Transcript Highlights:

• And this is something that I want to work for on my plan.
• You're a plan administrator. You're happy with your plan.
• And the reason I say that is because I'm a non-ERISA plan.
• And let me be clear, and I want to make sure this is heard: most non-ERISA plans are government plans
• and what health plans have to offer and do.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on April 29 with a quorum present and considered several insurance- and health care-related bills. SB 192, concerning dental reimbursement and payment methods, was amended to clarify opt-in for electronic acceptance and then reported as amended. SB 84, which expands prostate cancer screening coverage for men over 40 and bars cost-sharing, was also amended and reported as amended after testimony from the American Cancer Society supporting earlier detection and reduced out-of-pocket barriers. SB 275, dealing with reimbursement and network access for certified registered nurse anesthetists, was reported favorably with broad support from nurse anesthetists, hospitals, and related groups. SB 169, a biomarker testing cleanup bill, was amended to clarify legislative intent and reported as amended. The committee spent substantial time on two major drug-pricing bills. SB 401 would create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to study selected prescription drug prices, collect manufacturer and related pricing data, and report findings to the legislature; amendments narrowed the scope, addressed confidentiality, and delayed implementation. Supporters said it would provide transparency similar to Texas and help lawmakers understand drug pricing, while opponents warned about government overreach and confidentiality concerns. SB 387, the companion PBM reform bill, would restrict PBM compensation to flat fees and performance bonuses, require rebate pass-throughs, limit formulary practices, expand audit and reporting requirements, and create enforcement mechanisms; it was amended to delay implementation, refine definitions, and address ERISA-related concerns. Supporters argued it would curb PBM abuses and lower drug costs, while opponents from the Pelican Institute and PCMA said it would interfere with private contracts, reduce flexibility, and could raise premiums. After a roll call vote, SB 387 was reported with amendments. The committee also took up SB 241, which requires certain insurance adjusters and appraisers to include license numbers in written communications. After amendments narrowing the requirement to individual claims and public adjusters, the bill was reported as amended. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly raised concerns about unintended consequences, especially for cities, school boards, and other non-ERISA plans, and sponsors said they would continue working on the drug-pricing bills before floor consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, someone could leave their Medigap plan.
• individuals are very happy in their plans.
• plan?
• plan, that they could not go back.
• plans listed that won't cover this care.

Bills: SB20, SB21, SB166, SB177, SB181, SB189, SM6

Keywords: prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:11:46.800> commissions planning um are the planning commissions planning um are the planning
• <00:16:17.440> the<00:16:17.600> planning experience on planning the planning experience
• If you don't plan these things, if the planning boards and the governing bodies don't plan good things
• If you don't plan these things, if the planning boards and the governing bodies don't plan good things
• <01:03:55.799> plan that plan was the development plan plan that plan was the development

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• came in and said, 'When's my road going to be on the plan?
• allow us to execute that plan, thank you.
• I'm here on behalf of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which is the regional planning agency for
• But our plan is to pay until we run out of money.
• I do like that this, ...to stay on top of our maintenance plan.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held its first hearing of the session on H. 53, Governor Healey’s Chapter 90 proposal to increase state funding for municipal roads, bridges, sidewalks, and culverts. Committee chairs outlined the hybrid hearing process and invited testimony from municipal officials, labor groups, regional planning organizations, contractors, and administration officials. Across the hearing, speakers consistently supported the bill, emphasizing long-deferred maintenance, inflation in construction costs, climate-related flooding, and the need for more predictable, multi-year funding so cities and towns can plan projects and take advantage of the construction season. The administration described H. 53 as part of a broader $8 billion transportation package, proposing to raise annual Chapter 90 funding from $200 million to $300 million for five years, with the additional $100 million distributed by road mileage to better support rural and small communities. They also highlighted $200 million for culverts and small bridges, plus other transportation investments, and said the five-year authorization would provide certainty for municipal capital planning. Municipal witnesses from places including Carlisle, Beverly, Granby, Hatfield, Newton, Nahant, Gardner, Beckett, and Yarmouth described local road and culvert backlogs, rising asphalt costs, and the difficulty of maintaining infrastructure on limited local budgets. Labor and industry witnesses from the AFL-CIO and MAPA said the bill would support good-paying jobs and provide stability for contractors and producers. The MBTA Advisory Board and regional planning representatives also backed the proposal, noting the connection between local roads and the broader transportation system. Committee members asked questions about the road-mile formula, culvert needs, asphalt costs, and the rationale for a five-year authorization. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll also plan to continue offering HR1 specific webinars and We'll also plan to continue offering H.R
• Round two was a planning grant, and we really looked through that planning grant process.
• I mean, those are two of the four plans that we said that we I mean, those are two of the four plans
• So our three-year planning cycles—this integrated plan starts in 2026 and ends in 2029... ...three-year
• planning cycles.

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of State Hospitals (DSH), the Commission for Behavioral Health, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on budget proposals and implementation updates. DSH outlined its proposed 2026-27 budget, including funding for patient operating expenses, IST solutions savings, conditional release program costs, LPS bed allocation changes, electrical infrastructure projects at Napa and Patton, SB 380 transitional housing feasibility work, and expanded dental services at Metropolitan and Patton. DSH also reported that it has met court-ordered IST treatment benchmarks in the Stiavedi v. Clinton case, with average time to initiate treatment down to about five days and pending placements reduced to roughly 250, while noting that Proposition 36 could increase referrals and SB 1323 may divert some individuals earlier into community-based treatment. Members asked about rising outside hospitalization costs, Medicare enrollment, the timing and structure of capital projects, and whether IST solution funds are being fully used; DSH said the savings reflect slower-than-expected ramp-up of community programs and that the Central California FACT replacement program is still on track for January 2027 activation. The Commission for Behavioral Health described its role under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), including data, evaluation, grantmaking, technical assistance, and transparency work. It highlighted the new statewide Innovation Partnership Fund, a five-year, $20 million-per-year program with small and large grant categories; the first RFA drew strong interest, with more than 400 questions and over 1,000 bidders’ conference participants. The Commission also discussed a proposed extension to spend down about $4.1 million remaining for the Alcove Youth Drop-in Center grants so sites can finish implementation and Stanford can complete the final evaluation. Members asked about grant duration, whether projects can be renewed, what qualifies as innovation, and whether the fund could support service delivery rather than awareness campaigns or training; the Commission said awards are expected to be three-year contracts and that proposals must be new or meaningfully expanded approaches that support BHSA priority populations. DHCS reviewed major behavioral health changes under CalAIM and BH Connect, including peer support, mobile crisis, contingency management, traditional health care practices for tribal members, updated specialty mental health access criteria, and new substance use treatment standards based on ASAM’s fourth edition. DHCS reported strong contingency management results, with more than 13,000 members served and 95% testing negative for stimulant use during treatment, and said 21 Indian health care providers have been approved to offer traditional health care practices. It also described BH Connect initiatives such as the $1.9 billion access reform and outcomes incentive program, workforce investments, evidence-based practice expansion, IMD participation by four counties, and transitional rent services. On BHSA implementation, DHCS said it is not tracking individual county contract cuts but is monitoring county plans and statewide outcomes, while stakeholders raised concerns about local prevention and service gaps. DHCS also outlined its H.R. 1 implementation strategy, including outreach, streamlined renewals, exemptions for disabled, substance use, and medically frail individuals, and proposed clinic navigator and outreach funding; it said it has not yet produced a focused estimate of H.R. 1 impacts on behavioral health populations. The discussion ended with DHCS noting that B-CHIP bond funding has supported 437 infrastructure projects, creating 546 new or expanded facilities and more than 9,500 residential beds across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:19:17.159> pay in high deductible health plans pay in high deductible health plans pay
• <00:20:18.400> pbms to their medical management plan pbms to their medical management plan
• employer plan plans from 0.7 to employer plan plans from 0.7 to 14%<00:22:35.760> so<00:22
• the deductible period is for plan members.
• the deductible period is for plan members.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:10 SB145 Discussion: 02:23 SB145 Vote: 05:13 SB183 Discussion: 06:13 SB183 Vote: 11:37 HB413 Discussion Only: 16:15, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 145, sponsored by Sen. David Givens. The bill would update retail installment contract statutes for automobile sales, allowing retailers with installment contracts shorter than 28 days to begin collections after three days instead of waiting for multiple missed payments, and it also harmonizes a related dollar amount in statute from $10 to $15. The committee asked no questions, and the bill received a favorable expression on a roll-call vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 183 from Sen. Matt Nunn, with testimony from Chris Nolan of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. The bill would require proxy advisers acting for the State Retirement System to act solely in the financial interest of current and future retirees and to avoid political or social considerations in shareholder voting recommendations. Supporters argued it would keep politics out of public pensions and align proxy advice with fiduciary duties; members praised the bill and noted Kentucky could be among the first states to adopt such a model. The committee approved the bill with favorable expression after a roll-call vote. The committee also reviewed administrative regulation 808 KAR 9:10 from the Department of Financial Institutions, with no vote required. It then took up House Bill 413, a PBM rebate pass-through bill, with testimony from Sarah Wood of the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition. She said the bill would require 85% of negotiated drug rebates to be passed through to patients at the point of sale, lowering out-of-pocket costs, especially for high-rebate drugs such as insulin, while still allowing 15% to remain with plans. She cited examples from other states and argued the bill would benefit about 650,000 Kentuckians. Hope McClaflin of Anthem opposed the bill, saying it would reduce employers’ ability to use rebates to lower premiums, could disproportionately favor high-cost brand-name drug users, and could create significant costs for state and fully insured plans. Members asked questions about other states’ pass-through rates and the effect on premiums, but no final action on House Bill 413 was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also want to point out that, short of a plan merger, assets from one plan can't be used to pay for benefits
• of another plan.
• And as of the 2024 measurement date, all open plans, which are the plans that still allow new entrants
• They vary by plan.
• and the actual experience for the plan.

Summary: The Pension Funding Council met on October 8 with introductions from council members and staff, then received a detailed presentation from the Office of the State Actuary on long-term economic assumptions and the state pension systems’ financial condition. OSA reported that the combined pension systems are currently 100% funded on a smoothed basis, with open plans above 95% funded, and that legacy Plan 1 systems remain on a path toward full funding under current policy. The actuaries recommended updating assumptions to 3% inflation, 3.5% general salary growth, and a 7.25% investment return, while keeping Plan 1 membership growth at 1%. They also explained asset smoothing, the role of recent strong investment returns, and the expected budget impacts of the recommended changes. Representatives from the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council and the State Investment Board offered supporting perspectives, generally describing the assumptions as reasonable and consistent with their own outlooks. The council also heard an overview of the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program (WACares) from DSHS and OSA. Program staff described the program’s social insurance structure, premium collection, benefit eligibility, and upcoming implementation milestones. OSA reported that the program’s first actuarial valuation showed a positive actuarial balance under the base scenario and recommended no change to the current 0.58% premium rate during the program’s early learning phase, noting that future changes would depend on experience and the program’s risk-management framework. OSA also said the recommendation would remain the same regardless of the outcome of the pending ballot measure affecting investment options. During public comment, a representative of the Washington State School Retirees Association urged continued work on Plan 1 funding and related legislation, while the Association of Washington Cities cautioned against increasing pension assumptions in a way that could raise future employer costs and reduce flexibility for current local government services. In action, the council adopted a motion to maintain the current long-term economic assumptions by a 4-2 vote, adopted the recommendation to keep the WACares premium rate at 0.58% by a 6-0 vote, and then elected Katie Chapman as council chair by unanimous vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is your plan since you're not approved here?
• And we've allowed them to budget pay plan and their annual operating plan.
• So what's the plan?
• But getting to my question, before the pay plan, we had a thing at the HDCs, a differential pay plan.
• So prior to the pay plan, So prior to the pay plan being implemented this last July, we were essentially

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do they have a plan? There was no plan. Just be honest. I mean, we're going to try to help you.
• to put together an economic recovery plan or assistance plan?
• or assistance plan?
• and site readiness plans.
• and site readiness plans.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What is their plan there?
• You put a plan together.
• 2020 plan.
• And we presented a plan. They asked for a five-year plan. Well, five-year plan means two sessions.
• My plan is...

Summary: The committee first received a general fund and revenue update from the Office of Management and Budget. Staff reported that the state started the biennium about $176 million above prior estimates, but year-to-date revenues were now running below legislative forecast, mainly due to lower individual income tax and sales tax collections. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap, the legacy fund continued to grow, and oil revenues were slightly above forecast overall. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing variability, and OMB said agencies would be asked to address potential federal reductions case by case during budget preparation. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analysis materials, followed by a bill draft for a fixed-route city transportation grant program. Testimony from transit officials in Fargo and Minot supported the proposal, saying state aid would help match federal transit funds and support operations, but members raised questions about the funding source, fare structures, and whether the program should be limited to the current four fixed-route cities or allow future eligible cities. Several members asked for more time to study the formula and possible funding options before moving the bill forward. Next, the committee approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to a proposed North Dakota-South Dakota bi-state authority. Staff explained the provision had been unused for about 30 years and that existing law likely already allowed joint powers agreements without the specific language. The committee voted to adopt the repeal bill draft. The Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site then provided an update on uncrewed aircraft system initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and future revenue models. Officials said North Dakota had received FAA approval to operate the radar data pathfinder, had begun replacing non-compliant drones from restricted foreign sources, and was working on phased procurement and cost-recovery plans. Members asked about deadlines, funding, supply-chain issues, and how the system would be used; staff said the federal restrictions were already in effect and that Vantis was being positioned as infrastructure for future beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Finally, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and on a reentry housing task force. The new facility is planned for the penitentiary grounds, with a reduced estimated cost of about $263 million, 600 beds initially, possible expansion to 732 beds, and completion projected around 2031 if funded in 2027. The reentry housing task force described a data-driven effort to identify housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with the goal of reducing homelessness and recidivism through targeted housing support and possible subsidies. Members asked about staffing, site selection, housing duration, and whether employment and transportation needs would be included in the assessment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it was sort of a piecemeal plan.
• And it was sort of a piecemeal plan.
• That wasn't the plan yet.
• We need to have a backup plan always.
• The plan will live at LED.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission met on May 14, 2026, with a quorum present to reopen the commission’s work after a long gap. Members approved the July minutes and heard an update that a bill was moving in the Legislature to transfer the commission’s administrative home to the Office of Multimodal Commerce, with the strategic plan expected to be restarted and a consultant likely considered at a future meeting. The chair and vice chair emphasized that the commission now has stronger staffing and a clearer home for its work. The commission then repealed its July resolution that had requested a new ports and waterways infrastructure fund and identified priority projects. Members said the earlier resolution was well-intentioned but premature because the projects had not been fully vetted, LED had not been sufficiently involved, and there was no clear funding structure. They said the projects would still be considered in the broader strategic planning process, but in a more thorough and coordinated form. A major portion of the meeting focused on the collaborative marketing strategy for the five Lower Mississippi River ports, presented by Joe Toomey and Ken Erickson of Polaris, with LED’s Paige Carter confirming LED will serve as the administrative home for the plan. The presenters described a data-driven regional effort built around unity, not uniformity, to promote the ports’ combined strengths, increase trade, attract foreign direct investment, support economic growth, and strengthen funding requests. Members praised the effort as a pilot for statewide coordination, noted that the plan will live at LED, and said it should help the state present a more unified message to investors and policymakers. The commission also received an update from the navigation and safety task force. Members observed a moment of silence for the late Captain Toby Waddingney, and Steve Wall, the new NOBER president, said he would continue the work using Waddingney’s notes. Commissioners reported that several recommendations from the task force are already being implemented, including bridge air-gap sensors, GIS tools, and dredging project coordination. The meeting ended with no public comment, plans for another meeting in the next quarter, and adjournment by motion.