Transcript Highlights:

• The first slide just shows the disbursement amount, the value, the credit, if you will, that homeowners
• The first slide just shows the disbursement amount, the value, the credit, if you will, that homeowners
• So from an administrative standpoint, we're certainly involved with the certification, disbursement of
• Or do you do disbursements as they're approved?
• You know, this is after the disbursement, but then we're... Review them.

Committee: Joint Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee

Summary: The committee met to receive updates from the Tax Commissioner’s office on property tax relief programs and related compliance work. Commissioner Brian Croshys reviewed the Homestead Property Tax Credit, Disabled Veteran Credit, and Primary Residence Credit, noting that the Homestead program expanded significantly after HB 1158, that some households are “adjusting out” of eligibility as incomes rise, and that the committee may want to consider indexing income thresholds. Members asked for additional data on bracket breakdowns, possible costs of eliminating income limits for seniors, and how many households are zeroed out by the combined programs. Croshys also discussed the simpler administration of the disabled veteran credit, the growth in participation, and the heavy workload and auditing safeguards built into the new primary residence credit system. He said the department found no material compliance findings and that the program is designed to be digital-first, with county auditors and the Tax Commissioner’s office both involved in review and notification. The committee recessed for lunch and later reconvened, with the chair noting that more detailed PRC information would likely be available at a September meeting. Shelly Myers then presented the statewide property tax increase, or “zero growth,” report and the 2025 statistical report. She explained how county auditors report levy and valuation data, how increases and decreases are counted, and which jurisdictions showed the largest percentage changes in countywide, citywide, school district, and park district levies. In the statistical report, she summarized recent trends in assessed values: agricultural values remained relatively flat, while residential, commercial, and centrally assessed property values increased over the past five years. She also reviewed statewide tax levies by property class and clarified that centrally assessed growth figures were annual averages. Members discussed how shifts in land use and annexation can make it appear that tax burdens are moving from ag to residential/commercial property. Myers then summarized the interim study on the 3% levy limitation under HB 1176, saying most counties complied without budget changes, while some used hiring freezes, deferred purchases, or reserve funds; 23% of counties had to reduce levies, and the affected funds were mainly general, road and bridge, and weed control. She said 12 counties reported zero new growth in the data and that 35 counties reported not using all of their cap. The committee also received an oil tax presentation from Croshys on the stripper well extraction tax exemption. He outlined the number of active stripper wells, the production and revenue implications of the exemption, and projections for future biennia under different tax scenarios. He said the exemption represents substantial savings to operators but also corresponds to production tax revenue that would otherwise be collected, and he emphasized that future outcomes depend on oil prices, well counts, and technology such as CO2 enhanced oil recovery. Nathan Anderson of the Department of Mineral Resources briefly answered a question about why Red River wells have a different production threshold than Bakken wells, explaining it was tied to completion costs and lateral length. The committee then heard from Charlie Gorecki of the EERC, who presented an analysis of typical Bakken well decline curves and argued that most oil is produced before a well reaches stripper status, but that keeping wells open and investing in refracturing or other interventions can recover additional production. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting; the main actions were receiving reports, asking for follow-up data, and scheduling further discussion for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Funds will flow to MNIT first, and then MNIT will disburse them to the various agencies to purchase the
• Funds will flow to MNIT first, and then MNIT will disburse them to the various agencies to purchase the
• ><00:06:48.040><c> then</c><00:06:48.240><c> MNIT</c><00:06:48.560><c> will</c><00:06:48.680><c> disburse
• </c> MNIT first, and then MNIT will disburse MNIT first, and then MNIT will disburse them<00:06:49.480

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, one thing to note is that the first step of this will be to select a disbursement category.
• Is that the first step of this will be to select a disbursement category.
• The household is also required to submit information related to proof of payment on the disbursement
• So we definitely have a thorough review and a multiple-level review before disbursements are made.
• Multiple-level review before disbursements are made. And Ms.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met to continue reviewing how Family Empowerment Scholarship students are funded through the FEFP and the role of scholarship funding organizations. Staff gave a statutory overview of parent, SFO, and Department of Education responsibilities, including application deadlines, eligibility verification, quarterly payment timing, cross-checks to prevent duplicate funding, and the 99% district FEFP limitation for certain awards. The committee then heard demonstrations from Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation showing their parent portals, application workflows, reimbursement systems, school enrollment/invoice processes, and marketplace tools for tuition, tutoring, and approved goods and services. Step Up reported major growth since HB 1, saying its scholarship population expanded from about 260,000 to more than 440,000 students, with application processing averaging about 10 days. It also highlighted faster tuition, provider, and reimbursement payments, multilingual support in English and Spanish, and resources such as videos and a call center. Members asked about support for Creole speakers, optional Florida ID numbers, student identifiers, marketplace pricing, tutor qualifications, background screening, and how awards differ from funded status. Step Up said it does not currently support Creole, does not do background screenings for tutors, sets no marketplace prices itself, and uses a unique internal student ID separate from the state ID. AAA demonstrated its revised software for the 2025-26 school year, including an eligibility screener, household and student application steps, messaging with staff, reimbursement requests, and administrative review and payment batching. AAA said the new system is custom-built, more transparent about award value versus available balance, and designed to better handle quarterly funding for UA students. Members questioned AAA and Step Up about student ID numbers, public-school cross-checks, fraud controls, school fee schedules, whether schools must participate, and reimbursement timing. Both organizations said they report quarterly to DOE, receive public-school cross-checks, and recover funds when students return to public school; AAA said its average reimbursement turnaround is about 14 business days, while Step Up said its reimbursement approvals have improved significantly. The committee also requested follow-up information, including one-pagers, data on income levels and demographics, and additional details on forecasting and system costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then from that point forward, annually, it would be a 10% disbursement from the cannabis fund to
• So the thought was a 10% rolling disbursement going forward would be about a million dollars per year
• So there are other disbursements outlined in that proposed bill, but those are outside of what would

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 4893, which would increase penalties for contempt of magistrate court and raise the maximum fine a court may impose without a jury trial. Counsel explained that the bill would raise fines for first, second, and third offenses, add community service, and allow weekend jail or work release for a third offense. The committee adopted the strike-and-insert amendment, reported the bill to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, and adopted a title amendment. The committee then took up House Bill 5684, a pilot program creating child protection commissioners to help handle abuse and neglect cases. Counsel and the sponsor described the proposal as a way to reduce circuit court backlog, improve the frequency and consistency of hearings, and provide more focused attention to children and families while leaving final decision-making authority with circuit judges. Supporters cited the heavy caseloads, shortages of guardians ad litem, and a Texas model that reportedly improved efficiency; one senator criticized the bill as adding bureaucracy, while others said the system needs a new approach. Members discussed funding through a companion bill tied to the medical cannabis fund, with an initial startup amount and ongoing annual support. Several senators raised concerns about the lack of a sunset date and the need for measurable outcomes. The committee adopted an amendment requiring the Supreme Court’s Administrative Director to identify measurable outcomes, establish a pre-implementation baseline, and provide annual reporting to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, including costs and projected costs. House Bill 5684, as amended, was then reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, subdivision 4, section 4 deals with the non-campaign disbursements for campaign funding.
• So this bill would propose instead that that be one of those non-campaign disbursements that candidates
• So this bill would propose instead that that be one of those non-campaign disbursements that candidates

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• They've shown what has been disbursed; however, they do not show what donations are remaining.
• About less than 4% have gone to individuals, and 10% of the funds went to rapid disbursement.
• And we're now, after that, where 90% of the funds were not disbursed in the first 30 days.
• The total donations that have been dispersed, the rapid disbursement within the first 30 days, and then
• after that, how much of the donations are still remaining to be disbursed?

Bills: HB48 , HB66 , HB68 , HB71 , HB75 , HB164 , HB171 , HB254 , SB 3 , SB 18 , HB123 , HB149 , HB117

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• in our process too, on our monthly disbursements when we were reimbursing communities for expenses incurred
• That's on a disbursement request form with all the required invoices and everything to justify the expense
• in our process too, on our monthly disbursements when we were reimbursing communities for expenses incurred
• That's on a disbursement request form with all the required invoices and everything to justify the expense
• That's on a disbursement request form with all the required invoices and everything to justify the expense

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism notified us in February 2026 of an apparent unauthorized disbursement
• The apparent unauthorized disbursement totaled almost $2,400 from a payroll direct deposit involving

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-STATE AGENCIES

Summary: The committee met to consider audit reports and first adopted the minutes, then deferred the Health Department special report at the request of Representative Mary Bentley. Staff presented two reports with findings and six reports without findings, with the latter recommended to be filed. The first report discussed was the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism FY25 audit, which had two findings: an apparent unauthorized payroll direct deposit of nearly $2,400 involving impersonation of an employee, and a bank account that was temporarily uninsured and uncollateralized by about $105,000. Agency officials said the collateral issue has been corrected, and members questioned the adequacy of monthly checks, the lack of recovery or prosecution in the payroll incident, and whether stronger safeguards are needed. On motion, the committee deferred this report to a later meeting so the agency could return with additional answers. The committee then heard the Treasurer of State FY25 report, which found that liabilities were understated by nearly $335 million because year-end obligations tied to Act 1017 and county aid distributions were not properly recorded. Treasurer’s office staff said the issue was a timing/bookkeeping matter rather than a delay in transferring funds, and that the office concurred with the audit adjustment. After questions, the committee voted to accept the Treasurer of State report. The chair announced the next meeting would be September 10, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so in the past, the Fair Plan has made disbursements back out to the member companies when they've
• We did not disburse that out, right?
• That disbursement process works exactly the same as the assessment process, right?
• That disbursement process works exactly the same as the assessment process, right?

Committee: House Insurance

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee held an oversight hearing on the California Fair Plan, focused on the plan’s rapid growth, financial condition, depopulation efforts, and response to the January Southern California wildfires. Fair Plan officials explained that the plan was created in 1968 as an insurer of last resort, is a private not-for-profit association of admitted insurers, and is intended to be a temporary safety net until policyholders can return to the voluntary market. They said the market has deteriorated so much that many consumers are now coming to the Fair Plan first, including in lower-wildfire-risk areas where the plan is sometimes cheaper than private-market options. Officials said the plan’s exposure has grown sharply, reaching about 575,000 policies and nearly $600 billion in exposure by the end of March, with especially fast growth in low-risk areas. They described the plan’s depopulation challenges, the clearinghouse process, and pending or recent policy expansions such as coverage for farmers, higher commercial coverage limits, and proposed bills affecting grace periods and manufactured-home replacement coverage. They also discussed rates, saying premiums have risen from about $1,839 in 2021 to about $2,800 in 2025, while average policy limits have increased to over $1 million, and that the plan is working with the Department of Insurance on a new dwelling filing to move toward actuarially sound rates. A major portion of the hearing addressed the January fires and the Fair Plan’s finances. Officials said the plan paid more than $2.9 billion in claims so far and expects total losses near $4 billion, with over 5,500 claims filed and more than half already closed. Because of the losses, the plan sought and received a $1 billion assessment from member insurers, the first such assessment in 30 years, and also described its reinsurance tower and the role of reinsurance in covering catastrophic losses. They said the plan is supporting AB 226, which would give it access to a line of credit and potential bond financing to reduce reliance on assessments. Members raised concerns about solvency, non-renewals, smoke-claim standards, and the growth of the plan in non-wildfire areas; public commenters from the building industry and insurance brokers said the Fair Plan’s growth reflects a weak voluntary market and urged stronger rates and depopulation tools.

Transcript Highlights:

• asked the department to present to us on the history of the EASE Grant, its award allocation, and disbursement
• Participating institutions manage the eligibility and disbursement procedures.
• With respect to the EASE disbursement process, the institutions must certify to the department each student's
• However, should disbursed funds exceed the appropriation, the department will be required to prorate

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee heard and advanced House Bill 1145, which clarifies that public charter schools may participate in the CAP Grant Fund. The bill’s amendment expanded a separate “money-back guarantee” concept for state colleges, requiring participating institutions to offer six eligible programs and refund tuition if graduates do not find qualifying employment within six months under standardized job-search requirements. Members asked about refund rates, student notification, fiscal impact, and whether the proposal accounted for disability or out-of-state job searches. Public testimony on the amendment and bill was in support from Nathan Hoffman of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, and the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute by a 16-1 vote, with Representative Aristide voting no over the charter school issue. The committee then received presentations on the William L. Boyd IV Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) Grant and the private nonprofit college sector. Department of Education staff explained that EASE, created in 1979, provides tuition assistance to eligible full-time undergraduates at participating private institutions, with a 2024-25 maximum award of $3,500 and an additional EASE Plus incentive of up to $850 for students in high-demand fields. The department reviewed the program’s funding history, disbursement process, and accountability metrics, including access, affordability, graduation, retention, and postgraduate employment/continuing education. Members asked about award proration, eligibility for other aid, religious-program restrictions, and why some institutions had low or unavailable graduation-rate data. ICUF President Robert Boyd argued that EASE is a strong return on investment and described ICUF institutions as not-for-profit, four-year schools serving many Pell-eligible, adult, military, and minority students. He said the sector produces a significant share of Florida’s bachelor’s, graduate, nursing, and education degrees, and highlighted ICUF’s dashboard with additional transparency metrics, program earnings data, and net price calculators. Boyd and members discussed graduation and completion rates, NCLEX passage rates, affordability, institutional flexibility, and whether schools with lower graduation rates should be compared differently because of their student populations. The presentations ended with no further business, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This latest round of HAP is also strengthened by stronger conditions for the initial disbursement of
• term for just be under contract, have a concrete plan for the funding with 75% of the initial disbursement
• grantees do have, as in prior rounds, have obligation expenditure criteria to get that second disbursement
• the the ability to do that absolutely so that is new this round but you cannot get your initial disbursement

Transcript Highlights:

• We Representative Ladd had a graph showing that disbursement of students and it's not on the upper end
• The majority of the disbursements are in the lower end of the students between the 2 and 1/2 and probably
• 46:00.040><c> graph</c><00:46:00.520><c> showing</c><00:46:00.960><c> that</c><00:46:01.480><c> disbursement
• </c><00:46:02.120><c> of</c> a a graph showing that disbursement of a a graph showing that disbursement
• </c> The The majority of the disbursements The The majority of the disbursements are<00:46:06.320><c>

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Governor's Letter Number 30 is for DFA disbursing officer.
• I suspect there will be some disbursements that occur, you know, in FY26. Okay.

Committee: All JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE

Transcript Highlights:

• I do not know what the terms of the bylaws are on disbursement.
• The bylaws are on disbursement. It was completely paid in by member assessments.
• on how funds are distributed, I don’t know what authority you’d have to sit and talk about the disbursement

Committees: House Insurance , House Insurance and Banking

Transcript Highlights:

• that funding gets us through, I think, about five days into this session because of the November disbursement
• . disbursement.
• We had booked it till the end of the year, but because of the federal disbursement that came in November

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• taken the stance that we will help administer and disperse the funds, but we cannot dictate that disbursement
• The description of how you calculate the disbursements of the Compact Trust Fund are in the compact,
• And so the tribes that qualify for the disbursements have to go back and determine how they're going
• The description of how you calculate the disbursements of the Compact Trust Fund are in the compact,
• And so the tribes that qualify for the disbursements have to go back and determine how they're going

Committee: Senate Senate Regulatory Affairs & Government Efficiency Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard the Arizona Auditor General’s 2025 sunset review of the Arizona Barbering and Cosmetology Board. The audit found the board generally processed licenses and complaints timely and had adopted required school curriculum rules, but it also identified inconsistent disciplinary actions, gaps in required infection-prevention and law education for some reciprocity and instructor applicants, weak application review controls, and noncompliance issues involving open meeting law, public records, and conflicts of interest. Auditors also recommended statutory changes on esthetics scope of practice, cease-and-desist authority, and eyelash technician training standards. The board’s executive director said the agency agreed with the findings, had already implemented some changes including updated disciplinary parameters, conflict-of-interest training, lawful presence verification, and revised cash-handling procedures, and was working through the remaining recommendations. After questions, the committee voted 7-0 to recommend the board implement the audit recommendations and be continued for six years, until July 1, 2032. The committee then took up the combined sunset review and performance audit of the Arizona Department of Gaming, the Arizona Racing Commission, and the Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission. The Auditor General reported that while the department distributed tribal gaming funds and issued some licenses appropriately, it failed to consistently obtain and review required independent audit reports for event wagering and fantasy sports operators, did not fully comply with conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements, lacked comprehensive complaint-handling processes, and had delayed some compact trust fund distributions. Additional issues included IT security documentation, horse-racing suitability checks, fee-setting reviews, rulemaking, and public records procedures; the Boxing and MMA Commission also had licensing and fee-setting deficiencies. The department and commissions agreed to implement the recommendations, and the department director said the agency was already making changes, including updated guidance to operators, a new complaint-tracking process, conflict-of-interest training, and work on trust fund distributions and rule changes. Committee members pressed both the auditor and the department on why fantasy sports audit reviews had not been completed, whether underpayments would be recovered, and why no distributions had yet been made to certain Category 3 tribes under the 2021 compact trust fund. The director said the department was now doing a look-back review, would seek any owed fees, penalties, and interest, and was helping tribes resolve the baseline-revenue formula needed for distributions. Members also asked about conflict-of-interest practices, problem gambling, and whether prediction markets fall under gaming regulation. The discussion continued into the department’s broader presentation, with the director describing the agency’s regulatory role and ongoing modernization efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are we talking about, you know, a disbursing...” “Are we talking about sales tax?
• Are we talking about, you know, a disbursement received from some kind of tax credit? Okay.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Summary: The House Ways and Means Committee met in executive session to consider House Bill 2379, which had a pre-distributed House Committee Substitute. The bill sponsor, Rep. Cecily Williams, explained that the substitute was revised to align with a Senate version and to clarify definitions, limit applicability to certain counties, rename the fund the Early Childhood Education Fund, expand eligible uses to include child care services, move fund custody to the county treasurer, broaden the types of eligible providers, and prioritize children with the greatest financial need. Members discussed how the measure would work in practice, with repeated clarification that it does not create a new tax but instead governs how locally approved early childhood sales tax revenue would be collected and distributed. Several members focused on whether the bill involved tax credits or a sales tax, whether any tax was already in place, and whether the money would otherwise go to general revenue. The sponsor and other members clarified that local governments already have authority to place an early childhood sales tax on the ballot, and the bill would require any revenue approved for that purpose to be deposited into a dedicated children’s service fund rather than diverted to general funds. Supporters, including Rep. Taylor and Rep. Wright, said the bill would improve transparency and ensure funds are used for the intended early childhood purpose, while Rep. Davis questioned the fairness of a sales tax that would be paid broadly but benefit only families with young children. Rep. Coleman also raised questions about the funding mechanism and remained uncertain during the discussion. The committee first adopted the House Committee Substitute by voice vote. It then voted on the substitute version of House Bill 2379 and passed it do pass by a roll call vote of 7 ayes and 2 noes. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• granted the power to recover any funds that were appropriated by the federal government but never disbursed
• This includes the authority to file lawsuits and... ...but never disbursed.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The committee held an open hearing on House Bill 3006, which would create a state coordinator position to identify and recover federal funds appropriated to Missouri but never disbursed. The sponsor said the bill is aimed at broadband and other federal programs that failed to deliver promised money, arguing the state should have a mechanism to pursue those funds and that the expected recoveries would far exceed the cost of the new position. Members asked about the coordinator’s authority, the role of the Attorney General, and whether the bill would apply to pass-through funds or individual claims; the sponsor said it was intended for funds owed to the state, not for local or individual pass-through disputes. No testimony in favor or opposition was recorded, and the hearing concluded without a vote on HB 3006. The committee then moved into executive session and took up several bills. House Bill 2288 was brought up for a do pass vote and failed on a roll call vote of 5 ayes and 7 noes. House Bill 3000 was then considered and passed unanimously, 12 ayes and 0 noes. The committee next considered House Bill 313. A substitute was adopted after a brief explanation that it added a definition of “public building” used elsewhere in the chapter and made a grammatical change. The House Committee Substitute for HB 313 then received a do pass recommendation by a vote of 11 ayes and 1 no, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• granted the power to recover any funds that were appropriated by the federal government but never disbursed
• This includes the authority to file lawsuits and... ...but never disbursed.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• retirement system, providing legislative intent; repealing Section 33-240, Idaho Code, relating to disbursement
• addition of a new section 42-1309, Idaho Code, to establish provisions regarding the collection and disbursement
• addition of a new section 42-1309, Idaho Code, to establish provisions regarding the collection and disbursement
• addition of a new section 42-1309, Idaho Code, to establish provisions regarding the collection and disbursement