Transcript Highlights:

• We spent $185,000 on the Kentucky Broadcasters Association public education partnership.
• the</c><00:26:54.080><c> Kentucky</c> We spent $185,000 on the Kentucky We spent $185,000 on the Kentucky
• So that's where we spent the money that you so graciously gave us in this last budget cycle.
• So that's uh where we spent the thing.
• </c> of this area is obviously we've spent of this area is obviously we've spent &gt;&gt; dollars<00:

Summary: The committee met on September 18, 2025, approved the July 10 minutes, and received Brandon Reid’s monthly report on Kentucky agriculture development and finance activity for July and August. Reid emphasized the long-running structure created under House Bill 611 and Senate Bill 28, the role of county agriculture development councils in all 120 counties, and the importance of the program as a national model for supporting Kentucky agriculture. He also introduced new staff and interns, including a new loan programs manager, Rachel Coward, and project manager Kylie Davis. For July, the development board reported $3.4 million invested in agriculture and the finance corporation reported $3.1 million in loans. Highlights included 11 county council meetings, site visits, program reviews, and 18 project reports. July approvals included county agriculture incentive programs, deceased farm animal removal programs, youth incentive programs, county/state projects, infrastructure loans, an agriculture processing loan, and beginning farmer loans. Staff also noted that all 120 counties had submitted their required five-year comprehensive plans on schedule. Bill McCloskey then highlighted several funded projects, including Dino’s Farm LLC in Jefferson County, which received support to purchase a meat processing facility and equipment, with the goal of creating market opportunities for goat, sheep, and cattle producers and establishing Kentucky’s first halal meat processing facility. Other projects included a veterinarian facility project to address large animal vet shortages and Grow Appalachia at Berea College, which provides technical assistance and market support for small-scale and eastern Kentucky producers. Members discussed the need for programs such as high tunnels and other small-scale opportunities in rural areas, and staff noted related resources such as CAPE and NRCS funding. For August, the board reported $500,000 in development board investments and just over $3 million in finance corporation loans, along with fewer staff activities than July but continued county council, site visit, and project review work. August approvals included county agriculture incentive programs, deceased animal removal programs, youth incentive programs, county/state projects, agriculture infrastructure loans, beginning farmer loans, and a horticulture incentives loan. Additional project updates included another veterinary equipment purchase, emergency safety equipment in Graves County, and a food safety and efficiency incentive for Jared Cornet.

Transcript Highlights:

• They spent over 40 years together, married, with two children and four grandchildren.
• The point on the net outlays is, last year we spent $7 trillion — spent $7,746,000,000,000. L.L.C.'
• THE POINT ON THE NET OUTLAYS IS, LAST YEAR WE SPENT $7 TRILLION -- SPENT $7,746,000,000,000.
• During his deployment, he spent his free time teaching English to local residents.
• During his deployment, he spent his free time teaching English to local residents.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the staff time is divided up by the time spent on the urban greening program and the time spent on
• What communities are these dollars being spent in?
• And it would help give us, you know, some idea, you know, so where the dollars are spent, so we have
• In the past five years, we've spent about $110 million.
• About $14 million of that has been spent out of the $21 million, so we haven't spent as much as we have

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations on the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plans for extreme heat mitigation and outdoor access, then took up SB 54 implementation, SB 707 textile producer responsibility, and recovery needs related to the Los Angeles fires at state parks. For the extreme heat chapter, agencies described funding for the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, urban greening, urban forestry, fairground upgrades, and technical assistance for community-based climate programs. Witnesses emphasized that these are existing programs with strong demand, that technical assistance is important for reaching disadvantaged and tribal communities, and that the proposed funding would expand outreach and implementation capacity. Members asked for more detail on where funds have gone geographically, examples of successful projects, tree-planting totals, and how fairgrounds could better support fire staging and emergency preparedness. The LAO said the timing of the administration’s proposed funding generally made sense because the programs are already established, and no votes were taken. For outdoor access, State Parks, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources described funding for new parks in underserved communities, deferred maintenance, state lands access, and several new or pending programs. State Parks said the park development program would fund roughly 48 projects and that deferred maintenance funding would address high-priority health, safety, and access needs. Fish and Wildlife said its lands program would improve visitor amenities and access on properties that often lack basic facilities. The Natural Resources Agency also outlined three newer outdoor-access proposals: expanding recreation in disadvantaged communities, enhancing natural resource values and trail access, and a nature/climate/education facilities grant program. The LAO distinguished between existing programs, which are ready to move forward, and the newer proposals, where the Legislature may want more input before funds are allocated. Members also raised concerns about park police vacancies, the need to track outcomes for accessibility investments, and whether Prop. 4 could help with wildfire-related recovery at state parks. CalRecycle then presented on SB 54, the plastics and packaging producer responsibility law, and members pressed hard on the delay in regulations. CalRecycle said it has held workshops, formed an advisory committee, selected the producer responsibility organization, and completed required baseline and covered-material reports, but needs more time to address complex comments and novel features such as source reduction and eco-modulated fees. Members expressed frustration that a statutory deadline was missed and asked for a concrete timeline; CalRecycle said it expects regulations in place by 2026, ahead of the PRO’s January 1, 2027 plan deadline. Finance said the Beverage Container Recycling Fund is currently healthy enough to support short-term loans for implementation. The committee also reviewed SB 707, the textile EPR law, which would create the nation’s first textile producer responsibility program; staff said the proposal would add positions and loan authority, and members noted the statutory deadlines for PRO approval, needs assessment, and later regulations. The hearing ended with discussion of the January Los Angeles fires’ damage to Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park, where State Parks described extensive losses, emergency response work, and ongoing damage assessment. Members asked about FEMA eligibility, state funding sources, and community engagement in rebuilding, and the department said it is still assessing costs and will work with the public on reimagining the parks.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, the 2021-22 budget included $188 million to be spent through 2023-24 on these projects.
• This is our problem, because we are spending money on stuff now that we never spent on.
• Spending money on stuff now that we never spent on, and yet now it's a huge priority.
• And I'm wondering how some money spent in one area could have been spent in this area.
• How some money spent in one area could have been spent in this area.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, the 2021-22 budget included $188 million to be spent through 2023-24 on these projects.
• This is our problem because we are spending money on stuff now that we never spent on.
• Spending money on stuff now that we never spent on, and yet now it's a huge priority.
• And I'm wondering how some money spent in one area could have been spent in this area.
• How some money spent in one area could have been spent in this area.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation held a hearing focused first on courthouse facility funding and then on the Governor’s proposed court facilities budget. Legislative Analyst’s Office staff outlined the state’s court-facilities funding structure, including the 2002 shift of trial court facility responsibility from counties to the state, the main funding accounts, the insolvency of the construction fund, the move to General Fund support, the backlog of deferred maintenance, and the large estimated cost of needed new construction and repairs. Judicial Council representatives and judges from Los Angeles and Mendocino described severe seismic, safety, ADA, security, and maintenance problems, with examples of floods, elevator failures, asbestos-related closures, and long-delayed or underfunded projects. They argued that chronic underinvestment is making facilities less safe and more expensive to maintain, and that courthouse conditions directly affect access to justice and public confidence. Committee members pressed witnesses on how projects are prioritized, whether population and filing volume are adequately reflected, why reassessments have not been updated since 2019, how long acquisitions and construction take, and what level of funding would actually close the gap. Members also questioned the fixed county contribution, the use of General Fund backfills, and whether the state should set a clearer long-term funding target for the judicial branch. LAO staff emphasized that any new General Fund commitment would require tradeoffs with other budget priorities and said the Legislature must decide its appetite for funding. Judicial Council staff said the current prioritization was based on the 2019 reassessment and trailer bill language, that a new reassessment would cost about $14 million, and that acquisition delays are often driven by willing-seller issues and CEQA requirements. The chair asked for written testimony and indicated the committee would consider a future field hearing. In the second panel, Judicial Council and Department of Finance representatives reviewed the Governor’s budget proposals for court facilities. They said the proposal includes continued backfill for the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, several new construction and reappropriation items, relocation of Los Angeles courtrooms from the Spring Federal Building, and completion of a fire/life-safety project in Orange County. A court executive from Ventura testified that courthouse conditions affect public trust, employee morale, and the quality of service, citing roof leaks, elevator breakdowns, and HVAC failures as examples of why sustained facilities funding is needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the scheme of things, $250,000 is a well-spent amount of money.
• Well, because of AI, we spent $12.5 million on our bring in $400 million with the fourth largest of the
• </c><00:24:58.159><c> If</c><00:24:58.240><c> you</c> is a well spent amount of money.
• If you is a well spent amount of money.
• $12.5 million on our bring in &gt;&gt; we spent $12.5 million on our bring in $400<00:25:38.799><c>

Committee: Joint Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• If we are spending the money elsewhere, where that money could have been spent saving money for them.
• Oklahoma County spent $2 million in our wastewater treatment facility to treat this type of material
• We spent two weeks just discussing which one.
• We spent two weeks just discussing which one.
• We've spent a half billion dollars... ...that flexibility because there's a lot of money.

Bills: S0558 , S1294 , S1468 , S1474 , S1682 , S1628

Committee: Senate Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The committee took up several environmental bills, beginning with SB 1682 on local administration of vessel restrictions. Senator Trumbull said the bill would give cities and counties tools to address abandoned, derelict, and long-term anchored vessels while following state standards and FWC guidance. Members from affected areas spoke in support, citing recurring derelict vessel problems and the difficulty and cost of removal once vessels sink. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1468 on advanced wastewater treatment, which would require DEP to compile a detailed statewide report on wastewater treatment plants, including construction age, treatment levels, contaminant data, spill history, flood risk, and receiving waterbody impairment information. Florida Rural Water Association testified that any move to require advanced treatment for all plants over one MGD could create major financial burdens without dedicated funding. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also considered CS/SB 1294 on biosolids management, with a strike-all amendment adopted. Senator Bradley said the revised bill would require bulk Class AA biosolids fertilizer and compost products to be land applied only at agronomic rates and, absent a bona fide sale, only at permitted DEP-approved sites, with a transition date moved to July 1, 2028. Supporters said it would protect water quality and legitimate fertilizer and compost markets, while rural utilities asked for funding and flexibility. The committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee took up CS/SB 1628 on net zero policies by governmental entities. Senator Avila said the bill would prohibit local governments and other governmental entities from adopting or funding net zero policies, imposing related fees or taxes, or operating cap-and-trade or carbon trading programs. The committee adopted an amendment clarifying the definition of carbon dioxide. The bill drew extensive debate: supporters argued it would protect residents and businesses from higher costs and preserve predictability, while opponents said it would block local climate and clean-energy policies, including electric buses, energy-efficiency measures, and climate resilience planning. After public testimony on both sides, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 1474 on biosolids management, which Senator Gates said would require biosolids and septage to be treated at the highest practical level when wastewater treatment facilities are reasonably accessible and would bar Class B land application within 50 miles of a permitted wastewater facility. An amendment applying the statutory definition of septage was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard SB 558 on stormwater system standards. Senator Burgess said it would create statewide standards for municipal and county stormwater systems using FDOT guidelines and third-party inspections, with an amendment making technical changes and broadening who may perform inspections. Supporters said uniform standards could improve safety and reduce failures, while contractors, engineers, and industry groups warned it could raise costs, delay projects, and preempt stronger local standards. The bill remained under discussion as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't have a specific fact on how much the agency has spent. ...agency has spent related to complaints
• I'm just asking how much time and money has been spent.
• The fees come in and get spent on the COPA program.
• We appreciate it, and we promise that the money has been well spent.
• Do you have any estimate on what they spent in doing that?

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Our history with technology investment has been costly, not just in terms of dollars spent, but in missed
• Has been costly, not just in terms of dollars spent, but in missed opportunities to achieve the intended
• To date, a total of $334 million has been spent.
• column, it seems as though every year you've spent remarkably under what we've appropriated.
• We've spent the last two years in planning.

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several major technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Department of Financial Services’ Florida PALM project, which is replacing the state’s decades-old FLAIR accounting system. DFS described PALM as a statewide effort affecting all three branches of government, with cash management already live and the remaining financial management, payroll, and data warehouse components still in development. Officials said the project began in 2014, was restructured after a 2022 legislative pause, and is now being recommended for a go-live delay from January 2026 to July 2026. Members asked about governance, staffing, contract structure, cost growth, and maintenance costs; DFS said the contract is deliverable-based, the current amendment would add a net $2.2 million, and post-go-live maintenance is expected to be about $13 million annually under the current contract through July 2027. The Agency for Health Care Administration then updated the committee on the FX Medicaid enterprise modernization program. AHCA explained that federal CMS directed states to move from monolithic Medicaid systems to a modular approach, leading Florida to procure separate vendors for integration services, data warehouse, unified operations, provider services, and claims processing, with pharmacy benefits still to be procured. Officials said the project has spent about $334 million to date, with most costs federally matched, and requested $189.95 million for the upcoming year. They also highlighted a 2024 special assessment that produced 81 recommendations, most tied to staffing shortages, and said the Legislature added 47 FTEs, with 17 currently filled or being filled. Members asked about governance changes, production status, data access, and future technology maintenance; AHCA said some components are operational, the data warehouse is nearing certification, and the agency is working to keep the system adaptable and nonproprietary. The Department of Children and Families presented its Access modernization project, which is replacing a mainframe-based eligibility system used for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid assistance, and related programs. DCF said the six-year, $205 million project is in its third year and has already delivered a new customer portal with mobile access, multi-factor authentication, and fraud protections, while also building a worker portal, document management, community partner tools, and workload management functions. The agency said it is requesting $36.625 million for the next fiscal year, the same as last year, and emphasized that the project has remained on schedule and on budget by breaking work into smaller modules and using strong vendor and staff support. Members praised the project’s progress and asked about cybersecurity testing and the long delay before modernization began; DCF said security requirements were built in from the outset and that the remaining work will focus on moving staff off the legacy mainframe and modernizing notices and back-end processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was a 4-H kid, and I spent my summers on a ranch.
• You've spent your entire career... Undermining America's vaccine program.
• You've spent your entire career trying to undermine these programs.
• I spent 20% of my career working on Native issues.
• I've spent a lot of time in your state. It's my favorite place to go.

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know when our Founders Day is, but a Pisces, but a little-known fact is that I spent some time
• Same thing for cities, but I'd spent a longer time in the county role, and I would also encourage our
• Something that is to be spent and saved at the local level.
• Spent for county or municipal purposes, which is the reason that they are levied.
• You have spent a lot of time in recent years as the legislature saying, what should we stop?

Summary: The Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee held its first meeting of the 2025 session and focused on an overview of county and municipal home rule powers and state preemption. After roll call and member introductions, Chair Alex Rizzo and Vice Chair Griff Griffiths explained the constitutional and statutory basis for local self-government, the distinction between charter and non-charter counties, and how express and implied preemption limit local authority. Griffiths emphasized that home rule gives local governments broad power to address community needs, but the Legislature can override that authority through clear preemption, with courts ultimately deciding disputes. Representatives Holcomb and LaMarca added that local issues should generally be addressed locally first, but statewide standards can be appropriate when uniformity is needed or local action is ineffective. The committee then heard from a panel representing counties, cities, business, and construction interests: Ginger Delegal of the Florida Association of Counties, Carolyn Johnson of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Rebecca O'Hara of the Florida League of Cities, and Carol Bowen of Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida. Delegal and O'Hara argued that home rule is rooted in local autonomy, policy experimentation, and accountability to voters, and warned against broad or “vacuum” preemptions that remove local authority without replacing it with state regulation. Johnson and Bowen supported preemption when local rules create a patchwork that hurts statewide competitiveness, raises costs, or complicates business operations, citing examples such as labor rules, heat safety, permitting, and procurement preferences. The panel also discussed the 2023 local ordinances law, which requires business impact estimates and provides attorney’s fees in certain challenges, as a mechanism to resolve disputes locally before resorting to preemption. Members questioned the panel about the 2024 heat-safety preemption and how to protect workers in the absence of local ordinances. Business representatives said existing OSHA duties and industry best practices already require employers to provide safe conditions, while local governments and the state should avoid inconsistent standards across jurisdictions. Another discussion centered on construction permitting, licensing, and local boards that may slow projects and increase costs; Bowen suggested eliminating redundant local fees and barriers while preserving statewide licensing and enforcement against bad actors. No votes were taken, and the meeting remained informational, with the chair inviting continued discussion on when preemption is appropriate versus when local governments should retain authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said a fair and accurate school funding formula would ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and
• it has been spent, and the amount that has been spent for EFAs first from the Children's Scholarship
• it has been spent, and the amount that has been spent for EFAs first from the Children's Scholarship
• it has been spent, and the amount that has been spent for EFAs first from the Children's Scholarship
• it has been spent, and the amount that has been spent for EFAs first from the Children's Scholarship

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• I know some organizations that have spent their own money—these are nonprofits—spent their own money
• I know some organizations that have spent their own money.
• And that just Spent their own money and are waiting two years to get reimbursed for it.
• On community hardening, we've spent $74 million, right?
• On community hardening, we've spent $74 million, right?

Summary: The hearing focused on California wildfire resilience, with the first panel discussing statewide funding, policy, and strategic priorities, and the second panel shifting to home hardening and defensible space. The LAO outlined the state’s wildfire risk, the large increase in resilience spending in recent years, and the fact that most funding has been one-time rather than ongoing. Testimony emphasized that wildfire risk varies greatly by region, that the state must balance response spending with prevention, and that success should be measured more carefully than by acres treated alone. Witnesses also noted the importance of local, federal, utility, and Proposition 4 funding sources, as well as the need for long-term maintenance and strategic prioritization rather than scattered projects. Cal Fire leadership and other witnesses stressed that California’s wildfire problem is not uniform: forested areas, chaparral, and wildland-urban interface communities require different strategies. In Northern California and forested watersheds, speakers emphasized fuels reduction, prescribed and cultural burning, strategic fuel breaks, watershed protection, and maintaining forest health. In Southern California, testimony focused on wind-driven fires, ember intrusion, ignition prevention along roads and power lines, and the limits of large-scale vegetation clearing. Several witnesses argued that the state should invest where it can leverage local and regional partnerships, support capacity-building programs like Regional Forest and Fire Capacity, and improve data systems to track treatment effectiveness and project outcomes. Members repeatedly pressed witnesses on how to prioritize limited funds, asking what should be done more of, less of, and first. The chair argued that protecting homes and communities through hardening and defensible space should be a major priority, especially near structures, while also acknowledging the need for broader landscape work and watershed protection. There was discussion of incentives such as insurance discounts, property tax treatment, and community certification for hardened homes, along with the need for multiple payers rather than relying on the state alone. Cal Fire reported new and expanding data tools, including treatment trackers, defensible space inspection dashboards, and a fuels treatment effectiveness program that evaluates whether nearby treatments affected wildfire behavior. No votes were taken because the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do not come to this role as an outsider looking in, but as a leader who has spent the majority of my
• It is estimated that from 2021 to 2024, I'm quoting from the report, Phoenix spent over $250 million
• A quarter of a billion dollars spent just in the span of three fiscal years.
• And yet... ...35 billion plus dollars spent.
• A quarter of a billion dollars spent just in the span of three fiscal years.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Director Nominations met to consider Ruby Dylan Williams for Director of the Arizona Department of Housing. Williams described her long career at the department, her work on operational improvements, housing development, manufactured housing, and efforts to expand supply, preserve existing housing, and improve transparency through data and technology. She also said she would work with the legislature, local governments, tribal nations, nonprofits, and private partners, and emphasized the department’s role in addressing housing affordability and homelessness across the housing continuum. Members questioned her about the department’s response to Auditor General findings, including fraud prevention, payment verification, site inspections, and oversight of grantees. Williams said the department had rewritten policies, retrained staff, added stronger controls, and implemented verbal verification steps for wire transfers after a fraud incident. Senators also pressed her on budget priorities, possible cuts, and her view of homelessness policy, with some members characterizing her approach as closer to shelter or transitional housing before permanent placement. Williams said interventions should be individualized and that the department works with local jurisdictions and service providers to match people with appropriate support. Public testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. Developers, housing industry representatives, and nonprofit partners praised Williams’ private-sector housing finance experience, her knowledge of LIHTC and the QAP process, and her leadership in making the agency more efficient and business-friendly. After debate, the committee voted 3-2 to recommend her confirmation to the full Senate. Two members voted no, citing concerns about her answers on fraud oversight, cost controls, and homelessness policy, while the majority supported advancing her nomination.

Transcript Highlights:

• We spent most of the money last year, or we spent all of the money in scholarship programs last year.
• </c><00:30:14.159><c> We</c><00:30:14.320><c> spent</c><00:30:14.640><c> most</c><00:30:14.799><c> of
• We spent most of the money really well.
• We spent most of the money last<00:30:15.840><c> or</c><00:30:16.080><c> we</c><00:30:16.240><c> spent
• all of the money in last or we spent all of the money in scholarship<00:30:17.360><c> programs</c><00

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on February 20, 2026, first approving the minutes and then adopting the consent calendar as amended, with item 26045 removed for separate consideration. The committee then heard item 26045 from the Department of Health and Human Services on the Real Health Transformation Grant for Go North. HHS explained that the first-year award is $204 million, with most funds passed through to Go North and only limited administrative and audit costs retained by HHS. Members asked about staffing, procurement, the program’s spending plan, and whether future grant amounts would be fixed. HHS said Go North will administer the grants, staffing is expected to be about 20 positions, procurements will be competitive, and future awards will depend on federal review of performance and spending. The commissioner said the money is intended to create transformative changes that must be sustainable after the grant period. The committee then approved the item. The committee next took up regular calendar item 26041 from HHS and adopted it without discussion. It also approved two adjusted items on tab 11, FIS26028 and FIS26029. Item 26027 from the Department of Transportation was adopted as well. Item 26034 from the Department of Corrections was withdrawn, and members noted that any request for new overtime money would be closely scrutinized, especially given the tight budget and the need to explain how existing salary funds were being used. Committee staff said they would follow up with Corrections on vacancy rates, available funds, and other class lines and provide answers to the committee. The committee then received audit presentations on the state’s college savings plans, including the Unique College Investing Plan and the Fidelity Advisor 529 Plan. Auditors reported clean opinions, no material weaknesses, no audit adjustments, and no unadjusted items requiring reporting. The State Treasurer said the plans are performing well, now total more than $32 billion in assets under management, and are expected to generate about $20 million in revenue this year, with the proceeds supporting scholarship programs for low-income students. The committee placed the audits on file and released them in the usual manner. In other business, members set the next Fiscal Committee meeting for Friday, March 20, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• to really look at more TANF<00:21:46.320><c> funding</c><00:21:46.799><c> be</c><00:21:47.039><c> spent
• </c> TANF funding be spent in this direction. TANF funding be spent in this direction.
• >> That is what the business alliance, who has really spent a long time researching with their surveying
• >> That is what the business alliance, who has really spent a long time researching with their surveying
• a long time to compliment them spent a long time researching<00:23:40.000><c> with</c><00:23:40.400>

Committee: Joint Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Proper maintenance funds were not spent. Therefore, the building had deteriorated.
• So had you spent more money on maintenance, you wouldn't be coming here for a new building.
• </c> Proper maintenance funds were not spent. Proper maintenance funds were not spent.
• </c><00:25:53.279><c> So</c><00:25:54.080><c> had</c><00:25:54.320><c> you</c><00:25:54.480><c> spent
• So had you spent Oh, we need a new one.

Summary: The Finance Division met to consider two bills: HB 112 and HB 1399. On HB 112, members debated a proposal tied to civics education requirements for public higher education. Supporters argued the measure would reinforce basic civic knowledge and noted that a similar high school requirement had already been enacted with little apparent fiscal impact. Opponents said the legislature should not dictate university curriculum and raised concerns about administrative burden and precedent. The committee voted 5-3 to recommend ought to pass. The committee then heard testimony on HB 1399, which concerned Claremont and retroactive school building aid related to past construction during the state moratorium on building aid. A Claremont representative explained the district’s history, estimated the lost state aid, and said any funds would likely be used for contingency, tax relief, or future liabilities, while preferring normal building aid participation going forward. Members discussed whether the issue reflected state policy, local governance, or both, and whether the bill would create an unfair retroactive precedent or a broader statewide obligation. After discussion, the committee voted on an ITL motion for HB 1399. The motion failed, and the committee instead approved the bill 7-1. The chair then closed the hearing and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before that, I spent my childhood in foster care and was adopted.
• And we both spent a lot of time reviewing this bill to make sure that this bill just fixes a few technical
• simply ask DOC to produce a report in December and thereafter annually of where this money is being spent
• Basic transparency... ...annually of where this money is being spent. Basic transparency or G.S.
• I don't believe this money should be being spent on the folks who are acting up and causing additional

Bills: SB5977 , SB6184 , SB5681 , SB5917 , SB5942 , SB6024 , SB6036 , SB6080 , SB6085

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: child safety, near fatalities, public reporting, child welfare, transparency, homeless youth, youth services, mental health, support programs, state law, employment services, community inclusion, age limitations, disability services, home and community living, abortion medications, reproductive health, mifepristone, misoprostol, abortion access

Transcript Highlights:

• Being spent, about 50 million dollars.
• So we've spent $4.7 million already, and that is what you're hoping to recover.
• When you run the math of roughly $110 to $140 a year, with around $20 to $40 being spent.
• I think, I don't remember the ending date, but any money not spent would obviously revert back.
• How this money would be spent. So if there's an opportunity for that, I would love to do it.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, I spent much of my childhood in Española until I was about 17 years old when I moved to Albuquerque
• Much of my dad's family actually hails from Espanola, so I spent many weeks in the summer visiting my
• Speaker, gentlelady, so this bond, these bonds would specifically be spent on projects identified on
• state transportation improvement planning document as the guide and the guardrails for how money is spent
• Also, which I love the title, the RAID Alliance, comes in and oversees everything that's being spent,