Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; do you get cash &gt;&gt; do you get cash &gt;&gt; yeah<01:30:17.280><c> so</c><01:30:18.000
• . cash. cash.
• </c> &gt;&gt; So they never spent the cash &gt;&gt; So they never spent the cash &gt;&gt; and<01:31:07.520
• </c> CIP, 3 million in in in cash. CIP, 3 million in in in cash. &gt;&gt; No,<01:31:23.760><c> wait.
• </c> replaces the 650 cash. replaces the 650 cash.

Transcript Highlights:

• we've got today in front of you, Senate Bill 1500 does pertain to PBMs and it has to do with prompt payments
• Addressing is slow reimbursement payments from pharmacies to pharmacies from PBMs.
• This bill requires that those payments be made timely.
• taking PBMs anywhere from 28 to 90 days to reimburse the pharmacies, obviously creating a serious cash
• As you can see by the difference in the payments that we've talked about here to PBM-owned pharmacies

Bills: SB1673 , SB1500 , SB1447 , SB1646 , SB2007 , SB1275 , SB2074

Committee: Senate Business and Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• For damage under an actual cash value insurance policy, the insurer must pay the amount it would have
• structure so that it conforms to a reasonably uniform appearance, and, for damage under an actual cash
• It might help everybody requiring some sort of certified payroll to release the final payment of the
• different types of policies, I mean, where I think you can adjust your premiums is if you have an actual cash

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:

• up to 15 times to allow them to cut down on the money they would have to have to issue out bonds payments
• describe all that is in your scenario: number one, most of those people working for the cartels put up cash
• work through a bail bondsman because they're being financed by the cartels and they got plenty of cash
• that they're still able to receive, to have a bondsman there so they don't have to put up the full cash

Summary: The committee took up a long list of Senate bills covering business regulation, professional licensing, transportation, tourism, consumer credit, and other policy areas. Among the measures discussed were SB 378 on bail bondsmen regulation and capital requirements, SB 1061 on brokered loans and renewal assessments, SB 1534 on charity enforcement, SB 1684 on liability insurance for highway remediation contractors, SB 1826 eliminating a sunset on the Oklahoma Enterprise Zone Incentive Leverage Act, SB 1217 on real estate touring contracts, SB 1948 on fireworks sales, SB 540 joining a dental compact, SB 1035 on utility contractors working near private property, SB 1475 renaming a bridge as the Toby Keith Interchange, SB 1327 giving the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Board more authority, SB 2159 designating wheat as the official crop, SB 2049 requiring Transportation Commission review before ODOT bond claims, SB 1447 on prescription drug plan procurement, SB 1443 on anesthesiologist compensation, SB 1641 requiring LLC articles to include an email address, SB 1873 on continuing education dates and hours, SB 265 creating pollinator state designations, SB 1521 on safeguards for conversational AI systems, SB 1326 on self-storage operations, SB 2155 on Route 66 Commission MOUs, SB 1531 on UAS/AAM governance and FAA Part 108 readiness, SB 1824 on corporate code modernization, SB 1653 joining the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, SB 1920 raising the auto salvage threshold, and SB 1277 on OESC job-search practices. Several bills were amended before passage, including SB 1948, SB 1521, SB 1326, and SB 1531. Testimony and questions focused on practical effects and committee jurisdiction. On SB 378, members pressed for a plain-language explanation of why bail bondsmen’s capital requirements should increase; the author clarified that the bill affects bondsmen’s regulatory capacity, not the amount criminal defendants must post. On SB 1327, members asked why the tourism board had been advisory and whether the change would add expertise and gubernatorial appointment authority. SB 1824 drew concern about impacts on minority stockholders, with the author saying fiduciary protections remain and that the bill is intended to reduce frivolous lawsuits while preserving flexibility. SB 1521 was described as a light-touch child protection bill for conversational AI, adding suicide-prevention protections, parental controls, and transparency requirements. A young FFA ambassador, Lucille Morehouse, presented SB 265 in support of pollinator designations, describing her pollinator project and the importance of pollinators to agriculture and ecosystems. Most measures advanced with little or no opposition, though several recorded dissenting votes. SB 378, SB 1061, SB 1534, SB 1684, SB 1217, SB 1948, SB 1035, SB 1475, SB 1327, SB 2049, SB 1447, SB 1443, SB 1641, SB 1873, SB 265, SB 1521, SB 1326, SB 2155, SB 1531, SB 1824, SB 1653, SB 1920, and SB 1277 were all declared out of committee, with vote totals generally ranging from 11-0 to 15-0 and some split votes such as 12-2, 13-1, 14-1, or 11-2. One bill, SB 1966, was laid over at the sponsor’s request. The chair closed by noting additional bills were still being negotiated, including one involving the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• the invested treasurers cash accounts.
• There are two main portions to that invested treasurers cash account. SBI. SBI.
• </c><01:05:30.480><c> The</c> The invested treasurers cash account.
• </c> fund portions of the state cash fund portions of the state cash accounts. accounts. accounts.
• </c> cost sharing amongst the state cash. cost sharing amongst the state cash.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, from what I've been told, it can be lots of different things, or it can be direct cash payments
• Some of it could be payments to you.
• </c><00:30:15.440><c> payments.
• </c><00:30:16.080><c> And</c><00:30:16.240><c> they're</c><00:30:16.480><c> doing</c> direct cash payments
• And they're doing direct cash payments.

Bills: SB62 , HB361 , HB244 , HB377 , HB411 , HB422 , HB423 , HB425 , SB16 , HB452 , HB354 , SB62 , HB361 , HB244 , HB377 , HB411 , HB422 , HB423 , HB425 , SB16 , HB452 , HB354

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Transcript Highlights:

• CMS makes the payment for most services. Medicaid also makes payments.
• So they're not only getting the payment from the nursing home service, they're also getting payment for
• improper payment rate.
• For your second question related to Supplemental payments, our opinion of supplemental payments is that
• The 4% diminished Medicare payment.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services convened to discuss interim charges regarding fraud, waste, and abuse in Texas human services, particularly focusing on Medicaid and childcare programs. The meeting highlighted the importance of preventing misuse of taxpayer funds, with testimony from various stakeholders emphasizing the need for increased oversight and accountability in these programs. Key points included the alarming rise in healthcare fraud in other states, the necessity for Texas to enhance its fraud prevention measures, and the potential financial repercussions of failing to meet federal compliance standards. Several committee members expressed concerns about the impact of fraud on vulnerable populations, particularly those relying on Medicaid services. Testimonies from experts underscored the effectiveness of Texas's Office of Inspector General (OIG) in combating fraud, yet pointed out existing vulnerabilities, such as inconsistent enforcement and the need for better data sharing among agencies. The discussion also touched on the challenges faced by hospice care providers, with a significant increase in the number of hospices in Texas raising concerns about quality and oversight. The committee heard from various witnesses, including representatives from health plans and advocacy organizations, who provided insights into the complexities of managing Medicaid and the importance of maintaining program integrity. The meeting concluded with a commitment to further explore legislative solutions to enhance oversight and ensure that resources are directed to those in genuine need.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill requires applicants to print and mail an application with cash, money order, or check as a payment
• there is a $30 payment.
• We advised her to continue saving some more cash before she made the purchase.
• We played a game with our children, and that's how they learned cash management.
• For our kids, it's a game called Cash Flow by Robert Kiyosaki.

Bills: HB2510 , HB3589 , HB4611 , HB4655 , HB4665 , HB4666 , HB4670 , HB4700 , HB4730 , HB4798 , HB4838 , HB5136 , HB5243 , HB5302 , HB5539

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, there are only two parameters: an estimate of how much cash you have on hand and your payer
• So we've been very deliberate with CMS that what we're calling the transformative payments for rural
• These requirements, in addition to because they are to support payments that are related to increases
• Our contracted actuaries develop a rate range that constitutes a reasonable range of payment rates.
• It's incomprehensible that new lower payments have put us back about 30 years.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a May Revision hearing covering several health-related budget proposals and broader concerns about the state’s budget structure. The Chair opened by praising some May Revision changes, such as added health IT funding, county administration support tied to Medi-Cal changes, a delay in Medi-Cal cuts for some lawfully present immigrants, and additional support for Covered California subsidies, while criticizing proposed increases in Medi-Cal premiums, changes to senior eligibility, the lack of a Medi-Cal dental solution, and other reductions affecting counties, mobile crisis units, workforce incentives, and physician shortages. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state’s budget condition remains weak despite progress on the structural deficit, and the Department of Finance said the May Revision uses a mix of reductions, reforms, revenue proposals, and fund shifts to cut out-year deficits. The committee first heard Department of State Hospitals proposals, including adjustments to county bed billing authority, contract exemption language for online clinical/pharmacy subscriptions, reversion of unspent funds, a revised Metro Central Utility Plant replacement project, electronic health record implementation, and workforce development funded partly through Behavioral Health Services Act resources. DSH also described savings and realignments in incompetent-to-stand-trial and conditional release programs, including extending the independent placement panel program and shifting funds to support additional bed capacity and a mental health rehab center. Members asked about the use of BHSA funds for workforce programs, and the department said the proposal would replace General Fund support with BHSA reimbursements. The Emergency Medical Services Authority proposed funding for statewide behavioral health crisis response guidance and for enterprise system development, and the Department of Managed Health Care proposed modernization of its complaint system and claims-settlement data system to improve oversight and comply with AB 3275. The largest discussion centered on the administration’s BHSA spending plan under Proposition 1, including state-directed prevention, workforce, and other uses, plus General Fund offsets for existing programs. The LAO questioned whether some proposed offsets fit Proposition 1’s non-supplant and eligible-use requirements, while the administration argued the uses were consistent with the measure and that the state-directed share can be adjusted annually. The Commission for Behavioral Health’s proposals drew the most public and member concern. The administration proposed cutting the commission’s Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and reducing the Community Advocacy Program by $6.7 million, while redirecting BHSA dollars to other state purposes and direct services. Commissioners, advocates, and several members argued the cuts would weaken community voice, reduce support for underserved populations, and disrupt grants already in process; they also objected to using BHSA funds to backfill General Fund commitments. Public commenters, including youth, disability, behavioral health, LGBTQ, tribal, veteran, immigrant, and community-based organization representatives, overwhelmingly opposed the cuts and urged preservation of prevention, advocacy, mobile crisis, and innovation funding. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This entire section, as I read it, allows for the discounting of cash purchases and then a surcharge
• Members before you is House Bill 3075, which creates a penny rounding rule for cash transactions.
• And so this has created a number of practical problems with cash transactions across the country.
• I'm sure you've seen the signs at cash registers and this sort of thing.
• Well, one, you're contributing because your pension benefit payment while you're still electing to work

Bills: HB1268 , HB3041 , HB3075 , HB3378 , HB3463 , HB3619 , HB3620 , HB3624 , HB3722 , HB4335

Committee: House Government Oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows the MDA to accept a payment for a food certificate at the time of application.
• allows the MDA to of Agriculture it allows the MDA to accept<00:01:08.520><c> a</c><00:01:09.040><c> payment
• for</c><00:01:09.840><c> a</c><00:01:10.000><c> food</c><00:01:10.439><c> certificate</c> accept a payment
• for a food certificate accept a payment for a food certificate at<00:01:11.560><c> the</c><00:01:11.720
• So the spendable cash and the available resources people have to buy food, it's been depleted, right,

Bills: HF1704 , HF2052

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the other positive is that now payments the other positive is that now payments are<00:14:56.880
• This that had payment factor increases.
• </c> farmer provisions, which added a payment farmer provisions, which added a payment factor<00:31:25.679
• </c> that that um payment factor increase. that that um payment factor increase.
• </c> properties that were all purchased cash properties that were all purchased cash over<01:52:00.080

Summary: The joint informational briefing focused on how federal policy changes, tariffs, funding cuts, the federal shutdown, and delays in the farm bill are affecting Hawaii agriculture and food access. Opening remarks emphasized Hawaii’s heavy dependence on imported food and farm inputs, the state’s vulnerability to disruptions in USDA services, and the need for stronger state, county, and community coordination. Speakers also noted that immigration enforcement and broader global supply-chain pressures can affect local farm labor, production, and food availability. Sharon Herd, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, described both positive and negative federal impacts. She said Hawaii has benefited from some recurring grants and a large new $8.8 million federal grant, but also reported about $22 million in losses from suspended or terminated grants, including farm-to-school and water-related projects. She said some USDA programs, such as microgrants for food security and FISMIP, are currently suspended, while the specialty crop block grant remains active. She also said Hawaii farms declined from 7,328 to 6,569 between the 2017 and 2022 censuses and argued the state cannot rely on imports alone to feed its people. Amanda Shaw of Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii presented findings from federal funding cut reports. She said the first report, in March, identified about $88 million in potential cuts, and the newer report found $64.7 million in confirmed cuts and about $175 million in potential cuts. She said federal shifts are creating uncertainty for farmers, food-system organizations, and school and community food programs, and noted that 4,000 to 5,000 Hawaii farmers could receive less money because of changes to payment-factor provisions for socially disadvantaged farmers. She also said Hawaii has lost 18% of local USDA staff since September 2024, with possible further national reductions expected. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only, and the chair noted that any legal questions, including the reported SNAP changes, would be for the Judiciary Committee to assess later.

Transcript Highlights:

• payments?
• to claw back previous payments from January and December.
• It's okay if they miss a payment.
• payment systems. would you apply this previous experience to improve the payment processing systems
• And improper payments is a part of this as well.

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Keywords: Social Security, Medicaid, Frank Bisignano, Elon Musk, benefit processing, office closures, public testimony, administration policies, health care, vulnerable populations

Summary: The committee meeting focused heavily on the nomination of Frank Bisignano as the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, with intense discussions around the current state of Social Security and its management under the current administration. Members voiced significant concerns regarding potential changes to Social Security and Medicaid, specifically addressing issues such as office closures, delays in benefit processing, and the perceived policies from Elon Musk's association with the administration. Public testimonies highlighted fears that these changes would severely impact the accessibility of benefits for seniors and vulnerable individuals, resulting in a chaotic environment at the SSA. Members expressed a unified opposition to the notion of dismantling these critical programs, emphasizing the long-term implications on their constituents' well-being.

Transcript Highlights:

• bonds are talking somewhere between $12 million to $14 million a year for being able to the bond payment
• to minus the $102 million that's going to have to be used to pay the bonds, going to make those payments
• to minus the $102 million that's going to have to be used to pay the bonds, going to make those payments
• And so that's what that does on this legacy earning fund, breaking that down for the bond payments, for
• We’ve got cash in the bank. We pay for a lot of stuff. Cash. We don’t bond.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee met to consider Senate Bill 2012, the Department of Transportation budget, with Representative Brandenburg presenting a detailed House amendment package and Speaker Robin Weisz explaining the overall funding strategy. The discussion focused on restructuring transportation funding streams, including moving Prairie Dog money into a flexible transportation fund, adjusting gas tax distributions, increasing the legacy earnings transfer from 7% to 8%, and authorizing a $155 million bond for Highway 85. Members also discussed DOT operations, bridge funding, rest areas, electronic titling, and the use of funds for grants to counties, cities, and townships. A separate provision would let the DOT consider whether local ordinances or policies unreasonably restrict permitted agriculture or energy projects when scoring grant applications, which drew significant debate about local control and whether the language was punitive. Testimony from Brandenburg and Weisz emphasized that the plan was intended to provide more predictable funding, preserve the ability to match federal dollars, and direct money where needs are greatest through a grant process. Weisz said the package was designed to simplify multiple revenue buckets, ensure DOT can meet federal match requirements, and free up money for the general fund while still supporting transportation needs. Several members raised concerns about whether cities, counties, and townships would receive as much as under the prior Prairie Dog structure, whether the bridge allocation was correctly reflected in the bill, and whether the local-policy language would penalize subdivisions that oppose energy projects. Supporters argued the state needed to protect revenue tied to energy development and that local governments would still receive distributions plus additional grant opportunities. The committee adopted the House amendment to SB 2012 by a vote of 19-1-3, then rejected an amendment to remove the local-policy language on a 5-15-3 vote. The committee then passed SB 2012 as amended on a 20-0-3 vote, with Representative Brandenburg designated as the carrier. The chair announced that Senate Bill 2014 would not be taken up at that time and the committee recessed until called back.

Transcript Highlights:

• The other person, I was going to say, either they have a cash job they can't verify what they have, or
• Speaker, gentlelady, what if they came and they said, "My other source of income is cash payments that
• My ex-husband pays me cash on the side, or I work a cash job. So, Mr.
• Because there are people who work for cash, and they say, "I have a business; I work for cash."
• Speaker, gentlemen, the only thing that you're required to do is to sign the housing assistance payment

Transcript Highlights:

• facility whose operational costs are financially supported by one or more employers through direct payments
• first section directs the Department of Human Services to pay licensed child care program subsidy payments
• this legislation really helps to stabilize our child care facilities so that they can predict their cash
• this legislation really helps to stabilize our child care facilities so that they can predict their cash
• The word payment has been changed to execution throughout the bill for consistency purposes.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then considered a series of House bills and committee substitutes. House Bill 5438, dealing with changes to Step 7 of the school aid formula and allowable uses of certain education allocations, was amended to adopt the Education Committee’s changes and then reported to the full Senate. House Bill 4087 creating the West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance was also reported, as was House Bill 4191, which expands child care tax credit eligibility for employer-sponsored facilities and changes subsidy payments from attendance-based to enrollment-based reimbursement; senators emphasized its workforce and economic development benefits. House Bill 5074, which reallocates medical cannabis fund balances and future revenues, was amended to increase the Child Protective Commission pilot funding from $3 million to $5 million and remove proposed ibogaine research funding for Marshall and WVU before being reported. House Bill 5353, regulating virtual currency kiosks and money transmission licensure, and House Bill 5527, creating licensure and oversight for wellness reimbursement program administrators, both received strike-and-insert amendments and were reported. House Bill 5687, which phases down the metallurgical coal severance tax and adds a temporary oil and gas tax reduction with county/municipal revenue adjustments, was amended and reported. House Bill 4418, creating an electronic system for municipal business and occupation tax filing and collection with a 1% administrative fee and a participation threshold, was also reported. The committee then took up House Bill 4245, the Revenue Rules Bundle, which bundles 26 legislative rules from the Department of Revenue and related agencies. The bundle included alcohol, banking, insurance, racing, and tax rules, with several sunset extensions and repeals of outdated rules; the committee adopted a strike-and-insert amendment affecting a lottery consumer protection rule and a pre-need cemetery company rule, then reported the bill. House Bill 5168, providing a $12 million lottery-funded stream for emergency medical services, was amended to clarify the uses of the funds, rename one fund, require a 30% county match for mental health treatment spending, and create two additional county-based EMS funds; senators described it as a needed permanent funding source for EMS, and it was reported. Throughout the meeting, members generally supported the measures, with some discussion on technical details, funding allocations, and the impact of the bills on local services and workforce needs. At the end of the meeting, the chair announced that Senate House Bills 4004, 4006, and 4009 would not be taken up that day, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• A bill to amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 to postpone the date of payment or satisfaction upon
• Your house payment would be $2,828.
• able to come in and score grandma as being sicker, and therefore they get risk scoring additional cash
• They have to reach in and cash in their special T-bills, their special Treasury bills.
• Those T-bills, so they cash them in.

Transcript Highlights:

• SET OF COSTS IN CATEGORY A AND THEN GET 50% OF THAT FEDERAL COST SHARE UPFRONT SO THEY CAN START A CASH
• BUT WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND IS THE MEDIAN RESPONSE TIME FOR PAYMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM FEMA
• YOUR STAFF TO GET FEMA TO COME IN AND DO A PRESENTATION ON HOW FAST OR HOW SLOW THEY ARE MOVING ON PAYMENTS
• THE FASTER MONEY IS EXPEDITED PROJECT WORKSHEETS, WITHOUT EXPEDITED WORKSHEETS OBLIGATED AND CASH IN
• OUR AVERAGE CASH FLOW SO THE INVOICES WE PAY EVERY DAY IS HOVERING AROUND $45 MILLION.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any cash-paid member of the general public on the day the drug is sold.
• This cash price serves as a baseline for the Medicaid reimbursement helping to list costs while ensuring
• by preventing artificially low rates from membership discount programs. from influencing Medicaid payments
• , the bill will improve payment accuracy. for providers, incentivizing them to accept Medicaid patients
• Determining the cash price of these drugs is effectively impossible. including these zero-cost drugs

Bills: HB741 , HB 1199 , HB2070 , HB2402 , HB2542 , HB2665 , HB2789 , HB3096 , HB3396 , HB3595 , HB3747 , HB4116 , HB4127

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• It made me pay cash.
• It made me pay cash.
• </c> >> This isn't a cash-only bill; it's just that you can pay with cash.
• </c> cash. Would you believe that? cash. Would you believe that?
• I'm just joking. >> We don't take cash. >> You don't take cash, right?

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs