Transcript Highlights:

• When we build stuff, they design it, help design it, manage the project, and inspect the project as it's
• This project is a 10-year beneficiaries.
• </c><01:43:58.480><c> and</c><01:43:58.719><c> and</c> LMster for um design and and LMster for um design
• </c><01:44:06.960><c> activities</c> is for the design activities is for the design activities pre-construction
• Secondly is design. Third is construction and testing.

Committee: Senate Capital Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• They can apply for the design and engineering As a result of having a two-phase approach where they first
• complete the design, and then once they have a design in that construction estimate, they use that for
• And I know that that law had changed because we added additional beneficiaries to it.

Committee: House House Taxation & Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• And lastly, it prohibits an attorney representing an injured worker or the worker's beneficiary from
• Rates are set using actuarial principles and must be designed to limit fluctuations and encourage accident
• Rates are set using actuarial principles and must be designed to limit fluctuations and encourage accident
• HB 2188 is designed to provide more information and greater detail about rate classes.

Bills: HB2188 , HB2563 , HB1571 , HB2144 , HB2191 , HB2218 , HB2243 , HB2372

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: transparency, industrial insurance, insurance rate increases, financial disclosure, regulatory oversight, unemployment, electronic notices, compensation, digital communication, order processing, workers' compensation, occupational disease, firefighters, fire investigators, law enforcement officers, first responders, heart disease, cardiac conditions, respiratory disease, cancer presumption

Transcript Highlights:

• The CCA revenue is designed to decline over time, and because of this, the Climate Commitment Act was
• Last year you authorized music therapy as a therapeutic design.
• Last year you authorized music therapy as a therapeutic design.
• some of the most vulnerable elders in our state. 70% of all of our care days were for Medicaid beneficiaries

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee continued its public hearing on House Bill 2289, the fiscal biennial supplemental operating budget appropriations bill. The chair and vice chair explained the hearing process, limited testimony to one minute per person, and then heard extensive public comment from a wide range of advocates, local officials, service providers, and residents. No committee vote was taken during the hearing. Much of the testimony focused on opposition to proposed budget shifts involving Climate Commitment Act revenue, especially the proposed diversion of $569 million to other uses, including the Working Families Tax Credit. Environmental, public health, and local government witnesses argued those funds should remain dedicated to climate pollution reduction, wildfire resilience, clean transportation, natural climate solutions, and affordability programs. Several speakers also urged full funding for wildfire response and forest health, including the HB 1168 commitment, and opposed transfers from the Public Works Assistance Account. Other major topics included Medicaid and long-term care rates, with nursing home and assisted living providers warning that freezing or delaying rate rebasing would worsen staffing shortages and threaten access to care. Public health and health care advocates opposed cuts to foundational public health services, Apple Health expansion, and pharmacy benefit changes, while oral health advocates asked to preserve Medicaid dental funding and support Dentist Link. Testimony also supported or opposed funding for K-12 programs such as special education, the Ninth Grade Success Initiative, and homeless student stability; early learning and child care subsidies; disability services; public defense; housing and homelessness prevention; food assistance; higher education; and immigrant legal services. The committee concluded the hearing and adjourned after public testimony ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill that we previously heard, which relates to information made available to a relative or other designated
• that OIG peace officers are paid according to the Schedule C scale. ...Salary Schedule, which is designed
• We require that our state agencies first attempt to automatically renew those beneficiaries using readily
• As a health center that's designated as an FQHC, we are bound by both statute and our mission to provide

Bills: HB1531 , HB2667 , HB2809 , HB2865 , HB3589 , HB3151 , HB3748 , HB3750 , HB4419 , HB4643 , HB3597 , HB4129 , HB4130 , HB4131

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• further restrict or mandate employment and training that the federal law already is imposing on SNAP beneficiaries
• Beneficiaries, and a lot of the—I forget the number—but most of the recipients of the SNAP benefit are
• safely say also that there are programs within SNAP where many of the individuals, families, and beneficiaries

Transcript Highlights:

• And being a beneficiary of somebody who grew up on an oil and gas trench, that goes up and it goes down
• Is that environmental design, right-of-way acquisition, the whole thing?
• and then we go in and we do the begin doing all of the final design and development of that.
• There was design issues, the engineer of record was Unfortunately, we were already under construction
• when that decision was made. to say that all the design issues have been resolved all the safety issues

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• to increase access to proposal designed to increase access to mental<00:26:19.120><c> health</c><00:
• Reducing coverage that is already available to Medicaid beneficiaries is a step backward, increasing
• </c><01:02:00.600><c> is</c><01:02:00.720><c> a</c> available to Medicaid beneficiaries is a available
• to Medicaid beneficiaries is a step<01:02:01.120><c> back</c><01:02:01.680><c> is</c><01:02:01.840><
• </c><01:30:53.880><c> so</c> you know, our our system is designed so you know, our our system is designed

Bills: HF4493 , HF3133 , HF4595 , HF4143 , HF4142 , HF3756 , HF4289 , HF1724 , HF2291 , HF4568 , HF4547

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• All of these efforts are designed to ensure that every dollar, whether it's state or federal, is used
• They serve their purpose at the time, but they are not designed for the modern health care systems we
• Why wouldn’t the beneficiary of the payment be the one that was advertised in that program?
• This program was designed. Again, you're talking about people that ...seems to be conflating.
• DCFS intends to procure a vendor for the project by July 2026, with development, design, and implementation

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• And that modeling came out at $454 million to replace the program design that was previously implemented
• .” “$554 million to replace the program design that was previously implemented.
• So who has the authority to design the H-CARF dollars right now?
• We are planning for this in our implementation design.
• Several other ways that are designed to principally support individuals who can't be matched from the

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 and related federal actions on Covered California, Medi-Cal, and immigrant access to care. The chair framed the discussion around three main issues: expected losses in marketplace coverage as enhanced federal premium subsidies expire, new federal work and renewal requirements that would add administrative burden to Medi-Cal, and the loss of eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. Covered California testified that H.R. 1 and new federal rules, combined with the end of enhanced premium tax credits, are driving higher premiums, lower new enrollment, and more cancellations, especially among middle-income, Latino, and Black enrollees. The agency said California’s $190 million state subsidy program is helping lower-income enrollees but cannot replace the lost federal assistance, and it noted that roughly 120,000 lawfully present immigrants in Covered California will lose federal tax credits in 2027. On Medi-Cal, the Department of Health Care Services said H.R. 1 will require work and community engagement verification, six-month renewals for certain adults, and other changes that the department expects will reduce enrollment substantially. DHCS estimated 233,000 members could lose coverage by June 2027 from the work requirement and 289,000 from six-month renewals, with losses rising much higher by 2028; it also said it is using automation, outreach, clinic navigators, coverage ambassadors, community health workers, and street medicine providers to reduce procedural disenrollments. The department described a two-phase outreach plan and said it is working with counties on implementation, while the Department of Finance said the Governor’s budget maintains $190 million for the state subsidy program and does not propose additional changes at this time. The LAO said its independent forecast is somewhat higher than the administration’s, estimating about 2.1 million fewer Medi-Cal enrollees by June 2028, and urged the Legislature to review county administrative workload and readiness. Public testimony and member comments focused on the human and fiscal consequences of coverage losses. A representative from the Sacramento Native American Health Center warned that reduced reimbursement and coverage losses would destabilize community health centers, increase uncompensated care, and worsen outcomes by pushing patients into emergency care. Members raised concerns about paperwork burdens, county capacity, outreach effectiveness, and whether the state should do more to preserve coverage, including possible modeling of additional H-CARF spending and support for middle-income consumers and immigrant enrollees. The hearing did not take any votes or formal actions, but it ended with public comment and continued discussion of implementation and budget options.

Transcript Highlights:

• The streamlined sales and use tax agreement is a multi-state initiative designed to simplify and modernize
• This, the underlying legislation that this is working with, was designed to send a little bit of sales
• know, a very dear friend of mine whom I adore and respect shared with me that his mother was the beneficiary

Summary: House Finance held public hearings on several tax and property-related bills. HB 2584 would create a sales and use tax exemption for qualifying farm machinery and equipment purchased by eligible farmers, with supporters arguing it would ease financial pressure on farmers, encourage investment in more efficient and environmentally friendly equipment, and help rural economies. County officials opposed extending the exemption to local sales taxes, warning of cumulative revenue losses for local governments. HB 2376 would consolidate the state school property tax levy and expand property tax relief for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans by raising income thresholds, increasing exemption amounts, and simplifying the income calculation; county assessors and local officials supported the bill as a way to help residents age in place, while opponents argued it would raise taxes for others and weaken the 1% cap. HB 2610 would broaden the nonprofit homeownership development property tax exemption to allow limited interim rental or community use without losing the exemption, and testimony from affordable housing groups supported the change as a practical way to keep projects moving and reduce costs. HB 2615 would codify the Department of Revenue’s voluntary disclosure program and create a temporary tax amnesty period for certain unpaid business taxes; supporters said it would bring businesses into compliance and generate revenue, while one sponsor noted technical issues still needed to be resolved. In executive session, the committee advanced four bills. HB 2194, allowing a county and city within it to concurrently impose a cultural access program sales tax, passed 10-5. Substitute HB 2257, a broad tax code cleanup and technical changes bill, passed unanimously 15-0 after members said it clarified ambiguities from prior legislation. HB 2528, which would remove voter-approval requirements for certain cities to impose a local real estate excise tax, passed 11-4 despite objections that it reduced voter control over tax increases. HB 2175, exempting certain nonprofit providers of free durable medical equipment from sales tax on repair parts, also passed unanimously 15-0. The chair announced that HB 2584, HB 2610, and HB 2615 would be scheduled for executive action the following day, with no amendments allowed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Birdwell, you'll recall that... that whole system with the 30.06 and 30.07 signs is designed
• Texas lottery tickets with sophisticated algorithms designed to purchase every possible combination in
• We do know there are other beneficiaries of the lottery, such as our veterans, and we've talked about

Bills: SB82 , SB1807 , SB2254 , HB 119 , HB 130 , HB581 , HJR98 , SB1988 , SB 18 , SB 34

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• This scope of practice bill is just designed to provide more access to these medical practitioners in
• I actually have ERS and TRS beneficiaries who pay extra for our services just because they're so frustrated
• This design comes from concerns that potential health plan non-compliance may burden providers and affect

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

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• In 1919, Alice Parker patented one of the earliest designs for a central heating system using forced
• Her design imagined central air and zoning decades before forced-air systems became standard.
• Compacts by design increase access to health care.
• decision-making authority may remain with someone they no longer trust, and life insurance and beneficiary
• designations can be legally constrained.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 1919, Alice Parker patented one of the earliest designs for a central heating system using forced
• Her design imagined central air and zoning decades before forced-air systems became standard in American
• Compacts by design increase access to health care.
• decision-making authority may remain with someone they no longer trust, and life insurance and beneficiary
• designations can be legally constrained.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal by roll call vote, 114-1. Members spent a large portion of the morning introducing guests and recognizing visitors, including career and technical education students, FFA and FCCLA groups, school leaders, interns, a physician of the day, and a Black History Month personal privilege honoring inventor Alice H. Parker and her early central heating design. The chamber then took up several bills for perfection and printing. House Bill 1847, the Missouri Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact, was presented as a workforce and access-to-care measure; members cited dental shortages and broad professional support, and it was ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1866, dealing with peace officer licensure, was presented as allowing the Department of Public Safety to deny applicants whose licenses were revoked or suspended elsewhere and to require U.S. citizenship; an amendment to allow lawful permanent residents who honorably served in the military to qualify was debated at length but failed 95-52, and the bill was then ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1908, with a companion bill, was described by its sponsor as ending a Missouri rule that delays divorce when a spouse is pregnant; supporters framed it as a due process and safety issue, especially for abuse survivors, and it was adopted and ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1961, creating temporary licensure and a compact for dietitians, and House Bill 2180, changing Department of Revenue notice delivery options for blind pension recipients and taxpayers to include first-class mail and electronic delivery, both drew support as workforce or accessibility measures and were ordered perfected and printed after amendments. House Bill 2591, which would let speech-language pathologists count clinical fellowship experience completed in any state toward Missouri licensure, also passed perfection and printing. The House then moved to announcements and recessed until 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• They considered a broad range of options and ultimately landed on a social insurance design, a universal
• In 2024, the legislature fixed another social insurance design flaw.
• WACares doesn't completely solve the long-term care problem for Washington families, nor was it designed
• of the LTSS Trust account, created in RCW, in accordance with recognized insurance principles and designed
• the program, which is to provide secure and meaningful benefits at the lowest expected costs for beneficiaries

Committee: Joint Pension Funding Council

Summary: The Pension Funding Council met on October 8 with introductions from council members and staff, then received a detailed presentation from the Office of the State Actuary on long-term economic assumptions and the state pension systems’ financial condition. OSA reported that the combined pension systems are currently 100% funded on a smoothed basis, with open plans above 95% funded, and that legacy Plan 1 systems remain on a path toward full funding under current policy. The actuaries recommended updating assumptions to 3% inflation, 3.5% general salary growth, and a 7.25% investment return, while keeping Plan 1 membership growth at 1%. They also explained asset smoothing, the role of recent strong investment returns, and the expected budget impacts of the recommended changes. Representatives from the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council and the State Investment Board offered supporting perspectives, generally describing the assumptions as reasonable and consistent with their own outlooks. The council also heard an overview of the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program (WACares) from DSHS and OSA. Program staff described the program’s social insurance structure, premium collection, benefit eligibility, and upcoming implementation milestones. OSA reported that the program’s first actuarial valuation showed a positive actuarial balance under the base scenario and recommended no change to the current 0.58% premium rate during the program’s early learning phase, noting that future changes would depend on experience and the program’s risk-management framework. OSA also said the recommendation would remain the same regardless of the outcome of the pending ballot measure affecting investment options. During public comment, a representative of the Washington State School Retirees Association urged continued work on Plan 1 funding and related legislation, while the Association of Washington Cities cautioned against increasing pension assumptions in a way that could raise future employer costs and reduce flexibility for current local government services. In action, the council adopted a motion to maintain the current long-term economic assumptions by a 4-2 vote, adopted the recommendation to keep the WACares premium rate at 0.58% by a 6-0 vote, and then elected Katie Chapman as council chair by unanimous vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm focused mostly on beneficiaries here, right?
• We don't know very much about beneficiary fraud in the United States or in Texas, and we don't really

Bills: HB660 , HB4845 , HB3902 , HB5396 , HB4615 , HB1825 , HB1403 , HB4336 , HB4585 , HB4371 , HB863 , SB1589 , HB5223 , HB3195 , HB2734

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• The page is designed to improve accessibility and accountability while supporting informed decision-making
• in scope and appeal, targeting distinct visitor segments and offering new or expanded experiences designed
• to attract new travelers, segments and offering new or expanded experiences designed to attract new
• first... ...supported the company in the mid-2000s when Packett Digital was known for electronic design
• The primary beneficiaries of these projects must be income-eligible individuals. And the U.S.

Summary: The Budget Section’s Commerce and Legal Services division met to review the Department of Commerce base budget and current program activities for the 2027-29 biennium. Legislative Council staff first walked through a new “blue sheet” summary explaining what is included in Commerce’s base budget, with emphasis on salaries, operating costs, and especially grant authority funded largely by federal dollars. Members asked about how grant funding is coordinated across agencies, and staff noted that some programs, such as LIHEAP and UAS-related work, involve interagency collaboration and federal budget authority that may not match exact cash received. Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilke then presented on grant administration, the department’s transparency page, and several grant programs, including Destination Development and Automate ND. Members questioned how many entities apply for grants, what criteria are used, whether return on investment is tracked, and how long grant awards take to reach recipients. A lengthy exchange followed over whether Commerce must follow state procurement law or instead administer grants using its own “best practices” process; the commissioner said the department’s approach was based on legal guidance and competitive grantmaking, while some legislators argued the process should more closely reflect legislative intent. The department also highlighted the North Dakota Development Fund, child care loans, and workforce initiatives. Commerce described Development Fund investments, including examples of successful projects and a child care loan program that has supported 43 active businesses serving 3,754 children. Staff also outlined a new non-primary-sector lending framework and said a workforce and housing sub-cabinet are working on more coordinated statewide strategies. Workforce Director Katie Ralston Howell presented a broad workforce-system assessment, a new shared vision, and task forces focused on simplifying entry, improving warm handoffs, and building a public dashboard of shared metrics; members discussed higher education alignment, career pathways, and the need for better handoffs from schools to employers. No formal votes were taken, and the meeting ended with plans to continue these budget discussions in June, including the Attorney General budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most bridges are designed to last about 50 years before a major overhaul or replacement, but with advances
• in technology, many newer bridges are now being designed to last 75 years or longer.
• Technology has advanced, and many newer bridges are now being designed to last 75 years or longer.
• So a lot of these bridges are reaching or have already surpassed their intended design life, and they'll
• Chair and Rebecca, I'm looking at the beneficiaries and Representative Lundstrom, I love your idea.

Summary: The committee first heard TRIP’s annual New Mexico transportation report from Carolyn Boniface Kelly, which described deteriorating roads and bridges, congestion, safety concerns, and a large transportation funding gap. The report said more than half of major roads statewide are in poor or mediocre condition, over 170 bridges are rated poor, congestion costs drivers significant time and money, and traffic crashes and road conditions impose billions in annual costs. Members broadly agreed the report underscored the need for more stable transportation funding, with several noting the state’s recurring underinvestment and the safety risks to motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2, a transportation bonding and revenue package. Senator Gonzales and Governor’s office and NMDOT representatives said the bill would authorize about $1.5 billion in additional bond debt for ready-to-go highway projects, while also increasing certain motor vehicle excise, registration, weight-distance, and EV-related fees to help support debt service and transportation funding. Supporters, including contractors, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber, the Department of Finance and Administration, and transportation officials, argued the bill would improve safety, economic development, project delivery, and funding stability, and help preserve federal dollars. Opponents, including the Rio Grande Foundation and some committee members, objected to the tax and fee increases, argued the state should use existing surpluses or other funds instead, and raised concerns about impacts on families, businesses, and local governments. Committee members questioned how projects would be selected, how the new fees were calculated, how EV surcharges would work, and whether local government distributions would be affected. NMDOT said the projects would be reported to the legislature annually, selected using crash data, asset management, and project readiness, but bond approval would remain with the State Transportation Commission. After debate, Representative Romero moved do pass on SB 2 as amended, Representative Hochman-Vigil seconded, and the committee approved the bill 7-2, with Representatives Brown and Dow voting no and several members expressing reservations despite supporting the need for transportation investment.

Transcript Highlights:

• through a pretty aggressive procurement selection system, and we've been able to select a progressive design-build
• We're going to be entering into design and committing with our progressive design-build team an actual
• design come this summer, and then the first phase of construction is going to actually start in the
• considerations that we're certainly looking into, not only just at the validation phase, but also at the design
• We are a design-build mechanical contractor for large buildings, both public and private.

Bills: HB2330 , HB2338

Committee: House Capital Budget

Keywords: energy systems, capital funding, state campus, school infrastructure, sustainability, weatherization, energy efficiency, community projects, environment