Transcript Highlights:

• deficit in Wisconsin. $2.9 billion structural deficit.
• I can't believe people in this chamber are okay with us going into a $2.9 billion structural deficit
• That was a bipartisan budget, with a similar structural deficit to what we have in this package right
• But we've heard a lot of hand-wringing about structural deficits moving forward.
• And yes, as has been mentioned, we will have a $2.9 billion structural deficit. $2.9 billion structural

Transcript Highlights:

• This is for the Child Welfare Structured Decision-Making Assessment.
• this contract that you all have before you today is the maintenance and operation contract for the structured
• of the work, the tools, training, all of those different pieces that came when we were bringing structured
• decision The vendor is actually the only one in the United States that offers this type of structured
• I don't think it was before, because I do think there are people in the country doing some structured

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee reviewed three DHS out-of-state service contracts: a $690,000-plus sole-source contract for DCFS with Evident Change for maintenance and operation of the Child Welfare Structured Decision-Making practice hub; a $1.2 million sole-source contract for County Operations with Sifter Solutions to support a SNAP waiver compliance solution; and a $156,000 contract for Developmental Disabilities with Samaritan Integrative Services for psychiatric services at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center. The chair and staff explained the contracts and noted that the Evident Change and Sifter contracts were sole-source due to the proprietary nature of the systems or services involved. Most of the discussion focused on the Evident Change contract. Members questioned DCFS about long-term dependence on the vendor, the lack of a competitive bid, the absence of a clear off-ramp, and whether the state was paying more overall as the work was split into multiple contracts. DCFS said the contract before the committee was only for maintenance and operations of a web-based platform used daily for safety assessments and case planning, while a separate Evident Change contract covers case reviews, CQI work, and data management. The vendor said it was continuing to reduce its role and had begun off-ramp discussions, but members remained concerned that the state was too reliant on the vendor. Staff said the contract had to be approved by May 31 or the system could be turned off. The committee also discussed the Sifter Solutions contract, which supports Arkansas’s SNAP waiver pilot by providing a dynamic list of excluded products and a consumer app that scans barcodes and provides nutrition information. DHS said the waiver is intended to improve the nutritional value of SNAP benefits, that the contract is funded with remaining federal SNAP Nutrition Education dollars that would otherwise be returned, and that the University of Pennsylvania will conduct the evaluation at no cost. Members asked about the benefit to Arkansas, whether the app would include nutrition and budgeting information, and whether the state would own the application or need future renewals. DHS said the two-year term was intentionally aligned with the waiver period and that future procurement options could change. After discussion, the committee noted the items as reviewed and adjourned without objections or votes recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Missouri, making it more clear what is required of insurance companies dealing with storm damage on structures
• January 1, 2027, if the damage to siding covered by the insurer affects only part of the siding on the structure
• the insurer must cover the homeowner's replacement cost value and replace all the siding on the structure
• insurer must pay the amount it would have paid if the covered damage had occurred on all siding on the structure
• equal to what the insurer would have paid if the covered damage had occurred on all siding on the structure

Committee: House Insurance and Banking

Summary: The Insurance Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2250, sponsored by Rep. Jacqueline Zimmerman, which would require insurers to cover full siding replacement when storm damage affects only part of a home and matching siding is not reasonably available. Zimmerman said the bill would codify existing Missouri case law, address homeowner complaints after hailstorms, and make clear that insurers must restore a reasonably uniform appearance. Committee members generally expressed support for the goal, while also discussing possible scope changes, such as limiting coverage to street-facing elevations, and possible disclosure requirements to better explain policy coverage to consumers. The Missouri Insurance Coalition testified in opposition, saying the bill could increase premiums for all homeowners and that consumers should be able to choose more affordable policies with less coverage. Coalition witnesses said matching siding issues are often cosmetic, that carriers already offer different policy options and riders, and that requiring full wrap coverage could create upward pressure on rates. They also noted that severe weather has made these disputes more common and said the Department of Commerce and Insurance and brokers can help consumers understand their policies. Committee members debated whether partial repairs truly make homeowners whole, and several compared the issue to blending paint on cars or matching repairs after hail damage. After the HB 2250 hearing ended, the committee established a quorum and moved into executive session on House Bill 3328. The committee adopted a House committee substitute that renamed the program the Stronger Home program, removed IBHS certification in favor of a non-biased third-party testing lab, and removed an adjuster cap. The committee then voted 9-0 to report the House committee substitute for HB 3328 do pass, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It simply directs existing animal-friendly tag revenue and a structured, accountable spay and neuter
• Basically, I just want to understand what their incentive structure is.
• And just thinking outside the box, private entities, business structures like this, they would— Just
• thinking outside the box, private entities, business structures like this, they would love to be the
• Representative, this pilot program seems to be structured as more of a voluntary program.

Summary: The Natural Resources A and B Subcommittee considered nine bills, with members asking questions on funding sources, program structure, and implementation. HB 3915, by Rep. Dallens, would direct existing animal-friendly tag revenue to a spay-and-neuter grant program overseen by the Department of Agriculture to address pet overpopulation; it passed 5-4. HB 3311, by Rep. Eves, would raise the cap on the Commerce P3 program from $200 million to $250 million; members discussed whether the program was nearing its limit, and it passed 8-1. HB 3465, by Rep. Bowles, would extend the sunset on the mission tax credit to July 1, 2029, with no new funding requested; it passed 9-0. HB 3786, by Rep. Adams, sought a 15% pay raise for park rangers to address turnover and vacancies; the committee heard that rangers were paid about $20-$23 per hour and that turnover was around 20%, and the bill passed 9-1. HB 3403, by Rep. Pascowski, proposed a five-year biosolids pilot study involving OSU, DEQ, and a private entity; debate focused on whether the practice is already unsafe, the scope of testing, and the role of the private participant, and the bill passed 9-2. HB 4333, by Rep. Moore, would modernize and streamline Commissioners of the Land Office operations by removing outdated language and clarifying authority; concerns were raised about outside property managers, and it passed 10-1. HB 3177, by Rep. Archer, would remove a statutory cap on Corporation Commission court reporter pay to improve retention; members discussed staffing levels and compensation comparisons, and it passed 9-1. HB 3126, by Rep. West, would create a CLO revolving fund for concurrent enrollment, modeled on an existing stabilization fund, to help support that program over time; it passed 8-2. The chair then adjourned the meeting and announced the committee would meet again the following Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• The way those contracts with the design builders were structured, those delays, the contractors could
• We have talked about the MBA quite a bit in this committee and how it has an ongoing structural imbalance
• That leads to my third point, which is about the structural deficit ongoing problem in the Motor Vehicle
• public has trust in both of those departments because we don't have those departments run on a structural
• So you could do that within the existing statutory structure.

Summary: The committee first heard a DMV budget presentation on the state-to-state verification system required for Real ID compliance and the Digital Experience Platform (DXP) modernization project. DMV officials said the state-to-state system is a pointer-based exchange used when a person applies for a license in another state, with only limited identifying data shared initially and the full driver history sent only after a qualified request. Members raised concerns about privacy, possible misuse by other states or federal actors, notification to Californians, hacking, and whether California could detect or stop abusive access. DMV said it can monitor requests, see patterns of access, work with AAMVA and legal counsel, and seek to block or challenge misuse; LAO said California is in a difficult position and should consider guardrails rather than opt out. On DXP, DMV said the project is on its revised schedule and budget, occupational licensing is complete, vehicle registration is expected by the end of calendar year 2026, and the full system should be finished by fiscal year 2028-29, with phased rollout and reappropriated funding to keep costs controlled. The committee then heard from the California High-Speed Rail Office of Inspector General on a trailer bill and AB 1608. The Inspector General said current law does not clearly authorize public reports or establish a framework for retaining and disclosing work papers, and the proposed trailer bill would create that framework while also adding authority to hire needed classifications and purchase goods and services. He also said the office needs a clearer statutory definition of “proposed agreements” and notice when the High-Speed Rail Authority is reviewing them, so the office can review contracts and related agreements effectively. LAO raised no concerns with the trailer bill language, and Finance said any amendments would come in the May revision. Members debated the scope of confidentiality in the Inspector General proposal, especially whether reports could be held confidential when they identify weaknesses in fraud controls, security, or other vulnerabilities. The Inspector General said confidentiality would be temporary, tied to articulating the risk, reassessing it every 120 days, and releasing the report once the risk is no longer substantial; he also said the office had already published reports at its discretion and had found at least one procurement violation involving an amendment that added services not in the original contract. Several members pressed for stronger transparency and suggested time limits or broader disclosure, while others argued the bill would improve oversight and make the Inspector General’s authority clearer. No votes were taken during the discussion, and the item was left for further work on the trailer bill and AB 1608 language.

Transcript Highlights:

• structure in the interim<00:31:26.519><c> have</c><00:31:26.760><c> you</c><00:31:27.559><c> gotten<
• they need to maintain the structured they need to maintain the percentage<00:36:39.960><c> for</c><00
• </c><00:37:40.760><c> so</c><00:37:40.920><c> that</c><00:37:41.040><c> they're</c> building structures
• so that they're building structures so that they're habitable<00:37:41.760><c> and</c><00:37:41.960>
• to help rehabilitate them the structures to help rehabilitate them whereas<00:37:55.960><c> for</c><

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• assistive in helping people to understand this committee because it's slightly different than the structure
• that this committee would make structure that this committee would make sure<00:10:40.760><c> were</
• Historically, uh, laws that affect the structure of constitutional officers will come to this committee
• of that affect the structure of constitutional<00:20:03.440><c> officers</c><00:20:03.840><c> will</
• I like how you had things organized and structured.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the current system has built-in misincentives to neglect structures, engage in property speculation
• engage in prop property structures engage in prop property speculation<00:07:30.840><c> or</c><00:07
• It would depend on the exact balance of land taxes versus structure taxes and what the rates would be
• because the land really isn't any less valuable, though it's only the structure that is.
• </c> um loss of value on the structure um loss of value on the structure because<00:25:53.320><c> the

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we need to solve for that in the financing structure.
• And if I structure you... ...create 10, you do that deal every time.
• How would you see that to be structured?
• You would heavily structure this.
• So it depends on how the project financing is structured.

Committee: All ENERGY - JOINT

Summary: The Joint Committee on Energy received a presentation on the final report of the nuclear energy feasibility study authorized by Act 707 of 2025. The study, prepared by Brian Meadors of Excel Services with input from Paul Murphy and Natalie Rogers, concluded that new nuclear generation is feasible and advisable in Arkansas because of rising electricity demand, available sites, favorable federal policy, and the state’s lack of a nuclear moratorium. The presenters emphasized nuclear’s high capacity factor, small land footprint, fuel security, safety record, and potential economic benefits, including jobs, tax base growth, supply-chain development, and industrial competitiveness. They also discussed candidate siting areas in south, west, and northeast Arkansas, noting transmission limits at some sites, water constraints at others, and seismic concerns in the Mississippi County/New Madrid area. A major focus of the discussion was financing and what state policy changes might help early projects. The witnesses said nuclear projects are difficult to finance in development and construction, especially before a construction permit is issued, and suggested targeted public support rather than a large subsidy fund. Ideas discussed included bridge loans for early development, possible cost-overrun backstops, tax incentives, assistance finding long-term power buyers, and continued use of construction work in progress (CWIP) under existing law. Meadors also recommended defining nuclear as clean energy, expanding the atomic coordinator role, considering a nuclear development fund, and removing a low-level radioactive waste restriction on non-government land. Several members raised concerns about taxpayer exposure, cost overruns, and whether the state should take on too much risk. Members also asked about workforce and supply-chain readiness, and the witnesses said Arkansas could help local firms obtain nuclear certifications such as NQA1 or an N stamp, and could support university and technical training programs. They noted that other states, including Texas and Tennessee, are already funding nuclear-related development and that Arkansas risks losing investment if it does nothing. The committee did not take substantive action on the report; it accepted the Department of Energy and Environment’s letter report to satisfy the statutory reporting requirement, and the meeting adjourned after the presentation and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some municipal services have resorted to operating out of temporary structures like trailers for their
• In many of our municipal buildings, repairs and upgrades are needed to address structural, safety, and
• Gas ignition continues to be a major source of structural fires across the country, per a 2024... ...
• ignition continues to be a major source of structural fires across the country.
• Per a 2024 NFPA research report, there are an estimated 8,500 home structure fires per year with the

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard testimony on several bills, with strong support expressed for a proposed municipal and public safety building authority (H. 2571/S. 1650). Municipal officials, fire chiefs, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, regional planning leaders, and Senator Comerford described aging town halls, fire stations, DPW facilities, and other local buildings, especially in small towns and gateway cities, and argued that local budgets and Proposition 2 1/2 make major capital projects difficult to fund. Testimony emphasized the need for a dedicated revenue stream, with the bill proposing a share of marijuana excise tax revenue and a rural funding set-aside. Committee members asked about prioritization and funding levels, and witnesses said even a modest start would help address a large statewide backlog. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee later adjourned unanimously. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2689, requiring fuel gas alarms/detectors in residential dwellings using explosive gases. Representative Jeff Roy, Susan Brown, Jason Cohn, and representatives from NEMA and Kidde supported the bill, describing it as a life-saving measure similar to carbon monoxide detector requirements. Witnesses cited the 2015 Franklin propane explosion that killed Nancy and Robert Brown, the Merrimack Valley gas explosions, and national fire data showing fatalities and property damage from gas leaks. They said detectors are affordable, commercially available, and should be required where gas is used; one witness noted battery-backed or battery-operated options exist. Committee questions focused on cost, battery power, outdoor propane setups, and whether the bill would cover private databases or only residential safety devices. Another major topic was S. 1755 on missing and abducted children. Senator Pavel Payano testified in favor, citing the case of Lee Manuel Villoria Paolino and arguing that misclassification of missing children as runaways can delay urgent response and worsen outcomes, especially for Black and brown youth. He said the bill would set minimum law enforcement response standards, require training, and expand multilingual intake forms. The committee also heard support for expanding the state DNA database through familial DNA searching, with Dr. Amory Myers explaining that the technology could help solve long-unsolved cases while including guardrails to prevent use of private consumer DNA databases. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on H. 2740, “Colby’s Law,” establishing safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Colby Lippincott’s family, community members, and industry representatives described his fatal crash and urged requirements for medical staff, insurance, inspections, warning systems, barriers, and access roads. Witnesses said the bill would not end the sport but would create basic protections, and the committee heard that Massachusetts would join a number of other states with similar standards. The hearing ended with a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would Align our election dates to be similar to how Texas is structured.
• That if it's properly structured and if the board of investors wants to go and chase a higher level of
• They said if If the legislature wants to reevaluate the structuring of that TET board or structuring
• have worked for Decades in this state, the problem is not with our tax structures.
• The reason I asked the question, I was trying to understand the way these plans are structured.

Committee: House Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a structurally defective bill.
• This is just structurally wrong. And I feel we are getting headway that way.
• It just doesn't structurally fit.
• It just doesn't structurally fit.
• It just doesn't structurally fit.

Committee: House House Consumer & Public Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> opportunities to better structure opportunities to better structure funding<02:19:07.439><c> and
• ,</c> pillars, strategy, funding, structure, pillars, strategy, funding, structure, and<02:22:53.280>
• 02:25:10.560><c> the</c> the structure keeps changing, the the structure keeps changing, the timeline
• That's a structural issue concern.
• </c> structural reality built into the law. structural reality built into the law.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• GRANT PROGRAM FDOT TESTING FACILITIES LIKE THE MATERIALS OFFICE, TRAFFIC RESEARCH LAB AND STATE STRUCTURES
• AS WE TAKE ON LARGER AND MORE COMPLEX PROJECTS SUCH AS PROJECTS AND MOVING FLORIDA FORWARD AND STRUCTURE
• AT THE STATE STRUCTURE RESEARCH LAB WE ARE EVALUATING STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS AND BRIDGE SYSTEMS TO ENSURE
• SAFE RELIABLE AND COST EFFICIENT STRUCTURES WITHIN THE NETWORK.
• A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW WE USE THIS IS BRIDGE EXPECTIONS, SURVEY AND MAPPING, INSPECTIONS OF STRUCTURES

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> growing structural imbalance. growing structural imbalance.
• </c> structural imbalance uh or $2.4 billion. structural imbalance uh or $2.4 billion.
• </c> subtracted the projected structural subtracted the projected structural imbalance.<00:05:18.240>
• It's what we refer to as our structural balance.
• imbalance by that time. structural imbalance by that time.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fires took the lives of 31 people and destroyed 16,000 structures.
• Destroyed 16,000 structures.
• At this time, 14,000 structures in the Paradise fire, there are only 385 permits; 16,000 structures.
• At this time, 14,000 structures in the Paradise fire, there are only 385 permits; 16,000 structures.
• And we're proving that a progressive tax structure works. California's never been about perfection.

Transcript Highlights:

• To make that happen, I strongly urge the committee to include the structure of a 501(c)(3) non-profit
• These structures, which were so very important in our local communities in the past, have since been
• That includes restoring these structures. I'm also here to talk about...
• So I challenge you, beyond the building and the structure, to talk about how we get there.
• So it forced me to do a lot more research and see the importance of not just the structures but the ideas

Bills: HB370 , HB738 , HB2935 , HB3227 , HB4103 , HB5259 , SB519 , SB1350 , SB1247 , SB1248 , SB2112 , HCR81 , HCR83 , HCR84 , HCR59 , HCR109 , HCR111 , HCR135 , SCR6

Committee: House Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Keywords: HB 370, Events Trust Fund, Texas events funding, sports eligibility, women's sports, girls' sports, biological sex, transgender athletes, sex-segregated sports, athletic competition, event subsidies, tourism funding, site selection organization, anti-trafficking plan, female athletes, public funding, economic impact, sports policy, Rosenwald Schools, historical preservation

Transcript Highlights:

• Previously, you know, our finance structure and accounting structure was set up to do federal reporting
• It created, we created a tiered structure.
• One of the provisions with 7089 is that, you know, services, the model cannot develop a payment structure
• There's a lot of things that we can do within the model now that it's structured and the data is in a
• Working with the CBCs to understand their costs, their accounting structure, and feedback that they had

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met with a quorum present and took up a presentation from the Department of Children and Families on HB 7089, which revises how Florida’s community-based care (CBC) lead agencies for child welfare are funded. Representative McFarland described the bill’s background, arguing that the prior formula relied too heavily on outdated, static factors and produced inequities among CBCs. She emphasized that the new approach is intended to provide a more stable, transparent, and statute-based funding method that better supports prevention, case management, and family services while reducing year-to-year political uncertainty. DCF Chief of Staff Casey Penn explained that HB 7089 required an actuarially sound, reimbursement-based formula developed with CBC and provider input. The new model uses a cost-based structure with three tiers: Tier 1 for operational and administrative costs, Tier 2 for per-child/per-month service costs, and a possible Tier 3 incentive component for performance measures if the Legislature chooses to fund it. The model includes regional growth factors, inflation adjustments, a 2% risk corridor for Tier 2, a hold-harmless provision for agencies that would otherwise receive less than prior funding, and the ability for CBCs to retain some state general revenue savings. DCF said the model produced a total budget need of about $1.392 billion, roughly $28.6 million above the prior year after offsets, and that the department is also updating its child welfare case management system to improve data quality and future modeling. Members asked about whether prevention spending is captured, how Tier 3 incentives would work and how much they might cost, how the formula accounts for insurance, hurricanes, child acuity, and staffing costs, and whether CBC executives’ compensation is capped. DCF said prevention is included in the model but is not yet separately broken out due to data limitations, Tier 3 is optional and not yet costed, and the formula can incorporate additional growth factors if needed. On executive pay, DCF explained that compensation is limited by statute for CBC contracts, but multiple contracts and non-state funding sources can affect total compensation; staff later clarified that CBC CEOs with multiple contracts had been reviewed for compliance. The meeting ended after questions, and Representative Miller moved to adjourn; the subcommittee adjourned without any vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:36.120><c> structural</c> structural review. Okay. structural structural review.
• </c> it's structured it's structured the<00:43:09.240><c> RBC</c><00:43:09.600><c> analysis</c><00:43
• ><c> alters</c><01:21:10.760><c> how</c> Any structural change that alters how Any structural change
• Intentions do not overcome structural incentives.
• </c><02:28:08.880><c> the</c> way you're going to structure the way you're going to structure the entities

Transcript Highlights:

• Under the new structure of the Cap-and-Invest expenditure plan, Yes.
• the tiering structure has been changed since the passage of SB 840.
• The tiering structure was changed. So this is not just that.
• Additionally, as the LAO noted, some funds are in a structural deficit.
• Additionally, as the LAO noted, some funds are in a structural deficit.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation heard an informational hearing with Secretary Garcia and CalEPA-related departments on the administration’s budget proposals and related environmental programs. Secretary Garcia highlighted CalEPA’s work on methane reduction, community air protection, water infrastructure, Exide cleanup, safer pesticide alternatives, Prop 4 implementation, and Bay-Delta water quality, while emphasizing the impact of federal rollbacks and the need for flexible state response. Members raised broader policy concerns about the polluter-pays principle, special fund vacancies, and whether the state is maintaining sufficient staffing and enforcement capacity, especially after recent fee increases. A major portion of the hearing focused on landfill support, response, and enforcement, particularly subsurface elevated temperature events at Chiquita Canyon and El Sobrante. CalEPA requested $5.1 million and 12 positions to improve monitoring, technical response, coordination, and enforcement across CalRecycle, CARB, DTSC, the Water Board, and OEHHA. Assembly Member Schiavo described severe community impacts from Chiquita Canyon and pressed for stronger state action, more transparency, and accountability from landfill operators; Assembly Member Rogers emphasized that accountability must mean forcing operators to take preventive measures and bear the costs. Agency staff said the proposal would help augment current response efforts, support local enforcement agencies, and improve early detection, while acknowledging that the causes of set events are not fully understood and may involve factors such as lithium-ion batteries, oxygen intrusion, and gas extraction practices. The committee then heard an update on the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water program and the effects of the new cap-and-invest structure. State Water Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel reported that the program has reduced the number of Californians without safe drinking water from 1.6 million to about 600,000 since 2019, while also bringing 320 systems back into compliance and distributing $1.8 billion in drinking water grants. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that under SB 840, SAFER is now in a lower funding tier, which could reduce annual proceeds from the prior $130 million level to a projected $92 million in 2026-27 and delay funding until later in the year. Members expressed concern that this deprioritizes rural drinking water needs, while the board said it would continue using SAFER’s flexible funds for emergency water, technical assistance, and construction, and would keep pushing consolidations and other long-term solutions for the remaining failing systems.