Transcript Highlights:

• And so the lending facility would do that? Correct. Thank you. Thank you. Hang on one second.

Bills: HB158 , HB714 , HB 1198 , HB1630 , HB1998 , HB3509 , HB3788 , HB3875 , HB3948 , HB3977 , HB4097 , HB4313 , HB4314 , HB4317 , HB158

Committee: House Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: housing, veterans, surplus government property, affordable housing, funding sources, housing assistance, homeless prevention, landlord incentives, rural housing, domestic violence, community development, tenant readiness, program participants, financial assistance, homelessness, rental support, Texas Tenant Readiness Program, tenant assistance, housing stability, Texas Department of Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a program established under the IC MacGyver program that lends money to providers, the Justice

Bills: HB809 , HB 1193 , HB1916 , HB2558 , HB1973 , HB2350 , HB2399 , HB2340 , HB 116 , HB330 , HB2496 , HB116

Committee: House S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Keywords: digitized signature, waiver of citation, marriage dissolution, electronic notarization, family law, HB 1193, informal marriage, common-law marriage, declaration of informal marriage, confidentiality, privacy, county clerk, vital statistics unit, Family Code, Health and Safety Code, marriage records, public records, personally identifying information, PII, legal representative

Transcript Highlights:

• We all believe that we have a technology that you've indicated here that can lend its support and, I

Committee: Senate Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• The best is someone with a house who has a room that's willing to lend it to.
• house who has a room that's<00:52:23.200><c> willing</c><00:52:23.520><c> to</c><00:52:23.920><c> lend
• </c> that's willing to lend it to. that's willing to lend it to.

Bills: HB1559 , HB2012 , HB2297 , HB2122 , HB2345 , HB2398 , HB2534 , HB2621

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: telecommunication devices, student use, public schools, student engagement, educational outcomes, confiscation policy, mental health, statewide policy, community literacy, education, Title I funding, reading proficiency, underserved communities, family engagement, tutoring, literacy support, adult education, community education, literacy programs, workforce development

Transcript Highlights:

• around um better data, better eligibility, better redetermination, all of that, I think it will um lend
• I think it redetermination, all of that, I think it will<00:37:50.720><c> um</c><00:37:50.880><c> lend
• 51.760><c> to</c><00:37:52.720><c> um</c><00:37:53.599><c> a</c><00:37:53.920><c> more</c> will um lend
• itself to um a more will um lend itself to um a more efficient<00:37:54.560><c> MCO</c><00:37:55.280

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board reconvened and heard a presentation from the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control unit. AG staff described the unit’s structure and work: it investigates and prosecutes Medicaid provider fraud, and also handles abuse, neglect, and exploitation cases involving vulnerable adults in facility settings when asked to assist. They said the office has prosecutors, detectives, auditors, and support staff, works with federal partners, Commonwealth’s attorneys, CHFS, DMS, OIG, and MCOs, and uses a hotline and referral line for complaints. They also explained the MCO referral process, including monthly meetings, stand-down lists, and review of referrals for a “credible allegation of fraud” before the AG office decides whether to open a criminal or civil investigation. The presentation focused heavily on current fraud trends. Staff said behavioral health is a major concern, along with participant-directed waiver services, medically assisted treatment, cash billing for services, controlled-substance billing, and vision and dental fraud. They gave examples such as duplicate time sheets for family caregivers, questionable Suboxone counseling and urine drug screening practices, and a prior optometry case involving false claims for children’s glasses. They also discussed CMS’s estimate that about 5% of Medicaid payments are improper, noted that most improper payments are at the fee-for-service level, and said there is no reliable overall fraud-rate estimate. They highlighted a sharp shift in behavioral health billing after the cabinet’s November 1, 2024 policy changes, saying individual psychotherapy spending dropped while group billing increased, suggesting providers may have moved billing to different codes. Members asked about the scale and timing of cases, how MCO referrals are screened, and whether the data reflected more people being served or just higher spending. The AG office said investigations can take years, with some federal cases still awaiting sentencing from 2018 and 2019 matters, and that they currently had nine individuals awaiting sentencing in federal court. They also reported 58 hotline reports during the referenced period, six cases opened from MCO referrals, and four additional MCO referrals not accepted for active cases. Several members raised concerns about home-based services and the risk of abuse or fraud when family members are reimbursed, and asked whether the process could be streamlined; the AG office said it had no immediate recommendations but would be willing to return with suggestions after further review.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the audit itself would lend itself to transparency, and uh we could establish maybe a more standard
• Uh the audit itself would<00:10:29.839><c> would</c><00:10:30.320><c> lend</c><00:10:30.640><c> itself
• </c><00:10:31.279><c> to</c><00:10:32.720><c> transparency</c> would would lend itself to transparency
• would would lend itself to transparency and<00:10:35.519><c> uh</c><00:10:36.000><c> we</c><00:10:36.240

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um uh, and thank you for whoever is uh temporarily uh lending me uh their jacket. Mr.
• 00:13:39.360><c> uh</c><00:13:39.519><c> temporarily</c><00:13:40.560><c> uh</c><00:13:40.720><c> lending
• ><00:13:41.120><c> me</c><00:13:41.920><c> uh</c><00:13:42.079><c> their</c> is uh temporarily uh lending
• me uh their is uh temporarily uh lending me uh their jacket.<00:13:44.160><c> Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you so much to lend clarity to that. ...they oversee or work with and make sure all the documentation
• you</c><01:05:12.079><c> so</c><01:05:12.279><c> much</c><01:05:12.599><c> to</c><01:05:12.760><c> lend
• </c><01:05:13.119><c> Clarity</c><01:05:13.559><c> to</c> thank you so much to lend Clarity to thank
• you so much to lend Clarity to that<01:05:13.960><c> we</c><01:05:14.079><c> would</c><01:05:14.359><

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think it lends itself to a reasonable, you know, hopefully... distracted and did not understand
• > I</c><01:33:30.800><c> I</c><01:33:30.880><c> think</c><01:33:31.000><c> it</c><01:33:31.080><c> lends
• /c><01:33:31.400><c> itself</c><01:33:31.760><c> to</c><01:33:32.239><c> a</c> um and I I think it lends
• itself to a um and I I think it lends itself to a reasonable<01:33:32.880><c> you</c><01:33:32.960><

Bills: HF2436 , HF470 , HF2643 , HF2456 , HF102 , HF1367

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, early education, scholarships, funding, children, families, Minnesota education, child care licensing, family child care, child care center, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, correction order, conditional license, fix-it ticket, documented technical assistance, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm just happy to be here to lend my support.
• be</c><01:32:52.080><c> here</c><01:32:52.320><c> to</c><01:32:52.600><c> to</c><01:32:52.760><c> lend
• </c> and I'm just happy to be here to to lend and I'm just happy to be here to to lend my<01:32:53.239

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the reality of the agricultural sector right now is that the cost of inputs, machinery, and lending
• is that the cost of inputs machinery now is that the cost of inputs machinery and<01:06:36.160><c> lending
• 38.079><c> and</c><01:06:38.240><c> the</c><01:06:38.400><c> value</c><01:06:38.680><c> of</c> and lending
• are high and the value of and lending are high and the value of the<01:06:38.960><c> crops</c><01:06

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, Chair and members of the committee, you know, I think that your support definitely lends a lot
• 00:47:18.480><c> uh</c> think that your support definitely uh think that your support definitely uh lends
• :21.079><c> success</c><00:47:21.839><c> and</c><00:47:21.960><c> I</c><00:47:22.040><c> think</c> lends
• a lot to our success and I think lends a lot to our success and I think we<00:47:22.319><c> live</c>

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, probably the first and foremost content area that lends itself to being embedded and combined with
• state board, and they could also bring that forward to say something needed to be looked at. area that lends
• itself to being embedded area that lends itself to being embedded and<00:27:01.360><c> combined</c><

Committee: Joint Education

Transcript Highlights:

• assessed clean commercial property assessed clean energy<00:52:55.760><c> uh</c><00:52:56.079><c> lending
• uh</c><00:52:57.520><c> program</c><00:52:58.400><c> does</c><00:52:58.800><c> allow</c> energy uh lending
• uh program does allow energy uh lending uh program does allow for<00:52:59.680><c> not</c><00:52:59.839

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, if I'm remembering my finance correctly, and uh, that prime is something that banks lend to each
• Um, I don't know if you all can respond or maybe even— banks lend to each other and if if a banks lend

Bills: HF4236 , HF4122 , HF4377

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: public utility, interim rates, utility rates, rate case, general rate case, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, PUC, rate increase cap, rate freeze, refunds, customer refunds, ratepayer protection, electric utility, gas utility, regulated utility, ratemaking, return on equity, rate base, test year, rate design

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and they lend themselves to significantly reducing fraud.
• Um, and they lend themselves to significantly reducing fraud.
• Um, and they lend themselves to significantly reducing fraud.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• And I want to, um, lend my full support to this measure. Mahalo. Thank you very much.
• And I want to, um, lend my full support to this measure. Mahalo. Thank you very much.
• And I want to, um, lend my full support to this measure. Mahalo. Thank you very much.

Summary: The joint hearing opened with SB 1442, which would update the statute governing the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division and clarify its role as the state Medicaid provider of intensive mental health services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance. The Department of Health testified in strong support, saying the current statute is outdated and warning against any unfunded mandate because the division relies on federal funding and faces uncertainty about future resources. Written testimony from several organizations also supported the bill. The committees took no immediate action and said they would hold decision-making until later. The hearing then moved to SB 479 on ABLE savings accounts. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center supported the measure, arguing that ABLE accounts help people with disabilities save money without losing benefits and that the state needs more outreach and staffing to expand participation. A testifier with a disability said the bill would help people keep Social Security and housing stability. The chair indicated an intention to move the bill forward, and asked about funding; the discussion settled on a requested appropriation of about $75,000 for incentives. Next, SB 1245 on reimbursement of pharmacists drew broad support from the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, rural pharmacies, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and others, who said the bill would improve access to care, especially on neighbor islands and in rural communities, and help pharmacies participate in 340B-related services. The Insurance Division and HMSA raised concerns about bill language, saying it could be read to cover pharmacists outside an insurer’s network and that the scope of reimbursable services needed clarification; the pharmacists’ association said the bill is intended to apply only to in-network pharmacists and should continue to reference existing scope-of-practice law. The hearing also took up SB 1279, which would allow pharmacists to authorize medications via telehealth under certain circumstances. The State Board of Pharmacy opposed the bill, citing patient safety, a pilot project with reported errors, concerns about controlled substances and unregulated technicians, and the view that in-person pharmacist services are safer and already available on the affected islands. Several pharmacies and health care groups supported the measure as a way to preserve 340B access and improve service on Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi, while some local pharmacies said they already provide in-person service and opposed remote dispensing. No votes were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• All of that lends itself to the need for us to work together and to set up these kind of joint authorities
• All of that lends itself to the need for us to work together and to set up these kind of joint authorities

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related bills, beginning with SB 1003, which would create pro-housing enhanced infrastructure financing districts to help local governments fund infrastructure needed for housing developments. The author and supporters argued that infrastructure costs often prevent projects from penciling out, while the chair expressed support and said the bill would be taken up later when quorum was available. SB 1014 followed, proposing new disclosure requirements for local jurisdictions to provide good-faith estimates of on-site and off-site improvements within 30 days of application, with supporters saying it would reduce late surprises and opposition from several cities citing implementation concerns with the 30-day timelines. The committee then took up SB 802, a Sacramento-region bill requiring a joint powers authority to coordinate housing and homelessness services. Senator Ashby and former Mayor Darrell Steinberg argued that Sacramento’s fragmented system has failed for years and that a JPA would improve accountability, coordination, and use of state funds. The bill drew broad support from local officials, service providers, business groups, and advocates, while some county and city representatives registered opposition or neutral concerns about state-mandated local governance. Several committee members said they were persuaded by the need for regional coordination, though some raised concerns about local control; the chair noted the bill would be moved when quorum allowed. The committee also heard SB 1092 and SB 1093, both focused on mobile home park residents after disasters or park sales. SB 1092 would give residents a right of first opportunity to match a sale offer for a park, with supporters saying it protects vulnerable seniors and preserves affordable housing, while park owners and their representatives argued it would devalue property and raise constitutional and financing concerns. SB 1093 would require more transparent communication, access to property, and consideration of rebuilding or closure after a disaster; supporters cited the long uncertainty faced by Palisades residents, while opponents warned about liability, safety, and burdensome review requirements. Members split along similar lines, with some emphasizing property rights and market impacts and others stressing the need to protect residents and preserve scarce affordable housing.

Transcript Highlights:

• potentially in a particular pedestrian mall, some businesses that have different types of products that lend
• And we respect the community to be able to have that opportunity to help. lend to having vehicles traffic

Committee: House Transportation