Transcript Highlights:

• Recommendation number two, increase Kentucky Medicaid behavioral health rates to 100% of Medicare rates
• Recommendation number two, increase Kentucky Medicaid behavioral health rates to 100% of Medicare rates
• Recommendation number two, increase Kentucky Medicaid behavioral health rates to 100% of Medicare rates
• Recommendation number two, increase Kentucky Medicaid behavioral health rates to 100% of Medicare rates
• Recommendation number two, increase Kentucky Medicaid behavioral health rates to 100% of Medicare rates

Keywords: 00:00:22 - Call to Order and Roll Call 00:03:00 – Approval of June 25, 2025 Minutes 00:03:22 - Update on Federal Changes to the Medicaid Program 01:03:44 - State Directed Payments, Provider Taxes, and the Rural Health Transformation Fund: How Medicaid Changes Could Impact Kentucky Hospitals 01:29:42 – Public Comments 01:45:25 – Announcements 01:46:19 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on July 30, 2025, approved the June 25 minutes, and received a presentation from Katherine Castanza of the National Conference of State Legislatures on Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1. The presentation outlined more than 20 Medicaid-related provisions, emphasizing that the largest federal savings come from work/community engagement requirements, changes to provider taxes, limits on state-directed payments, more frequent eligibility redeterminations for expansion populations, and related eligibility/enrollment changes. She said the fiscal effects are backloaded, with most reductions occurring in the later years of the 10-year window, and noted potential significant impacts on hospital payments and state financing. She also described new funding opportunities, including a $50 billion rural health transformation fund and a new home and community-based services waiver with associated grants. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on Kentucky’s pending community engagement 1115 waiver and how it would interact with the new federal requirements. Board members asked whether the waiver had been approved, what the cabinet’s contingency plan would be if CMS does not approve it, and what the timeline is for compliance. Cabinet representatives said the waiver has not yet been approved by CMS, remains under public comment, and that the state will wait for CMS guidance before moving forward; if needed, the state would amend the waiver or submit a new one. They said the work requirement must be in place by January 1, 2027, with a possible extension to 2028. Castanza also explained that expansion adults with incomes between 100% and 138% of the federal poverty level would face new cost-sharing requirements beginning October 1, 2028, and that eligibility redeterminations would move from annual to every six months starting January 1, 2027. She then walked through provider tax changes, including a moratorium on new provider taxes beginning October 1, 2026, and a phased reduction in the hold-harmless threshold for existing taxes beginning January 1, 2028, with exemptions for nursing facilities and ICF/IID providers. Board members questioned the timing and likely impact on Kentucky, and Castanza responded that the effect would depend on each tax’s current rate and would phase in over time.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a change from the average commercial rate which was a previous cap.
• But the big increase for 25 26 is essentially almost all driven by the increase in the debt directed
• increase of it to the ACR.
• Are we looking at actually funding that billion dollars on a annual rate?
• But yeah, we're going to have to pay billions and rate because of the rate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Both recommendations include increases for health insurance and other rate increases, but the LFC recommendation
• And so, our first increase, which was not recommended by either the executive or the LFC, is the rate
• increases: So the last time we had a rate study, we broke up the rate increase into two fiscal years
• We do think it becomes a problem for kicking this rate increase can down the road because you know we
• So that's my rate increase A discussion on support decision making.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a 5.9% increase year over year. And an 80% increase since 2012.
• Between 2016 and 2025, our average credit card processing rate increased from 1.93% to 2.25%.
• That is a 17% increase.
• we're paying in increased rates.
• we're paying in increased rates.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission met for its second hearing to study the future of credit card payments and sales transactions and their impacts on small businesses. Members heard extensive testimony from credit unions, retailers, restaurants, and payment-industry representatives on interchange fees, processing fees, fraud, chargebacks, rewards programs, and the ability of businesses to pass fees on to customers. Several witnesses argued that swipe fees have risen sharply, are especially burdensome for restaurants and other small businesses, and are charged on taxes and tips that are merely pass-through amounts. They urged state action to prohibit fees on tax and tip portions, improve transparency, and allow surcharging or convenience fees, while opponents warned that state regulation could reduce fraud protections, increase compliance costs, and threaten consumer rewards programs. Business owners and trade groups described thin margins, rising costs, and the difficulty of understanding merchant statements or negotiating with processors. Restaurant witnesses said card-not-present and online transactions create the greatest fraud and chargeback risk, with money often removed immediately from merchants’ accounts and disputes rarely resolved in their favor. Retail witnesses gave examples of rising effective rates, higher fees on rewards cards, and the burden of processing fees on low-value transactions. A representative from the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and others said restaurants are effectively paying fees on meals tax and gratuities, which they argued should not be subject to interchange charges. On the other side, the Cooperative Credit Union Association said interchange revenue helps credit unions fund fraud prevention, rapid card replacement, and member protections, and warned that state limits on interchange could weaken those safeguards and lead to higher consumer costs or reduced services. Airlines for America testified that airline credit card rewards are popular, support travel and jobs in Massachusetts, and could be harmed by interchange reform. The National Restaurant Association and a payments-policy attorney countered that interchange fees are set by card networks rather than competitive markets, that banks remain highly profitable even with rewards, and that states can act after recent court decisions. No votes were taken; the hearing consisted of testimony and questions from commissioners.

Transcript Highlights:

• Payment error rate.
• Again, unfortunately, from 2014 onwards, we saw a steady increase in the error rate.
• been increasing since 2014.
• So adding additional documents may have the opposite effect and increase error rates or shorten the ability
• rate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The two factors are, number one, massive increases The two factors are, number one, massive increases
• The cost of debt has increased rapidly because of higher interest rates in general, but this has resulted
• That's the issue with the interest rate.
• And what I've done here is I've juxtaposed the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate in green against our
• What's been happening in terms of house prices in recent years since the increase in interest rates,

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• ON THE POSTSECONDARY AUDIT METRICS THE FIRST IS ARE WE RETENTION RATE OR SUCCESS RATE?
• SUCCESS RATE AND CONTINUING EDUCATION AND ALSO THE EMPLOYED RATE.
• WITH THAT FUNDING WE HAVE INCREASED STUDENT SUCCESS RATES.
• A JOB PLACEMENT RATE OF 91 PERCENT AND A LICENSURE PASS RATE OF 98 PERCENT.
• TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE IS GREAT.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And GSD rate increases. In the 300 category, we're asking for $230,000 for our mediation program.
• And our other request includes an increase to pay the GSD rate increase as indicated in our slide.
• We are asking for a very modest increase in our general fund-based requests to cover GSD rate increases
• , health insurance rate increases, the WIP, and health benefits under SB... 376 for a modest increase
• increases and the health insurance rate increases.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cancellation notices, their rate increases.
• Given our high rates of CEP participants due to high rates of student participation in these programs
• increasing rates of meal participation in communities most in need.
• when the other rates have increased through Medicaid.
• They pay significantly less than even our Medicaid rates or less than commercial insurance rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• error rate level.
• To mitigate their error rates.
• Chair, members of the committee, it is the increased cost that would be for the payment error rate, and
• The committee, it is the increased cost that would be for the payment error rate, and a payment error
• rate is not the same as a fraud rate; it is benefits being awarded in an incorrect amount.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The corporate income tax rate: we have the second-highest rate of corporate income tax in the United
• The corporate income tax rate: we have the second-highest rate of corporate income tax in the United
• The corporate income tax rate: we have the second-highest rate of corporate income tax in the United
• X could either be the growth rate of the population plus the growth rate of inflation.
• <00:54:10.680> a rate a a little or the matching rate a rate a a little or the matching rate

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee began with member and staff introductions, including several new members and committee staff. Representative Zach Stevenson, the DFL lead, objected to the day’s presentation, saying he was disappointed the committee was starting with a group he viewed as aligned with Republicans rather than a nonpartisan budget presentation. The chair responded that the committee had a bipartisan agreement and that hearing a different perspective was appropriate. The committee then proceeded to a presentation from economists with the Center of the American Experiment, with questions held until the end. The presentation focused on Minnesota’s budget outlook, arguing that the state faces a structural imbalance and a projected $5.14 billion deficit in the 2028-29 biennium. The presenters said spending has outpaced revenues, highlighted a large increase in general fund spending since 2023, and argued that inflation-adjusted per-capita spending remains above pre-2024 levels through the forecast period. They said the biggest growth areas are E-12 education and especially Health and Human Services, with HHS projected to become the largest budget category and much of its growth tied to Medicaid and long-term care waivers. The presenters also argued Minnesota spends more than most states on welfare and Medicaid, citing comparisons showing the state near the top nationally in spending per person in poverty and in several Medicaid categories. They said some of the HHS growth reflects policy changes from the 2023 session, while other pressures come from enrollment growth, health care prices, federal debt, and an aging population. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• done raising rates they will have done raising rates they will have increased increased increased 700%
• <00:05:18.400> of increases um current interest rates of increases um current interest rates
• rate increase both manageable and affordable for our residents.
• Nominally, the 15% rate increase.
• > last roughly 30% rate increase over the last roughly 30% rate increase over the last year<00:43

Bills: HF220, HF230, HF240, HF241, HF295, HF429, HF490, HF505, HF574, HF576, HF581, HF865, HF918, HF1085, HF1449, HF1452, HF1454, HF602

Keywords: HF220, Minnesota transportation, highway user tax distribution fund, trunk highway fund, Minnesota Department of Transportation, MnDOT, transportation finance, dedicated funds, funding restrictions, arts in transportation, cultural strategies, transportation project planning, project design, project construction, placemaking, public art, infrastructure spending, state statutes 161.045, HF230, Wyoming

Transcript Highlights:

• domicile rate or the New Hampshire rate domicile rate or the New Hampshire rate so<00:42:58.920>
• <00:49:39.040> in<00:49:39.200> the no increase in taxes no increase in the no increase
• case complexity, increasing payment responsibilities for children, and increased rates.
• So either way, we're going to pay. ...to increase the number of contract counsel, the rates would have
• increase Staffing but also increase increase Staffing but also increase salaries<02:01:19.159>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Insurance Commissioner DJ Bettencourt on the New Hampshire Insurance Department budget. He said the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers based on New Hampshire premium volume, with about $8 billion in premiums written in the state and a department budget of roughly $15.5 million. He explained that the department has 88 authorized positions, eight vacancies, and that three full-time positions were unfunded after the governor’s requested 4% reduction exercise. He also said the department is trying to balance staffing needs with not overburdening carriers during a hard insurance market. A major topic was the department’s $2.6 million rebate to industry from the prior fiscal year, which Bettencourt described as a credit against the next assessment rather than a direct cash payment. Members questioned why that credit was not reflected as a reduction in the upcoming budget, and Bettencourt and staff explained that the budget assumes full staffing and full spending, with any year-end surplus returned to insurers. The commissioner said the department had added staff in recent years for succession planning and to preserve institutional expertise, and that the rebate reflects careful budgeting rather than excess spending. Members also asked about staffing changes by division, including positions unfunded in fraud, property and casualty examinations, life and health examinations, and tax. Bettencourt said fraud investigations remain strong and that the department can use outside contractors for examinations, with those costs billed to the company being examined. He also described the department’s examination process, including periodic financial exams and targeted market conduct reviews triggered by consumer complaints or trends. Additional questions covered OIT transfers, the department’s oversight of fully insured health coverage, the insurance premium tax and fines going to the general fund, and the department’s limited role in auto repair reimbursement disputes, where he said complaints have recently declined.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our rate of return was 9.68%.
• It's kind of a double-edged sword; the higher increases also increase our unfunded liability.
• So, the legislature actually increased the contribution rate prior to, I think, the increases starting
• But when state employees received higher increases, we did not increase their contributions.
• So we were, because we have had such an increase in funds, rapid increase, we have had to increase our

Transcript Highlights:

• But specifically, the ways that this could increase our error rate is repair of categorical eligibility
• <00:31:20.159> repair could increase our error rate is repair could increase our error rate
• Um, and furthermore, as the state uh also testified that the increasing complexity makes SNAP error rates
• the payment error rate, increasing administrative burden, and cutting households, removing households
• the payment error rate, increasing administrative burden, and cutting households, removing households

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <05:17:21.920> increase<05:17:22.638> of purchases, the electric rate increase of purchases
• Um, regarding your question as to whether or not it could increase rates, as I mentioned in my comments
• Um, regarding your question as to whether or not it could increase rates, as I mentioned in my comments
• Um, regarding your question as to whether or not it could increase rates, as I mentioned in my comments
• Um, regarding your question as to whether or not it could increase rates, as I mentioned in my comments

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is our retention rate, or success rate.
• And so we look at the retention rate, the success rate, the completion rate.
• And with that funding, we've increased student success rates.
• placement rate of 91%, and a licensure pass rate of 98%.
• We too have seen an increase in enrollment, or increase... ...we've seen an increase in enrollment.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received an overview of Florida’s career and technical education (CTE) system from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell, who described the state’s CTE pathways, program types, enrollment and completion growth, quality audit metrics, and the Master Credentials List used to identify credentials of value. He highlighted record postsecondary CTE enrollment and completions, strong statewide performance in talent attraction, and several funding tools supporting expansion, including Open Door, the Florida First Responder Scholarship, Workforce Development Capitalization grants, Perkins funding, CAPE performance incentives, and apprenticeship grants. Senators asked about eligibility for Open Door and first responder aid, top industry certifications, and the teacher apprenticeship initiative. A panel of college and technical school leaders then described how state and federal funding has supported local program growth and facility expansion. Santa Fe College, Palm Beach State College, North Florida Technical College, Lake Technical College, Florida Gateway College, and Manatee Technical College each cited increases in enrollment, high placement or licensure pass rates, and new or expanded programs in nursing, welding, CDL, automotive, manufacturing, public safety, and apprenticeship. Several speakers emphasized partnerships with hospitals, employers, school districts, and local governments, and noted that grants helped fund equipment, renovations, and new training hubs. Palm Beach State also raised a request to broaden line funding beyond nursing to other health science fields, and multiple presenters asked for more flexibility, multi-year support, and continued or increased funding to sustain growth. Members discussed broader challenges, including the difficulty of sustaining grant-funded growth after initial awards, the lag between enrollment growth and funding formulas, and alignment problems for dual enrollment and technical programs with high school schedules. Senators also noted the need to balance support for high-demand core programs like nursing and welding with the ability to respond quickly to emerging industries such as AI and space. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond adjournment after Senator Davis moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• They were responsible for setting their tax rates.
• This potentially, if we choose not to increase our tax rate, will have the effect, just like Fort Worth
• We've lowered our tax rate and adopted rates below the no-new-revenue rate over the last decade.
• I think it was last year our voter approval rate was six cents above our adopted rate, which is something
• This has seen a significant increase in home flipping, with rates being up 67% from a decade ago and

Bills: HB329, HB361, HB546, HB1547, HB1745, HB2786, HB3235, HB3370, HB3575, HJR83

Keywords: appraisal, property value, residential real estate, tax code, appraisal review board, property owners, property tax, homeowners, property owner rights, property appraisal, taxation, Texas Tax Code, real estate, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, market value, condemnation, tax appraisal, open-space land, land use

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, 94% retention rate.
• I I don't know how or retention rate.
• , and then we had a 5% increase for the first three years' cap, which allowed another good rate in 2024
• we had a 5% increase for rate and then we had a 5% increase for the<01:02:59.359> first<01:02:
• We have um a increased amount.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:35 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:55 Approval of Minutes: 00:02:56 Deferred Compensation Authority Update: 00:03:12 Retiree Health Update - TRS: 00:15:58 Retiree Health Update - KPPA: 00:56:13 Adjournment: 01:20:33, 958, all

Summary: The Public Pension Oversight Board received updates from the Kentucky Public Employees Deferred Compensation Authority and the Teachers Retirement System. Chris Biddle reported that deferred compensation assets had grown to about $4.787 billion with roughly 88,000 participants, crediting auto-enrollment, targeted marketing around pay raises, and retiree-focused services. He said the board’s self-directed brokerage account, authorized by last year’s legislation, is being designed around a $40,000 account-balance threshold with up to 25% transferable into the brokerage window, tentatively for July 1 of the coming year. He also described the free financial planning program, which has been used by about 3,300 to 3,500 participants with an 87% return rate, and noted that the plan is currently in a fee holiday; members asked about the fee structure and whether the CFP service is provided through Nationwide, which Biddle confirmed. Board members praised the deferred compensation program’s growth and asked for the legislation referenced by Biddle. He said the plan’s annual fees are capped, with a $1 monthly fee plus other charges up to a $225 cap, for a maximum of $237 per year absent a managed account. He also said the program is seeking unified payroll access to expand participation, especially among teachers, and that prior lineup changes saved about $6 million annually in participant fees. Bo Barnes of TRS then addressed retired teachers’ health insurance, first clarifying a prior question about declining federal contributions to the retirement annuity trust. He explained that federally funded school positions generated contributions that rose from $72 million in 2019 to $109 million in 2022, then fell to $85 million this year, with a projection of $80 million over the next three years; if those dollars do not come from federal sources, they would have to be replaced through the SEEK formula. Barnes then reviewed TRS health coverage, explaining that the statutory contract guarantees access to group coverage but not fixed premium levels, and that TRS administers two retiree plans: KEHP for retirees under 65 or otherwise not Medicare-eligible, and MEHP for retirees 65 and older or Medicare-eligible. Barnes said TRS completed RFPs for the 2026 plan year, retaining Express Scripts for prescription drugs and switching the Medicare Advantage medical provider from UnitedHealthcare to Humana, while keeping plan design, provider access, out-of-pocket costs, and benefits materially unchanged. He noted a modest hearing-aid improvement of $500 per ear beginning in 2026. He also reported that the TRS Board approved the maximum state contribution for KEHP at $1,044.96, up from $930.76, an 18% increase that he said would require about $15 million to $16 million more annually, while the MEHP premium would drop from $210 to $200 per month because of the new contract. Using the 2024 valuation, he said the KEHP increase would slightly reduce the health trust funded ratio from 80.4% to 80.1% and raise unfunded liability from $4.036 billion to $4.051 billion. Barnes closed by reviewing the 2010 shared-responsibility reforms that shifted retiree health costs away from a pay-as-you-go model, including phased employee and district contributions and Commonwealth stabilization funding. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding resulting in an increase per predicted square feet rate tied to enrollment increases.
• Proof funding was increased to $71.5 million for the 24-25 biennium at a rate of $1,900. and $11 per
• Recommendations include maintaining the 24-25 rate, which. results in an increase of $14.7 million, due
• The increase is largely due to maintaining 2024-25 formula rates, while various formula drivers like
• So it's increasing.

Keywords: 1184, house, all