Transcript Highlights:

• </c> do with negotiating with uh PBMs. do with negotiating with uh PBMs.
• </c><01:49:48.960><c> a</c> speaking, is that they're negotiating a speaking, is that they're negotiating
• </c><01:50:09.199><c> rate</c> not have to charge that negotiated rate not have to charge that negotiated
• “Okay, we don't like negotiating.”
• 05:34:16.320><c> with</c> mentioned, we negotiate benefits with mentioned, we negotiate benefits with

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 47, sponsored by Senator Regina Birdsell at the request of the Insurance Department. The bill would clarify that a birth mother’s health insurance is the primary policy for a newborn’s care unless the mother has no coverage or no employer-sponsored coverage. Birdsell and Insurance Commissioner DJ Benton Court said the measure simply codifies the department’s long-standing interpretation of existing law. Representative Miles asked whether the coverage would extend to a grandchild if a young woman on her parents’ plan had a baby, and Birdsell said it would. The hearing on SB 47 was then closed. The committee next heard Senate Bill 121, introduced by Grant Bosi for Senator Kevin Avard. The bill requires insurers to notify the Insurance Department when they stop writing an entire line of business or, in some cases, when they change Medicare Advantage offerings. Benton Court said the bill was prompted by disruption in the Medicare Advantage market, where consumers and the department were confused by carriers exiting, changing plans, or narrowing offerings. He said the department does not regulate Medicare Advantage itself, but does license the carriers, and the notice requirement would help the department advise consumers; he also said noncompliance could affect a carrier’s license and could lead to fines. Members discussed the notice period, and the department and AHIP indicated support for changing it from 120 days to 90 days to align with federal timing. The hearing was closed with plans to work on an amendment in subcommittee. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 247, introduced by Representative Brian Cole, which would prohibit network exclusion for pharmacies that refuse to dispense prescriptions when PBM reimbursement is below acquisition cost. Cole said the bill is meant to stop pharmacies from being forced to sell at a loss. Members questioned whether pharmacies voluntarily enter PBM contracts, whether the bill would raise consumer prices, and whether it would mainly affect independent pharmacies. Cole and others said the issue has changed over time because PBMs now control a much larger share of the market, and that the bill would let pharmacies refuse loss-making fills and direct patients to mail order instead. The discussion also noted that the bill excludes Medicare and Medicaid and that the current proposal does not create a middle-ground option for patients to pay a premium at the counter.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I really hope that we're not going to go down this line of when we negotiate in good faith that
• This was a rule that we negotiated in good faith.
• represent what's happening in those negotiations.
• Oh, well, I was going to recognize Representative Hansen if that's okay with you. negotiations, it's
• </c><00:53:03.760><c> It</c> in in those uh negotiations. It in in those uh negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I continue to believe at the federal level, we should be negotiating drug prices on all drugs covered
• level,<00:03:19.360><c> we</c><00:03:19.599><c> should</c><00:03:19.680><c> be</c><00:03:19.840><c> negotiating
• </c><00:03:20.480><c> drug</c> level, we should be negotiating drug level, we should be negotiating drug

Transcript Highlights:

• Arkansas poultry producers in the Illinois River watershed and to urge a return to good-faith negotiations
• return to good faith producers in the Illinois River watershed and to urge a return to good faith negotiations
• Arkansas poultry producers in the Illinois River watershed and to urge a return to good-faith negotiations
• Representative Moore has explained the resolution. ...a return to good-faith negotiations.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, granted leave to Representative Jack Ladyman, and received committee reports from the Joint Budget Committee recommending passage of several bills, including House Bill 1034 with Amendment 1. The chamber also recognized numerous guests, including state troopers of the day, the doctor and nurse of the day, several constituent groups, and students from the Arkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts. The House adopted House Resolution 1034, supporting Arkansas poultry producers in the Illinois River watershed and urging good-faith negotiations, by a vote of 97-0. It also adopted House Concurrent Memorial Resolution 1001, honoring Bishop Kenneth Liddell Robinson, Sr., by a vote of 98-0. Members then took up multiple budget amendments and appropriations, with Representative Johnson explaining amendments to bills covering education, public safety, agriculture, county jail reimbursement, drug task force funding, pregnancy help organizations, tire recycling fees, and other appropriations; the amendments were adopted. On the budget calendar, the House passed a batch of general appropriation bills and several supplemental and reappropriation bills, including House Bills 1006, 1086, 1087, 1088, 1094, 1084, and 1097. House Bill 1053, an appropriation for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, failed 71-19-8. House Bill 1098, a reappropriation for the Department of Parks and Heritage, was defeated after Representative Henley spoke against it and the final vote was 0-85-4. The House then adjourned until 11 a.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, the amendment is simply some negotiations between all involved parties as we look to increase
• multi-state contracts from the rate floor and value-based care provisions so that MCOs can use negotiated
• multi-state contracts from the rate floor and value-based care provisions so that MCOs can use negotiated
• Reinhardt and Representative Pay for letting us take this bill as late as last Friday evening as we negotiated

Bills: HB1979 , HB1225 , HB3931 , HB4454 , HB3849 , HB1746 , HB3720 , HB4275 , HB4300 , HB3586 , HB2268 , HB3755 , HB4117 , HB4294 , HB3650 , HB4298

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee first considered the nomination of Christy D. Fisher to the Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Senator Stanridge presented her as a lay member with legal and paralegal experience, and Fisher spoke about her family’s experience with speech therapy and autism-related speech needs. After brief questions, the committee advanced the nomination on an 8-2 vote. The committee then heard several bills, including measures creating an Early Childhood Task Force (HB 1979), clarifying that Oklahoma has always prohibited sex-to-gender-identity amendments on birth certificates (HB 1225), and establishing a process for correcting death certificates after one year (HB 3931). Members also advanced a bill restricting edible medical marijuana products from being attractive to children (HB 4454), updating the mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents (HB 3849), and allowing juvenile safety plans to take effect if not acted on within 24 hours (HB 1746). Other bills addressed local food sales thresholds (HB 3720), allowing case managers and peer support specialists to work for cities and counties (HB 4275), DHS background-check and email-notice updates for child care centers (HB 4300), and a clarification that raising a child consistent with biological sex is not child abuse and that adoption cannot be denied solely over refusal to support a gender transition (HB 3586). The committee also advanced bills on Medicaid reimbursement for dementia cognitive assessments and care planning (HB 2268), juvenile detention medication funding (HB 3755), family resource centers including faith-based and workforce organizations (HB 4117), epilepsy insurance coverage protections (HB 4294), extending the managed care rate floor to July 1, 2028 with a carve-out for multi-state contracts (HB 3650), and child care reforms raising subsidy co-pays and directing DHS to set more flexible master-teacher ratios for certain facilities (HB 4298). Several bills were amended or worked from committee substitutes, and most passed on unanimous or near-unanimous votes, with HB 1225, HB 3586, and HB 4294 drawing some opposition. The committee adjourned after noting it would likely meet again later for additional executive nominations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And my bride was going with me and meeting me there, but I got held up here as we were negotiating budget
• And my bride was going with me and meeting me there, but I got held up here as we were negotiating budget
• House stand adjourned at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. as we were negotiating budget. as we were negotiating budget

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires a county to follow the process for negotiating with the tribal government under the Growth
• And it allows a county that enters into negotiations with a federally recognized Indian tribe to be eligible
• It requires a county to follow the process for negotiating with the tribal government under the Growth
• And it allows a county that enters into negotiations with a federally recognized Indian tribe to be eligible

Bills: SB6132

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: indebtedness limits, inland port districts, federal funding, infrastructure improvements, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires a county to follow the process for negotiating with the tribal government under the Growth
• And it allows a county that enters into negotiations with a federally recognized Indian tribe to be eligible
• It requires a county to follow the process for negotiating with the tribal government under the Growth
• And it allows a county that enters into negotiations with a federally recognized Indian tribe to be eligible

Summary: The Local Government Committee met for its final meeting of the session and considered six bills in executive session after a caucus break. The committee first took up Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6026 on residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones. Members debated how to balance housing production with local control and walkable downtowns. The committee adopted a striking amendment that removed some exemptions, capped ground-floor commercial or mixed-use requirements at 40% of affected acreage, extended the compliance deadline to 18 months, and barred such requirements on publicly subsidized affordable housing projects. A proposed amendment to raise the population threshold from 30,000 to 40,000 was rejected. The bill was then reported out with a do pass recommendation on a 5-2 vote. The committee next considered Substitute Senate Bill 6309 on permitting tools for high-capacity transit projects, including development agreements with regional transit authorities. Two property-rights-related amendments were rejected or modified, and an ADA-related amendment was adopted to ensure accessibility requirements were not waived. The bill was reported out as amended. Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5374 on tribal representation in transportation planning also advanced after an amendment changed “consult” to “coordinate,” aligned county processes with the Growth Management Act, and added access to technical assistance; the bill passed out of committee with a do pass recommendation. Senate Bill 6132, allowing a narrow increase in indebtedness for select inland port districts to preserve federal funding eligibility, passed unanimously without amendment. The committee also approved Substitute Senate Bill 6076, which streamlines procurement rules for consumer-owned utilities on clean energy, storage, transmission, and distribution projects, with members noting broad support from utilities and labor. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5729, which limits local governments from charging applicants for certain third-party reviews already covered by staff review in affordable housing permitting, was reported out unanimously. The meeting ended with members thanking staff for their work during the session and adjourning the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• It adds that WITA may only exercise the power of eminent domain as a last option when negotiated agreements
• They want to use that eminent domain, that power as a last resort, really continuing to work on negotiated
• They want to use that eminent domain, that power as a last resort, really continuing to work on negotiated
• I thought it would work well in this. ...to work on negotiated agreements. It works very well.

Bills: SB6124 , SB6171 , SB6284 , SB5609 , SB6172 , SB6246 , SB5932 , SB6269 , SB6223 , SB5975

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

Keywords: appliance affordability, cost index, energy efficiency, consumer protection, Washington state, energy facilities, large energy consumers, regulation, environment, sustainability, artificial intelligence, data privacy, technological impacts, cultural resources, land use, environmental policy, exemptions, state laws, Washington climate policy, greenhouse gas

Transcript Highlights:

• It adds that WITA may only exercise the power of eminent domain as a last option when negotiated agreements
• They want to use that eminent domain, that power as a last resort, really continuing to work on negotiated
• They want to use that eminent domain, that power as a last resort, really continuing to work on negotiated
• I thought it would work well in this. ...to work on negotiated agreements. It works very well.

Summary: The Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee took executive action on 11 bills. It advanced SB 624 on an Appliance Affordability Index study with an amendment excluding consumer electronics, and SB 6284 on artificial intelligence systems with a proposed substitute adding definitions, developer requirements, exemptions for some entities, and clarifying enforcement. The committee also moved forward SB 5609 on cultural resource protection under SEPA after rejecting an amendment to the proposed substitute, and SB 6172 on coal plant treatment under cap-and-invest after adopting an amendment related to emergency federal orders. Several energy and climate bills were also approved, including SB 6246 on emissions-intensive trade-exposed facilities, SB 5932 on alternative jet fuel production, SB 6269 on the definition of motor fuel, and SB 6223 on community-scaled weatherization projects. On SB 5975 concerning lead in cookware, the committee rejected one proposed substitute and adopted another that bans intentionally added lead in cookware beginning in 2027 and directs future regulation through the Safer Products program. The committee then considered SB 5466 on electric transmission reliability and capacity, taking up multiple amendments to a proposed second substitute. Amendments addressing wildfire risk, corridor identification, landowner consultation, eminent domain, and wildfire liability were all rejected, and the bill was advanced on a due pass recommendation. In each case, the committee’s final action was to pass the bills or substitutes subject to signatures, with several measures referred onward to Ways and Means or Rules as noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• The conversations we had with the Senate in reaching a negotiated agreement on the physician compact.
• We had not finished the negotiations with the Senate at the time.
• note that Representative Jones and Representative Herndon were part of a three-person team that negotiated
• While we were in negotiation, I did some research on it.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• The conversations we had with the Senate in reaching a negotiated agreement on the physician compact.
• We had not finished the negotiations at the time, and they are the same as last time, but there will
• note that Representative Jones and Representative Herndon were part of a three-person team that negotiated
• While we were in negotiation, I did some research on it.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• That includes a provision to negotiate a new lease for an additional five-year period beginning July
• </c><00:09:19.519><c> to</c> year that includes a provision to year that includes a provision to negotiate
• 20.640><c> lease</c><00:09:20.959><c> for</c><00:09:21.200><c> an</c><00:09:21.360><c> additional</c> negotiate
• a new lease for an additional negotiate a new lease for an additional five-year five-year five-year

Summary: The Long Range Capital Planning and Utilization Committee met to approve the February 24 minutes and complete committee organization by confirming Senator Maki as vice chair. The committee then considered several Department of Safety and Department of Transportation lease requests, along with an informational report from the New Hampshire Council on Resources and Development. The Department of Safety sought approval for a 15-year lease at 17 Freetown Road in Raymond to relocate DMV operations from Epping. The department said the move was needed because the Epping site had limited parking and inadequate interior space, and that the longer lease was justified by fit-up costs and the need to ensure ADA-compliant accessibility. Members asked about fit-up costs and future DMV space needs, and the request was approved. The Department of Transportation presented a lease for JCB LLC for a private, non-commercial dock and pedestrian at-grade crossing on the Concord-to-Lincoln railroad corridor in Belmont. Members discussed the private nature of the dock, the role of DEIS approval, and the annual lease fee, which was read into the record before the request was approved. The committee then approved a bundled request covering 18 similar dock and mooring lease renewals in Belmont, Meredith, and Laconia, with discussion focused on the renewal process, waiver of administrative fees, and the standardized lease costs. The Council on Resources and Development item was informational only and required no action. The committee set its next meeting for June 30 at 9:30 a.m. and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's counsel is in a process of draft After that, that I have negotiated with some of the stakeholders
• and and planned out and planned for And then how it bumps up to the city of Katy those were all negotiated
• From the beginning, when we start negotiating a letter of intent with a landowner, buy a piece of property
• Thanks again, Chairman, members, and I do appreciate the stakeholders that have been willing to negotiate

Bills: HB23 , HB363 , HB447 , HB954 , HB23

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Keywords: third-party review, property development, local government, permits, construction inspection, regulatory authority, land development, liability, occupancy certificate, municipal utility district, petition, county clerk, water code, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, traffic impact studies, bonds, road projects, eminent domain, extraterritorial jurisdiction, county authority

Transcript Highlights:

• We go through a negotiation phase.
• During that negotiation phase, we really iron out all those details, so a landowner knows exactly what
• And have you had any good negotiations with FDOT when they're putting in these super highways and...
• ...good negotiations with FDOT when they're putting in these super highways and just taking these small

Summary: The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee met with a quorum and heard two Department of Agriculture presentations. First, the Director of Rural and Family Lands described the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which buys development rights through perpetual conservation easements on private agricultural land to preserve farming, wildlife habitat, water resources, and open space while keeping land taxable and avoiding state maintenance costs. He said the program has expanded rapidly since 2023 through streamlined applications, templates, and an online portal, increasing acreage protected from about 66,000 acres through 2022 to more than 210,000 acres, with a higher share in the Florida wildlife corridor. He also said review times were reduced by more than 85 days and that projects under $5 million can move faster under statutory authority. The department is seeking $200 million in nonrecurring funding on top of $100 million recurring, citing 203 existing projects and 224 new applications totaling nearly $2 billion in estimated need. Members asked about the scientific ranking process, South Florida participation, project prioritization, maintenance responsibilities, and whether landowners can exit the program; staff said land remains privately owned, easements are in perpetuity, and partnerships and cost-sharing are prioritized. The committee then heard from the Florida Forest Service director, who outlined the agency’s dual mission of wildfire response and land management. He said the service responds to roughly 2,200 to 2,500 wildfires annually, manages 38 state forests and one ranch totaling more than 1.1 million acres, and receives about 15 million visitors each year. He highlighted the impact of Senate Bill 1638 gaming compact funds, which provided $32 million for land management, recreation, equipment, roads, invasive species control, habitat restoration, prescribed burning, reforestation, and staffing support. He said Florida leads the nation in prescribed fire, with 277,818 acres burned on state forests last year and 2.47 million acres burned statewide, and noted ongoing restoration work such as Picayune Strand. He also described challenges including aging equipment, deferred maintenance, contractor availability, and timber market instability caused by hurricanes and mill closures, and suggested longer-term funding and a higher capital asset allowance. Members discussed timber markets, public communication and marketing, recreation fees, and coordination with other agencies and FDOT. The meeting ended with the chair noting that next week’s meeting would report out agency conversations and budget recommendations, and the committee rose.

Transcript Highlights:

• This position has, is negotiated; the work and how it is funded is negotiated between the department,
• Obviously, that leaves up variability for those contracts to be negotiated, as contracts often are with
• Obviously, that leaves up variability for those contracts to be negotiated, as contracts often are with
• for decades that I think the investment, were we to lose this investment of thousands of hours in negotiation
• decades, that I think the investment, were we to lose this investment of thousands of hours in negotiation

Summary: The Emergency Board approved a series of consent federal grant applications from the Natural Resources and Public Safety subcommittees, along with several budget and position requests. The board approved grant applications for parks, transportation, judicial, emergency management, higher education, school nutrition, and other programs, including retroactive approvals where deadlines had passed. One member objected to the Natural Resources consent grants over concerns about future funding needs, but the motion still passed. The board also approved a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, including digital privacy protections, circuit court security, and a statewide facilities assessment. A major discussion centered on Southern Oregon University’s financial stability. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission reported on SOU’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and projected cash shortfall. The subcommittee recommended, and the board approved, allocating $7.5 million from the special appropriation for short-term stability, with a required update at the September 2026 Emergency Board meeting and a future request for the remaining funds. Members debated the broader crisis in higher education, with several saying SOU’s situation reflects systemwide enrollment and funding pressures and that long-term restructuring will be needed. The board also approved an AmeriCorps volunteer generation grant, an apprenticeship expansion grant, and a Department of Education nutrition equipment grant. In public safety, it approved funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a statewide evacuation planning tool, and a juvenile justice information system modernization report, while requiring a follow-up viability report. The Department of Justice received approval for additional antitrust positions and expenditure limitation, though several members raised concerns about the funding structure and incentives tied to settlement revenues; the motion passed despite objections. In natural resources, the board approved funding for the Water Resources Department’s well abandonment, repair and replacement grants, an assistant water master position in Washington County, groundwater data collection in the Lower Umatilla Basin, a wetlands remote sensing pilot, and parks-related grant applications for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Members generally supported the requests but raised concerns about geographic equity, long-term sustainability, and whether some county responsibilities were being shifted to the state. The meeting also included discussion of a Department of Emergency Management evacuation tool as an urgent wildfire preparedness measure, with members emphasizing its potential to save lives.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think it does make it so that there has to be a reopening of negotiations around this, at least
• if that ends up standing, which hopefully... ...a reopening of negotiations around this, at least if
• I would imagine, hopefully, as negotiations—I'm only familiar with the fact that it was introduced.
• But in negotiations, certainly the homeowner can have a certificate, have it recertified every year.
• But in negotiations, certainly the homeowner can have a certificate, have it recertified every year.

Transcript Highlights:

• As their letter of opposition points out, they've been negotiating four years over an MOU, three years
• How is this not circumventing those years of negotiations that have already taken place, specifically
• But my point is that those attempts to be flexible and to negotiate an agreement for an ISR ...flexible
• and to negotiate an agreement for an ISR with the Port of L.A. and Long Beach, they have already been
• I'm incredibly sympathetic to the ILWU and those negotiations at the ports.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 1938, which would create a voluntary process for local governments to designate California surf reserves through the Ocean Protection Council. The author and supporters, including Save the Waves Coalition, the League of California Cities, and the California State Association of Counties, argued the bill would recognize surf breaks as important natural and economic assets. The bill received a due pass recommendation to Appropriations and passed on a roll call vote, with the measure left on call. The committee also approved the consent calendar, which included AB 1699, AB 1780, AB 1891, AB 1893, and AB 2566. The committee then took up AB 2051, which would convene a coastal resilience permitting working group to develop a roadmap for streamlining permits for coastal resilience projects. The author and supporters from the Bay Area Council, Port of San Francisco, and others said the bill would reduce duplicative permitting delays while preserving environmental protections. One member raised concerns about giving too much authority to the Coastal Commission, but the bill still received a due pass recommendation to Water, Parks and Wildlife and passed on a roll call vote. AB 2494, dealing with the management of demonstration state forests, drew substantial debate. The author said the bill would update outdated 1947-era management goals to emphasize biodiversity, carbon sequestration, wildfire resilience, recreation, research, and tribal co-governance, with strong support from Mendocino County, tribal representatives, and environmental groups. Opponents from the Farm Bureau, California Forestry Association, and others argued it would shift the forests away from sustainable timber production, create funding instability, and invite litigation. After extensive questioning about forest science, old growth, funding, and tribal co-management, the bill received a due pass recommendation to Appropriations and passed on a roll call vote. The committee also approved AB 2483, which would create a permanent certification pathway for formerly incarcerated firefighters who served on Cal Fire hand crews. Supporters said the bill would recognize their training and improve job prospects after release, and it passed unanimously to Public Safety. Finally, AB 1777, the California Clean Skies Act, was heard; it would affirm CARB’s authority to adopt indirect source rules to address pollution from vehicle-heavy facilities such as warehouses and ports. Environmental, health, and labor supporters backed the bill as a tool to protect public health, while trucking, business, port, and industry groups opposed it as costly and overly broad. The bill remained under discussion at the end of the transcript, with members debating whether it clarified existing authority or created new regulatory power.

Transcript Highlights:

• As their letter of opposition points out, they've been negotiating four years over an MOU, three years
• And now it just seems like this is an attempt to try to ignore the years of negotiations that were taking
• How is this not circumventing those years of negotiations that have already taken place, specifically
• and to negotiate an agreement for an ISR with the Port of L.A. and Long Beach, they have already been
• I'm incredibly sympathetic to the ILWU and those negotiations at the ports.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• So you have to have a license to uh negotiate on behalf of someone to enter a contract and uh sell and
• <00:16:09.279><c> uh</c> So you have to have a license to uh So you have to have a license to uh negotiate
• 11.120><c> of</c><00:16:11.199><c> someone</c><00:16:11.519><c> to</c><00:16:11.680><c> enter</c> negotiate
• on behalf of someone to enter negotiate on behalf of someone to enter a<00:16:12.160><c> contract</c
• on behalf of my own &gt;&gt; but if I negotiate on behalf of my own self<00:16:48.800><c> as</c><00:

Bills: SB274 , HB586 , SB274 , HB586

Committee: House Boards, Agencies and Commissions

Keywords: cannabis, psychoactive cannabinoids, CBD, delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, delta-10 THC, criminal penalties, youth protection, medical cannabis, HB586, Cullman, Cullman County, City of Cullman, annexation, municipal boundaries, corporate limits, local legislation, boundary adjustment, city limits, municipal expansion