Transcript Highlights:

• One is to create a permanent ongoing plan to type COLA, but explicit statutory language authorizing legislation
• These are some of her ideas that she's come up with in terms of trying to get some language, statutory
• I'm trying to interpret that. What are you wanting a full-time COLA proposal out?

Summary: The executive committee approved the May minutes by roll call vote, then received an actuarial update from Sarah Baker of the State Actuary’s Office. Baker explained the office’s annual work, including the DRS pension actuarial evaluation, support for state financial reporting, cash flow analysis, a six-year pension contribution outlook, interim support for GIT and WAL CARES, and an upcoming actuarial evaluation of the volunteer firefighters pension plan. She also responded to questions about bills allowing members to transfer into PERS, noting that such transfers have historically increased PERS costs and that any added cost would be borne by PERS members and employers depending on bill structure and affected demographics. Kate Adams of the Attorney General’s office reported no new developments in the cases the committee is monitoring. She said the Dawson case is still in its early stages, with a judge assigned and a discovery plan due at the end of July. The committee asked for continued updates on that litigation. The committee then discussed interim work planning, focusing first on animal control officers’ eligibility for PERS and asking staff to continue researching definitions, comparable treatment in nearby states, and the cost and service-credit implications for affected employees. Members also discussed Plan 3 issues, including comparisons of Plan 2 and Plan 3 membership and data, and possible future briefing topics. The largest discussion centered on Plan 1 COLAs: members and retiree representatives debated whether to pursue a permanent COLA or an ad hoc COLA, and whether budget language should require future budget writers to consider a COLA. Retiree groups said they preferred a permanent COLA but were open to further discussion; staff was asked to continue work on possible language and policy options. The committee reviewed correspondence on four topics: Plan 1 COLA requests, a request to study LEOFF 2-style medical reimbursements for Washington State Patrol survivors, and a request to allow certain members to change survivor option elections after the federal Social Security Fairness Act. The committee agreed to bring the State Patrol medical reimbursement issue and the Social Security Fairness Act issue back for July, with staff to gather more information and provide an informational briefing. The July agenda was approved and includes the OSA annual update, the LEOFF 2 Board annual update, a PERS/TRS Plan 1 ad hoc COLA item, and the two survivor-related topics.

Transcript Highlights:

• through an acquisition that's either approved by the Board of Trustees or is approved through the statutory
• through an acquisition that's either approved by the Board of Trustees or is approved through the statutory
• enjoyment by future generations through providing resource-based recreational opportunities, interpretation

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture convened with a quorum and heard presentations focused on land conservation and agricultural preservation in Florida. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services briefed the committee on the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, explaining that it protects active agricultural lands through permanent conservation easements while keeping land in private ownership and on the tax rolls. The presentation emphasized eligibility for greenbelted active agricultural operations, required best management practices, and the program’s role in protecting food supply, water resources, habitat, and military buffering. Officials said the program’s 2025 ranked list includes 428 projects, with about 75 projects expected to start this year, and noted strong partnership funding from federal, local, and conservation partners. Committee members asked about eligibility, annual re-ranking, local government involvement, and the number of projects likely to receive funding. Tracy Dean of Conservation Florida testified in support of continued and increased funding for land conservation, arguing that Florida is losing agricultural and natural lands and that conservation easements and fee-simple acquisitions are complementary tools. She said land trusts work with willing landowners to protect ranches, wetlands, forests, and wildlife corridors, and stressed the importance of maintaining momentum so projects do not stall as land values rise. In discussion with senators, she said public access to conserved lands depends on the specific deal and the landowner’s goals, and that access is more commonly provided through lands acquired for parks, forests, and other public green space. The Department of Environmental Protection then updated the committee on the Florida Forever program. DEP said the program uses both conservation easements and fee-simple acquisitions, with about half of acquisitions done through easements, and that it provides benefits including water quality, habitat protection, recreation, and military readiness. Officials reported 60 projects on the 2025-26 work plan, most in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and said the state has invested more than $1.4 billion since 2019, acquiring over 374,000 acres. They highlighted recent acquisitions for Sandy Creek State Forest, Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, and a new state park in Walton County, as well as the program’s 200th conservation easement. The committee also discussed funding levels, payment in lieu of taxes impacts on small counties, and broader priorities such as citrus, roads, and support for agriculture; no votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• some stakeholders have raised some concerns that the private activity bonds in Texas under current statutory
• Wonder about is I, I suppose it wouldn't, I don't know how it'd be interpreted, but if it says Gulf of
• offering, say, say there's an offer, a settlement offer, um, but if you have to be repeating a lot of statutory

Bills: HJR40

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare access, Affordable Care Act, federal funding, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• They—an agency cannot write rules that it does not have specific statutory authority for or general statutory
• we follow the same statutory we follow the same statutory interpretation<00:34:21.520> criteria
• We cannot take any statutory scheme.
• <05:14:54.320> section this particular statutory section this particular statutory section
• of Labor has specific statutory of Labor has specific statutory authority.<05:15:35.760> It's

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• as normal menstrual that they interpret as normal menstrual cycles. cycles. cycles.
• We don't have a statutory definition for human beings, but the law operates just fine without one.
• We don't have a statutory certificates.
• <06:32:44.080> authorities statutory authorities statutory authorities conferring<06:32:46.240
• things in ways that we might interpret things in ways that we might not<06:59:56.160> wish.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This clarification is based on the constitutional and other statutory provisions that exempt RIA-owned
• IRBs have a similar statutory clarification of the same constitutionally based property tax exemption
• If the statutory clarification for HB 295.
• Unfortunately, there's been a decision to try and interpret something differently, and I'm just putting
• Uh, which is outdated and will require multiple statutory changes to keep up with the ever-changing healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, we're halfway through that, and I'm assuming that leading up to this slide or this interpretation
• <00:57:47.960> and are interpreted and are interpreted and calculated<00:57:49.720> we<
• the data that we have um um interpreting the data that we have um over<00:58:37.599> the<00:58
• The study group saw there could be an opportunity here to clarify statutory language in Chapter 13 so
• opportunity here to clarify statutory opportunity here to clarify statutory language<01:52:52.599

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• that was adopted in Reverend Fiss in Senate committee, and just I want to clarify, verify my interpretation
• But building a school, I think we have, there may be some statutory issues with that.

Bills: SB406

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that was adopted in reference in Senate committee, and just—I just want to clarify, verify my interpretation
• But building a school, I think we have—there may be some statutory issues with that.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on May 26 and first took up Senate Bill 406, which authorizes the city of Slidell to seek voter approval for a local hotel and motel occupancy tax. The bill was described as a local measure giving the city council authority to place the tax on the ballot, with members noting that similar taxing authority exists in many other municipalities. Representative Wiley moved favorable passage, there was no objection, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then received an update from the Division of Administration’s Office of Facility Planning and Control on capital outlay savings identified through cash-flow review and project “scrubbing.” Officials said they found about $50 million in savings from updated cash flows, over-appropriations, projects bid under budget, and reduced appropriations in bundled projects. They explained that bundling projects, including some LED-related projects, allows agencies to shift savings within a bundle and manage overruns or underruns more flexibly. Members praised the savings work but asked whether the process could be moved earlier so the House could benefit sooner, and whether similar reviews could be expanded to other administering agencies and non-state projects. One member raised concerns about whether some projects, including schools and certain NGO-related items, should qualify for capital outlay funding at all, and urged a review of the statutory definition and project approval criteria. Staff said they would look at the definition, review recommendations from prior discussions, and consider ways to tighten the process. The committee then adjourned without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2179 is a straightforward statutory cleanup bill.
• that when a child speaks, their voice is preserved accurately without filters, omissions, or interpretations

Bills: HB2049, HB2178, HB2179, HB2307, HB2322

Keywords: radiation therapy, particle accelerator, critical access hospitals, patient care, rural healthcare, HB2178, Arizona, state agencies, chief medical officer, medical license, physician license, osteopathic license, licensure requirement, Title 41, Title 32, Arizona Revised Statutes, A.R.S. 41-5902, public health administration, agency leadership, state government personnel

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services heard several bills and held HB 2307. HB 2049 would allow particle accelerator treatment for human diseases under general supervision in certain rural counties and critical access hospitals, with documentation, observation, and physician availability requirements. Supporters from the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association and rural radiation oncologists said it would improve access to cancer care in underserved areas while maintaining safety. The committee also heard HB 2178, requiring state agency chief medical officers to hold an active medical license, and HB 2179, which separates air ambulance definitions and regulations from ground ambulances to clarify statute and align oversight with current practice; both were described as cleanup/common-sense measures and supported by the air medical industry. The committee also heard HB 2322, which would require audio or video recording of DCS interviews with children subject to investigations, with limited exceptions for equipment failure or lack of access. Testimony in support came from a human trafficking survivor, a health care worker and counselor, and a foster parent/child welfare advocate, who argued recordings would improve accuracy, accountability, and child protection, and help preserve a child’s exact words. No opposition was presented. The bill includes a conditional enactment tied to future federal grant legislation and directs DCS to apply for grants if available. After discussion, the committee voted unanimously to give HB 2049, HB 2178, HB 2179, and HB 2322 due pass recommendations, each by a 7-0 vote. The committee then announced HB 2307 would be held and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there's not only the New Hampshire civil and criminal statutory penalties, but they are also going
• 44:52.960> criminal<00:44:53.760> uh<00:44:53.920> statute<00:44:54.680> statutory
• and criminal uh statute statutory and criminal uh statute statutory things,<00:44:56.000> but
• , it could mean internal interpreted, it could mean internal chips<01:24:05.199> in<01:24:05.360
• Uh, instead of calling it chip because the way that was interpreted, it could mean internal chips in

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that was really the genesis behind this bill: to provide the statutory guidance to oversee this process
• ><00:37:14.560> the behind this bill is to provide the behind this bill is to provide the statutory
• guidance uh to oversee this statutory guidance uh to oversee this process<00:37:18.160> and<00
• <01:24:30.320> to<01:24:30.480> include<01:24:30.800> manufactured interpreted to
• include manufactured interpreted to include manufactured housing<01:24:32.000> as<01:24:32.239

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:39.639> to<00:15:39.759> mean<00:15:40.120> that change and Dr interpreted
• to mean that change and Dr interpreted to mean that it<00:15:40.920> became<00:15:41.199>
• > this bill cannot be overstated the this bill cannot be overstated the current<00:17:11.240> statutory
• <00:17:11.799> formula<00:17:12.240> for<00:17:12.400> funding current statutory
• formula for funding current statutory formula for funding the<00:17:12.799> division<00:17:13.120

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Delmarva has a statutory obligation to keep the lights on.
• We have a statutory obligation. We think as many megawatts as we can get in here is the best.
• So obviously this would, you know, be interpreted down the road, but my belief, my intention would be
• So my expectation, my intention is that that would not be how this would be interpreted, right?
• respect, the matter of intent is for the General Assembly to determine and a court or similar body to interpret

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on energy, public safety, and environmental cleanup. House Bill 455 would create a historic preservation license plate to raise funds and awareness for Delaware preservation efforts, and House Bill 471 would tighten rules and penalties for off-highway vehicles on shared private roads, with golf carts excluded. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 439, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act, would require clearer disclosures when selling electric mopeds and electric motorcycles so consumers understand classification, power, and licensing/insurance requirements. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 407, related to the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act and brownfields, would shift funding for brownfield cleanup from the original realty transfer tax approach to a dedicated share of the hazardous substance cleanup fund and raise civil penalties for fraudulent acts. The committee also approved the June 18, 2026 minutes once quorum was reached. Most of the meeting centered on House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 233, as amended, a large-load/data center bill intended to protect ratepayers from costs tied to massive new electricity users. The sponsor and Public Advocate said PJM’s warnings about a coming reliability backstop auction made it urgent to establish a Delaware framework now, requiring large energy users to sign utility agreements, cover their share of transmission, distribution, and capacity costs, and comply with curtailment and other protections. Supporters from environmental groups and some labor and business voices said the bill was needed to prevent cost shifts to households and small businesses, while opponents argued it was being rushed, could deter investment, and might unintentionally affect other industries; several asked for more time and clearer definitions. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee also took up House Bill 470, which would authorize Delmarva Power, with PSC approval, to build and operate utility-owned battery storage and spread costs across the customer base. The sponsor and Delmarva said the bill would improve reliability quickly and help avoid outages, while the chair expressed concern that the state had not yet fully studied whether utility-owned or competitively procured storage is the best model, noting a recent SEU storage study and broader policy questions. Supporters said utility storage could be deployed faster and help with peak shaving, while others urged a competitive process; the transcript cuts off before any final action on HB 470.

Transcript Highlights:

• teacher preparation programs, each program shall provide evidence of its alignment with New Mexico's statutory
• Statutory and regulatory requirements for structured and systematic science of reading instruction, including
• Different groups within the state of New Mexico have their own dialect and how they interpret certain
• Everybody interprets bills differently. You follow me? They're all following them.
• I mean, some read it and some interpret it differently.

Bills: SB234, SB210, SB243, SB244, SM16, HB8

Keywords: foster children, school transportation, education funding, public education, child welfare, New Mexico Highlands University, soccer field, women's sports, infrastructure improvement, funding allocation, student athletes, appropriation, New Mexico State University, nutrition, travel support, funding, education, university support, financial assistance, parenting students

Transcript Highlights:

• Ben Santa Stephen, Rachel Macias, Andrew Faber, and Vicki Trejillo, who is the interpreter... ...and
• Ben Santa Stephen, Rachel Macias, Andrew Faber, and Vicki Trejillo, who is the interpreter.
• The State Board of Finance has statutory authority to approve a higher education institute bond financing
• Speaker and gentlelady, with the interpretation of how this is written.
• Regulation Commission to convene a working group to develop recommendations for a regulatory and statutory

Bills: HB111, HJR1, HB61, HB8, HB30, HB43, HB156, HJM2, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM2, HM16, HM11, HM14, HM21, HM34, HM50, HB70, SB3, HJM3

Keywords: water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order, water rights, overdiversion, illegal diversion, groundwater storage and recovery, well license, permit violation, water enforcement, New Mexico water code, irrigation district, conservancy district, water diversion, unauthorized water sales, measuring device, district court appeal, water resources, water compliance

Transcript Highlights:

• that, it comes to the council, which reviews and determines if you have complied with all other statutory
• This includes filing with the registry, preparing budgets, and fulfilling specific statutory requirements
• internal rules and the existing law, but not necessarily the conversations that happen in the interpretation
• something in the congressional record that bears not only for the courts in reaching decisions and interpretations
• members and you all as legislators, please learn from them but also offer your opinion. in and your interpretation

Transcript Highlights:

• are very early in the life cycle, so to speak, of how future courts, future Supreme Courts will interpret
• And you know, obviously we come here. ...every other year for 140 days, and then people try to interpret
• However, school districts have not consistently interpreted this statute as requiring excused absences
• Texas has statutory citizenship requirements for voting in Texas elections—statutory, but not constitutional

Bills: SJR12, SJR37, SB7, SB8, SB16, SB27, SB108, SB125, SB207, SB251, SB318, SB371, SB379, SB396, SB406, SB472, SB503, SB533, SB578, SB599, SB608, SB617, SB621, SB689, SB707, SB763, SB836, SB854, SB856, SB857, SB875, SB878, SB906, SB922, SB942, SB965, SB985, SB988, SB1021, SB1059, SB1084, SB1098, SB1185, SB1188, SB1202, SB1207, SB1307, SB1321, SB1330, SB1366, SB1388, SB1396, SB1453, SB1484, SB1497, SB1498, SB1535, SB1563, SB1596, SB1610, SB1619, SB1737, SB1738, SB1741, SB1816, SB1822, SB1841, SB1939, SB2188, SJR36, SJR12, SJR37, SJR81, SJR50, SCR22, SCR12, SCR39, SB875, SB318, SB707, SB765, SB62, SB666, SB888, SB687, SB847, SB1248, SB504, SB857, SB305, SB296, SB284, SB1497, SB1498, SB241, SB304, SB621, SB1023, SB371, SB204, SB609, SB670, SB850, SB854, SB413, SB1346, SB1033, SB1220, SB1073, SB810, SB1539, SB447, SB406, SB985, SB965, SB1119, SB1505, SB1215, SB1302, SB856, SB583, SB673, SB681, SB1172, SB608, SB955, SB957, SB1021, SB1120, SB251, SB541, SB1737, SB266, SB1415, SB125, SB599, SB1330, SB53, SB1352, SB785, SB472, SB1450, SB1502, SB1566, SB414, SB1062, SB578, SB711, SB746, SB942, SB1404, SB1448, SB1738, SB108, SB8, SB507, SB533, SB689, SB1026, SB1349, SB1355, SB1433, SB1434, SB1596, SB1403, SB763, SB667, SB1059, SB617, SB1567, SB503, SB16, SB310, SB311, SB396, SB505, SB1209, SB1210, SB1470, SB264, SB1029, SB1185, SB1358, SB1364, SB1569, SB1376, SB1228, SB519, SB878, SB1350, SB462, SB1535, SB827, SB1585, SB207, SB1207, SB1619, SB1396, SB920, SB1484, SB1273, SB1741, SB7, SB927, SB1227, SB1229, SB1353, SB1366, SB1464, SB1709, SB1729, SB1733, SB1744, SB1772, SB1816, SB1841, SB2188, SB1147, SB879, SB1008, SB1536, SB2016, SB1453, SB1173, SB1163, SB996, SB27, SB568, SB1370, SB1321, SB1101, SB906, SB860, SB1563, SB993, SB693, SB1610, SB1537, SB836, SB1332, SB1307, SB963, SB493, SB922, SB984, SB1084, SB619, SB1098, SB1122, SB455, SB522, SB1057, SB1239, SB1254, SB1255, SB1259, SB1341, SB1664, SB1877, SB464, SB1277, SB32, SB732, SB660, SB731, SB921, SB268, SB1822, SB1188, SB1939, SB1589, SB397, SB1388, SB2230, SB1058, SB1036, SB1267, SB2112, SB1930, SB532, SB1035, SB2155, SB508, SB29, SB292, SB291, SB901, SB1333, SB1436, SB1494, SB964, SB779, SB1378, SB2312, SB1719, SB1386, SB287, SB2143, SB1245, SB261, SB1247, SB1948, SB2406, SB2407, SB1882, SB1197, SB1814, SB618, SB38

Keywords: parental rights, education, constitutional amendment, school choice, child education, voter ID, citizenship, election integrity, voting rights, water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability, immigration enforcement, ICE agreements, sheriff grants, law enforcement, county jail, federal immigration law

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff had to prioritize making modifications caused by changes in statutory requirements instead of addressing
• use and sample district calculations, those findings came from a limited review and should not be interpreted
• The issue is not just... ...not be interpreted as evidence that the system is fully reliable.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The committee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on OSPI’s school apportionment system, which distributes K-12 funding to districts. Auditors said the system and its underlying 2008-era infrastructure are outdated, unstable, inefficient, and at high risk of errors or failure. They also found weak controls over data input, documentation, oversight, and monitoring, with heavy reliance on a small number of staff and vendor knowledge. In limited testing of three districts, the system calculated 2023–24 funding correctly, but auditors identified small discrepancies between state budget inputs and underlying statutory language and said broader system risks remain unresolved. JLARC members asked about the scope of the district testing, whether smaller districts face greater risk, the meaning of the funding discrepancies, and whether the system could support a future change to a simpler per-student funding formula. Auditors said the discrepancies were small but could compound into millions statewide, and that the audit did not evaluate broader policy questions or alternative system owners. They recommended OSPI modernize or replace the system and address current control weaknesses while the new platform is developed. OSPI officials largely agreed that the current platform needs replacement and said a feasibility study completed in 2024 found the system at catastrophic risk of failure. They clarified that the Legislature had approved up to $16 million in the state IT pool for the project, but that funding is released through gated oversight and not all of it had yet been appropriated for the current biennium. OSPI disputed the auditor’s characterization of some rounding and budget-law issues, saying the calculations were consistent with agency rules and legislative inputs, and explained that some manual workarounds are used to handle newer statutory requirements. One member of the public testified in support of modernizing the system and strengthening controls. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• But one district court has said and interpreted the law in the way that that representative says.
• Louis County, and Representative Roehrig's bill dealing with statutory cities and the Public Utility
• And what I'm trying to say is I believe, and I think that there is good interpretation That both in Wisconsin