Transcript Highlights:

• Our current mandated reporting system has a nearly 90% failure rate. Failure rate.
• What does it mean to have a nearly 90% failure rate?
• We can do better than a nearly 90% failure rate. Failure rate.
• instead of the default Tier 1 rate.
• The Tiered Rate Structure is a very extensive and complex part of our foster care rate system that's

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and a rate case expert.
• start to use that rate.
• Rates may not be excessive.
• If the rate is in effect.
• to a much lower turnover rate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cost of that debt, including interest rates, is passed along to the consumer.
• and interest rates.
• HB 2868 does exactly what the rating agencies are looking for.
• Additionally, other states do not have various rate adjustments.
• It is true that the PUC can handle this in individual rate cases. We have...

Bills: HB551, HB 1281, HB1378, HB1617, HB2868, HB2881, HB3374, HB4439, HB4726, HB4732, HB4878, HB4914, HB4921, HB4958, HB5200, HB5318, HB5360, HB5402, HB5568, HB5573, HB5623, HJR218

Keywords: political contributions, address privacy, Texas Ethics Commission, election transparency, campaign finance, international organizations, World Health Organization, jurisdiction, state law, enforcement, United Nations, World Economic Forum, attorney general, Texas attorney general, state sovereignty, legal enforcement, Texas Attorney General, electric energy storage, municipal regulation, county regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• And the pop quiz is: what is the graduation rate and employment rate for your selected program?
• The pop quiz is: what is the graduation rate and employment rate for your selected program?
• rate, 80 percent employment rate.
• And also the diversity as well at the school, the graduation rate and the employment rate.
• It has about a 95% placement rate.

Summary: The subcommittee began with an informal “college day” exercise in which members described what careers and colleges they would choose if starting over, often citing factors such as program reputation, location, cost, graduation rates, employment outcomes, and family or personal interests. Members mentioned a range of possible paths including law, aviation, education, construction management, psychology, social work, criminal justice, nursing, intelligence studies, and the arts. Several also highlighted the value of historically Black colleges and universities, dual enrollment, and career/technical education. The chair used the exercise to frame the meeting’s broader focus on Florida’s higher education pathways and student outcomes. Dr. Kathleen Plinsky of Valencia College then gave an overview of the Florida College System and Valencia’s role in it, emphasizing Florida’s statewide articulation and transfer framework, open-access mission, affordability, and workforce alignment. She described Valencia’s record enrollment, high retention, large share of first-generation and working students, and partnerships such as Direct Connect to UCF, Osceola Prosper, and Open Door grants for short-term training. Members asked about guaranteed transfer, apprenticeships, enrollment trends, student demographics, out-of-state residency, county scholarship costs, dual enrollment outcomes, and barriers to expanding career dual enrollment. Dr. Plinsky said the system supports transfer and acceleration well, but funding constraints limit growth in some areas; she also noted that dual enrollment participation is high and that Valencia’s affordability and student support efforts have driven recent enrollment gains. Dr. Jim Clark of Florida State University followed with an overview of the State University System, describing its governance, performance-based funding, low tuition, and strong graduation and research outcomes. He highlighted FSU’s enrollment, research profile, transfer student success, FSU Health, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, partnerships with K-12 schools and Tallahassee State College, and efforts to expand nursing and medical education to address workforce shortages. After the presentations, the committee heard from a panel on student acceleration and mobility: Shannon Mercer of the Department of Education explained the Office of Articulation, the statewide course numbering system, FASTER records, the 2+2 transfer model, specialized AA transfer degrees, and credit for industry certifications, military, medical, and law-enforcement training. Panelists from Kaiser University, Florida State University, and Pinellas County Schools described their institutions’ roles in transfer, advising, career pathways, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment. No formal votes or bills were taken up in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• of special education students given the rates of these various factors in the school district.
• Shown on the horizontal axis, with the actual identification rate shown on the vertical axis.
• We applied a binary variable to each school, With the rate of special education students, we applied
• We then looked at whether the difference between rates in other states and Washington's rate were statistically
• Similar to what we showed in the previous slides, Washington's rates were statistically similar to 18

Summary: The JLARC I-900 Subcommittee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on special education services, focused on comparing student needs, district identification practices, and funding. Auditors said Washington does not appear to under-identify any particular population for special education, though districts face ongoing challenges with identification, documentation, staffing shortages, and inconsistent referral tracking. They explained that their analysis used statistical models because the true prevalence of disabilities is unknown, and found Washington districts generally clustered near the national average, with little evidence that any demographic group was systematically under-identified. The audit also found that special education funding has historically been insufficient, with districts collectively covering about $500 million in costs not paid by state or federal sources, and that districts spent about 26% more per student than they received in funding. Auditors noted recent legislative changes that removed the special education enrollment cap and changed the safety net process, but said it was too soon to assess their effects. Their recommendations to OSPI included clarifying what counts as an official special education referral, requiring districts to report referral data even when no evaluation follows, and ensuring the new statewide data system is developed with district input, training, and possibly a mandate for uniform use. OSPI staff said they concurred with the report and appreciated the work of the auditor’s office and JLARC. During member questions, Representative Paulette raised concerns that the audit did not directly examine prevalence of specific disabilities, such as autism and dyslexia, in vulnerable populations or compare Washington’s identification practices to medical and peer-reviewed prevalence data. Auditors responded that medical prevalence is not known in a systematic way, that educational eligibility differs from medical diagnosis, and that the report’s conclusions should not be read as proving no populations are under- or over-identified. No public testimony was offered, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Contracts so those rates may vary but for IPSP and the rate is around it's between eight hundred and
• You can draw them, it's at the same match rate as the Medicaid match rate.
• So there's about a 23% exemption rate, 22%. 23% exemption rate, their coverage rate is about 77%.
• so going to a prevailing market rate.
• The rates that we are currently paying to our vendor are rates that we negotiated in 2019 and as we all

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> measurement and effectiveness ratings. measurement and effectiveness ratings.
• </c><00:42:05.440><c> change</c> would impact um what that rate change would impact um what that rate
• </c> should at least have the same rate should at least have the same rate impact<00:42:35.599><c> as
• rate comparison.
• </c> district rates, and levies constant. district rates, and levies constant.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's the only two ways states can use to set their rates.
• I think is one of the amendments because the rate, the co-payment is part of the rate.
• In the rate setting, I think, is one of the amendments because the rate, the co-payment is part of the
• rate.
• We do have an enhanced rate, and if providers opt into that enhanced rate, they have to pay their entry-level

Summary: The committee met late in the evening and announced that Senate Bill 132 would be rolled until the next day. The only bill heard was Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 241, which would codify New Mexico’s Child Care Assistance Program in statute, establish eligibility, payment, wait-list, and co-payment rules, require reporting and transparency, and tie reimbursement rates to a cost-estimation model and wage scale/career lattice. The sponsor and administration described the bill as creating a durable framework for universal child care, with protections for program integrity, inclusion of children with developmental needs, and requirements to maximize state and federal child care tax benefits. Public testimony was largely supportive of the bill’s child care expansion goals, with endorsements from State Police, firefighters, early childhood advocates, and women’s policy groups, but many providers and educators said they could not support it without stronger wage and career-ladder protections and clearer guarantees that funding would reach staff salaries rather than owners or institutions. The committee adopted Vice Chair Dixon’s amendment, which lowered the proposed transfer from the Early Childhood Education and Care Trust Fund from $1 billion to $700 million and added reporting requirements on the wait list, consultation requirements for rate-setting, additional facility reporting, a prohibition on supplanting certain public education funds, tribal facility participation, and food program reporting. A separate amendment from Representative Duncan to require first-come, first-served enrollment was debated at length but was tabled by a 9-7 vote after the sponsor and secretary said it conflicted with federal prioritization rules and the bill’s targeted access goals. Members also questioned how the bill would affect public entities, nontraditional-hour providers, co-pay triggers, and whether the wage scale would adequately compensate educators. After debate, the committee voted 10-7 to give the amended bill a do-pass recommendation. Supporters said the bill would strengthen workforce stability, improve access for working families, and help sustain New Mexico’s universal child care system; opponents warned about the long-term fiscal impact, the potential growth of the program, and whether the bill sufficiently protected early childhood educators’ wages and other state priorities. The meeting adjourned with notice that the committee would reconvene at 8 a.m. the next day to hear the Senate’s actions on House Bill 2.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first finding: overall vacancy rates vary by provider.
• The overall vacancy rate declined from 19% in 2024 to 15% in 2025.
• The staff vacancy rate decreased in every program.
• , compares unfavorably to the Mass job openings rate.
• And the clinicians still have a pretty high vacancy rate, was it 19%?

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee of the Status of Persons with Disabilities met, approved prior minutes, and heard a presentation from the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP) on its 2025 workforce metrics survey. ADDP described its membership and the survey’s scope, which covers community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and brain injuries. The survey had strong participation, with 102 of 132 members responding, and this year included new questions on rising health insurance costs. ADDP reported that workforce conditions have improved for a third consecutive year, with the overall vacancy rate falling from 19% in 2024 to 15% in 2025, and vacancy declines across several program areas. However, vacancies remain high in key roles such as licensed practical nurses and clinicians, nearly 4,000 positions remain unfilled, and about 1,800 people are still waiting for day services. Providers also reported major health insurance premium increases, which they said make it harder to offer competitive wages and benefits and affect recruitment and retention. Committee members discussed the impact of federal immigration policy, workforce shortages, and the need to maintain recent gains in staffing. The subcommittee then elected Rachel Caprillion and Leo Sarkisian as co-chairs by vote. Members discussed possible topics and guests for the next meeting, including training, turnover, waiting lists, direct support professional pipelines, apprenticeships, and possible speakers from state agencies, advocacy organizations, other states, and workforce programs such as JVS. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• and ultimately improving upon the 15% chronic absenteeism rate.
• These efforts ultimately contribute to increasing graduation rates.
• Our graduation rates drop for those students every time they miss.
• Our graduation rates drop for those students every time they miss.
• Our graduation rates drop for those students every time they miss.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you look at the standard rate, or not standard rate, but if we used a 2% rate for North Dakota
• We'd lay our new rate structure against that.
• We'd lay our new rate structure against that.
• We'd lay our new rate structure against that.
• the IT rates are done, how the structure is.

Summary: The Government Finance Committee met with new leadership, approved the December 11 minutes, and received a series of informational updates on the state’s finances and related policy issues. The Office of Management and Budget reported the general fund is tracking very close to forecast, with revenues about $2 million above forecast and an estimated ending balance of about $397 million, higher than previously expected. OMB also reviewed balances in major funds, including the budget stabilization fund, legacy fund, foundation aid stabilization fund, social services fund, and strategic investment and improvements fund, and answered questions about oil tax revenues and fund management. The Tax Department provided updates on taxable sales and purchases by county and industry, noting Cass County as the largest county by taxable sales and that retail trade remains the largest industry sector. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus also discussed the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its estimated effects on North Dakota income tax collections, explaining that the projected revenue impacts are measured against a 2025 baseline and that some provisions are temporary while others are permanent. He also reported that primary residence tax credit applications were running ahead of last year, with more than 154,000 received so far and an expectation of roughly 160,000-plus applications. The committee also heard fee-study presentations from the Department of Transportation and the Information Technology Department. DOT explained that driver’s license fees cover only about half of program costs and that the shortfall is subsidized by the highway fund, while also noting recent changes such as the blackout plate and motor vehicle excise tax distribution changes. NDIT described its internal service fund model, current billing structure, and possible future changes to simplify invoices and billing frequency. Legislative staff also updated the committee on office space needs in Bismarck-Mandan and on legislative branch space planning, and subcommittees reported progress on fixed-route transit funding and regional jail capacity, including a visit to the Burleigh-Morton detention facility and discussion of future prison bed needs. No formal votes or legislative actions beyond approving the minutes were taken, and the committee adjourned with its next meeting set for June 25.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when do we expect to then see the rate increases?
• Each of these rate increases will be different.
• They haven't had a rate increase in 40 years.
• the rates for LVNs as registered nurses.
• No rate has been established. We can't bill.

Summary: The committee heard a budget oversight hearing on the Department of Health Care Services, focusing first on the overall Medi-Cal budget and a March General Fund loan to cover a current-year shortfall. DHCS said the 2025-26 budget proposal totals $193.4 billion, with Medi-Cal projected at $188.1 billion total funds and $42.1 billion General Fund, driven by higher enrollment, pharmacy costs, managed care growth, and costs tied to eligibility expansions and the COVID-era redetermination unwinding. The department said the $3.44 billion loan was needed to manage cash flow and ensure timely payments to providers and plans, while the LAO noted Medi-Cal’s cash-basis budgeting creates volatility and that more detailed estimates would come with the May Revision. Members discussed federal Medicaid threats, the need for transparency on cost drivers, and the impact of pharmacy spending, long-term care, and immigration-related coverage expansions. The second major topic was family health programs, including California Children’s Services, the continuous coverage unwinding, and opioid settlement fund spending. DHCS described CCS funding methodology changes, ongoing county stakeholder work, and a delayed rollout of CCS monitoring and oversight until July 1, 2025, while county representatives and advocates argued the program is underfunded and asked for more technical assistance and a delay in implementation. On the unwinding, the department explained that federal redetermination flexibilities helped maintain coverage after the pandemic, but the Governor’s budget proposes ending them at the end of June 2025; advocates urged making the flexibilities permanent to avoid coverage losses. For opioid settlement funds, DHCS and Finance said the budget increases funding for naloxone distribution while reducing other harm-reduction spending based on updated settlement revenues, prompting criticism from members and public commenters who argued the change would weaken effective harm-reduction programs. The hearing also included an update on Proposition 35 implementation. DHCS said the voter-approved measure continuously appropriates MCO tax revenues beginning in 2025, with up to $4.6 billion annually available for specified Medi-Cal and provider investments in 2025 and 2026, but implementation depends on consultation with the required stakeholder advisory committee. The department and LAO noted uncertainty about future federal rules affecting the MCO tax after 2026. Public testimony largely supported maintaining Medi-Cal expansions, protecting immigrant coverage, preserving harm-reduction funding, and increasing support for community health workers, pediatric dental care, and CCS county administration. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• their interest rate on their purchases. purchases. purchases.
• I think I understand what the interest rate buy-down is.
• You're very welcome. interest rate? Is that interest rate?
• Any other Representative McPherson. interest rate is a very smart way of interest rate is a very smart
• If you rate a whole percentage point.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:09 Discussion SB 157 02:43 Vote SB 157 09:04 Discussion SB 219 09:53 Vote SB 219 13:00, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's within line and at the highest rate.
• You mentioned $18.50 per hundred as a loan rate.
• So the other direction I like to go is the default rate, the failure rate.
• A short-term loan with a higher rate of interest or higher rate of fee is not a typical business that
• Do you think that the rate of default, or the rate of re-upping, is going to improve at 30%?

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• equal to the product of population growth rate and the inflation rate to the product of population growth
• rate and inflation rate.
• , the voter approval rate, the natural disaster rates, and how we do all of those expenses.
• would be over the voter approval rate.
• I think they actually cut their rates, but.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bond rating agencies had commented on the assumed rate of return.
• The bond rating agencies had commented on the assumed rate of return.
• The bond rating agencies had commented on the assumed rate of return.
• It wasn't all assumed rate, but it was mostly assumed rate.
• It wasn't all assumed rate, but it was mostly assumed rate.

Keywords: Finance - Room 216, 20 January, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They go and negotiate that rate.
• Change rates.
• rate change fee.
• The rate, the fee would be the rate plus the characteristics of the merchant transaction.
• You know, there's a difference between these fees and rates. The rates have remained the same.

Bills: SB231, SB584, SB600, SB668, SB841, SB986, SB1003, SB1244, SB1625, SB1960, SB1963, SB1964, SB2026, SB2056, SB2368

Keywords: temporary emergency electric energy facility, temporary generation, emergency power, backup generation, mobile generator, portable generator, grid resilience, power outage restoration, transmission and distribution utility, TDU, Public Utility Commission of Texas, PUCT, Utilities Code Section 39.918, competitive bidding, lease authorization, emergency procurement, bulk power system, locational marginal pricing, reliability model, black start

Transcript Highlights:

• There’s still base rates, enhanced rates, and universal rates.
• We have standard rate, and then those who opt in to an enhanced rate.
• Those are the only two rates we have.” “There’s no longer rates based on quality, star 1 through 5.
• So everything’s standard rate. And then the enhanced rate based on levels of quality.
• We have standard rate, and then those who opt in to an enhanced rate.

Summary: The committee heard first from LFC staff on a brief about New Mexico’s universal child care expansion. Staff said child care assistance has clear benefits for parents and families, but LFC has not found evidence in New Mexico that it improves children’s educational outcomes; they argued pre-K is the better tool for that goal. The brief highlighted four concerns with universal access: an estimated annual cost of about $849.7 million, a sharp decline in registered homes, possible crowding out of lower-income families, and reduced access for children under age two. Staff also suggested possible mitigations such as prioritizing slots for low-income and at-risk families, reinstating sliding-scale co-pays, and tying quality improvements to workforce wages. Members raised questions about the cost estimate, funding sources, provider quality, and whether the data showed actual crowding out. Several lawmakers expressed support for child care generally but concern about the fiscal impact and whether universal access would divert resources from the families most in need. Others emphasized the importance of child care for workforce participation, rural communities, and family stability, and questioned how registered homes are counted and regulated. LFC staff clarified that the cost estimate was for child care assistance only, not the entire ECECD budget, and that the data showed declines in the share of lowest-income children and infants/toddlers served, though not causation. The ECECD secretary then presented the department’s response, saying universal child care is intended to complete a cradle-to-career system and that the department has already seen strong uptake, increased capacity, and rising workforce participation. She said 6,206 families were found eligible in the first month, the share of infants and toddlers served rose, and new provider applications and licensed slots increased after the November rollout. The department also emphasized wage increases, quality improvements, and a new wage scale/career lattice, while projecting a lower near-term cost than LFC’s estimate and requesting additional funding for child care, early pre-K, home visiting, workforce systems, and capacity-building. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and focused on questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• The states portfolio is our highest rated portfolio of everything that we do in ratings: corporates,
• Buwick. have some of the lower ratings have some of the lower ratings Connecticut<01:24:43.040><c> is
• The rate of growth, if it's not deemed compatible to the rate of revenue growth, the rate of expenditure
• c><01:26:59.360><c> expenditure</c> Revenue growth the rate of expenditure Revenue growth the rate of
• </c> product will grow at about a 2% rate product will grow at about a 2% rate which<01:34:11.280><c>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, at any rate, I will be brief.
• </c> reimbursement rate at 325% of Medicare. reimbursement rate at 325% of Medicare.
• </c> Representative Hunt's rates are Maine. Representative Hunt's rates are Maine.
• With Washington's current rates.
• ,</c> um it would have to be in the rates, um it would have to be in the rates, right?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all