of state each year, and that out-of-state placement is increasingly difficult. Officials argued that a dedicated facility would reduce delays, keep youth closer to home, and avoid the need to retrofit multiple detention centers. Some members expressed concern that the projected operating costs seemed high compared with the small number of current out-of-state placements, and asked for more information on annual out-of-state spending and the number of youth who would qualify for the facility.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:36.400><c> coaches</c> for instructional facilities coaches for instructional facilities coaches
• I have two kids, both elementary age, and I see the moving parts that they are able to do in that block
• I have two kids,<01:25:40.880><c> both</c><01:25:41.199><c> elementary</c><01:25:41.679><c> age,</c><
• Um, but like I said, through the block grant, we’ve been able to use... an aging population.
• I live in a an aging population.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:15:26.000><c> 28,</c><03:15:26.880><c> are</c> young women and men, average age 28, are young
• women and men, average age 28, are murdered<03:15:27.520><c> in</c><03:15:27.680><c> cold</c><03:15:
• , when you are trying to get a facility, when you are trying to get a passport,<07:45:04.878><c> when
• 140,000 children under the age of 19, 40,000 seniors over the age of 65 in my district are at risk because
• 140,000 children under the age Security?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, May 5, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> qualify for a high acuity facility? qualify for a high acuity facility?
• Um, I think we would love for this to be, you know, a smaller facility or a less costly facility.
• Um, I think we would love for this to be, you know, a smaller facility or a less costly facility.
• </c> um some of the facilities that we have? um some of the facilities that we have?
• facility.

Keywords: The original version of this live stream dropped before the meeting was technically finished. This is the complete copy pulled from back up sources., 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear updates from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on two related issues: a proposed high-acuity juvenile mental health treatment facility and medical services contracts, including the impact of Wellpath’s bankruptcy proceedings. At the start, the chair agreed to hear the Department of Corrections first so members could get context on the medical contract before turning to DJJ’s proposal. DOC officials said Wellpath, the department’s comprehensive medical and mental health provider since 2013, was awarded its current contract through a 2021 procurement process. They reported that Wellpath’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan had been confirmed and that the company had transitioned ownership to lenders, but had not yet fully completed the bankruptcy process. DOC said there had been no service lapses, no reduction in care, and no known impact on Kentucky vendors or hospitals, and that DOC staff meet with Wellpath almost weekly. Members asked whether the committee had been kept informed and whether the bankruptcy could affect future services or subcontractors. DJJ then presented its concept for a high-acuity facility, explaining that the project is still in the preliminary programming and conceptual stage and has not yet entered the formal design phase with DECA. Officials said the proposal in the capital plan would create a 24-bed facility, with 16 clinical beds and 8 assessment/stabilization beds, to serve justice-involved youth with serious mental health needs. They said the facility would need to separate males and females and high- and low-risk youth, and that current placements often require sending youth out of state to places such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas. Staff said the goal is to centralize treatment, improve safety, and reduce the need for fragmented or out-of-state placements. Committee members questioned the cost estimates, staffing needs, and whether the facility was justified given the small number of youth currently placed out of state. DJJ said the operational estimate includes an unknown medical-contract component and that the number of youth needing the facility can fluctuate because of surges in the juvenile population. Officials also said they had consulted with South Carolina, which is developing a similar facility, and noted that renovating existing facilities was considered but could be more expensive or impractical than building a separate site. No votes or formal actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Elizabeth Healthcare has the only inpatient facilities in the three northernmost counties in Kentucky
• </c><00:08:31.120><c> in</c><00:08:31.360><c> the</c> has the only inpatient facilities in the has the
• only inpatient facilities in the three<00:08:31.759><c> northernmost</c><00:08:32.560><c> counties</
• Um, there's a roughly an average cost per room in skilled nursing facilities between 12 and 14,000.
• </c><00:47:16.880><c> between</c><00:47:17.440><c> 12</c><00:47:17.839><c> and</c> nursing facilities

Keywords: 00:00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 00:02:20 - Discussion of 26RS HB 689 00:13:13 - Discussion of 26RS SB 201 00:27:45 - Discussion of 26RS HB 583 00:46:37 - Discussion of 26RS HB 488 00:48:13 - Discussion of 26RS HB 2 01:14:34 - Discussion of Kentucky State Plan Amendment (SPA) 26:0001: School-based Medicaid Services Program 01:18:24 - Public Comment, 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Board met on March 9 with a quorum present and no minutes to approve. The chair reordered the agenda to hear House Bill 689 first. Representative Amy Neighbors presented HB 689, which would authorize Kentucky to seek CMS approval for a Medicaid state-directed payment program for physician and non-physician professional services delivered through qualifying hospital-affiliated groups, beginning January 1, 2026, with retroactive payments for that year. She said the bill is intended to improve access to care in rural and underserved areas, support workforce retention, and generate about $29 million annually in federal Medicaid funds without using general fund dollars. Representatives from Owensboro Health and St. Elizabeth Healthcare testified in support, describing staffing and subsidy pressures, lower Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and the importance of the program for maintaining access and quality in rural and safety-net settings. Committee members noted the bill had already passed the House Health Services Committee unanimously and discussed broader concerns about Kentucky’s low reimbursement rates and the need to consider other systems not covered by the proposal. The board then heard Senate Bill 2011 from Senator Donald Douglas and Cody Hunt of the Kentucky Medical Association. The bill would address a Medicaid coding issue by ensuring that coverage limits do not reduce payment to fewer than two evaluation and management service units per provider, per patient, per day. Douglas argued the current one-visit, one-issue limitation forces multiple visits, increases no-shows, and prevents providers from treating the whole patient. Hunt explained that the bill is meant to correct a longstanding regulation that limited E&M services to one per physician per recipient per date of service, which can prevent providers from coding additional medically necessary work during the same visit. He said DMS has already filed a regulatory amendment to fix the problem, but a statutory change is still needed to prevent the issue from returning. He also said the bill is not intended to change reimbursement policy, only coding rules, and that MCO payment practices vary. Members generally supported the concept. Senator Berg asked about fiscal impact and private-payer billing; Hunt said there should be no fiscal impact because the bill does not change payment policy, only coding. Representative Moore said the proposal could reduce costs and improve convenience by avoiding extra visits. Chairman Meredith said the bill illustrated problems with fee-for-service care and supported moving toward a more holistic delivery model. Dr. Schuster raised a drafting concern about the bill summary language, and Hunt responded that the regulatory amendment should address the issue generally for providers. No votes were taken on either bill during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• on page two, and it has to do with providing proof of registration by employees of residential facilities
• You'll see on lines 21 through 24 it strikes the requirement that these facilities provide a list of
• </c> by employees of residential facilities by employees of residential facilities uh<00:02:33.120><c
• 00:02:36.640><c> these</c> strikes the requirement that these strikes the requirement that these facilities
• per provide a list of names facilities per provide a list of names of<00:02:39.440><c> the</c><00:02

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• one out of five overdoses since 2019 was from an individual who was released from a correctional facility
• </c> released from a correctional facility released from a correctional facility within<00:29:40.919>
• </c><00:35:04.520><c> um</c><00:35:04.680><c> Community</c> the care facilities um Community the care
• facilities um Community addiction<00:35:05.680><c> resource</c><00:35:06.200><c> Enterprise</c><00:35
• There's a strong substance use component there, so what are age-appropriate times for kids in schools

Bills: HF696 , HF1429 , HF1379

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF696, rural EMS, ambulance, emergency medical services, uncompensated care, payment pool, rural health, Office of Emergency Medical Services, public safety answering point, PSAP, nontransport, unpaid ambulance calls, EMS reimbursement, rural ambulance provider, general fund appropriation, Minnesota health finance, specialized life support, metropolitan counties, emergency response funding, HF1429

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><04:10:23.040><c> and</c> the lease will be a shared facility and the lease will be a shared facility
• </c><04:13:02.479><c> Can</c> designation of a shared facility?
• Can designation of a shared facility?
• </c> &gt;&gt; okay. turning it into a shared facility.
• &gt;&gt; okay. turning it into a shared facility.

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• term geofencing and prohibits geofencing from being used to identify your visits to health care facilities
• Sorry, I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse, but AG Ellison is looking to get some extra
• Sorry, I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse, but AG Ellison is looking to get some extra
• Sorry, I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse, but AG Ellison is looking to get some extra
• Sorry, I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse, but AG Ellison is looking to get some extra

Bills: SF1750 , HF2700 , HF1606 , HF3356 , HF3946 , HF3970 , HF3658 , HF3875 , HF2627 , SF856 , HF1268 , HF1338

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: common interest community, CIC, homeowners association, HOA, condominium, planned community, cooperative, unit owner, association board, declarant, declarant control, special declarant rights, assessment lien, foreclosure, late fees, fines, attorney fees, resale disclosure, annual report, maintenance plan

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> funding of the local facilities fund. funding of the local facilities fund.
• </c> foot facility. foot facility.
• </c> that is a 30,000 square foot facility. that is a 30,000 square foot facility.
• </c> queuing area in this facility as well. queuing area in this facility as well.
• ><c> facility</c> 37,000 foot facility 37,000 foot facility uh<00:58:43.359><c> with</c><00:58:43.680

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary met without a quorum and heard an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on the judicial branch budget. AOC Director Zach Ramsey and budget director Carol Henderson outlined the branch’s current funding structure, noting that fiscal year 2026 general fund support is about 2.77% of the state general fund, below the National Center for State Courts’ typical 2% to 4% range. They emphasized Kentucky’s unusual responsibility for courthouse facilities, with the judicial branch directly involved in construction, maintenance, and operations across 229 facilities in all 120 counties. AOC said nearly 91% of its general fund is spent on personnel and other non-discretionary costs, and that the branch has long relied on agency revenue, restricted fund carryforwards, and vacancy credits to balance court operations. Members were told that Senate Bill 25 required a $34.5 million transfer into a reserve account, part of which was used to purchase the Chamberlain Avenue building in Frankfort. AOC reported that only $11.9 million remains in restricted funds, while it projects needing about $13.5 million to cover fiscal year 2026 obligations, not including roughly $9 million in flood-related remediation costs for Hardin and Franklin counties, much of which it expects to recover through insurance and FEMA. Looking ahead to the next biennium, AOC said it will seek full funding of court operations at $341 million annually, a $13.5 million increase to bring current services into the base appropriation rather than relying on reserves. It also previewed additional requests, including a 15% across-the-board pay parity plan for Kentucky Court of Justice personnel, replacement of declining master commissioner fee revenue tied to 141 deputy circuit court clerk positions, funding for technology subscription and case management system costs, JAV audiovisual system upgrades, AEDs and medical kits for courthouses, and other staffing and operational needs. Senator Funky Frommeyer asked whether the 15% salary proposal was included in the $13.5 million increase; AOC said it was not, and that it would be an additional request. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the Waiawa Correctional Facility, which is a minimum-security facility.
• We have the Waiawa Correctional Facility, which is a minimum-security facility.
• We have the Waiawa Correctional Facility, which is a minimum-security facility.
• We have the Waiawa Correctional Facility, which is a minimum-security facility.
• ><c> um</c><00:20:42.080><c> it</c> facility it's a 90 Bay facility um it facility it's a 90 Bay facility

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we have any data on the age brackets of those that have lost limbs in New Hampshire?
• Do we have any data on the age brackets of those that have lost limbs in New Hampshire?
• </c> age the best way to look at it is by age age the best way to look at it is by age group<01:18:57.840
• </c> free Prosthetics to kids under the age free Prosthetics to kids under the age of<01:30:49.239><c
• You have anxiety, and let's face it, you're aging.'

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• non-partisan organization dedicated to empowering people. 50 and older to choose how they live as they age
• These facilities have absolutely no idea that surplus line policies are in there or where they could
• Texas optometrists from participation when more optometrists are needed to care for the growing and aging

Bills: HB139 , HB1818 , HB1942 , HB1959 , HB2221 , HB2254 , HB2563 , HB2067 , HB2275 , HB3211 , HB139

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: HB 1818, Texas Insurance Code, Texas Department of Insurance, commissioner of insurance, health maintenance organization, HMO, insurer, utilization review, preauthorization, prior authorization, medical necessity review, health care services, medical care, insurance regulation, insurance examination, regulatory oversight, confidential records, public information exception, Chapter 843, Chapter 1301

Transcript Highlights:

• Why do we need this facility in Okay. Why do we need this facility in Kentucky?
• </c> How does the facility solve the problem? How does the facility solve the problem?
• The way this facility is facility.
• Why two female facilities?
• Why two female facilities?

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Facility Prison. Facility Prison.
• facility.
• or a minimum security facility.
• . facilities. facilities.
• Minimum-security facilities.

Keywords: 910, house, all