Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, how would you as a bill author describe the reason we have the ESF?
• I didn't want to interrupt, but we do want to stick to the bill.
• Well, this is directly related to the bill. There's a very real reason...
• provides more GR for you to spend under the pay-as-you-go limit, the revenue limit.
• The effects on the spending limit are tied to your appropriations from biennium to biennium.

Bills: SJR4 , SJR 4

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: economic stabilization fund, state finance, constitutional amendment, budget management, financial security, term limits, state offices, governor, lieutenant governor, election reform

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, Rule 31: all spending bills originate in the House, and in this committee were assigned
• c> the</c> 31 all spending bills originate in the 31 all spending bills originate in the house<00:22:
• So what the Senate will frequently do when they want to spend money on X, they might have a bill of their
• So what the Senate will frequently do when they want to spend money on X, they might have a bill of their
• </c><01:04:34.319><c> going</c> House Bill 2 or other policy Bills going House Bill 2 or other policy

Summary: The Finance Committee met for an organizational opening session in which the chair, Ken Weyler, called the committee to order and members introduced themselves. The introductions established the committee’s leadership and membership, including Vice Chair Dan McGuire, ranking member Mary Jane Wallner, deputy ranking member Karen Eil, clerk Jerry Griffin, and other members from both parties. Many members briefly described prior legislative service and professional backgrounds, with several noting prior experience on Finance or related budget committees. Chair Weyler then outlined committee procedures and expectations. He emphasized that Finance handles spending bills and fiscal notes, that bills will generally be heard by the full committee and then referred to the appropriate division, and that executive sessions may be used to save time when positions are clear. He reviewed rules on attendance, dress, phones, paperwork handling, committee replacements, conflict of interest and recusal, and the process for testimony, including that members should listen without debating witnesses and that sponsors of bills must recuse themselves from questioning witnesses on their own bills. He also described the committee’s structure and workload, noting three divisions and the role of legislative budget staff. Weyler said the committee would likely see bills from many policy committees that have fiscal impacts, and he encouraged policy committees to find offsets within their own areas rather than assume new spending will be added. No bills were heard and no votes were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're ready for our first bill. And that's Senate Bill 534.
• Um Senate Bill 643 requires prime bill.
• </c> bolts of the bill. bolts of the bill.
• </c> amendment becomes the bill. amendment becomes the bill.
• Chair, I'd like to take up Senate Bill<01:27:51.520><c> 437.</c> Bill 437. Bill 437. &gt;&gt; 437.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't bill any of the insurance companies.
• that 40% discount on that particular bill as a paid-in-full bill.
• They're starting to spend the money now in March 2026.
• They have until September of 2027 to spend the money.
• The average annual spending change is 6.9%.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation on LSU Health Care Services Division and Lallie Kemp Medical Center. Staff reviewed HCSD’s roughly $74.7 million budget, much of it tied to legacy obligations for former LSU hospital systems and support for Lallie Kemp. Committee members asked about prisoner care, risk management costs, declining admissions and emergency visits, and the hospital’s 340B drug program. Lallie Kemp officials explained that prisoner care serves multiple state and local facilities, that lower admissions largely reflect more patients being placed in observation status, and that the in-house 340B program provides major savings to patients and the prison system. Members also asked about care for unhoused patients and the hospital’s discharge practices, and the hospital said social services works to find placement when possible. The committee then moved to the Louisiana Department of Health budget, which was presented as just under $23.5 billion, with Medicaid making up more than 90 percent of the total. The presentation covered the Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Health, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Medicaid. Major items included the new Rural Health Transformation Program, the transfer of several functions from DCFS to LDH under the One Door initiative, changes to SNAP administration, and large Medicaid adjustments driven by enrollment, utilization, and federal policy changes. Testimony also highlighted the statewide crisis hub and 988, the commodity food program for seniors, women’s health and maternal outcomes, and the department’s efforts to modernize technology and reorganize services. Members questioned LDH officials on a wide range of budget and policy issues, including the rural health grant, crisis services, Medicaid redeterminations, provider taxes, physician and hospital supplemental payments, nursing home rates, HCBS funding, and the impact of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. LDH said the rural health grant would support workforce, technology, and care-delivery improvements; that the crisis hub and mobile crisis units are being expanded to improve access and reduce emergency room use; and that the department is working to keep the SNAP error rate below 6 percent to avoid a projected state cost increase. Officials also said they expect to return next year with additional funding requests for HCBS and other programs, while emphasizing that current budget changes are largely meant to realign funding with actual expenditures and new federal requirements. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Once we got the new transmitter in there, we didn't have to spend as much money on electricity cooling
• We do spend some of it for some... Programming and we spend some of the funding for production.
• To take that approach, we're still being frugal and making sure that we spend the money correctly.
• I'm happy to go back and cover any that you'd like to spend some time on.
• That's the amount that we spend on those core shared statewide library services.

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• Substitute Senate Bill 5874 is declared passed. We will take the following bill: House Bill 2681.
• It's about helping those who are footing the bill for all this insane spending happening at the state
• Footing the bill for all this insane spending happening at the state.
• The bill was to spend $100 million on law enforcement, non-police response, funding officers, helping
• House Bill 2015 said let's spend $100 million, get more cops on the streets.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , HB2681 , SB5467 , SB5820 , SB5863 , SB5892 , SCR8406 , HB2487 , HB2711 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB6278

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, approved the prior day’s minutes, and then moved through caucuses and a series of transportation, elections, energy, historical records, cannabis, abortion-access, and fiscal bills. Members repeatedly emphasized that several measures were supplemental or technical updates to existing law, while others involved larger policy disputes over taxes, fees, clean energy, election security, and reproductive health. The chamber also received Senate messages on other bills and briefly recessed for caucus during the day. The most prominent action was final passage of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6005, the supplemental transportation budget, after adopting a technical amendment and a larger striker amendment. Supporters highlighted preservation and maintenance funding, rail investments, ferry maintenance, road safety, and continued work on major projects statewide; opponents largely reserved comments or noted concerns about future needs. The House passed the bill 93-0 with five excused. The House also passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2711 on transportation resources, after adopting a technical amendment that removed the aircraft tax and delayed an RV-related tax change; supporters said it protected businesses and jobs, while opponents objected to trade-in treatment and other tax changes. That bill passed 83-10. On elections, the House considered Senate Bill 5892 to protect the voter registration database. An amendment to reduce penalties from a felony to a civil infraction and remove the emergency clause failed, while the committee amendment passed 50-34. Supporters said the bill was needed to safeguard sensitive voter data and clarify access; opponents argued it created conflicts with federal law and imposed excessive penalties on local election officials. The bill then passed 57-36. On energy, Substitute Senate Bill 5982 updating consumer-owned utility provisions drew debate over carbon capture, resource adequacy, data centers, and clean energy policy. Amendments on carbon capture and blackout-triggered termination failed, while an amendment preserving cogeneration exceptions passed; the bill then passed 57-37. The House also passed Senate Bill 5863 on preservation and inspection of state historical records, after rejecting an amendment to require longer retention but adopting the committee amendment; supporters stressed preserving the history of residential habilitation centers and the value to families seeking records. Substitute Senate Bill 5874, allowing the Employment Security Department to waive penalties for minor employer reporting errors, passed unanimously. Engrossed House Bill 2681, raising cannabis license fees while removing an escalator, passed 52-42. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5917 on access to abortion medications saw several failed amendments from opponents seeking to narrow, reframe, or add fiscal limits to the bill; supporters said it preserved flexibility to ensure access and avoid waste, and the bill passed 57-36.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's larger than what we're spending as a country on Medicare, far larger than what we're spending on
• I haven't seen a bill filed for this.
• With that bill, we are working on that.
• Because of this bill, Senate Bill 26, that would remove an Additional 55% of the volatility from the
• we're spending 0.8% of a percent.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> cherro</c> 355 to your bill cherro 355 to your bill cherro welcome<00:01:01.399><c> to</c><00:01
• </c> department wish to testify on this bill department wish to testify on this bill who<00:02:47.120
• I'll move the bill as is. Mr.
• with concerns on the bill?
• I'm here to voice my support for this bill. I'm here to voice my support for this bill.

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• from this bill.
• Do we have a motion on the bill? The bill will be on call. Thank you, Senator.
• This bill is also a labor-oriented bill to make sure that the labor stays here.
• Now, the motivation for this bill is that California spends significantly more...
• The motivation for this bill is that California spends significantly more money to the federal government

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The committee heard several tax and revenue-related bills. SB 1277, by Senator Grove, proposed a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide direct relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, fuel, and utility costs. Supporters argued it would help families struggling with affordability, while opponents, including the California Tax Reform Association and CTA members, said California’s tax system already provides relief and that the bill would reduce General Fund revenue and harm schools. After extended debate, the bill was put on call and later failed on a 1-4 vote, though reconsideration was granted. SB 1287, by Senator Retado, would create a performance-based tax credit for short-line rail investments; supporters said it would improve freight efficiency, safety, emissions, and rural access, while opponents preferred direct grants. The bill was placed on call and later passed 5-0 to Transportation. SB 1407, by Senator Archuleta, would exempt military retirement pay and survivor benefits from state taxes; the author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups said it would help retain veterans and their economic contributions in California, while CTA and CTRA opposed on General Fund grounds. The bill passed 5-0 to Military and Veterans Affairs. SB 1349, by Senator Gonzalez, would direct the LAO to review major tax expenditures for effectiveness and impacts on schools and the budget; CTA and CTRA supported it as a way to increase accountability, and it passed 4-1 to Governmental Organization. SB 1120, by Senator McNerney, would extend the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and make credits refundable for certain strategic industries; business and industry witnesses said this would help startups and manufacturers monetize credits and attract investment, and it passed 5-0 to Appropriations. SB 1275, also by Senator McNerney, proposed converting the state sales tax on vehicle purchases into a deductible vehicle license fee to reduce Californians’ federal tax burden; the LAO provided technical testimony, and the bill passed 4-0 to Transportation. The committee also heard SB 1078, by Senator Laird, to let Santa Cruz County voters consider a temporary local tax increase for health and safety-net services, but it was put on call. Later, the committee returned to SB 1314, by Senator Min, addressing youth tobacco and illicit smoke shop sales, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• over that period, CDCR's current operational spending broken down by major category, prison spending
• over that period, CDCR's current operational spending broken down by major category, prison spending
• As you can see, most of CDCR spending is on prisons.
• Continue spending money on empty prison beds.
• Every dollar we spend on incarceration is one we don't spend on building homes, supporting students,

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget, with a focus on prison population trends, spending, facility closures, and efforts to find savings. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) presented data showing the prison and parole populations have fallen sharply over the past 20 years while CDCR spending has remained high, driven largely by security, health care, litigation-related requirements, and aging infrastructure. The LAO also said the state is likely to have several thousand empty beds by 2030 and recommended closing another prison, identifying the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad as the strongest candidate, while also urging more transparency around facility deactivations and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) efficiency contract. CDCR Secretary Jeff McCumber said the department faces structural budget pressures from retirement payouts, workers’ compensation, overtime, medical transport, aging facilities, and violence in prisons, but emphasized declining recidivism, expanding reentry beds, and the need for more single-celling and rehabilitation. Department of Finance representative Anthony Franzoa said the administration is not proposing another prison closure at this time, opposed new reporting requirements on deactivations, and said the BCG contract is intended to produce long-term savings even if near-term estimates are being revised downward. Amber Rose Howard of California United for Responsible Budget argued the state should close more prisons, redirect funds to community services, and stop spending on excess prison capacity. Members questioned why CDCR still relies on vacancy savings, why rehabilitation is only a small share of the budget, and whether the department should be more transparent about capacity reductions and legal liabilities. Several members criticized the $20 million BCG contract and the lack of competitive bidding, while others pressed CDCR on staffing levels, single-celling, suicide prevention, and health care costs for older incarcerated people. The hearing did not take a formal vote, but it ended with clear committee concern about CDCR’s budget transparency, the pace of prison closures, and the need to align spending more closely with the declining prison population and the department’s stated rehabilitation mission.

Transcript Highlights:

• 'We are for this bill.'
• spending needs arise. ...district additional assistance intended for capital to their operational spending
• spending needs arise.
• Even if they have budget capacity to spend, but they don't have the cash to pay for their spending?
• was the last known date of spending for Sierra Vista.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• SPEAKER AND PARTICULAR THE CHAIRMAN FOR SCHEDULING THIS BILL.
• THE BILL HAD KIND OF DIED.
• THAT IS THE BILL MR. CHAIRMAN. >> Chair: HAVING EXPLAIN THE BILL. WE ARE IN QUESTIONS.
• ON A HIGH LEVEL RIGHT NOW SENATE SPEND BUDGET SPENDS APPROXIMATELY $92 MILLION MORE THAN GENERAL REVENUE
• THE HOUSE SPENDS 50 MILLION VERSUS 100 MILLION IN THE SENATE.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will have a public hearing on two bills, and we will begin with House Bill 2306.
• So you have a number of materials on this bill. You have a large bill.
• So you have a number of materials on this bill. You have a large bill.
• I would just refer you to the bill analysis. Okay, so summary of the bill.
• The substitute bill compares to the underlying bill. It repeals the luxury.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee held public hearings on a proposed substitute for House Bill 2306, the 2026 transportation supplemental budget, and on proposed substitute House Bill 2711, a transportation resources bill. Staff described HB 2306 as revising the enacted 2025-27 transportation budget, increasing spending by about $1.1 billion to $16.5 billion, largely through reappropriations and new funding for preservation, maintenance, rail, transit, active transportation, ferries, licensing, and State Patrol needs. The chair and ranking member emphasized caution because of downward revenue forecasts, uncertainty around major project bids and future fish passage costs, and the decision to use existing bond authority without new bonding. Public testimony on HB 2306 generally supported preservation, maintenance, rail improvements, dredging, transit access, and local safety projects, while some witnesses urged more support for EV incentives and long-term transportation funding stability. For HB 2711, staff explained that the bill responds to administrative issues in last year’s transportation resources law, including fuel tax inflation adjustments, luxury vehicle/aircraft/vessel taxes, the indigent tow reimbursement program, tire fee language, and other tax administration provisions. The proposed substitute would repeal the luxury aircraft tax, adjust peer-to-peer rental car tax administration, restore authority for the Transportation Commission to exempt transit buses from tolls, waive certain penalties and interest tied to early compliance with the luxury vehicle tax, allow lease payments to be taxed incrementally, add exemptions for tribal members and nonresidents, change transfer timing between accounts, and create a Preserve Washington Account for highway preservation and maintenance. Fiscal notes projected additional revenue from aligning use tax with sales tax and modest administrative costs, while delaying the tow reimbursement program reduced near-term expenditures. Testimony on HB 2711 was mixed. RV dealers asked for a delay to the luxury vehicle tax, arguing the industry is already in decline and the tax could push sales out of state. WFSE supported the new Preserve Washington Account and urged higher bid limits for highway maintenance work. Committee members asked for clarification on the peer-to-peer rental car tax and the transit bus toll exemption. The chair announced that executive session on the bills, along with one other measure, would occur Wednesday, and members were told to submit amendment requests by the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• what spending has really been something we could skip and spend better.
• Crispin is going to read this bill in. The bill has all green cards. It should be a good one.
• Senator, on your bill. Senator, on your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members.
• bill.
• bill.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 26 for what was described as the last meeting of the legislative session. H.R. 318 was voluntarily deferred without discussion. The committee first took up H.R. 298, which would have directed the Louisiana Department of Health, with the legislative auditor, to study LDH’s relationships with certain nonprofits, foundations, professional associations, and other nongovernmental entities. The author presented amendments narrowing the definitions, but LDH testified the language was still too broad, would still require substantial review of contracts, memberships, conferences, and related interactions, and would still carry a significant fiscal note. Members raised concerns that hospitals, provider associations, nonprofit care facilities, and other stakeholders could be swept in. The author then voluntarily deferred the resolution, and the committee agreed without objection. The committee then heard Senate Bill 405, which establishes a statewide quality oversight initiative for nursing facilities, directs LDH to work with facilities on care standards and remediation for lower-rated homes, and requires reporting and transparency for families. The bill drew broad support from members and stakeholders, including nursing home and senior advocacy groups, and was reported favorably without objection. House Resolution 290, which asked LDH to study a possible correlation between gender-affirming hormone therapy medications and psychosis or related psychiatric conditions in people 26 and younger, prompted questions about the purpose of the study and concerns that it could affect broader policy debates. The author, a licensed clinical social worker, said the request was intended to examine whether medications were being used too quickly and what effects they might have on adolescent mental health; after discussion, the author voluntarily deferred the resolution, and the committee agreed. Finally, the committee considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 61, urging LDH and commercial insurers to increase reimbursement rates for behavioral health crisis centers operating under a crisis receiving center license. Testimony focused on the Bridge Center for Hope, described as the state’s only Level 3 crisis receiving center, and the need to revisit Medicaid reimbursement for the first 23 hours of crisis care. With no questions or objections, the resolution was adopted. The meeting ended with members thanking the chair and staff, and the committee adjourned for the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Show the bill passes. Read the next bill.
• Show the bill passes. Read the next bill.
• The bill passes. Read the next bill.
• Number one, this bill does not mandate the sale of any land, change local control, or impose new spending
• The bill passes. Read the next bill.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Judge John Carlin, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a recognition of FSU Police Officer Cody Popple for his actions during the April campus shooting. The Speaker also outlined the final week of session, noting the House would focus on Senate bills and returning messages, and that the 2026-27 budget would not be completed by the end of the week. The chamber then adopted the special order calendar for the day. The House passed several technical and open-government bills, mostly on strong bipartisan votes. These included SB 100, SB 104, and SB 102 on the Florida Statutes and reviser changes; SB 7006, SB 7014, SB 7002, SB 7012, SB 7024, SB 7016, SB 7026, SB 7008, SB 7000, and SB 7004, which extended or preserved various public records or meeting exemptions involving the Public Service Commission, social media investigations, military affairs, highway safety investigations, cybersecurity, small business loan records, trade secrets, emergency shelter locations, and conviction integrity units. Members asked questions on several of these bills, especially about the scope and purpose of the exemptions, but the bills generally advanced with little opposition. The chamber also took up more substantive measures. SB 7040 recreated the emergency preparedness and response trust fund and drew extended debate over whether the fund had been misused for the Everglades detention facility; an Escamani amendment to let the fund expire failed, while a Griffiths amendment adding limits and oversight was adopted, and the bill ultimately passed 82-25. CS/CS/SB 302 on coastal resiliency passed unanimously after supporters highlighted nature-based shoreline protection and a Biscayne Bay provision. CS/CS/SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits passed after a House amendment aligned it with the House version. CS/SB 474 on military affairs passed unanimously after an amendment allowing local governments to extend Guard leave. SB 488 on the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles was debated extensively over vehicle registration requirements, license plate frames, and I-94 documentation, with amendments including one for disabled veterans and another on dealer allocation; the transcript cuts off before final disposition of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Show the bill passes. Read the next bill.
• The bill passes. Read the next bill.
• Number one, this bill does not mandate the sale of any land, change local control, or impose new spending
• Number one, this bill does not mandate the sale of any land, change local control, or impose new spending
• The bill passes. Read the next bill. None of the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill? bill?
• So your bill here that you put in is really regarding spending state money or federal money for that
• So your bill here that you put in is really regarding spending state money or federal money for that
• So your bill here that you put in is really regarding spending state money or federal money for that
• So your bill here that you put in is really regarding spending state money or federal money for that

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the committee's bill hearing for the two-year Senate bills in the 2025-26 legislative session
• After this bill has passed.
• This bill will prevent counterproductive spending of these funds against municipalization, which is an
• To further ensure that this type of inappropriate spending is not taking place, this bill additionally
• So with that, let's open the roll on our first bill. Bill SB 742.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Transcript Highlights:

• So the spending on preservation in Washington between 2008 and 2023, for inflation-adjusted spending,
• We're going to hear a few bills. So let's begin with a public hearing on House Bill 2109.
• I'm curious how this bill and that bill interact.
• I am bringing you this bill.
• This bill just really allows to help us push this bill through this bill just really allows us to expand

Summary: The committee first received a presentation from NCSL staff on national transportation funding trends and alternative user-fee options as gas tax revenue declines. The presentation covered declining fuel-tax purchasing power, the effects of more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, and a range of state responses including indexed gas taxes, EV and hybrid registration fees, voluntary and mandatory road usage charges, transportation network company fees, retail delivery fees, and per-kilowatt-hour EV charging fees. Members asked about Virginia’s mileage-fee program, enrollment rates, and whether states had reduced gas taxes alongside new fees; the presenters said they would follow up with additional information. Committee staff then presented a comparison of Washington’s transportation budget with Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, focusing on population, lane miles, road condition, fuel taxes, preservation spending, mega-projects, and governance structures. The discussion highlighted Washington’s unique transportation pressures, including ferries, fish-passage obligations, high debt service, and major capital projects. Members asked follow-up questions about debt service, interest costs, CCA impacts on fuel prices, and whether project costs differed by state. The committee held public hearings on three bills. House Bill 2109 would allow vehicles being towed on trailers to use coverings to contain mud, rocks, or debris instead of requiring prior cleaning; the bill’s sponsor and construction witnesses supported it as a practical solution, and the fiscal note showed modest costs to WSP and WSDOT. House Bill 2139 would raise snowmobile registration fees to support snow park and trail grooming; State Parks, DNR, and several snowmobile advocates supported it, while some snowmobile users opposed it, arguing that enforcement of unregistered sleds should be addressed first. House Bill 2192 would expand the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s fatal crash review authority and allow it to collect certain health data; the sponsor and agency supported the bill as a public-health tool, while one attorney raised concerns about limiting civil discovery and evidentiary access in fatal crash litigation.

Transcript Highlights:

• number is, because that's the bill that's spending all the money that we have for homelessness and emergency
• </c> capital bill. capital bill.
• </c> bill number is, cuz that's the bill bill number is, cuz that's the bill that's that's that's spending
• </c><00:56:37.080><c> from</c><00:56:37.320><c> 118%</c> spending penalty in this bill from 118% spending
• . bill. bill.