Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:44:10.640><c> to</c> has to do with the timing of payments to has to do with the timing of payments
• </c> we have to account for those payment we have to account for those payment shifts<00:44:26.079><c
• </c><00:46:02.160><c> um</c> um increase in managed care payments um um increase in managed care payments
• and how much that receives a payment and how much that<01:10:42.560><c> payment</c><01:10:42.800><c>
• is, the frequency of that that payment is, the frequency of that payment<01:10:44.159><c> is</c><01:

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• It authorizes businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest 5 cents where 1-cent coins are either
• It authorizes businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest 5 cents where 1-cent coins are either
• The sixth instance of amendment deals with notices to those persons engaged in cash transactions.
• </c><00:34:35.600><c> for</c> municipality's responsibility for municipality's responsibility for payment
• under 32 VSA 5402, which is payment under 32 VSA 5402, which is specifically<00:34:40.080><c> the</c

Transcript Highlights:

• All this does is place parameters around the total potential payment to both Western State Hospital and
• An act relating to making payments for services provided by law enforcement.
• An act relating to making payments for services provided.
• Youth, and Families, which should be referred to the Committee on Rules; Senate Bill 623, concerning cash
• Youth, and Families, which should be referred to the Committee on Rules; Senate Bill 623, concerning cash

Bills: SB5223 , SB5286 , SB6002 , SB6178 , SB5892 , SB5177 , SB6039 , SB5874 , SB5863 , SB5972 , SB5941 , SB5203 , SB6014 , SB5993 , SB5831 , SB5928 , SB5912 , SB5825

Summary: The Senate convened with opening ceremonies, approved the previous day’s journal, and referred committee reports and new bill introductions to the designated committees, including sending SB 6118 and SB 6292 to Ways and Means. The chamber then confirmed several gubernatorial appointments to college boards: Glenn F. Ellis to the Peninsula College Board of Trustees, Suzanne Donaldson to the Clark College Board of Trustees, and Jesse E. Johnson to the Highline College Board of Trustees, all by unanimous or near-unanimous roll call votes. The Senate then considered and passed several bills. SB 6014, a technical cleanup to pregnancy and postpartum accommodation laws, passed 41-8 after supporters said it clarified privacy protections and removed barriers for workers. SB 5863, dealing with preservation and inspection of state historical records tied to Lakeland Village, passed 49-0. SB 5825, authorizing the Washington State Leadership Board to solicit gifts, grants, and endowments, passed 33-16 after two proposed amendments to limit administrative costs and cap contributions were rejected. SB 5874, allowing employers to correct certain unemployment insurance reporting errors, passed 49-0, and SB 5286, setting a statutory reimbursement cap for local police and fire services provided to state hospitals, passed 49-0 after an amendment set a $750,000 per-biennium maximum per facility. The Senate also passed SB 5904, requiring nursing titles to be used only by licensed human persons, and SB 5915, updating the health technology assessment process used for coverage decisions, both unanimously. SB 5919, creating voluntary wildfire-prevention incentives for agricultural producers and fire districts, also passed 49-0. SB 5938, making adjustments to foreclosure prevention fees and exemptions, passed 49-0. SB 5957, expanding the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Program and its advisory committee, was taken up near the end of the transcript, with supporters emphasizing youth safety and trafficking prevention; the roll call was underway when the transcript ended. A major policy debate centered on SB 6002, which regulates automated license plate reader systems and driver privacy protections. After a proposed amendment to expand authorized uses was rejected, the bill’s striker was adopted. Supporters described the measure as a bipartisan privacy-and-public-safety balance that limits misuse and unauthorized sharing of ALPR data while preserving law enforcement utility; opponents argued it still needed more work or broader privacy protections. The engrossed second substitute passed 48-9. Another significant debate involved SB 5972, expanding interest arbitration for correctional employees in local city and county governments; supporters cited consistency and labor stability, while opponents warned of burdens on smaller counties. That bill passed 34-15. SB 5203, creating a wildlife connectivity planning and funding framework, passed 31-18 after supporters argued it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve grant competitiveness, while critics said it was too prescriptive and could affect rural land use and agriculture.

Transcript Highlights:

• It increases the CalWORKs maximum aid payment by 1.8% effective October 1 of this year.
• We delayed cuts to immigrant health coverage, dental, and clinic payments until July of 2027.
• , and two, to begin to ask for forgiveness of those payments.
• They had, what, 30, 10 days worth of cash left? Was it 10 or 30?
• Ten days worth of cash left, and we allocated them $25 million.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review heard the 2026-27 budget package, including AB 111 and AB 112 plus 16 trailer bills and two policy bills. Chair Laird described the budget as balanced over two fiscal years, with about $351.7 billion in total spending, $251.5 billion General Fund, and record reserves, while emphasizing investments in child care, homelessness, housing, Medi-Cal, education, courts, and other core programs. The Department of Finance presented each bill, outlining major items such as Medi-Cal adjustments tied to federal H.R. 1, child care and early learning funding, education and higher education investments, human services, developmental services, health, skilled nursing, resources, energy, transportation, housing, labor, state government, courts, taxation, and two policy bills on education governance and ballot measure placement. The LAO said it had no additional comments but was available for questions. The committee later achieved quorum and moved to member questions and comments, with no votes taken in the portion provided. Members largely focused on the budget’s fiscal structure and policy implications. Several senators praised staff and noted the compressed timeline, while Vice Chair Niello criticized the process as overly complex and burdensome. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas supported the budget but raised concerns about Medi-Cal changes for people with unsatisfactory immigration status, asking about access to care, the number affected, and county eligibility support; Finance said about two million people would transition to fee-for-service and that $39 million was included for care coordination, along with additional county eligibility funding. Senator Durazo said the agreement delayed, but did not resolve, cuts to immigrant health coverage, dental, and clinic payments, and argued that the budget did not create a true restoration mechanism. Senator Richardson highlighted hospital funding, public hospital definitions, DMV data protections, and court construction and maintenance needs, while Senator Grove questioned the sustainability of spending, the Medi-Cal savings assumptions, distressed hospital funding, Planned Parenthood transparency, developmental services changes, high-speed rail costs, and the property tax postponement program. Other members emphasized different priorities. Senator Blake Spear praised climate and parks investments, support for HAP homelessness funding with accountability, transit stabilization, and Care Court referral funding, while expressing concern about the lack of wildlife coexistence funding and long-term transit operating support. Senator Weber Pearson raised a technical concern in the health trailer bill regarding menopause language, arguing that the bill should refer to perimenopausal symptoms and should not narrow provider participation through contracting language. Throughout the hearing, Finance repeatedly explained that many of the budget’s savings came from reduced caseloads or delayed implementation of prior proposals, while some new spending was added to mitigate impacts and support administration of the changes. No final committee action or vote was shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um the payment portal bill that was heard and then this also includes the impending claims bill as well
• Um the payment portal bill that heard.
• Um the payment portal bill that was<00:02:24.400><c> heard</c><00:02:24.800><c> and</c><00:02:24.959>
• My understanding is that estimate is an underestimate because they don't have access to the non-cash
• </c><00:33:38.080><c> So,</c> non-cash economy pieces of this. So, non-cash economy pieces of this.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill sets up a pool payment system for rural EMS systems.
• This bill sets up a pool payment system for rural EMS systems.
• </c> In 2024, Medicare payments were at about 25%.
• Medicaid payments were at about 21% of our gross charges.
• , we're at about 25% in Medicaid payments, we're at about 25% in Medicaid payments,<00:47:58.800><c>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So what we did is we changed the word reimbursement to payment or payment services.
• So what we did is we changed the word reimbursement to payment or payment services.
• So what we did is we changed the word reimbursement to payment or payment services.
• So what we did is we changed the word reimbursement to payment or payment services.
• So what we did is we changed the word reimbursement to payment or payment services.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is important to note that when we talk about the cash match, unlike some other matching components
• It is important to note that when we talk about the cash match, unlike some other matching components
• </c><01:08:55.560><c> students</c> their child support payments students their child support payments
• Based on current cash flow, we do not anticipate having unspent funds at the close of fiscal year 25.
• flow as we frequently monitoring cash flow as we approach<01:29:15.199><c> the</c><01:29:15.320><c>

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• bonds are talking somewhere between $12 million to $14 million a year for being able to the bond payment
• to minus the $102 million that's going to have to be used to pay the bonds, going to make those payments
• to minus the $102 million that's going to have to be used to pay the bonds, going to make those payments
• And so that's what that does on this legacy earning fund, breaking that down for the bond payments, for
• We’ve got cash in the bank. We pay for a lot of stuff. Cash. We don’t bond.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee met to consider Senate Bill 2012, the Department of Transportation budget, with Representative Brandenburg presenting a detailed House amendment package and Speaker Robin Weisz explaining the overall funding strategy. The discussion focused on restructuring transportation funding streams, including moving Prairie Dog money into a flexible transportation fund, adjusting gas tax distributions, increasing the legacy earnings transfer from 7% to 8%, and authorizing a $155 million bond for Highway 85. Members also discussed DOT operations, bridge funding, rest areas, electronic titling, and the use of funds for grants to counties, cities, and townships. A separate provision would let the DOT consider whether local ordinances or policies unreasonably restrict permitted agriculture or energy projects when scoring grant applications, which drew significant debate about local control and whether the language was punitive. Testimony from Brandenburg and Weisz emphasized that the plan was intended to provide more predictable funding, preserve the ability to match federal dollars, and direct money where needs are greatest through a grant process. Weisz said the package was designed to simplify multiple revenue buckets, ensure DOT can meet federal match requirements, and free up money for the general fund while still supporting transportation needs. Several members raised concerns about whether cities, counties, and townships would receive as much as under the prior Prairie Dog structure, whether the bridge allocation was correctly reflected in the bill, and whether the local-policy language would penalize subdivisions that oppose energy projects. Supporters argued the state needed to protect revenue tied to energy development and that local governments would still receive distributions plus additional grant opportunities. The committee adopted the House amendment to SB 2012 by a vote of 19-1-3, then rejected an amendment to remove the local-policy language on a 5-15-3 vote. The committee then passed SB 2012 as amended on a 20-0-3 vote, with Representative Brandenburg designated as the carrier. The chair announced that Senate Bill 2014 would not be taken up at that time and the committee recessed until called back.

Transcript Highlights:

• facility whose operational costs are financially supported by one or more employers through direct payments
• first section directs the Department of Human Services to pay licensed child care program subsidy payments
• this legislation really helps to stabilize our child care facilities so that they can predict their cash
• this legislation really helps to stabilize our child care facilities so that they can predict their cash
• The word payment has been changed to execution throughout the bill for consistency purposes.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then considered a series of House bills and committee substitutes. House Bill 5438, dealing with changes to Step 7 of the school aid formula and allowable uses of certain education allocations, was amended to adopt the Education Committee’s changes and then reported to the full Senate. House Bill 4087 creating the West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance was also reported, as was House Bill 4191, which expands child care tax credit eligibility for employer-sponsored facilities and changes subsidy payments from attendance-based to enrollment-based reimbursement; senators emphasized its workforce and economic development benefits. House Bill 5074, which reallocates medical cannabis fund balances and future revenues, was amended to increase the Child Protective Commission pilot funding from $3 million to $5 million and remove proposed ibogaine research funding for Marshall and WVU before being reported. House Bill 5353, regulating virtual currency kiosks and money transmission licensure, and House Bill 5527, creating licensure and oversight for wellness reimbursement program administrators, both received strike-and-insert amendments and were reported. House Bill 5687, which phases down the metallurgical coal severance tax and adds a temporary oil and gas tax reduction with county/municipal revenue adjustments, was amended and reported. House Bill 4418, creating an electronic system for municipal business and occupation tax filing and collection with a 1% administrative fee and a participation threshold, was also reported. The committee then took up House Bill 4245, the Revenue Rules Bundle, which bundles 26 legislative rules from the Department of Revenue and related agencies. The bundle included alcohol, banking, insurance, racing, and tax rules, with several sunset extensions and repeals of outdated rules; the committee adopted a strike-and-insert amendment affecting a lottery consumer protection rule and a pre-need cemetery company rule, then reported the bill. House Bill 5168, providing a $12 million lottery-funded stream for emergency medical services, was amended to clarify the uses of the funds, rename one fund, require a 30% county match for mental health treatment spending, and create two additional county-based EMS funds; senators described it as a needed permanent funding source for EMS, and it was reported. Throughout the meeting, members generally supported the measures, with some discussion on technical details, funding allocations, and the impact of the bills on local services and workforce needs. At the end of the meeting, the chair announced that Senate House Bills 4004, 4006, and 4009 would not be taken up that day, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• CMS makes the payment for most services. Medicaid also makes payments.
• So they're not only getting the payment from the nursing home service, they're also getting payment for
• improper payment rate.
• For your second question related to Supplemental payments, our opinion of supplemental payments is that
• The 4% diminished Medicare payment.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services convened to discuss interim charges regarding fraud, waste, and abuse in Texas human services, particularly focusing on Medicaid and childcare programs. The meeting highlighted the importance of preventing misuse of taxpayer funds, with testimony from various stakeholders emphasizing the need for increased oversight and accountability in these programs. Key points included the alarming rise in healthcare fraud in other states, the necessity for Texas to enhance its fraud prevention measures, and the potential financial repercussions of failing to meet federal compliance standards. Several committee members expressed concerns about the impact of fraud on vulnerable populations, particularly those relying on Medicaid services. Testimonies from experts underscored the effectiveness of Texas's Office of Inspector General (OIG) in combating fraud, yet pointed out existing vulnerabilities, such as inconsistent enforcement and the need for better data sharing among agencies. The discussion also touched on the challenges faced by hospice care providers, with a significant increase in the number of hospices in Texas raising concerns about quality and oversight. The committee heard from various witnesses, including representatives from health plans and advocacy organizations, who provided insights into the complexities of managing Medicaid and the importance of maintaining program integrity. The meeting concluded with a commitment to further explore legislative solutions to enhance oversight and ensure that resources are directed to those in genuine need.

Transcript Highlights:

• payments?
• to claw back previous payments from January and December.
• It's okay if they miss a payment.
• payment systems. would you apply this previous experience to improve the payment processing systems
• And improper payments is a part of this as well.

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Keywords: Social Security, Medicaid, Frank Bisignano, Elon Musk, benefit processing, office closures, public testimony, administration policies, health care, vulnerable populations

Summary: The committee meeting focused heavily on the nomination of Frank Bisignano as the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, with intense discussions around the current state of Social Security and its management under the current administration. Members voiced significant concerns regarding potential changes to Social Security and Medicaid, specifically addressing issues such as office closures, delays in benefit processing, and the perceived policies from Elon Musk's association with the administration. Public testimonies highlighted fears that these changes would severely impact the accessibility of benefits for seniors and vulnerable individuals, resulting in a chaotic environment at the SSA. Members expressed a unified opposition to the notion of dismantling these critical programs, emphasizing the long-term implications on their constituents' well-being.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, from what I've been told, it can be lots of different things, or it can be direct cash payments
• Some of it could be payments to you.
• </c><00:30:15.440><c> payments.
• </c><00:30:16.080><c> And</c><00:30:16.240><c> they're</c><00:30:16.480><c> doing</c> direct cash payments
• And they're doing direct cash payments.

Bills: SB62 , HB361 , HB244 , HB377 , HB411 , HB422 , HB423 , HB425 , SB16 , HB452 , HB354 , SB62 , HB361 , HB244 , HB377 , HB411 , HB422 , HB423 , HB425 , SB16 , HB452 , HB354

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: SB62, Alabama, conservation and natural resources, hunting license, fishing license, wildlife heritage license, license identification, government-issued ID, residency determination, in-state residency, student residency, tuition classification, public higher education, domicile, resident status, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, DCNR, Section 9-11-32, Section 9-11-33, Section 16-64-3

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill requires applicants to print and mail an application with cash, money order, or check as a payment
• there is a $30 payment.
• We advised her to continue saving some more cash before she made the purchase.
• We played a game with our children, and that's how they learned cash management.
• For our kids, it's a game called Cash Flow by Robert Kiyosaki.

Bills: HB2510 , HB3589 , HB4611 , HB4655 , HB4665 , HB4666 , HB4670 , HB4700 , HB4730 , HB4798 , HB4838 , HB5136 , HB5243 , HB5302 , HB5539

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, there are only two parameters: an estimate of how much cash you have on hand and your payer
• So we've been very deliberate with CMS that what we're calling the transformative payments for rural
• These requirements, in addition to because they are to support payments that are related to increases
• Our contracted actuaries develop a rate range that constitutes a reasonable range of payment rates.
• It's incomprehensible that new lower payments have put us back about 30 years.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a May Revision hearing covering several health-related budget proposals and broader concerns about the state’s budget structure. The Chair opened by praising some May Revision changes, such as added health IT funding, county administration support tied to Medi-Cal changes, a delay in Medi-Cal cuts for some lawfully present immigrants, and additional support for Covered California subsidies, while criticizing proposed increases in Medi-Cal premiums, changes to senior eligibility, the lack of a Medi-Cal dental solution, and other reductions affecting counties, mobile crisis units, workforce incentives, and physician shortages. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state’s budget condition remains weak despite progress on the structural deficit, and the Department of Finance said the May Revision uses a mix of reductions, reforms, revenue proposals, and fund shifts to cut out-year deficits. The committee first heard Department of State Hospitals proposals, including adjustments to county bed billing authority, contract exemption language for online clinical/pharmacy subscriptions, reversion of unspent funds, a revised Metro Central Utility Plant replacement project, electronic health record implementation, and workforce development funded partly through Behavioral Health Services Act resources. DSH also described savings and realignments in incompetent-to-stand-trial and conditional release programs, including extending the independent placement panel program and shifting funds to support additional bed capacity and a mental health rehab center. Members asked about the use of BHSA funds for workforce programs, and the department said the proposal would replace General Fund support with BHSA reimbursements. The Emergency Medical Services Authority proposed funding for statewide behavioral health crisis response guidance and for enterprise system development, and the Department of Managed Health Care proposed modernization of its complaint system and claims-settlement data system to improve oversight and comply with AB 3275. The largest discussion centered on the administration’s BHSA spending plan under Proposition 1, including state-directed prevention, workforce, and other uses, plus General Fund offsets for existing programs. The LAO questioned whether some proposed offsets fit Proposition 1’s non-supplant and eligible-use requirements, while the administration argued the uses were consistent with the measure and that the state-directed share can be adjusted annually. The Commission for Behavioral Health’s proposals drew the most public and member concern. The administration proposed cutting the commission’s Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and reducing the Community Advocacy Program by $6.7 million, while redirecting BHSA dollars to other state purposes and direct services. Commissioners, advocates, and several members argued the cuts would weaken community voice, reduce support for underserved populations, and disrupt grants already in process; they also objected to using BHSA funds to backfill General Fund commitments. Public commenters, including youth, disability, behavioral health, LGBTQ, tribal, veteran, immigrant, and community-based organization representatives, overwhelmingly opposed the cuts and urged preservation of prevention, advocacy, mobile crisis, and innovation funding. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; do you get cash &gt;&gt; do you get cash &gt;&gt; yeah<01:30:17.280><c> so</c><01:30:18.000
• . cash. cash.
• </c> &gt;&gt; So they never spent the cash &gt;&gt; So they never spent the cash &gt;&gt; and<01:31:07.520
• </c> CIP, 3 million in in in cash. CIP, 3 million in in in cash. &gt;&gt; No,<01:31:23.760><c> wait.
• </c> replaces the 650 cash. replaces the 650 cash.

Transcript Highlights:

• A bill to amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 to postpone the date of payment or satisfaction upon
• Your house payment would be $2,828.
• able to come in and score grandma as being sicker, and therefore they get risk scoring additional cash
• They have to reach in and cash in their special T-bills, their special Treasury bills.
• Those T-bills, so they cash them in.

Transcript Highlights:

• SET OF COSTS IN CATEGORY A AND THEN GET 50% OF THAT FEDERAL COST SHARE UPFRONT SO THEY CAN START A CASH
• BUT WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND IS THE MEDIAN RESPONSE TIME FOR PAYMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM FEMA
• YOUR STAFF TO GET FEMA TO COME IN AND DO A PRESENTATION ON HOW FAST OR HOW SLOW THEY ARE MOVING ON PAYMENTS
• THE FASTER MONEY IS EXPEDITED PROJECT WORKSHEETS, WITHOUT EXPEDITED WORKSHEETS OBLIGATED AND CASH IN
• OUR AVERAGE CASH FLOW SO THE INVOICES WE PAY EVERY DAY IS HOVERING AROUND $45 MILLION.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any cash-paid member of the general public on the day the drug is sold.
• This cash price serves as a baseline for the Medicaid reimbursement helping to list costs while ensuring
• by preventing artificially low rates from membership discount programs. from influencing Medicaid payments
• , the bill will improve payment accuracy. for providers, incentivizing them to accept Medicaid patients
• Determining the cash price of these drugs is effectively impossible. including these zero-cost drugs

Bills: HB741 , HB 1199 , HB2070 , HB2402 , HB2542 , HB2665 , HB2789 , HB3096 , HB3396 , HB3595 , HB3747 , HB4116 , HB4127

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• the invested treasurers cash accounts.
• There are two main portions to that invested treasurers cash account. SBI. SBI.
• </c><01:05:30.480><c> The</c> The invested treasurers cash account.
• </c> fund portions of the state cash fund portions of the state cash accounts. accounts. accounts.
• </c> cost sharing amongst the state cash. cost sharing amongst the state cash.