Transcript Highlights:

• REPLICATE THE COMMITTEE PROCESS FROM THE OTHER SESSION, BUT INSTEAD WE HAVE REFERRED THE BILL TO THE BUDGET

Keywords: illegal immigration, special session, budget committee

Summary: The Florida House of Representatives convened for a special session on February 11-14 to address illegal immigration legislation. Speaker Perez announced they would consider two bills and a memorial filed the previous night, with committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday and final passage on Thursday. The Speaker emphasized the legislature's role as equal participants rather than recipients of instructions, describing their approach as aggressive in combating illegal immigration while being thoughtful in methods. The session was designed to be surgical and efficient, bypassing the normal committee process except for Budget Committee review.

Transcript Highlights:

• savings within the budget.
• It has no effect on the budget.
• It has no effect on the budget.
• No surprise, I'm asking for a no on this budget. A budget has to get passed.
• out of the budget.

Bills: HB2289

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• This budget assumes $395 million in new NGFO resources to the operating budget from capital gains.
• of $3.6 billion in total budgeted increases and $1.1 billion in total budgeted decreases.
• of $3.6 billion in total budgeted increases and $1.1 billion in total budgeted decreases.
• As you do your final budget reconciliation, we ask that we remain in the budget at this level.
• last year's budget.

Bills: HB2289

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• Credit at risk in future budget years.
• We acknowledge the governor and this committee faced difficult budget decisions, but this proposed budget
• We know budgets are tight.
• That saves money in tight budget times.
• I'm signed in other on the governor's budget.

Bills: HB2289

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, in this budget climate, that was not possible, but the budget does make some targeted
• And then the budget proposes to use about a billion dollars from the Budget Stabilization Account. $139
• supports in the governor's budget.
• The proposed budget fell short.
• budget from last session.

Bills: HB2289

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Bills: HB8, HB26, HB192

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Bills: HB0036, HB0112, HB0106, HB0111, SF0001

Keywords: wildfire, fire management, funding, forestry, state investment, task force, capital construction, state funding, legislative services, budget appropriation, unexpended funds, sunset clause, conservation, employment, inmate crew program, Wyoming, major maintenance, community colleges, budget, education

Bills: HB0036, HB0112, HB0106, HB0111, SF0001

Keywords: wildfire, fire management, funding, forestry, state investment, task force, capital construction, state funding, legislative services, budget appropriation, unexpended funds, sunset clause, conservation, employment, inmate crew program, Wyoming, major maintenance, community colleges, budget, education

Transcript Highlights:

• But, you know, we're kind of drilling down into the budget section of this and what that additional budget
• Drilling down into the budget section of this and what that additional budget looks like, those requests
• </c> budget request that we've set forward. budget request that we've set forward.
• </c> cost for this budget. cost for this budget.
• </c> of your budget information and so on. of your budget information and so on.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:01 Department for Public Health Budget Request 00:01:46 Department for Community Based Services Budget Request 00:31:58 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) 00:57:13, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes, then heard a lengthy presentation from the Department for Public Health on Kentucky’s rural health transformation plan and related budget questions. Commissioner John Langfeld said the state received a $212.9 million federal award, one of the larger awards nationally, and outlined five focus areas: maternal and infant health, integrated EMS/trauma response, behavioral health and substance use disorder, oral health, and chronic disease prevention with an emphasis on obesity and diabetes. He stressed that the effort is intended to be integrated, data-driven, and sustainable, and that the federal funds cannot be used for new construction, clinician salaries, research and development, EHR replacement, or to pay for currently billable services. He also said the program carries accountability requirements and that funds can be clawed back if milestones are not met. Members pressed for clarification on duplication with other budget requests, sustainability after the five-year funding period, and how success would be measured. Langfeld said he was not aware of any duplicate funding with the department’s additional budget requests and said the rural health funds were separate from those requests. He also said the program will be tracked through specific metrics and timelines, using both execution measures and outcome measures such as readmissions, with more rapid-cycle feedback to allow course correction. Representative Fleming raised concerns about possible overlap with navigator funding and asked for more detail on the budget breakdown; Langfeld said a detailed line-item budget had been prepared but was still awaiting final CMS approval before release, and that he would explore sharing more information once restrictions were lifted. The committee then heard from the Kentucky State Public Health Laboratory about a request for a new central lab expansion. The presenter described the current 35-year-old facility as outdated and constrained by aging infrastructure, obsolete equipment, deferred maintenance, and inadequate space, and said the lab performs critical work with no in-state alternative for many services, including newborn screening, select-agent and biosafety level 3 testing, animal necropsy for rabies, genetic sequencing, environmental and food safety testing, and response to emerging infectious diseases. The project is already in design phase C, expected to finish in mid-April, with construction funding sought at roughly $276 million on top of about $35 million already approved for design. Members asked about long-term operating costs, backup arrangements, and whether the current facility would remain in use; the presenter said the current lab would continue to be used by the department while other divisions move into vacated space, and that the lab has mutual-aid agreements with the Southeast Consortium and universities for contingency support. Finally, the Department for Community Based Services began its budget presentation on SNAP and relative caregiver issues. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and budget director Misty Sammons identified the governor’s recommended budget items tied to new federal requirements under HR1, including changes affecting payment error rates. The discussion was just beginning when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a responsibility to conduct oversight. and to ask hard questions.
• During my tenure, I have served as the oversight Governor for the Division of Consumer and Community
• But I do, we do recognize as we're considering the state of the economy that we're running a budget deficit

Keywords: legislation, housing affordability, financial regulation, public testimony, accountability, oversight

Summary: The meeting involved significant discussions around key legislative proposals, primarily focusing on various bills such as HB2 and SB5. The committee examined the implications of these bills on issues like housing affordability and financial regulation. Notable members engaged in debates, providing differing perspectives on the potential economic impacts of the proposed bills. The meeting witnessed public testimony, which included a call for accountability in government actions and oversight of current financial policies. Members echoed concerns about following through on commitments to address critical issues affecting everyday Americans.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the legislative budget Kane.
• back of the budget in '27.
• back of the budget in '27.
• back of the budget in '27.
• </c> budget reductions. budget reductions.

Keywords: LBA Briefing on Budget, 928, house, all

Summary: The presentation was an LBA overview of Senate changes to the House-passed state budget, with Michael Kane explaining how Senate Finance updated revenue and spending estimates after April revenue figures and agency discussions. He said the Senate’s revenue outlook was higher than the House’s in some areas, but lower in others, especially video lottery terminal revenue, and that the biggest differences also came from changes to revenue splits between the general fund and education trust fund, lapse estimates, and several policy changes in House Bill 1 and House Bill 2. Kane highlighted several major revenue and policy differences: the Senate changed the business tax, tobacco tax, and real estate transfer tax splits; adjusted liquor revenue dedication; removed the House’s meals-and-rooms distribution cap; delayed the Lakes Region facility proceeds plan; altered the PECARD fund treatment; added a granite patron of the arts tax credit; and changed the treatment of unique funds and video lottery terminal revenue. On spending, he noted Senate changes to judicial, corrections, HHS, human rights commission, and other budgets, including additional settlement costs, higher lapse assumptions, and a different approach to Medicaid premium revenue and retirement savings. He also described Senate additions such as a nursing home bed fee, Hampstead Hospital transition funding, and changes to the YDC claims settlement fund. The presentation focused on comparing House and Senate surplus statements across fiscal years 2025 through 2027, including projected ending balances and rainy day fund transfers. Kane repeatedly emphasized that the numbers were still dependent on final revenues and lapse amounts, and that some balances would be carried forward and trued up later in the biennium. No committee vote or final action was described in the excerpt; it was an informational budget briefing and comparison of the two chambers’ proposals.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Jeb Bell, and I'll be laying out the summary of budget recommendations for the Public Utilities
• Once again, Jeb Bell, Legislative Budget Board.
• Once again, Jeb Bell, Legislative Budget Board.
• I appreciate the time to come before you all and for you to hear our budget considerations today.
• These are the budget recommendations for the Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to review Article 8, regulatory agencies, and began Article 9, general provisions, before recessing for floor action. The committee first heard budget presentations from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC). The PUC budget recommendation was about $5.07 billion in all funds, including an additional $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, plus funding for staffing and technology needs tied to contested cases, infrastructure resiliency, and outage mapping. PUC witnesses emphasized the agency’s growing workload, the need for more staff and modern systems, and oversight of the Texas Energy Fund. OPUC’s recommendation was about $6.9 million, with a reduction in authorized FTEs to better match actual staffing; the agency requested additional funding for salaries, expert witnesses, and budget flexibility, and members highlighted OPUC’s role representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility proceedings. The committee then heard from the Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC), whose recommendation was just over $11.2 million. BHEC’s main requests included funding to fill vacant positions, money for continuous National Practitioner Data Bank queries, and a proposed Texas-owned psychology licensing exam in response to concerns about changes to the national exam. Agency leaders also discussed a rider request that would shift responsibility for certain judgments or settlements to the comptroller. Members asked about prior complaint backlogs, and BHEC said those backlogs had been cleared. The Board of Chiropractic Examiners followed, with a recommendation of just under $2.4 million; the board sought support for staffing, training, broadband, and salary retention, and described its work regulating chiropractors and workers’ compensation-related doctors. The Board of Dental Examiners was the last agency heard before the committee recessed. Its recommendation was just under $10 million, and it requested a 10% salary increase for eligible staff, three additional licensing staff, one staff member to handle required background checks, an additional attorney, and an executive director salary adjustment. Dental board witnesses said licensure growth, increased complaints, and low salaries were straining licensing and enforcement operations, even though the agency reported strong performance and high case completion rates. The chair ended the hearing early because the Senate had to return to the floor, and the committee remained in recess.

Bills: SJR36, SB1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure

Summary: The Senate convened briefly with an opening prayer by Senator Birdwell, who asked for protection and wisdom for Texans affected by severe weather, as well as for state and national leaders. The chair noted hazardous travel conditions from the winter storm and advised that attendance was not essential for affected members and staff; the journal was to reflect the weather event. The chair announced the signing of Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 in the presence of the Senate. On first reading and referral, the secretary read Senate Joint Resolution 36 by Hall, proposing a constitutional amendment related to appropriations for preserving certain items of historical moment, and Senate Bill 1 by Huffman, the General Appropriations Act. A motion in writing was then offered by Senator Zaffirini to recess the Senate until 10 a.m. Friday, January 24. With no objection, the motion carried and the Senate recessed until that time.

Transcript Highlights:

• If this committee is seriously about defending American families and Congress' oversight role, a role
• Chairman, I was disappointed that over the last few weeks I've had a number of oversight letters that
• It's the traditional oversight that hasn't been done in a generation.
• He moved to silence those who would provide accountability and oversight over his administration.
• Yeah, of course I absolutely agree you can't get efficiency if you have a big or growing budget.

Keywords: fiscal responsibility, government waste, foreign aid, funding resolution, legislative oversight

Summary: The committee meeting addressed government spending and foreign aid, with a particular emphasis on perceived wasteful expenditures. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing a funding resolution for the committee, which received unanimous support from the members present. The chair noted a quorum at the beginning of the meeting, signaling that the committee was ready to conduct its business. Discussions highlighted ongoing debates concerning fiscal responsibility and the necessity of legislative oversight, notably regarding foreign aid allocations and their implications for domestic fiscal health.

Bills: HJR1032, SB1273, SB1433

Keywords: HJR1032, House Joint Resolution 1032, Service Oklahoma, administrative rules, rule repeal, joint resolution, Oklahoma Administrative Code, OAC 670:15-1-10, OAC 670:15-1-14, agency regulation, legislative oversight, Secretary of State, Oklahoma Register, rulemaking, permanent rules, administrative code, state government, task force, agency review, board review

Bills: HJR1032, SB1273, SB1433

Keywords: HJR1032, House Joint Resolution 1032, Service Oklahoma, administrative rules, rule repeal, joint resolution, Oklahoma Administrative Code, OAC 670:15-1-10, OAC 670:15-1-14, agency regulation, legislative oversight, Secretary of State, Oklahoma Register, rulemaking, permanent rules, administrative code, state government, task force, agency review, board review

Summary: The Senate Administrative Rules Committee met to discuss upcoming rule-review packets and then considered three measures sponsored by Senator Bergstrom. Chairman Bergstrom said the committee’s first packet covered judiciary rules, a second packet on education would follow, and members were expected to review the materials and raise questions so agencies could provide written responses. Senate Bill 1273 created the Oklahoma State Agency, Board, and Commission Review Task Force to examine the efficiency, effectiveness, and necessity of state agencies, boards, and commissions and recommend legislative action. Members asked about overlap with existing committee work and whether the task force would require staff or create a fiscal impact. Bergstrom said it would use existing House and Senate staff and should have no fiscal impact. The bill passed 9-0. Senate Bill 1433, the Guidance Transparency Act, would require state agencies to publicly disclose guidance documents, memos, bulletins, and similar materials in a searchable database so they cannot function as undisclosed rules. Bergstrom said the measure was intended to prevent agencies from regulating through unofficial guidance and that the governor’s office and Secretary of State supported it. After questions about staffing and whether agencies could evade disclosure, the bill passed 7-2. House Joint Resolution 1032 would align Service Oklahoma rules with existing law and prior executive action regarding changes to birth certificates and state IDs related to sex or gender identity changes; Bergstrom said the rules, not statutes, were being moved. It passed 7-2. The meeting ended with Bergstrom urging members to review the rule packets and submit questions before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sonas commit program for oversight of group homes it was stripped from the budget at the last minute
• While this budget isn't perfect, and no budget ever is, this budget delivers for hardworking Arizonans
• year's budget.
• To preserve this important oversight function in the final budget, preserving Commit complements your
• budget.

Bills: HB4154, HB4155, HB4156, HB4157, HB4158, HB4159, HB4160, HB4161, HB4162, HB4163, HB4164, HB4165, HB4166, HB4167, HB4168, HB4169, SB1847, SB1848, SB1849, SB1850, SB1851, SB1852, SB1853, SB1854, SB1855, SB1856, SB1857, SB1858, SB1859, SB1860, SB1861, SB1862

Keywords: general appropriations act, budget, biennial budget, state spending, appropriations, fiscal year 2026, fiscal year 2027, state treasury, agency funding, operating budget, capital budget, public finance, state agencies, legislative budget, house appropriations, rules committee, HB4155, amusements, amusement industry, entertainment

Transcript Highlights:

• CMS also has a copy of the unredacted report as, again, our federal oversight entity and a primary, uh
• CMS also has a copy of the unredacted report as, again, our federal oversight entity and a primary, uh
• The Office of the Legislative Auditor has a copy that's unredacted, as well as our federal oversight
• Just to that effect, what portion of the report was based on policy versus oversight failures?
• </c> based on policy versus oversight based on policy versus oversight failures?

Bills: HF3378

Keywords: human services, Optum reports, data privacy, transparency, legislative oversight, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Today the committee will execute on one of Congress's most indispensable responsibilities, oversight.
• But in recent years the Senate has allowed our oversight muscles to atrophy.
• aisle on legitimate oversight inquiries, however, I don't believe this is the situation.
• Oversight is saying that they should be afraid?
• Everyone else subject to this oversight complied.

Keywords: oversight, subpoena, illegal immigrants, Massachusetts Port Authority, O'Hare Airport, legislative practices

Summary: The meeting was convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where robust discussions were held regarding the need for improved oversight within the Senate. The chairman emphasized the historical decline in oversight activities and proposed motions to authorize subpoenas related to an ongoing investigation involving the Massachusetts Port Authority and allegations of illegal immigrant sheltering at airports. This prompted a detailed examination of the current practices and measures needed to address such issues effectively, particularly in light of recent reports from O'Hare Airport. The committee engaged in deliberations that highlighted the importance of maintaining legislative oversight to safeguard national interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Anna Mingi, State Budget Director at Minnesota Management and Budget. Mr.
• The governor's budget ends with a... The governor's budget doesn't address the set-aside...
• The governor's budget ends with a... The governor's budget doesn't address the set-aside...
• The governor's budget ends with a... The governor's budget doesn't address the set-aside...
• The governor's budget ends with a... The governor's budget doesn't address the set-aside...

Bills: HF3

Keywords: legislative auditor, reporting, accountability, state finance, executive agency oversight, 1183, house