Transcript Highlights:

• this fund is overfunded, then surely at some point the last retiree will leave us and the last beneficiary

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5831 , SB6244 , SB6044 , SB5109 , SB5877 , SB6258

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, mortgage modification

Transcript Highlights:

• President Gaetz: In our military-intensive state, there are youth in foster care who are beneficiaries

Transcript Highlights:

• In our military intensive state, there are youth in foster care who are beneficiaries of military benefits

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill creates parity between SSI and non-SSI Medi-Cal beneficiaries in assisted living by allowing

Summary: The Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee met on June 24 with a substitute chair presiding and considered three measures. SB 352 by Senator Reyes was placed on the consent calendar and approved unanimously, 7-0, to be re-referred to the Committee on Emergency Management. SB 433 by Senator Wahab, presented on behalf of Senator Stern, was heard next and focused on room-and-board protections for participants in the assisted living waiver and CalAIM assisted living transition community support programs. Supporters, including Justice in Aging, CANHR, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Commission on Aging, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, argued the bill would prevent low-income Medi-Cal residents from being charged unaffordable rates and losing their housing. Opponents, including the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, and Six B’s, said they remained concerned about the bill’s rent-control implications and statutory scope, though they acknowledged recent amendments addressed some eligibility issues. After committee discussion, SB 433 was approved 5-1 with one abstention and re-referred to the Committee on Human Services. The committee also heard SB 582 by Senator Stern, presented by Senator Wahab, which would allow state departments to issue disaster suspensions of active licenses for facilities rendered inoperable by declared emergencies, waive some licensing fees, and provide temporary flexibility for community-based adult services, child care, and evacuation planning requirements for skilled nursing and residential care facilities. Support came from the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, the California Commission on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, CANHR, and a child care resource center, all describing the bill as helpful for rebuilding and continuity of services after disasters. There was no recorded opposition, and SB 582 passed unanimously, 7-0, to the Committee on Health. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we know what the number of Nevada Gold Star spouses are in Nevada that would be beneficiaries of this

Committee: Senate Revenue and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• They're in some phase of design, planning, or construction.
• So those locals had planning, design, and funding elements that they were developing.
• The plan for that funding is based on the schedule and budget for the design and construction of the
• We can track it down to the project, the beneficiaries, and the metrics of restored waters and lands,
• So with this approach, the state can enter into an agreement for planning, design, and restoration.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:21:41.880><c> which</c> about the clerk's designating which about the clerk's designating which
• So who's the ultimate beneficiaries then? The ultimate beneficiaries is the community, right?
• </c><00:36:35.960><c> drug</c> almost always some kind of designer drug almost always some kind of designer
• </c> another designer another designer drug<00:37:13.760><c> so</c><00:37:13.920><c> in</c><00:37:14.040
• :15.280><c> there</c> drug so in terms of designer drugs there drug so in terms of designer drugs there

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The committee heard several election-related bills first. SB 51, a comprehensive public financing bill for candidates, drew strong support in testimony but also concerns from the Campaign Spending Commission that the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund has only about $2.2 million, far short of what would be needed, and that the program could not realistically start in 2026 because of staffing and system changes; the commission asked for a start date no earlier than 2028. SB 118, which would create a full-time investigator position at the Campaign Spending Commission, was supported by the commission, which said it has lacked staff growth since 1995 and that an investigator is needed to handle investigations instead of having the commission’s attorney do that work. SB 255, a housekeeping bill on excess cash campaign contributions, was supported by the commission and several county officials and would require excess cash contributions over the limit to be returned within 30 days or turned over to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. SB 345, which would expand the current partial public financing program, was supported by the commission but drew questions because it would still allow private fundraising; the commission said that under its assumptions the bill would provide more total public funds than SB 51, with a maximum of a little over $20 million versus a little over $15 million for SB 51. Testimony counts were reported as 125 support/48 oppose for SB 51, 26 support/0 oppose for SB 118, 30 support/49 oppose for SB 255, and 30 support/49 oppose for SB 345. The committee then discussed SB 176 on recount thresholds. The Office of Elections said it would stand on written testimony, and the East Hawaii Republican Party was listed but not present. The Office of Elections explained in response to questions that the bill’s recount trigger would be based on the final election-day count, not the early 6 a.m. tabulation, because the initial count is not complete until later in the day and cured ballots are counted later; the office said it does not want to begin recounts before all election-day ballots are counted. The reported testimony count was 4 support, 50 oppose, and 2 comments. Finally, the committee heard SB 260, the Judiciary’s biennial budget bill. Judiciary staff requested about $6.17 million in FY 2026 and $6.25 million in FY 2027 for operations, 17 permanent positions and one temporary position, plus $11.9 million for capital improvements. The Judiciary said the request would support specialty courts such as Women’s Court, Truancy Court, and DWI Court, a new Wahiawa District Court unit, an additional district court judge in Kona, cybersecurity, the Criminal Justice Research Institute, and facility projects including South Kohala design work and a Kauai chiller replacement. Civil legal services providers, including Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Legal Clinic, Kuikahi Mediation Center, the Domestic Violence Action Center, the Hawaii State Bar Association, and the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, all supported the bill but asked for an additional $1 million for the civil legal services line item, saying demand is high and the funding is spread across more providers than before. The Judiciary clarified that some of its requested positions would support Wahiawa and Women’s Court, and that the civil legal services funding goes to organizations serving low-income residents on issues such as immigration, domestic violence, evictions, and foreclosures. The committee also briefly took up SB 279 on fentanyl possession thresholds, where the prosecuting attorney’s office supported the bill and said fentanyl is already driving overdose deaths and that the proposed thresholds target distribution-level quantities rather than personal use.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that we are mentioned as, in some portion of the provider agreement, as third-party beneficiaries
• 00:21:39.559><c> party</c> provider agreement as third party provider agreement as third party beneficiaries
• 40.360><c> to</c><00:21:40.520><c> that</c><00:21:40.720><c> contract</c><00:21:41.520><c> but</c> beneficiaries
• to that contract but beneficiaries to that contract but actually<00:21:41.960><c> taking</c><00:21:42.279
• Just a brief question or two: was this designed for profit?

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and took up House Bill 785, as amended by a committee substitute that combined language from HB 785 and HB 787. The bill was described as addressing Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) audits, provider contract notice and amendment procedures, mental health parity compliance, and related transparency requirements. Supporters said the measure would tighten notice to providers, limit repeated contract amendments and rate reductions, require more standardized audit procedures, and add reporting on Medicaid claims, appeals, and grievances. It also includes a provision requiring coverage of at least two evaluation-and-management billable services per physician per recipient per date of service, and a section addressing narcotic/opioid treatment program licensing and reimbursement language. Testimony in support came from Representative Kim Moore, John Inman of BrightView Health, Michelle Sandborne of the Children’s Alliance, and Kelly Cormic of RYSE. They argued that MCOs often use audits and recoupments in ways that are burdensome, opaque, and financially damaging to providers, especially smaller and rural ones. They cited examples of multiple audit requests in short timeframes, large record requests with short deadlines, delayed or absent feedback, and recoupments taken before appeals are resolved. They also said parity laws are not being consistently enforced and that the bill would give the Department of Insurance authority to suspend or revoke an MCO certificate of authority for willful or repeated parity violations. Committee members generally expressed support for provider protections and transparency, while asking for clarification on the narcotic treatment and E/M billing provisions. Tom Stevens of the Kentucky Association of Health Plans testified in opposition, saying the bill is complex to implement and should be handled through the broader Medicaid oversight work of House Bill 9, the MOAB. He said the issues raised were better suited for that bipartisan stakeholder process and noted the committee substitute had not yet been fully reviewed by his group. After discussion, the committee adopted the committee substitute and then moved to a vote on the bill; the roll call began, with several members recorded as voting yes, but the transcript cuts off before the final vote result is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Be Home expands access to home and community-based services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries with chronic care
• Be Home expands access to home and community-based services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries with chronic care
• Voter-approved Prop. 98 was not designed to fund this program, and it would create significant cost pressures

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the 2026 Budget Act, which leaders said was the negotiated compromise with the Senate and was expected to move to the floor that evening. Opening remarks emphasized that the plan balances the budget over two years, reduces the structural deficit, and builds reserves, while also protecting core services in the face of federal cuts. Jason Sisney outlined the legislative budget framework and the likely floor bills, including AB 109, SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. Department of Finance representative Eric Khali said the administration appreciated the two-year balanced approach and supported the modification in SB 122, while noting the package uses additional revenues and new spending to soften or reject some proposed cuts. Most of the discussion focused on major spending areas. Members and subcommittee chairs highlighted protections and additions for health care and human services, including rejecting the proposed Medi-Cal asset limit change, delaying premium increases, restoring clinic and dental funding, supporting distressed hospitals and county indigent care, and expanding county eligibility staffing to handle H.R. 1-related workload. Education members described record or expanded support for TK-12 schools, child care, special education, community colleges, teacher recruitment, and higher education, including a change to extend Cal Grant eligibility to age 30 for some community college students. Housing and homelessness funding was increased for HAP, multifamily housing, and the low-income housing tax credit, while public safety members pointed to investments in victims’ services, restorative justice, and prison closure savings. Several members also raised concerns or priorities tied to the budget deal. Some praised the package as a moral document that protects vulnerable Californians, immigrant communities, LGBTQ residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Others noted unresolved issues, including the MCO tax’s impact on districts, the need for more support for local journalism, arts, biotech R&D incentives, transit and GGRF-related concerns, and the need for continued work on Prop. 98 and long-term fiscal resilience. The vice chair cautioned that despite the current progress, the state remains vulnerable to revenue volatility and warned that the budget should build more resilience against a possible downturn. No formal vote was taken in the portion provided, but the committee was preparing the budget package for floor action and final negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I remember I heard earlier this year that the Senate was designed to be the cooling saucer for a
• Over the past several years, local governments have been the beneficiary of the days of milk and honey
• They've got Local governments have been the beneficiary of the days of milk and honey.

Summary: The Senate took up Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 2F, a proposed constitutional amendment on property tax reform. The measure would increase the homestead exemption in stages, lower the assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and limit county and municipal ad valorem tax revenues to specified uses such as public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, employee benefits, and certain administrative costs. Supporters, led by Senator Avila, argued the proposal would provide meaningful property tax relief and push local governments to rein in spending, while opponents warned it would shift costs to fees, reduce local flexibility, and threaten funding for core services. Several amendments were offered and rejected. Senator Sharief proposed an income-based circuit breaker for property tax relief; Senator Smith offered a sunset clause; and Senator Berman proposed revising the ballot statement to better match the amended proposal and remove outdated references. Each amendment failed on recorded votes. During questioning and debate, senators pressed Avila on the ballot language, the effect on local services, whether the legislature could later restrict local spending by statute, and whether renters would benefit. Avila said the ballot language was not his and repeatedly stated he was presenting the governor’s proposal, while also saying local governments would need to prioritize budgets and that future legislatures could address implementation details. After the amendment votes, the joint resolution was read a third time and moved into final debate. Supporters said the proposal would give homeowners relief and force fiscal discipline at the local level. Opponents, including Senators Nathan, Bracey Davis, Smith, Polsky, and Errington, argued the measure was rushed, lacked a completed fiscal analysis or replacement revenue, and could harm police, fire, libraries, parks, housing, and other local services. They also criticized the ballot summary as misleading, especially regarding the staged homestead exemption increase. The transcript ends during debate, before any final vote on the joint resolution itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I remember I heard earlier this year that the Senate was designed to be the cooling saucer for a
• Over the past several years, local governments have been the beneficiary of the days of milk and honey
• They've got Local governments have been the beneficiary of the days of milk and honey.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I remember I heard earlier this year that the Senate was designed to be the cooling saucer for a
• Over the past several years, local governments have been the beneficiary of the days of milk and honey
• They've got Local governments have been the beneficiary of the days of milk and honey.

Transcript Highlights:

• Services are not designed with those populations in mind.
• That is a design issue. There are additional issues that follow from this.
• If systems not patterned and those patterns reflect system design.
• It sounded like a sort of millennial Gen Z designed program for older adults.
• It struck me as we're thinking about the design of these efforts to assure that we're really designing

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that this fund was designed. and to help companies put money into getting transmission.
• And so with that, this bill is just designed to make everybody part of the solution.
• Chairman, this bill is designed to support our companies that are invested in Texas and that are keeping
• That if you designate anything particularly for a group of people that's unhoused, even if it's a couple
• Consequently, the debt holders were the primary beneficiaries, as they did not reinvest those funds back

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

Committee: House State Affairs

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:

• We looked to see if we're making capitation payments on behalf of deceased beneficiaries.
• </c><00:21:36.159><c> And</c><00:21:36.480><c> we</c> behalf of deceased beneficiaries.
• And we behalf of deceased beneficiaries.
• </c><01:20:11.280><c> to</c> initiatives which are really designed to initiatives which are really designed
• And the last thing is the new public health lab that we're designing now, and we'll break ground on it

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then approved an agency amendment to a health and family services regulation. The amendment reversed a prior change so that neonatal ICU beds would remain subject to regular review rather than nonsubstantive review. The remaining administrative regulations were then reviewed without objection. The main presentation was from State Auditor Allison Ball on a report finding $836 million in concurrent Medicaid capitation payments from 2019 through 2022, involving individuals enrolled in Kentucky and at least one other state. Ball said Kentucky relied on the PARIS system, which has limitations because it is updated quarterly and depends on voluntary state participation, while a better federal data source, T-MSIS, was not fully available to the state. She said the audit found weak internal controls, siloed processes, outdated guidance, and a low-priority attitude toward residency checks, all of which contributed to missed alerts and improper payments. She also said the report identified additional problems, including payments made after beneficiaries died and cases involving multiple states paying for the same person. Ball recommended better access to federal data, stronger MCO contract provisions, and more active oversight by the Department for Medicaid Services and managed care organizations. She said the contracts reviewed did not provide a clear way to recoup the improper payments, though she and her counsel suggested possible equitable legal theories might be explored. Members expressed concern about the scale of the waste and the lack of contract enforcement, and asked whether any money could be recovered. Ball said the audit did not identify a clear contractual path to recoup the funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are funded separately, designed separately, and held accountable separately.
• Services are not designed with those populations in mind.
• That is a design issue. There are additional issues that follow from this.
• It sounded like a sort of millennial, Gen Z-designed program for older adults.
• It struck me as we're thinking about the design of these efforts to assure that we're really designing

Summary: The Select Committee on Older LGBT Californians held an inaugural hearing focused on the health care and support needs of older LGBTQ Californians, including older adults living with HIV and transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex seniors. Committee members and state officials discussed the California Master Plan for Aging, the first statewide survey of LGBTQIA older adults, and the need to address discrimination, social isolation, housing insecurity, economic instability, and gaps in culturally competent care. Several speakers emphasized that older LGBTQ adults often lack traditional family caregiving supports and may face vulnerability in nursing homes or other institutional settings. Testimony from advocates and people with lived experience highlighted the impact of federal actions, including H.R. 1, on Medi-Cal, housing, and benefits, and called for stronger state action, outreach, and navigation services. Justice in Aging urged more investment in home- and community-based services and warned that Medicaid cuts could increase institutionalization. The Department of Aging described its survey findings and said it had convened a lived-experience advisory board, updated data tools, and incorporated HIV as a factor in local aging plans under SB 258, though members pressed for clearer implementation and accountability. CalHHS described coordination across departments, Medi-Cal coverage of gender-affirming care, PACE, and other services, while the Department of Public Health outlined Ryan White, ADAP, HOPWA, Medi-Cal waiver, and PrEP-AP programs serving older adults with HIV. The hearing also featured extensive testimony from people aging with HIV, who described fragmented systems, benefits cliffs, housing costs, and the need for legal and case-management support. One witness urged funding for HIV-specific housing and navigation services, while another described how case management and safety-net programs help clients manage medication, food, transportation, and housing needs. In the final panel, the Department of Social Services reviewed protections for TGI seniors in licensed care facilities, including SB 219, nondiscrimination notices, resident rights postings, required staff training, and complaint investigations. No formal votes were taken; the chair repeatedly asked departments to follow up on implementation gaps, data visibility, and possible budget or policy responses.

Transcript Highlights:

• from Holy Family Academy in Manchester, and Jenna Bailey, student from the Academy for Science and Design
• ><00:13:11.760><c> for</c><00:13:12.000><c> Science</c><00:13:12.279><c> and</c><00:13:12.480><c> design
• </c><00:13:12.800><c> in</c> the academy for Science and design in the academy for Science and design
• This is a bill designed to remove circumcision from Medicaid coverage in New Hampshire.
• </c> Staters were their primary beneficiaries Staters were their primary beneficiaries of<05:37:22.920

Transcript Highlights:

• the program how the know how we designed the program how the experience<01:34:32.239><c> was</c><01:
• By the way, for state employees, in the law it was actually designed, I think, quite specifically to
• By the way, for state employees, in the law it was actually designed, I think, quite specifically to
• Yet, according to Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, traditional Medicare beneficiaries with Medigap
• </c><05:13:08.480><c> with</c> traditional Medicare beneficiaries with traditional Medicare beneficiaries

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 437, which would change New Hampshire law on undischarged mortgages by creating a shorter period after which certain old mortgages would be treated as unenforceable. Prime sponsor Representative Bill Boyd said the bill was developed with input from bankers, lawyers, realtors, the Attorney General’s office, and the Banking Department, and he noted a drafting correction needed on line 18. He explained that the proposal would replace current law with a new framework modeled partly on Massachusetts, including a five-year expiration after a stated maturity date and a 35-year period for mortgages without an expiration date. Supporters said the bill would help clear obsolete title defects, reduce costly quiet-title litigation, and make real estate transactions easier for consumers, attorneys, and conveyancers. Representative Mary Hakken-Phillips, Susan Cole of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, and Michelle Coffin all testified in support, describing the bill as a consumer protection measure. They said undischarged or improperly discharged mortgages often surface during title searches, causing delays, legal expenses, and failed or delayed closings. Coffin and Hakken-Phillips emphasized that many of these cases involve old, effectively obsolete mortgages and that the current process often requires expensive court action even when no one contests the title. Cole described a recent transaction in which a title defect caused a buyer to walk away and later restart the financing process, creating costs for both buyer and seller. A committee member asked about notice to mortgage holders; the response was that the lender bears responsibility for recording and extending the mortgage, and that due process rights would remain if a lender later contested the discharge. Ryan Hill of the New Hampshire Bankers Association said the banking industry had reviewed the bill and was generally comfortable with it, while requesting a delayed effective date so members would have time to adjust their recording practices. He said the bill’s January 1, 2028 effective date reflected that request. After closing the hearing on HB 437, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 721, the Gold and Silver Legal Tender Act. Representative Juliet Harvey-Bolia introduced it as a bipartisan economic justice bill intended to recognize gold and silver as legal tender, protect against inflation, and address concerns about trust, taxes, and government taking. She argued that gold is a stable store of value and discussed tax treatment in neighboring states, federal history, and digital gold platforms. The hearing on HB 721 was still in progress when the transcript ended, with the chair limiting questions because of time.

Bills: HB3057 , HB3130 , HB4113 , HB3310 , HB3314 , HB3985 , HB4486 , HB3040 , HB3407 , HB4343 , HB2981 , HB3764 , HB3765 , HB3767 , HB3982 , HB3321 , HB3322 , HB3323 , HB4126 , HB4130 , HB4170 , HB3345 , HB2941 , HB3062 , HB3244 , HB3298 , HB2977 , HB3304 , HB3299 , HB3297 , HB4260 , HB3906 , HB3648 , HB3319 , HB2933 , HB3544 , HB1322 , HB4104 , HB4105 , HB4106 , HB4107 , HB4108 , HB3974 , HB3134 , HB3055 , HB3115 , HB3471 , HB3497 , HB3500 , HB3505 , HB3755 , HB4202 , HB4226 , HB4236 , HB4139 , HB4144 , HB4422 , HB4423 , HB4317 , HB4321 , HB4322 , HB3176 , HB3239 , HB3263 , HB3673 , HB3794 , HB3796 , HB4265 , HB4266 , HB2123 , HB3048 , HB2445

Keywords: government reporting, information technology, child welfare, environmental policy, state agency compliance, gender transition, minors, health services, punitive damages, parental rights, health care providers, voter registration, voter eligibility, felony disenfranchisement, restoration of voting rights, formerly incarcerated, reentry, parole, probation, supervision

Transcript Highlights:

• Each device is configured and custom-designed to the individual's needs.
• We continue to be extremely concerned with the limited access to care for Texas Medicaid beneficiaries
• We therefore ask the legislature to designate $210 million to the TTF program.
• These services are designed to reach those who've fallen through the gaps of other existing services,
• It involves individually configured wheelchairs and adaptive equipment that is designed and made for

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance