Transcript Highlights:

• The payroll would be very difficult. Vendors that have debt would start calling for payment.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee opened with roll call and a review of special-session procedure: bills would be heard in filing order, with related school-lunch bills grouped together, and any bill advancing would require a motion, second, and majority vote to be introduced. Members also discussed that the committee was functioning much like a delayed-bills committee, with final referral to either Appropriations or Policy depending on the bill’s fiscal impact. The first major proposal was Senator Schibley’s bill to create a narrow, statewide Bank of North Dakota bridge-loan program for struggling nonprofit medical facilities, prompted by Jacobson Memorial Hospital’s financial crisis. He argued the hospital and surrounding EMS services could close without short-term help, while committee members questioned the added language, the population cap, the $10 million fund with $5 million per applicant limit, and whether the program could open the door to future requests. Representative Headland then presented two cleanup bills from the prior property-tax session: one to fix notice and tax-certification issues for local taxing districts, and another to correct how the primary residence credit is applied so taxpayers receive the full benefit rather than counties retaining part of the reimbursement. Members asked about township hearing timing, the estimated $10–15 million annual impact, and whether the credit issue could be fixed retroactively; Headland said the bill was intended to correct the problem going forward. Three school-lunch bills drew extensive discussion. Representative Vetter proposed a small administrative appropriation to add an FTE to help eligible families enroll in the existing free/reduced lunch program, saying the goal was to ensure needy children are signed up and that the state should not subsidize meals for wealthy families. Representative Nathe offered a broader bill mirroring the pending initiated measure but placing the program in statute instead of the Constitution, moving implementation up a year, and funding it with a one-time $65 million from the strategic investment fund; he said this would preserve legislative flexibility and avoid constitutional entrenchment. Representative Dressler proposed raising the state-funded eligibility threshold from 225% to 300% of poverty, arguing it would expand access while still preserving federal reimbursements and encouraging better enrollment systems. Members debated costs, future budget pressure, whether the bills set a precedent for responding to ballot measures, and whether the program should include breakfast and other operational details. Other proposals included Senator Powers’ bill to create a hyperbaric oxygen board and support rural access to hyperbaric chambers for wounds, concussions, PTSD, and other conditions; Representative Tolman’s reporting-requirements bill to force new or expanded programs to justify purpose, alternatives, evaluation methods, and full implementation costs; Representative Frelich’s bill addressing the ongoing redistricting litigation and what happens if the Supreme Court or lower courts alter the current map; and a bill requested by the Public Service Commission and ITD for FERC litigation support and ADA website/document compliance. The committee also heard a rural-health eligibility bill from Representative Twait aimed at steering federal rural health dollars toward rural providers, with questions focused on whether the mileage limits would exclude some communities. One Holocaust education item was deferred until the sponsor could be located.

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• the front end, knowing that you're going to get reimbursed, but then you still have to flow your payroll

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• But if we don't have pilots on the payroll today that can land in Canadian, Texas in a 25 mile an hour

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• that can actually have a chance of putting out a fire or not, but if we don't have pilots on the payroll

Keywords: 1184, house, all

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• In our budget, 41% of our total budget in the general fund is payroll for police and firefighters.

Bills: HB17, HB23, SB 10

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice, property tax exemption, ad valorem tax, Texas Tax Code, nonprofit corporation, charitable organization, educational nonprofit, scientific nonprofit, agriculture support, youth programs, community education, county population threshold, large county, local government revenue, leasehold interest, possessory interest

Transcript Highlights:

• $6.6 billion in federal COVID relief dollars that will no longer be available to pay for TDCJ prison payroll

Summary: The House met in a late-session floor session that began with prayer, pledges, quorum, and a series of excused absences and Senate messages reporting action on numerous bills, conference committee appointments, and conference reports. Members also adopted a memorial resolution honoring Mark James Hanna, a Capitol lobbyist and advocate for nurses, and a congratulatory resolution for Rishi Tarumalasetti, an eighth-grade civics bee winner from Katy. The chamber also received and recorded a parliamentary colloquy about an unusual Senate request on SB 293, with the Chair stating the House could not recede from only part of its amendments and could not suspend the rules because the bill had not been returned from the Senate. The bulk of the session was devoted to taking up conference committee reports and related procedural resolutions, especially the state budget. The House adopted a resolution allowing the SB 1 conferees to go outside the normal bounds, then adopted the SB 1 conference report on a 107-21 vote. Debate on the budget centered on public education funding, tax relief, health care, corrections pay, and judicial compensation, with supporters calling it a responsible compromise and opponents arguing it was overly expansive and insufficient on property tax relief. The House also adopted a technical correction resolution tying judicial pay increases in SB 1 to the House version of SB 293, and members discussed at length the relationship between judicial salaries and legislative pensions. The chamber then adopted a long series of conference reports on measures covering topics such as school library review and book challenges (SB 13), SNAP restrictions on sweetened drinks and candy (SB 379), hospital price transparency (SB 331), nursing home accountability (SB 457), school district personnel compensation conflicts (HB 3372), property notice rules (HB 2011), research and development tax credits (SB 2018), and several other bills affecting elections, permits, education, and criminal justice. Most reports passed by wide margins, though some drew significant opposition, especially SB 13 and SB 379. The House also granted several Senate requests for conference committees and introduced additional resolutions to suspend conferee limits on various bills as the session moved toward adjournment.

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• It's bigger than our salaries that we pay in our payroll; it's health care.

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• he indicated, just to keep the employees in place, just to keep the minimal repairs and pay your payroll

Bills: HB 43, HB 3364, HB 3469, HB 3479, HB 43, HB 3364, HB 3469, HB 3479

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, veterinarian, veterinary medicine, veterinary telemedicine, telehealth, telemedicine, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, animal health, livestock, pets, remote care, electronic means, telephone consultation, controlled substances, prescription drugs

Summary: The second bill, House Bill 3469, was introduced to address pest control regulations concerning nuisance birds. Representative Campos explained how the bill proposes non-lethal methods to deter these birds, such as the use of laser lights and sounds, which avoids conflict with both state and federal regulations. The committee heard impassioned testimonies from members of the public who shared firsthand experiences regarding the adverse effects of these birds on property and public health. The meeting concluded with both bills being left pending, reflecting a desire for further deliberation among the committee members.

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• These programs will save employers time and money by integrating with payroll systems and also providing

Bills: SB95, SB268, SB493, SB619, SB660, SB922, SB984, SB1098, SB1188, SB1307, SB1332, SB1822

Keywords: immunization, written informed consent, civil liability, health care provider, vaccine compensation, administrative penalty, health care, licensing, complaint procedure, disciplinary action, law enforcement, pharmacy benefit manager, PBM, gag clause, prescription drug pricing, out-of-pocket cost, cash price, pharmacist, pharmacy, prescription drug benefit

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• Registered nurses are also demanding higher wages, and basically every two weeks when I have my payroll

Keywords: 988, house, all

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• Askwith locating about how many do you have currently on payroll? We have 32 employees.

Bills: HB206, HB 1285, HB1335, HJR107, HB206

Keywords: pipeline, construction, cash bond, county authority, local government, HB 1285, Railroad Commission of Texas, RRC, drones, unmanned aircraft, UAS, drone inspections, oil and gas, pipeline inspection, surface mining, well sites, tank batteries, disposal wells, injection sites, natural resources

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• In terms of economic impact, the State Fair itself, we hire more than 2,000 people on our payroll.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

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• The impact on employers—when you have to spend a large portion of your budget, because outside of payroll
• have a lot of LLCs that are so members that actually ended up being two employees with a wife on the payroll

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

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• The trends in payroll growth continue to decline.
• Of course, ADP and other private payroll processors were putting out their data.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting focused on reaching consensus on official Kentucky revenue estimates for fiscal years 2026 through 2028, using updated S&P Global economic forecasts compared with the September presentation. Staff explained that the updated forecast relied partly on alternative data because of the federal government shutdown, and they walked through changes in national and Kentucky economic assumptions across control, optimistic, and pessimistic scenarios. The control forecast was described as slightly more optimistic in the near term but more cautious in fiscal 2027 and 2028, with GDP growth revised up for the current year and down somewhat in the outer years. The pessimistic scenario now assumed a two-quarter recession beginning in the current quarter, while the optimistic scenario was given a higher probability weight than before. The presenters highlighted several Kentucky-relevant variables that changed since September, including weaker manufacturing employment, weaker housing starts, weaker consumer sentiment, and lower expected non-farm employment in fiscal 2026. At the same time, wage and salary disbursements were revised upward in fiscal 2027, reflecting higher disposable income from tax changes, and real consumer spending was expected to be stronger in the near term. They also discussed assumptions about tariffs, business profits, the Federal Reserve, unemployment, oil prices, retail sales, vehicle sales, exports, and consumer sentiment, noting that some indicators were little changed while others shifted materially. Consumer sentiment was attributed to affordability concerns, tariff impacts, and a general sense of malaise, but was expected to improve in later years from a low base. Members asked follow-up questions about why the forecast worsened in later years and about the consumer sentiment assumptions. Staff responded that the forecast assumed larger take-home pay and refunds from tax withholding changes, along with some easing of tariff effects, which they believed would help offset a negative wealth effect from stock market declines. They also noted that S&P Global’s December forecast, which had already been published, was essentially consistent with the presentation and that the firm believed its earlier assumptions had tracked recent data well. No vote or final action was recorded in the portion provided, but the discussion was aimed at settling the revenue estimates that will underpin the upcoming branch budget bills.

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• Moreover, we obviously are not concerned with the need for accounting or additional labor for payroll
• Moreover, we obviously are not concerned with the need for accounting or additional labor for payroll

Keywords: 1183, house

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• It represents hours of labor that Minnesotans work, and then we get their payroll taxes.
• It represents hours of labor that Minnesotans work, and then we get their payroll taxes.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• Well, that means that we decided we don't need HR, payroll, financial reporting, accounts payable, and
• As a result, Sam Houston handles the payroll and human resources for the system office and for Sul Ross

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

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• They handle accounting, payroll, vouchering, administrative services, planning, research, operational
• They handle accounting, payroll, vouchering, administrative services, planning, research, operational

Keywords: 910, house, all

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• They include budget monitoring activities, payroll processing, revenue receipt and expenditure processing
• They include budget monitoring activities, payroll processing, revenue receipt and expenditure processing

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on January 9, 2025, to focus on internal controls, fraud prevention, and legislative oversight of state agencies. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall explained Minnesota’s internal control framework, based on the GAO Green Book, and described five core controls: assigning responsibility, separating duties, restricting access, maintaining policies and procedures, and keeping records. She tied each control to examples from recent audits, including DHS’s Medicaid provider debt recovery, the Minnesota State Academies’ travel reimbursement issue, privileged access at the Minnesota State Lottery, missing mileage-verification procedures at the Board of Firefighter Training and Education, and weak documentation in the Board on Aging’s senior nutrition program. Deputy Legislative Auditor Jod Mson Rodriguez then presented a new follow-up report on implementation of prior recommendations from 2022 through 2024, including special reviews. She said the office gathers agency documentation, evaluates progress, and categorizes recommendations from implemented to not applicable, while noting that some items require more work to verify and that this reflects OLA capacity rather than agency performance. Examples included the Department of Commerce, where some policy changes were verified but further work would be needed to confirm consistent investigator compliance, and the Metropolitan Council, where more data analysis would be needed to determine whether bonus payments were properly earned. She also noted that a legislature-directed recommendation to require grant manager training had not been implemented. Overall, OLA reported that state agencies had implemented or partially implemented close to 70% of its recommendations, while the legislature had implemented or partially implemented about 40% of recommendations from the last three years. Members generally praised the office’s work and discussed how agencies respond after reports are issued. Senator Westrom raised concerns about a recent media report on alleged fraud in CCAP, and Randall said OLA was aware of the issue but could not discuss details. Senator Draheim asked about post-report agency engagement, and Randall and Rodriguez said follow-up varies, with some agencies seeking private meetings and others engaging less, but that the follow-up process often prompts further discussion and improvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this is going to require some personnel reporting, student reporting, some of the payroll for
• And so this is going to require some personnel reporting, student reporting, some of the payroll for
• reporting, student reporting, some of reporting, student reporting, some of the<01:03:55.599> payroll
• 56.319> admin,<01:03:56.960> some<01:03:57.119> of<01:03:57.280> those the payroll
• for admin, some of those the payroll for admin, some of those things,<01:03:58.240> but<01:03

Keywords: 916, all