Transcript Highlights:

• The town manager has stated the valuation is acceptable.
• The town manager has stated the valuation is acceptable.

Summary: The Long Range Capital Planning and Utilization Committee met and approved the minutes from June 30, 2025. There was no old business. The committee then heard a series of New Hampshire Department of Transportation requests involving the sale or disposal of state-owned land and easements, including an access point sale in Exeter, land sales in Keene, Guilford, Lincoln, Conway, Chesterfield, Fremont, Belmont, and a utility easement in Albany. Most items were direct sales to abutters or towns, with conditions such as obtaining local and state approvals, commissioning boundary surveys, and paying administrative fees; each of these items was approved by motion and vote. One Guilford parcel was amended to reflect a smaller surveyed area and reduced appraised value before approval. The committee also approved a permanent access easement for a single-family residence on Route 153 in support of the Bickford property. The committee then considered a Department of Administrative Services item, presented as a substitution replacement, authorizing a perpetual utility line easement to Public Service Company of New Hampshire for a facility under construction on the Hampstead hospital property that will serve as the replacement facility for the Manchester senior center. The department requested waiver of the administrative fee because the easement was being granted in exchange for utility service, and the committee approved the request. An informational item, LRCP25-038, was discussed regarding a reduction in fair market value due to a change in access; staff explained no committee action was required because the item was informational only. Additional informational materials from the New Hampshire Council on Resources and Development were received, including meeting minutes and surplus land review memorandums for Meredith and Hampstead. Before adjourning, the committee set its next meeting for December 9 at 9:30 a.m. at Granite Place, Room 228, noting the meeting would be on a Tuesday rather than Monday because of building scheduling. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Actuarial study, which the Department of Insurance, working with many EMS agencies and the Department
• level plans—bronze, silver, gold, platinum—there’s a certain actuarial value associated with that.
• value of the metal level the Actuarial value of the metal level plans<03:14:22.560><c> so</c><03:14:
• </c><03:14:28.120><c> of</c><03:14:28.319><c> value</c> there's a certain actuary of value there's a
• certain actuary of value associated<03:14:29.319><c> with</c><03:14:29.479><c> that</c><03:14:29.760>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:43:26.960><c> supposed</c><00:43:27.440><c> to</c><00:43:27.520><c> be</c><00:43:27.800><c> actuarially
• </c> the rates are supposed to be actuarially the rates are supposed to be actuarially sound,<00:43:29.560
• ><c> {quote}</c><00:43:29.840><c> {unquote}</c><00:43:30.280><c> actuarially</c> sound, {quote} {unquote
• } actuarially sound, {quote} {unquote} actuarially sound.<00:43:32.000><c> So,</c><00:43:32.160><c> the
• But the comment about actuarial soundness, right, the rates, we had an auditor come in, not we, but the

Summary: The committee first took up House File 3939, a bill to support a Helping Paws service-dog litter named in honor of Gilbert and the Hortman family. Testimony from Helping Paws and service-dog graduate Angie Foley described the organization’s work, the significance of the “Guided by Gilbert” litter, and how the funding would help train dogs that provide independence and support to people with disabilities, veterans, and others. Members from both parties spoke warmly about Speaker Hortman’s connection to the organization and Gilbert, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion. The committee then considered House File 3769, the Department of Corrections’ technical omnibus bill, with an A1 amendment adopted to clarify tuberculosis testing language. The bill updates TB screening procedures in correctional facilities, including how refusals are handled, and adds Quantiferon Gold Plus testing as an option alongside existing methods. Members discussed whether the bill would create costs for counties and jails, with some noting added testing and segregation costs and others arguing the changes would improve accuracy and reduce time in restrictive housing. The bill, as amended, was recommended to the general register. House File 3978 was next, a technical cleanup bill for a provider wellness program created last year. The bill expands eligibility and confidentiality protections from physicians to all health care providers, while supporters said the program is meant to address burnout and mental health strain in the workforce and does not require new money. Some members questioned whether the change was redundant or would broaden the program without additional funding, but the Minnesota Medical Association testified that the program is separate from insurance and was intended to serve all providers. The bill was recommended to the general register. Finally, the committee began House File 3476, which Rep. Liebling described as a cleanup bill related to Minnesota’s Medicaid managed care system and public program oversight. She argued that the state spends billions through managed care organizations and that the system has never been proven better than direct payment, setting up a broader discussion of the bill’s purpose and the state’s oversight of public health care spending.

Transcript Highlights:

• And even though our valuations are high, it's actually quite meaningful revenue to the state.
• And even though<00:14:12.800><c> our</c><00:14:13.040><c> valuations</c><00:14:13.600><c> are</c><00:
• 14:13.760><c> high,</c><00:14:14.480><c> it's</c> though our valuations are high, it's though our valuations
• </c> you have the highest assessed valuation you have the highest assessed valuation in<02:43:16.720>
• </c> based on percent of assessed valuation based on percent of assessed valuation in<02:44:13.840><c

Committee: Joint Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• And, uh, my deferred comp has lost 20% in valuation since the tariffs went in. All right.
• This provides additional grants to communities with low equalized valuation per pupil that don't also
• per pupil that low equalized valuation per pupil that don't<01:58:11.360><c> also</c><01:58:11.920><
• per pupil in on low equalized valuation per pupil in combination<01:58:36.239><c> with</c><01:58:36.480
• more kids with you know who valuations more kids with you know who qualify<02:27:21.359><c> for</c><

Summary: The meeting was a House budget briefing focused on the overall state budget and the first of three divisions. The presenter reviewed the size and structure of the budget, noting that the state had eliminated the interest and dividends tax and still balanced the budget. He explained the major spending categories in the general fund and total budget, emphasizing that health and human services and education remain the largest areas, while transportation is largely self-funded. He also walked through the revenue picture, including business taxes, insurance taxes, court fees, communications taxes, and Medicaid recoveries, and said the remaining interest and dividends tax revenue reflected late payments from prior assessments. Members asked about the size of the tax cut from eliminating the interest and dividends tax, federal funding stability, and why Medicaid was being reduced if federal support was expected to remain steady. The response was that the lost revenue would have been about $200 million absent repeal, and that the budget gap was addressed through many small cuts across departments. On federal funds, the presenter said most aid is tied to multi-year grants and that core programs such as Medicare and Medicaid were expected to remain relatively stable, though some federal reductions could occur. He also said some agency reductions came from eliminating long-vacant, funded positions and from expected lapses. The discussion then moved into Division One, which covers smaller and miscellaneous agencies. The division made cuts to the governor’s office, eliminated a temporary position at the Governor’s Commission on Disability, reduced Department of Information Technology spending through a back-of-budget cut, and found savings in Administrative Services. It also delayed maintenance at the Sununu Youth Services Center, stopped advertising for paid family medical leave, changed retiree health insurance funding, and consolidated several personnel-related boards into one. The division eliminated the Commission on Aging and the Office of the Child Advocate, made a temporary special education advocate position permanent, reduced the Secretary of State’s budget, kept municipal rooms-and-meals distributions flat, and made changes to the retirement system, including $55 million to improve Group 2 retirement benefits and a new retirement structure for future state hires. The judicial branch was also asked to find savings and received two additional judges because of expected caseload increases from other eliminations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We develop PACE capitation rates in accordance with actuarial standards, leveraging actual costs and
• setting that midpoint for our managed care organizations, we actually pay at the lower bound of the actuarial
• setting that midpoint for our managed care organizations we actually pay at the lower bound of the actuarial
• So I wanted to ask whether the actuaries or...
• So I wanted to ask whether the actuaries or the people who do projections looked at the overall cost

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held the first of several hearings on the Governor’s May Revision for health care, with opening remarks focused on the state’s projected $12 billion deficit, looming federal Medicaid changes, and the potential impact on Medi-Cal, public health, reproductive health, and safety-net providers. Several members criticized the proposal as balancing the budget on vulnerable Californians, while others defended the need for cost containment and questioned the administration’s assumptions. The chair set ground rules for respectful, focused questioning and outlined three topics: the Medi-Cal proposals, Proposition 35, and Proposition 56. DHCS Director Michelle Baas presented the May Revision’s Medi-Cal package, saying the department’s budget totals $200.6 billion overall, including $45.2 billion General Fund, and that the proposals are intended to address rising caseloads, pharmacy costs, and managed care spending. She described proposed changes for adults with unsatisfactory immigration status, including a freeze on new full-scope enrollment for those 19 and older, $100 monthly premiums beginning in 2027, elimination of adult dental and long-term care coverage, removal of PPS/RAP payments to FQHCs and rural health clinics for that population, and a pharmacy rebate aggregator. Other proposals included eliminating certain OTC drug classes, removing GLP-1 coverage for weight loss, prior authorization and step therapy changes, reinstating the Medi-Cal asset test, eliminating acupuncture as an optional benefit, allowing utilization management for hospice, raising the managed care minimum medical loss ratio to 90%, reducing PACE capitation rates toward the midpoint of the actuarial range, eliminating the skilled nursing facility workforce and quality incentive program, and suspending the SNF backup power requirement. The LAO said the revised Medi-Cal spending estimate is about $2.5 billion higher than the Governor’s Budget in the budget year, and that the increase appears driven more by higher per-enrollee costs than by caseload alone. The LAO said the budget solutions are concentrated in a few areas, are largely ongoing, and should be considered in light of federal uncertainty, but suggested the Legislature could explore alternatives such as more targeted income thresholds for the undocumented expansion and simpler asset-test rules. Department of Finance officials said the proposals are difficult but necessary to address a third consecutive deficit and rising Medi-Cal costs. Members then pressed the administration on the methodology and impacts of the proposals, especially the enrollment freeze, premiums, asset test, hospice controls, PACE reductions, and the elimination of benefits and provider payments. No votes or formal actions were taken at this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• four, line 15, the remaining 20% would go to each county based on an inverse per capita assessed valuation
• Chairman, what that means is 20% would go to the counties that have the least amount of valuation.
• </c> assessed valuation factor. assessed valuation factor.
• Um so really those those of valuation.
• </c> valuation and how that affects them. valuation and how that affects them.

Committee: Joint Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• That current pension system is well over 100% funded, and the actuarial studies that we've looked at
• President, is there an actuarial report on this provision? Thank you very much for the question.
• There is not a direct actuarial report related to this change, other than...
• And so, without an actuarial study, I... ... was just trying to understand.

Bills: HB3257 , HB3176 , HB3544 , HB3619 , HB3546 , HB1782 , HB2293 , HB4358 , HB3081 , HB3983 , HB3790 , HJR1023 , HB4139 , HB3297 , HB3041 , HB3673 , HB4105 , HB3338 , HB3048 , SR33 , SCR21 , SCR20 , HB4030 , HB4031 , HB4032 , HB4034 , HB4036 , HB4037 , HB4038 , HB4040 , HB4041 , HB4042 , HB4043 , HB4045 , HB4046 , HB4047 , HB4048 , HB4044 , HB4050 , HB4051 , HB4052 , HB4053 , HB4054 , HB4056 , HB4057 , HB4071 , HB4065 , HB4067 , HB4072 , HB2992 , HB4338 , HB4170

Keywords: veterans, disability benefits, federal law, Oklahoma Statutes, military service, Oklahoma, Gas Hub, artificial intelligence, national laboratory, public-private partnerships, aerospace, high-performance computing, economic development, social AI companions, minors, emotional attachment, safety protocols, civil penalties, parental controls, geographic information

Transcript Highlights:

• And I do intend to support changing the funding policy on a go-forward basis to the actuarial rate and
• And so if the actuarial rate remains relatively stable next year, then this... ...$41 million would not
• be needed next year for FY 28 if the board certified a rate that was the actuarial rate and it was similar
• to what this year's actuarial rate would be.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have to pay the MCOs an actuarially sound reimbursement rate.
• So we'll be making payments to the MCOs to adjust and make sure that they are actuarially sound because
• Is that by federal law, the rates have to be actuarially sound, which means that they account for the
• That is what the question is—sort of like the risk corridor is to ensure that the rates remain actuarially

Transcript Highlights:

• required employer retirement contribution rates for each membership class to address the unfunded actuarial
• With these current rate changes, the FRS continues to be funded on a sound actuarial basis.
• required employer retirement contribution rates for each membership class to address the unfunded actuarial
• With these current rate changes, the FRS continues to be funded on a sound actuarial basis.

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Appropriations Committee heard presentations on the Senate’s proposed 2025-2026 budget, SPB 25-200, totaling $117.4 billion. Chair Hooper and committee chairs highlighted major spending priorities including a 4% raise for state employees, continued health insurance contributions, investments in water quality, transportation, education infrastructure, and workforce development, along with reductions tied to long-vacant positions. Education funding was a major focus, with increases for K-12 public schools and scholarships, higher education workforce programs, nursing initiatives, tutoring, and university performance funding. Health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/economic development, and agriculture/environment budgets were also outlined, including Medicaid, mental health, corrections staffing, affordable housing, beach restoration, citrus recovery, and water projects. Members then questioned several budget choices, especially K-12 funding. Senators Polsky and Smith raised concerns that the Senate’s AP and dual enrollment funding changes could disadvantage public schools, while Burgess argued the budget preserves the money in the FEFP and gives districts more flexibility rather than reducing support. Questions also addressed voucher availability, school stabilization funding, and the My Safe Florida Home program. The committee adopted 171 consent amendments and three late-file amendments, then approved SPB 2500 as a committee bill. It also favorably reported implementing and conforming bills for state employees, retirement, natural resources, judgeships, K-12 education, higher education, and health and human services, along with SB 7022 on Florida Retirement System contribution rates and elected-officer DROP options, CS/SB 1320 on the Resilient Florida Trust Fund, SB 7014 ending the Mediation and Arbitration Trust Fund, SB 7028 on cancer research, CS/CS/SB 170 on nursing home quality and oversight, CS/SB 168 on mental health diversion and behavioral health data, SB 114 creating an insurance and risk management research center at FSU, and SB 180 on emergency preparedness and post-storm recovery. Most bills were reported favorably with little or no opposition, though SB 180 drew discussion about local-government authority after storms and the need to balance recovery speed with local safety and planning concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• Over time, this would have had significant negative actuarial consequences on the program.
• Over time, this would have had significant negative actuarial consequences on the program.
• And we had Milliman do some research for us and do the actuarials on the private insurance long-term

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Planning for Aging and Disability Issues

Summary: The committee held what was described as its final meeting and began with introductions, then received updates on several long-term care and aging initiatives that originated from earlier J-LEC work. A presentation on the WA Cares Fund reviewed its development from a 2014 research project to implementation, including premium collection, expanded eligibility for near-retirees, portability, recent technical fixes, and the creation of a supplemental private insurance market. The presenter said the program is now largely in place and ready for future use, with benefits expected to go fully live next summer. The Dementia Action Collaborative also reported on its state plan, including Project ECHO dementia training, dementia-capable community pilots through area agencies on aging, and ongoing work on early detection, brain health, and caregiver support. Another DSHS presentation covered the Medicaid Transformation Project, including Medicaid Alternative Care, Tailored Supports for Older Adults, presumptive eligibility, and health-related social needs benefits such as rental assistance and nutrition support, with officials saying the waiver is likely secure until its 2028 renewal. The meeting then shifted to emerging issues from advocates and ombuds. The long-term care ombuds described persistent staffing shortages, concerns about low wages, the growing use of technology and surveillance in care settings, private equity ownership of facilities, and illegal or pressured discharges and evictions. The developmental disabilities ombuds focused on people with developmental disabilities who remain hospitalized without medical need, the need for better mental health and behavioral health access, and workforce training gaps for people serving this population. Disability Rights Washington urged more community-based supports to reduce repeated institutionalization, pointing to gaps in programs such as PACT, GOSH, and peer bridgers, and recommending those services be expanded and bundled at scale. Provider and workforce panels emphasized similar themes. Washington Health Care Association and LeadingAge Washington said assisted living and skilled nursing facilities face workforce shortages, Medicaid rates that lag behind costs, increasing client acuity, behavioral health needs, and discharge bottlenecks. They highlighted the need for more flexible care models, improved case management, and better reimbursement, including for complex behavioral health cases. Supported living providers reported high turnover, underfunding, and a successful pilot that used enhanced rates and added training to place 30 hard-to-serve individuals. SEIU 775 argued that the central problem across settings is the direct care workforce crisis, driven by low wages and inadequate benefits, and said rate increases must be tied more directly to worker compensation. DSHS closed by noting heavy reliance on federal Medicaid funding, ongoing pilots in training, transportation, remote caregiving, smart-home technology, and rental subsidies, and said future planning should shift toward a multi-sector state strategy after the committee sunsets.

Transcript Highlights:

• Over time, this would have had significant negative actuarial consequences on the program.
• Over time, this would have had significant negative actuarial consequences on the program.
• And we had Milliman do some research for us and do the actuarials on the private insurance long-term

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Planning for Aging and Disability Issues

Summary: The committee met for what was described as its final meeting, with members and staff reflecting on the work of the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care and noting that future work would likely shift to standing health and wellness committees. The meeting began with introductions and then moved into updates on major initiatives that originated from the committee, including Washington Cares, the Dementia Action Collaborative, and Medicaid long-term care programs. Presenters emphasized that these efforts were developed through long-term legislative-executive collaboration and were intended to help Washington prepare for the state’s aging population. On Washington Cares, DSHS described the program’s development from a 2014 research effort to its 2019 enactment, premium collection beginning in 2023, portability improvements in 2024, and 2025 changes including a grandfathered opt-out fix and a framework for supplemental private long-term care insurance. The agency said benefits are expected to go fully live next summer, with a pilot of up to 400 applicants planned for next January. On dementia policy, the Dementia Action Collaborative reported on the state dementia plan, Project ECHO training for providers, and pilot dementia-capable community programs at area agencies on aging, citing preliminary results that about 85% of family caregivers said services helped people remain at home. DSHS also reviewed Medicaid Transformation Project initiatives, including Medicaid Alternative Care, Tailored Supports for Older Adults, presumptive eligibility, and health-related social needs benefits such as rental assistance, nutrition support, and home modifications. The committee then heard an emerging issues panel from ombuds and disability advocates. Patricia Hunter of the long-term care ombuds program raised concerns about staffing shortages, resident rights, surveillance technology, private equity ownership of facilities, and illegal discharges or evictions. Betty Sweeterman of the Developmental Disabilities Ombuds discussed people stuck in hospitals without medical need, gaps in behavioral health services for people with developmental disabilities, and the need for better workforce training. Todd Carlyle of Disability Rights Washington urged expansion and bundling of community supports such as PACT, GOSH, and peer bridgers to reduce repeated institutionalization and support discharge from inpatient psychiatric settings. Provider and labor panels followed, with nursing home, assisted living, supported living, and union representatives all emphasizing workforce shortages, low wages, Medicaid rate inadequacy, case management bottlenecks, behavioral health complexity, and the need for more flexible care models and stronger accountability for rate increases. No formal votes were taken; the meeting ended with public comment on manufactured housing and closing remarks thanking staff and participants for the committee’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• You have to have an actuarial basis for it.
• We have actuaries that we contract with to look at that as well.
• You have to have an actuarial basis for it.
• You have to have an actuarial basis for it.
• You have to have an actuarial basis for it.

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety met on January 31, 2025, and first heard House Bill 1062, a housekeeping measure relating to the Hawaii Air National Guard. Testimony in support came from representatives of the Adjutant General and other National Guard witnesses. A member raised a technical question about language allowing the Guard to hold the rank authorized by the Department of the Air Force, and the response was that the bill should not require additional HR language; no vote was taken. The committee then heard House Bill 674, which would authorize allowances for TRICARE dental and vision coverage for Hawaii National Guard personnel ordered to active duty for more than 30 days. The Department of Defense supported the bill through Brigadier General Ross, Director of Joint Staff, and Terry Heiti also testified in support. There were no questions or action taken on the measure. House Bill 652, relating to veterans’ rights and benefits and regulating compensation for advice or assistance on veterans’ benefits, drew the most discussion. The Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Hawaii supported the bill, arguing it would protect veterans from illegal or exploitative practices and noting its own service to more than 2,000 veterans in fiscal year 2024. Opposition came from the National Association for Veterans Rights and Veteran Benefits Guide, which argued the bill would restrict access to needed services and that some for-profit providers operate legally and should not be barred. Committee members questioned the scope of the bill, accreditation requirements, and whether nonprofit or pro bono services would be affected. A Department of Defense veteran services official said veterans can be vulnerable to exploitation and that some legal fee arrangements can be abusive, while also noting pro bono options exist. The committee did not reach a decision on the bill during the excerpt. The committee also began hearing House Bill 1058, which would create a veteran cemetery board within the Office of Veteran Services to help state veteran cemeteries comply with federal standards. The Office of Veteran Services and Terry Heiti testified in support. Members asked about the board’s membership, timeline, and consultant selection, and were told the working group was still in an organizational stage and no construction timeline had been set. The final measure discussed was House Bill 503, which would appropriate funds for a consultant to evaluate locations and designs for a Hawaii First Responders Memorial. The Department of Accounting and General Services supported the bill, and testimony in support was received from county and city officials, UPW Hawaii, and individuals. Members asked about the working group, timeline, and budget, and were told the project was still in early planning; no final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We did, however, go back in, do another study with our actuary. We did not change the rates.
• We did, however, go back in, do another study with our actuaries, looked at all the surrounding states

Summary: The committee reviewed a series of Arkansas Medicaid and Department of Health rules, many implementing 2025 acts. Early items covered presumptive eligibility and Medicaid policy updates, including adding a definition of fictive kin for foster children and changing the disability onset age for ABLE accounts from 26 to 46. Another rule clarified that continuous glucose monitors may be billed by both pharmacies and durable medical equipment providers, with committee members questioning prior authorization timing, system lag, and a fiscal impact estimate of about $3 million over two years; the rule was reviewed, but members requested additional cost breakdowns. Other Medicaid-related rules addressed an RSV vaccine administration fee increase, an ET3 telemedicine exemption for ambulance treat-triage-transport services, a dental rate increase under Act 1025, expanded physical therapy access, and the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies package covering doulas, lactation consultants, remote monitoring, and expanded prenatal testing. Most were reviewed without objection after brief discussion or no questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is this going to actuary or no? It already has. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Is this going to actuary or no? It already has. Already has. So, okay, perfect. I was confused.

Bills: HB1245 , HB2588 , HB3024 , HB3172 , HB3279 , HB3919 , HB3306 , HB3383 , HB3431 , HB3435 , HB4352 , HB3883 , HB3942 , HB4193 , HB4203 , HB4303 , HB4311 , HB4484

Committee: House Government Oversight

Summary: The Government Oversight Committee met with a quorum and heard a series of bills, beginning with HB 3942, which tightens the state’s incentive evaluation process; it passed 11-0. HB 4203, allowing the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission to explore guidelines for small multifamily housing of eight units or fewer and four stories or less, passed 10-1. HB 2588, which requires HOA board members to own and live in the HOA, passed 12-0, and HB 3024, limiting large agency pay raises/stipends to 10% unless reported through OMES, passed 12-0. HB 3383, limiting state employees to 14-hour shifts in a 24-hour period with emergency exceptions, passed 10-2, and HB 3279, a cleanup bill related to last year’s government corruption legislation, passed 12-0. The committee also advanced HB 3919, reducing county fair board size from nine to five members at county option to address quorum problems, and HB 3883, which imposes utility-system inspection, notice, and backflow-preventer-related requirements on governing bodies in exchange for reducing litigation exposure; both passed 12-0. HB 4193, as amended, would restrict state contracts and taxpayer funds from going to foreign adversaries or related entities, with exceptions and purchasing-director discretion; it passed 9-3. HB 3431 expanded foreign-adversary property restrictions to critical rare earth minerals and passed 13-0. HB 3435, a municipal bond single-subject bill, passed 12-0, and HB 4352, a Uniform Law Commission mortgage refinance update, passed 13-0. Later, HB 4484, allowing Corporation Commission employees to take state vehicles home for travel purposes under existing-style oversight, passed 13-0. Committee members then presented HB 1245, moving certain DHS Inspector General law enforcement officers into hazardous pay retirement coverage; it passed 13-0. HB 3172, the Fair Banking Act, would limit adverse banking actions against lawful economic activity at large banks and create a complaint/reason-request process; after extensive questions about thresholds, exceptions, and constitutional issues, it passed 11-3. HB 3306, increasing transparency requirements for campaign statement-of-organization reporting with a $400 threshold and a delayed effective date, passed 14-0. The committee laid over HB 4303 and HB 4311 until the next meeting and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

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

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also an actuarial component to that, so each team has an actuarial staff that works with the
• There's also an actuarial component to that, so each team has an actuarial staff that works with the
• component to that so each team Actuarial component to that so each team has<00:52:44.119><c> an</c><
• </c><00:52:46.119><c> Actuarial</c> has an Actuarial staff uh that Actuarial has an Actuarial staff uh
• </c> financial statements and Actuarial financial statements and Actuarial reports<04:30:03.600><c> on

Summary: The meeting began with introductory remarks for new and returning members of the House Commerce Committee, led by Chairman John Hunt. Members briefly introduced themselves and their backgrounds, and several noted the committee’s bipartisan, collegial tone. Hunt explained the committee’s structure and traditions, including the division into three subcommittees: banking and business, consumer protection, and liquor commission matters, with insurance now handled as a single area. He also reviewed basic hearing procedures, including decorum, questions for information only, and the committee’s practice of moving bills through subcommittees before full committee executive sessions. The committee then heard an overview from the New Hampshire Insurance Department, led by Commissioner DJ Bettencourt and staff. The department described its mission as promoting a safe and competitive insurance marketplace and emphasized consumer protection, market competition, and affordability. Officials outlined the department’s responsibilities, including licensing insurers, producers, adjusters, and TPAs; reviewing insurance forms; regulating companies and market conduct; overseeing financial solvency; and investigating insurance fraud. They also noted that the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers, collects premium taxes and fees for the state, and returned more than $2.7 million to companies in fiscal year 2024 due to underspending. The presentation also covered the broader regulatory framework for insurance, including the role of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in promoting uniform standards across states and territories. Officials said New Hampshire licenses about 1,200 insurance companies and roughly 245,000 producers and adjusters, and that the department’s financial examinations are part of an accreditation system used nationwide. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided; the session was primarily organizational and informational, with the insurance department presentation beginning the committee’s substantive work for the term.

Transcript Highlights:

• They created a market valuation... gotten something benefit from Blue Cross gotten something benefit
• 00:33:07.440><c> created</c><00:33:07.679><c> a</c><00:33:07.919><c> market</c><00:33:08.159><c> valuation
• </c> They created a market valuation entity.

Bills: HB55 , SB15 , SB247 , HB55 , SB15 , SB247

Committee: House Financial Services

Keywords: fishing, licensing, jubilee, Marine life, Alabama, regulations, sex offenders, employment restrictions, first responders, public safety, juvenile offenders, local laws, registration requirements, picketing, protesting, residential protest, noise amplification, amplified sound, residential picketing, harassment

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, the legislation does not alter or establish the new valuation classification methodology for
• Second, the legislation does not alter or establish the new valuation classification methodology for

Bills: HB371

Committee: Senate Executive

Summary: The Senate Executive Committee met in hybrid format, approved the minutes from its June 17 and June 18 meetings, and considered several nominations and bills. The committee heard testimony from Michael T. Skeuse for the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission and Jay Eric Fearwald for the University of Delaware Board of Trustees; both nominees described their backgrounds and qualifications, and no objections were raised. The committee then moved to legislation focused largely on property tax reassessment and related school-tax issues, along with a technical constitutional corrections bill, an agricultural lands preservation cleanup bill, and a child-safety/service-letter bill. A major portion of the meeting centered on Senate Bill 350, which would create a third multifamily residential tax classification at 1.2 times the residential rate. Supporters argued apartments are housing and should not be taxed as commercial property, emphasizing relief for renters and fairness after reassessment. Opponents, including county and school officials, warned the bill would reduce local revenues, complicate tax administration, and create unintended consequences for counties, municipalities, school districts, and agriculture. Similar themes carried into House Bill 462, which would make the split-rate school tax structure permanent and lower the nonresidential cap to 1.85, and House Bill 463, which would align New Castle County senior school-tax exemptions with county exemption rules; both bills drew discussion about shifting burdens, fiscal impacts, and timing. The committee also heard House Substitute 1 for House Bill 320, a technical corrections bill to the Delaware Constitution, with one public commenter objecting to charter-related changes being included in a correction bill. House Bill 371, which removes the requirement for county farmland preservation advisory boards under the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Act, was presented as a streamlining measure and had support from the Department of Agriculture and public comment in favor. House Bill 438, expanding service-letter requirements to a broader set of child-serving facilities and requiring reporting when employers fail to respond, was described as a cleanup bill closing a safety loophole. After public comment and committee discussion, the meeting ended with a motion and unanimous adjournment; no recorded votes on the bills were taken in the transcript.