Transcript Highlights:

• or rent payments.
• Another working mom said, 'We spend $2,200 a month in daycare, and that's a mortgage payment.
• That's beyond a mortgage payment for a lot of people.'
• Thank you on the disruption of the payments.
• June 30th is when the payments will stop.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the research found Arkansas moms are working and want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing flexible hours were the most requested workplace support, 69% of moms identified child care costs as a barrier, and many families spend a large share of income on care. Members asked about labor force trends, what flexibility means in practice, and the cost and age structure of child care assistance programs. The presenter also noted child care affects economic development and workforce recruitment, and mentioned a Department of Commerce option that may help pay child care for people seeking training. Department of Education and Office of Early Childhood staff then gave updates on internal dashboards for enrollment, applications, and provider participation in School Readiness Assistance (SRA), saying the tools are now live for internal use and should improve transparency and data access. They said CLASS transition funding from the PDG grant would be released soon to providers who completed observations, and clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work. They also warned providers about a payment interruption during the transition to a new system: June 26 would be the last day to submit SRA payments for processing, payments would stop June 30, and billing would continue without processing from July 1 to 13, with back payments expected when the system resumes around July 14. Members raised concerns about provider cash flow, early childhood special education funding, an overpayment appeal involving a child care center, and whether CLASS data would be public; staff said the data is FOIA-able but not used by the department to set current quality or rates. The department also said it is reviewing audit requirements tied to Head Start and SRA, that Early Head Start children remained in their facilities after a closure, and that a market rate survey/cost analysis is still in procurement. Staff reported that the QRIS process will begin with a June 23 webinar and that CLASS will be part of a broader quality system still being developed with provider and parent input. They also said the local lead network was re-competed and will cover all counties starting July 1 with 23 local leads, and that the PDG partner group has been formed to provide ongoing stakeholder feedback. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Monthly premiums of payments were required under the current program and also under HB 121.
• There's no payment of premium in Medicaid. Okay. All right.
• until you make a payment.
• You do not have to make back payments, but you would not have coverage.
• No, they do not have to make back payments, but they would not have coverage.

Summary: The committee received a briefing from AHCA Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer and Florida Healthy Kids CMO Ashley Carr on implementation of HB 121, which was enacted in 2023 to expand Florida’s KidCare/CHIP eligibility from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level and replace the sharp premium “benefits cliff” with a tiered premium glide path. Sponsor Rep. Bartleman described the bill as a bipartisan effort to help working families keep children insured while moving toward economic self-sufficiency. The presenters explained that the program remains a joint federal-state structure, with Medicaid unchanged and the bill affecting only the CHIP-related portions of KidCare. AHCA said implementation has been delayed by federal CMS actions. The agency reported that CMS first rejected a state plan amendment approach, then required revisions to the premium tiers under a new maintenance-of-effort interpretation, and later issued a new interpretation of continuous 12-month eligibility that would prevent disenrollment for nonpayment of premiums. AHCA said it submitted an 1115 waiver, but negotiations over special terms and conditions reached an impasse, and the state has filed litigation challenging CMS’s interpretation. Members asked about the cost of litigation, the effect on future bills, the review process for CMS documents, disenrollment and reenrollment rules, and whether any additional legislative action is needed; AHCA said no further state action is needed at this time and that the key issue is the pending federal litigation. Several members and the sponsor emphasized the need for immediate implementation and asked about possible interim relief. AHCA said current coverage remains in place under the preexisting program, that there is a 30-day grace period for premium payment, and that reenrollment does not require a penalty or back payment, though coverage is not active during lapsed periods. The committee also heard public comment from Nicholas Hessing of the Children’s Services Council of Broward County and the Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils and Trusts, who supported HB 121 and said the expansion could make about 17,600 additional children eligible in Broward County alone. The meeting ended with Rep. Bartleman thanking staff and expressing hope that the new federal administration would allow the program to move forward, and the chair adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, what will happen is then when the actual vendor requests those payments, those payments
• payments ultimately go to this bad actor who got the information to be changed in the banking system
• FAMU did not always make prompt payment to vendors.
• FAMU did not always make prompt payment to vendors.
• There were a few findings relating to personnel hiring practices, bonuses, relocation payments.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee received a presentation from Auditor General staff on recurring findings from audits of district school boards, colleges, and universities. For school districts, the main issues discussed included missing or outdated safe-school officer training documentation, weak purchasing-card controls, vendor banking-change fraud risks, incomplete background screenings and disqualification-list procedures, missing website budget disclosures, excessive or untimely IT access, late deactivation of former employees’ access, missed emergency drill deadlines, inaccurate capital outlay and resiliency education records, weak tangible property inventories, adult education reporting errors, untimely bank reconciliations, and improper use of workforce development funds. The auditors said many of these issues are repeated from prior years and are summarized in their annual report on significant findings and financial trends. For universities and colleges, the auditors highlighted similar control weaknesses, including vendor information change controls, IT access issues, cash and investment reconciliation problems, purchasing and procurement deficiencies, personnel and compensation issues, and student fee compliance concerns. Specific examples included a UF consulting contract totaling about $6 million, FAU underreporting carry-forward balances by about $77 million, UCF’s payment loss of about $107,000 from an email scam tied to vendor changes, and a North Florida College unauthorized transfer involving a few hundred thousand dollars. The committee asked questions about the UF consulting work, the FAU carry-forward issue, and whether the listed findings meant every named entity had every issue; auditors clarified that the lists reflected entities with findings in those categories, not necessarily each specific problem. The committee then turned to enforcement for entities with long-standing uncorrected audit findings. Staff reported 144 entities with 197 findings repeated in three or more successive audit reports and recommended sending letters requesting updated corrective-action status, including for late-filed 2022-2023 reports where appropriate. The committee approved the staff recommendation and directed letters to be sent. The meeting ended with members emphasizing the importance of audit oversight and taxpayer accountability.

Transcript Highlights:

• program, otherwise known as directed payments.
• program, otherwise known as payment program, otherwise known as directed<00:08:31.919> payments.
• Um, these programs directed payments.
• So, I access to these directed payments.
• So a directed payment program, or DPP, is not new.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• About 55% of the payments, as you can... ...a large sum of money.
• The orange area are payments to insurers.
• of their claim payments, and we'll come back to that later.
• for the utility payments between shareholders and rate payers so mr.
• Able to accelerate payments.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the California Earthquake Authority’s SB 254 report and possible reforms to California’s utility wildfire recovery system. The chair framed the discussion around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the high and growing wildfire-related costs on utility bills, and the need to weigh tradeoffs among survivors, ratepayers, utilities, insurers, and taxpayers. The chair emphasized that the SB 254 report is an inventory of policy pathways rather than recommendations, and that the Legislature’s role is to evaluate the options publicly. The first panel featured wildfire survivors William Abrams and Joy Chen, who described severe ongoing displacement, housing insecurity, delayed compensation, and frustration with what they characterized as opaque and unfair compensation structures. They argued for greater transparency, clearer accountability for utilities, stronger oversight of wildfire mitigation spending, and incentives tied to safety performance. They also urged faster survivor payments, but only if they are full, fair, and not financed by shifting more costs to taxpayers or ratepayers. Committee members asked about gaps in the SB 254 report, the meaning of “full” compensation, and how a fast-pay facility might work. The second panel included the California Earthquake Authority, RAND, PG&E, LADWP, Consumer Attorneys of California, and the Public Advocates Office. Tom Welsh of CEA explained the report’s process and the current wildfire fund structure, including that utilities remain liable, the fund reimburses eligible claims, and prudency reviews can require reimbursement to the fund. RAND’s Lloyd Dixon outlined how roughly $38 billion has been paid to survivors, insurers, and public entities since 2017, and noted substantial litigation costs and cost-shifting among stakeholders. Utility representatives supported reforms that preserve financial stability and reduce risk, while consumer and public-interest advocates opposed shifting more costs to ratepayers and stressed accountability, audits, and safety-linked recovery. No votes or formal actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• deposit each and every day tax payments deposit each and every day tax payments that<01:56:56.639
• He said most of the remaining improper payment rate is driven by earnings-related improper payments and
• <02:17:28.960> to um, u improper payments uh, related to um, u improper payments uh, related
• not payments were were paid correctly. not payments were were paid correctly. and<02:18:40.240><
• that improper payment rate down as well. that improper payment rate down as well.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then finally, it allows payments for lease and equipment to tribal governments to be eligible for
• of taxes and fees to the appropriate jurisdiction. of pennies, not just the remittance or payment of
• At the very least, HB 291 should be amended to clarify it applies only to the remittance and payments
• , the payment to the retailer or to the tax authority should still be based on the amount owed on the
• People make their payments; the new owners of this property that bought it at auction make their payments

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So for the most part, we’re not making direct payments to households.
• So for the most part, we’re not making direct payments to households.
• Representative Craft followed up, saying, “You said indirect payments to households, or direct payments
• to to households or direct payments to to households or direct payments<00:26:25.440> we<00:26
• we we we generally don't make payments we we we generally don't make direct<00:26:27.039> payments

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 771, as amended, was laid over for possible inclusion. The bill would create a state supplemental grant program to build on LIHEAP, with the goal of expanding energy assistance beyond the winter season to cover summer cooling needs and reduce utility shutoffs. Representative Craft said the proposal would use existing LIHEAP systems, help more eligible households, and support related services like weatherization. The committee adopted the author’s amendment, DE2, without objection. Supporters testified that energy costs remain unaffordable for many Minnesotans, especially in rural areas and among low-income households, seniors, and people using delivered fuels. Annie Levenson-Faulk of the Citizens Utility Board said only about a quarter of eligible households receive assistance, summer shutoffs are common, and cooling needs have grown significantly. Trisha Leite of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, Amanda Macky of Minnesota Valley Action Council, and Ken Schum of the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association all supported the bill, saying year-round assistance would help households, reduce disconnects, stabilize demand for aid, and ease pressure on utility rates. Michael Schmitz of the Department of Commerce said Minnesota has received about $112 million in LIHEAP funds so far this year and is awaiting additional federal money; he also noted recent funding has been lower than in prior years and inflation has reduced its value. Members discussed the scale of utility shutoffs, the increase in cooling demand, and whether the bill addresses root causes or serves as a temporary fix. Representative Weiner argued that the state should focus on keeping more money in taxpayers’ pockets and reducing the need for subsidies, while Representative Craft responded that the underlying issue is low incomes and widening wealth inequality, and that policies like the child tax credit are better ways to address poverty. The chair also asked how LIHEAP dollars flow, and Commerce said most benefits are paid directly to utilities on behalf of households rather than as direct cash payments to recipients.

Transcript Highlights:

• The state has tended to make these payments as soon as it recognizes the higher estimate.
• That would avoid the payment delay.
• There aren't any increases or payment deferrals proposed under the Governor's Budget.
• their payment on time.
• their payment on time.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance met for its annual Proposition 98 overview, with Chair Alvarez outlining the committee’s focus on K-12 funding, student outcomes, and use of one-time funds. Superintendent Tony Thurmond gave an update on education issues, including wildfire recovery support for affected school communities, ongoing concerns about federal threats to education funding and immigration enforcement, progress on literacy and math, dual-language immersion, educator housing, and support for dual enrollment. Members broadly expressed support for these priorities, while also raising concerns about implementation, funding stability, and the need for schools to remain safe places for students. The committee then reviewed the Governor’s Proposition 98 proposal. The Department of Finance said the 2025-26 Proposition 98 guarantee is projected at $118.9 billion, with higher revenues and TK-related rebenching driving the increase. The LAO said the budget adds about $7.5 billion over two years and discussed the volatility of the guarantee, especially in 2024-25, when changes in revenue could have an outsized effect on school funding. Members questioned the proposed $1.6 billion delayed settle-up payment, the legal basis for delaying it, and the impact of possible federal funding freezes. The LAO presented alternatives such as a reserve deposit or delayed disbursement, while Finance said the proposal is intended to manage uncertainty. Members also raised concerns that ethnic studies implementation was not funded in the January budget, and Finance said the administration was not proposing funding for it. The committee next heard on the Proposition 98 rainy day fund and education deferrals. Finance said the reserve would receive a mandatory deposit of about $1.2 billion in 2024-25 and a discretionary deposit of $376 million in 2025-26, leaving a balance of about $1.5 billion. The LAO supported rebuilding the reserve as a way to manage volatility. On deferrals, Finance described the Governor’s plan to eliminate remaining deferrals by 2025-26, and the LAO said paying them off improves cash flow and budget resilience. Members generally supported eliminating deferrals and rebuilding reserves, though some asked about acting earlier if revenues allow. The committee also reviewed the proposed $1.8 billion student support and professional development block grant; Finance said it would fund professional development, recruitment and retention, and dual enrollment, while the LAO recommended clearer language on local discretion and use for one-time costs. Members were divided, with some supporting flexibility and others warning that one-time block grants can create instability and confusion for districts.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're payments to the actually grants.
• <00:41:16.160> uh<00:41:16.319> to forward as a payment uh to forward as a payment
• > from<00:42:05.359> the farmers getting payments from the farmers getting payments from
• That's what we clarified a payment.
• <01:05:40.160> for<01:05:40.480> the would provide payments for the would provide payments

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<01:08:21.359> and<01:08:21.880> we<01:08:22.319> we payment, and we we payment
• Assembly to make the ARC payments Assembly to make the ARC payments to to to um um um KERS.
• . payment. payment.
• But so, we're not statutorily payment.
• additional payment. additional payment.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:12 Approval of Minutes: 00:01:34 Actuarial Valuation Update – KPPA: 00:02:10 Actuarial Valuation Update – TRS: 00:25:32, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, confirmation of a quorum, and approval of the prior minutes. The main presentation was from KPPA officials Ryan Barrow and Erin Saratt on the annual actuarial valuations for the retirement and insurance systems. They said the systems’ funding status improved overall, with three of five insurance funds fully funded, CERS hazardous dropping from over 100% funded to 90.9% because of premium changes, and KRS receiving $650 million in supplemental funding over the biennium. They also reported strong investment returns above assumed rates, higher payroll and membership counts, and resulting actuarial losses tied to higher salaries and premiums, especially on the insurance side. Members asked several questions about what drove the actuarial losses and whether legislation affected them. KPPA said the CERS insurance loss was driven by premium increases and Senate Bill 10, while the pension-side losses were largely due to higher payroll and benefits for Tier 1 and Tier 2 members. They explained that new Tier 3 employees are designed to add no additional unfunded liability, and that the state administers the systems but does not directly control all hiring. Questions also focused on retiree health premiums, which KPPA said rose about 15% for non-Medicare retirees and 38% for Medicare retirees, with the increase attributed to utilization, prescription costs, and the Inflation Reduction Act. The committee then heard from TRS Deputy Executive Secretary and General Counsel Beau Barnes on the 2025 TRS actuarial valuation. He reported that the Retirement Annuity Trust and Health Insurance Trust both received full funding, the retirement trust’s funded ratio improved to 61%, TRS 4 remains well funded with no liability, and the health insurance trust improved to 89.1%. Barnes said TRS is on track to fully fund legacy liabilities within the amortization period, with 2044 as the point when the system reflects 100% funding and 2046 as the last year needing additional dollars for the legacy liability. He also explained that lower assumed investment returns and updated mortality assumptions increased liabilities, but that TRS uses direct rate smoothing for budgeting purposes. At the end of the meeting, the chair circulated a proposed set of “do’s and don’ts of pensions,” emphasizing that future legislation should not create unfunded liabilities. Barnes also noted he would later discuss several legislative proposals for the 2026 session, but the transcript provided ends before that discussion or any votes on those proposals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those payments are kind of irregular to begin with and often come later in the year anyways.
• It's a possibility that we will not be reimbursed for some staff payments if we make those.
• Require our Attorney General suing the federal government for back payment.
• And Madam Chair, and that's to get the payments.
• And how often do we get that payment? Every month. Every month.

Transcript Highlights:

• Families, meaning all child support payments collected by the state go to the family.
• The second group includes cases where the person due to receive payment has deceased.
• Therefore, these payments are still being recouped by the government.
• direct cash payments for our senior community.
• That line item, unrestricted cash payments for descendants of those slaves.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• errors or the payments were made.
• for these, but explain the ineligible payments.
• What is the definition for an ineligible payment? Mr.
• They're going to make choices to buy a card payment.
• The committee, it is the increased cost that would be for the payment error rate, and a payment error

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it creates a shared database of individuals and entities ineligible to receive government payments
• So it creates a shared database of individuals and entities ineligible to receive government payments
• So it creates a shared database of individuals and entities ineligible to receive government payments
• So it creates a shared database of individuals and entities ineligible to receive government payments
• So it creates a shared database of individuals and entities ineligible to receive government payments

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Actions include administrative remedies to stop and recover payments and referrals to law enforcement
• Actions include administrative remedies to stop and recover payments and referrals to law enforcement
• Actions include administrative remedies to stop and recover payments and referrals to law enforcement
• On your slide from page 12, in regards to the issues, approximately $12 million in payments per month
• Chair, I'm sorry, I don't have information about individual providers right at the moment or payments

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• the network's availability payments.
• MCO payments.
• MCO<00:44:47.440> payments. MCO payments. MCO payments.
• On page 67, MCO payments reduction.
• This On page 67, MCO payments reduction.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Free Conference Committee on the 2026 General Assembly budget met to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of House Bill 500. Leaders opened by thanking the other chamber’s work, asking members to turn microphones on and off to avoid feedback, and stressing the need to clearly note decision points so both chambers record the same actions. Staff then walked through the bill page by page, explaining that the committee was comparing only House and Senate differences, not the governor’s proposed budget. The discussion covered a wide range of appropriations and language items, including next generation non-911 services, school safety reporting tools, restored funding for brain injury, epilepsy, veteran service, homeless veterans, and rocket docket programs, debt service changes, rural infrastructure, disaster aid caps, Attorney General and Medicaid fraud funding, agriculture and county fair grants, auditor and pension-related appropriations, school facilities and SEEK funding, and numerous education programs. Members also discussed charter-related funding such as Star Academy, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, school resource officers, school-based mental health providers, AP/IB exams, Governor’s Scholars and Entrepreneurs, and several pilot or initiative programs in economic development, energy, and labor. Several items were described as technical corrections or restorations of language and funding, while others reflected differences in amounts or how funds would be distributed. There were several questions and comments from members about wording such as “implement and carry out,” the absence of the governor’s budget from the comparison document, and whether SEEK funding should be tied to teacher raises. The chair and other members emphasized that the committee’s role was to reconcile the two chambers’ budgets, not to adopt the governor’s proposal. Members also raised concerns about opioid settlement funds and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library match rate, with one senator urging restoration of the House language. No final vote or formal action was taken in the portion provided; the meeting primarily consisted of explanation, questions, and discussion of proposed budget differences.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:55.960> controls, before they are paid, payment controls, before they are paid, payment
• analytics after payments are made. analytics after payments are made.
• post-payment analysis. post-payment analysis.
• <00:34:56.159> uh that authority to withhold payments uh that authority to withhold payments
• <00:41:56.000> withholding<00:41:56.400> language payment withholding language payment

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the next section is the payment authority, where we would actually make those payments out of
• Page 480 is the lease purchase debt payment section.
• Make any representation that we would make payments.
• It has to do with payments, multiple payments coming to the same address, lost checks.
• It has to do with payments, multiple payments coming to the same address, lost checks.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• After any SFIA payments have been adjusted to that limit, all SFIA payments are then adjusted proportionally
• This applies to all educational assistance payments received for student loans.
• This applies to all educational assistance payments received for student loans.
• This applies to all educational assistance payments received for student loans.
• House File 2437 that cuts the payments to SFIA.

Bills: HF2730, HF2257, HF2768, HF1932, HF2437

Keywords: local government debt, municipal bonds, county bonds, capital improvements, public financing, bond issuance, public hearing, notice period, bond guarantee, Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, volume cap, private activity bonds, housing finance, residential rental bonds, LIHTC, low-income housing tax credits, redevelopment, courthouse financing, jail financing, law enforcement center