Transcript Highlights:

• It makes adjustments to the self-insured fund allocation caps and the fiscal responsibility measures.
• It caps survivor payments at $5 million annually.
• It creates the mechanism... ...cap survivor payments at $5 million annually.

Bills: HB1, HB2, HB3, HB312, HB313, HB314, HB383, HB983, HB1126, HCR3

Keywords: state budget, appropriations, education funding, public health, social services, government operations, state institutions, capital outlay, budget, infrastructure, appropriation, general obligation bonds, bond authorization, capital improvement, financial management, state treasury, funding, state general fund, local government, fiscal year

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes adjustments to the self-insured fund allocation caps, survivor benefit measures, and caps survivor
• It caps survivor payments at $5 million annually and creates the mechanism and funds that allow us to

Summary: Senate Finance met on May 21, 2026, with nine members present. The committee first recognized Mother Pearl Porter during a personal privilege presentation by Senator Boudreaux. It then took up the major budget measures for fiscal year 2026-27, beginning with HB 1, the general appropriation bill. The committee heard that the state budget was about $46.6 billion and that recent Revenue Estimating Conference revisions required reductions in recurring spending. Amendments removed new funding for GATOR and increased MFP amounts, while also directing Revenue Stabilization Fund dollars toward infrastructure, economic development, and local government needs. The committee adopted amendment set 4238 and reported HB 1 as amended, with authority for technical changes. The committee next considered HB 312, the supplemental appropriations bill for the current fiscal year. Members were told the amendments balanced the budget to the May REC forecast through a net reduction in state general fund spending, including savings in Medicaid and other agencies, while covering updated costs such as medical vendor administration, DCFS operations, DOC offender medical expenses, and disaster-related costs. Amendment set 4239 was adopted, and HB 312 was reported favorably as amended. HB 2, the capital outlay/infrastructure bill, was then amended with set 4230 and reported as amended. HB 3, the omnibus bond act authorizing bond usage for HB 2, had no amendments and was reported favorably. The committee also advanced HB 313, the funds bill, which includes the constitutionally required deposit of $144.3 million of FY 2025 surplus into the Budget Stabilization Fund and various transfers and fund adjustments. Amendments expanded or created several funds and mechanisms, including infrastructure and economic development-related funds, and HB 313 was reported favorably as amended. HB 314, the revenue sharing bill distributing the constitutionally mandated $90 million to local governments, was reported favorably without amendment. HB 383, the ancillary appropriations bill for fee-supported agencies, received amendment 3138 and was reported favorably as amended. HB 983, funding the judiciary, was amended to remove judicial pay adjustments and instead fund a possible transfer of the integrated criminal justice information system to the Supreme Court if SB 141 becomes law; it was reported favorably as amended. HB 1126, the legislative branch appropriations bill, was amended and reported favorably as amended. Finally, HCR 3, the hospital stabilization resolution used to support Medicaid hospital reimbursements, was amended to give LDH more flexibility on the timing of directed payments and preprint submissions, then reported as amended. The committee adjourned after a motion to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• CAP provides 24/7 services to not only children of New Hampshire, but also to all licensed independent
• when they have some concerns and they avoid filing reports with child protection services. bill uh cap
• provides 247 services to not bill uh cap provides 247 services to not only<00:36:42.480> uh<00
• place through the hospitals on how to recognize child abuse and neglect indicators, how to consult with CAP
• place through the hospitals on how to recognize child abuse and neglect indicators, how to consult with CAP

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on House Bill 493, a proposal to require physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to complete child abuse and neglect training as part of licensure and continuing education. The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the measure addresses a gap in provider training, especially because abuse can be difficult to recognize and voluntary training has had low participation. They described a free Dartmouth online course and argued that mandatory, repeated education would help providers identify signs of abuse, know when to involve specialists or DCYF, and improve child safety. Supporters also noted the bill was amended to clarify coverage for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nursing hours, and to address language concerns raised by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Committee members and OPLC counsel raised implementation questions, including whether the bill would apply to all physicians regardless of specialty, whether it created a new licensure condition rather than only a continuing education requirement, how often the training would need to be repeated, and whether the accreditation language fit nursing rules. OPLC also noted that psychiatrists would be covered as physicians, while psychologists would not. A child abuse pediatrician testified that in his experience, children were sometimes seen by providers who missed early signs of abuse, leading to worse outcomes, and that mandatory education was needed because voluntary programs had poor uptake. The New Hampshire Hospital Association opposed the bill, saying health care professionals already have reporting duties and that the legislature should not single out one training mandate when similar requirements are generally left to licensing boards. The Office of the Child Advocate supported the bill, citing cases from 2023 involving non-ambulatory infants with fractures, conflicting medical testimony in court, and a low completion rate for the existing free online course. The Child Advocate said the bill should be mandatory and recurring so providers stay current on evolving science and law. No vote was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We assumed at this point that it made sense to put the cap on this and then step back and look at additional
• 03.920> the this point that it made sense to put the this point that it made sense to put the cap
• 09:05.760> step<00:09:06.080> back<00:09:07.360> and<00:09:07.680> look cap
• on this and then step back and look cap on this and then step back and look at<00:09:08.080> additional

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 4188, the commerce omnibus policy bill, was presented as a consumer-protection measure covering several areas: a statewide ban on crypto ATMs/kiosks beginning August 1, 2026; new recordkeeping and complaint-handling requirements; student loan borrower protections; restrictions on deceptive insurance advertising and insurance lead generators; bullion dealer jurisdiction clarifications; appraisal and appraisal management reporting requirements; scrap metal transaction tracking; collection agency clarifications; and unclaimed property improvements. The bill author said the overall goal was to address real consumer harm, especially scams and transparency issues. Representative O'Driscoll urged adoption of the A3 amendment, explaining that it removed tax provisions that had come late in the process and could be handled in the tax bill instead. The amendment was adopted without objection. During floor debate on the bill, Representative Roach opposed the crypto kiosk ban, saying the state could regulate fraud without eliminating the machines entirely. Representative O'Driscoll defended the ban as necessary to protect older and vulnerable Minnesotans from scam tactics, and Representative McDonald raised concerns about a separate scrap metal licensing provision and a $500 late fee, which Representative Holland said had been recommended by the Department of Commerce. After discussion, the bill author reiterated support for the measure and thanked committee and staff members. The House then took a roll call vote and passed House File 4188 as amended by a vote of 122-12, with its title agreed to.

Transcript Highlights:

• The $4 million cap for the project reimbursement that Senator Weber mentioned, and then there'd be roughly
• The $4 million cap for the project reimbursement that Senator Weber mentioned, and then there'd be roughly
• The $4 million cap for the project reimbursement that Senator Weber mentioned, and then there'd be roughly
• The MPCA showed up, the inspector took the caps off the pumps, brushed them out, and started looking

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's where, so putting in that four-year cap, now once it's settled, so this is different than.
• Is there a cap on that? Are we capping that off, or is that up to him? Mr.
• Ten percent of that is beyond what I'm paying for right now, so maybe there's a cap there that we can

Bills: SB1049, SB1053, SB1058, SB1093, SB1160, SB1211

Keywords: spousal maintenance, court guidelines, self-sufficiency, financial support, marriage dissolution, concealed carry, gun permits, firearms training, public safety, criminal history checks, local recognition, firearms, merchant codes, financial privacy, Second Amendment, data protection, riot, planning, racketeering, criminal conspiracy

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard and advanced several bills. SB 1160 would make it a class one misdemeanor to fly a drone within one mile of a ticketed entertainment event, with exceptions for authorized personnel or written consent; NASCAR testified in support on public safety grounds, and the bill received a due pass recommendation by a 6-1 vote. SB 1093 would expand the definition of riot to include force or threats causing property damage and add riot as a predicate offense for conspiracy and racketeering; the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice opposed it as overly broad, while the sponsor argued it would target organized, paid riot activity. The committee approved it 5-2. SB 1049 would place a finite limit on spousal maintenance awards and direct the Supreme Court to consider related guideline factors; the sponsor said it was intended to prevent open-ended maintenance, while members questioned the fairness of a four-year cap in long marriages. It passed 5-2. SB 1053 would require Arizona residents to pay 10% of the nonresident fee for concealed weapons permits, with the director able to adjust fees to keep the program revenue neutral; supporters said residents should not pay the same as nonresidents and that the bill could encourage training and background checks, while opponents argued it could reduce state revenue. It passed 6-2. The committee also approved SB 1058, which bars government entities and certain private financial actors from maintaining firearm registries or using merchant category codes to identify firearm retailers, with supporters framing it as a privacy and Second Amendment measure and opponents warning about tracking and debanking; it passed 6-2. Finally, SB 1211 would allow victims of felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence to seek a lifetime injunction against the offender; domestic violence and victim advocacy groups supported it as closing a gap for repeat victims, and the bill passed unanimously 9-0 after discussion clarified that no amendment was offered.

Transcript Highlights:

• Instead, the bill creates a new sales tax distribution that has a $50 million fiscal cap each fiscal
• advance net zero policies, and implementing, administering, or enforcing a program that functions as a cap-and-trade
• mobile homes, are year-round permanent residents and maybe should be considered to be taxed at the cap
• That's something that I'd love for us to provide relief to some of the mobile homeowners and to cap their

Summary: The Finance and Tax Committee met with a quorum and considered two Senate proposed bills. The first, SPB 7046, was the Senate tax package. It included changes to Live Local property tax exemptions, charter school distributions from voter-approved property tax levies, limits on special assessments for RV parks, revisions to fiscally constrained county funding and eligibility, a permanent sales tax exemption for small propane tanks, a hunting/fishing/camping sales tax holiday, restrictions on governmental net zero policies, and new voting thresholds for certain local millage actions. Staff estimated the bill would reduce general revenue by about $77 million in FY 2026-27 and about $50 million recurring. An amendment making the charter-school distribution change prospective starting July 1, 2026, was adopted. A late-filed amendment by Senator Gaetz on disability tax exemptions was withdrawn for lack of a fiscal analysis. The charter school provision drew the most debate. Senator Jones and Senator Bernard raised concerns that expanding eligibility to charter schools authorized through alternate authorizers could reduce funding available to traditional neighborhood public schools and that the effective date did not give districts enough time to plan. Senator Avila argued the change corrected an omission from earlier legislation and ensured public schools, including charter schools, were treated equally. Several speakers supported the fiscally constrained county provisions, while the Florida Association of Counties urged grandfathering for counties that could currently opt out of the Live Local exemption and asked the committee to review language on millage thresholds and net zero provisions. SPB 7046 was ultimately reported favorably as a committee bill by a roll call vote. The committee then took up SPB 7048, which updates Florida’s conformity to the Internal Revenue Code as of January 1, 2026, and partially decouples from federal changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill addresses federal changes to bonus depreciation, Section 179 expensing, research and experimental expenses, business meals, and business interest deductions, with some provisions phased in or adjusted over time. The Florida Chamber testified in support of continued conformity but expressed concerns about administrative burdens and the bill’s partial decoupling structure. After brief debate, the bill was reported favorably as a committee bill by roll call vote, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Existing state law limits available full liquor licenses based on population, capping San Francisco's
• That cap has pushed the price of a full license to over $200,000, making it nearly impossible for our
• And that's why we're capping it.
• And that's why we're capping it.

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Organization heard several bills related to outdoor advertising, open meetings, and San Francisco economic development. SB 364 by Senator Strickland would speed up processing of outdoor advertising permits by allowing Caltrans to act on applications as freeway projects are completed in segments, and clarifies customary maintenance of signs. Supporters said the bill would reduce permit backlogs and help local governments and the billboard industry; there was no opposition. The committee passed SB 364 to Appropriations, with the roll left open for additional votes. SB 470 by Senator Laird would extend until January 1, 2030 the sunset on the alternative Bagley-Keene open meeting rules adopted in SB 544, allowing state boards and commissions to continue using remote participation under specified conditions. Supporters from the Little Hoover Commission and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities said the current law has increased public participation, saved money, and improved access for people with disabilities and caregivers. Opponents, including ACA of California Action, the California News Publishers Association, and media and transparency groups, argued the bill weakens in-person public access and accountability. The committee approved SB 470 to Appropriations, with some no votes and the roll held open. SB 395 by Senator Wiener would let San Francisco create a hospitality zone in Union Square/Yerba Buena with up to 20 additional non-transferable liquor licenses for restaurants to support downtown recovery. City and business representatives said the measure would help fill vacancies, attract restaurants, and boost foot traffic, while remaining temporary and geographically limited. The bill passed to Appropriations with broad support and no opposition. SB 783 by Senator Rubio would extend until January 1, 2029 the special outdoor advertising rules for signs in former redevelopment areas; supporters said it would give affected communities time to find a permanent solution, while billboard industry opponents warned about compliance and federal highway funding risks. The committee passed SB 783 to Appropriations as amended, and then adjourned at 2:45 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• On cost savings, she said her understanding is that the FCC has also capped costs for phone calls, so
• the FEC<00:10:15.519> has<00:10:15.839> also<00:10:16.720> uh<00:10:16.880> capped
• c><00:10:17.440> costs<00:10:18.000> for<00:10:18.240> phone FEC has also uh capped
• costs for phone FEC has also uh capped costs for phone calls.<00:10:19.200> Um<00:10:19.600><

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2432, the public safety finance bill, and first confirmed that the public safety finance committee had met its budget target: an additional $50 million over the February forecast base for fiscal years 2026-27 and another $50 million in the tails. Chair Noatne and Chair Mhler described the bill as a compromise that tried to balance major operating pressures, especially at the Department of Corrections, with public safety priorities. The bill includes funding for peace officer training and recruitment, including the Philando Castile training fund, duty-to-intercede training, and the intensive police officer training program, as well as money for local public safety radio equipment. It also contains penalty and public safety changes such as increased penalties for certain offenses, a longer statute of limitations for first-degree arson, a mandatory minimum for first-degree criminal sexual trafficking, fentanyl-related provisions, and a requirement that the Department of Corrections maintain Narcan in prisons. Members also discussed victim services funding, including the creation of a special revenue account to help stabilize support for domestic violence shelters, sexual assault advocates, child abuse centers, and crime victim services. During discussion, members raised concerns that the target was too small to cover DOC operating costs and could affect evidence processing, corrections staffing, and rehabilitation programming. Questions focused on prison phone-call funding, which was described as about $3 million per year, and cable television costs, estimated at about $1 million per year. Supporters argued that phone access and programming help rehabilitation, maintain family connections, and improve safety for staff and incarcerated people. No amendments were offered. The committee then adopted motions to incorporate House File 2300 and House File 2432 into the public safety and judiciary omnibus as separate articles, and finally approved House File 2432 as amended for placement on the general register, with technical corrections authorized. The motions prevailed without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: unauthorized pumping, or drilling of illegal wells or other rules violations is currently capped
• As water supplies in Texas have become scarcer and more valuable, this maximum civil penalty cap, which
• House Bill 5560 increases the civil penalty cap that may be assessed by a Chair: court from $10,000 to
• is higher than the amount of civil penalties that may be assessed under the $25,000 Chair: penalty cap

Bills: HB 4530, HB 4931, HB 5559, HB 5560

Keywords: water rights, Texas Water Trust, water bank, environmental conservation, water quality, instream flows, aquifer, water injection, Edwards Aquifer, environmental regulation, groundwater, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water conservation, drought, utility regulation, water use restrictions, Public Utility Commission, civil penalties, drought contingency, environmental protection

Transcript Highlights:

• It is one of two TRIP grants that is hard capped.
• Because it is hard capped at 12 million and 4 million is set aside for small businesses, this only leaves
• It's because it is hard capped that we have this challenge and that there's this stiff competition.
• Uh, I think that there are other potential solutions to get to that, including removing that cap and

Bills: HB205

Keywords: disaster recovery, economic development, grants, loans, infrastructure support

Transcript Highlights:

• Acceptance of the new cap mandatory.
• Each board would have to adopt a policy change for an appropriate expenditure cap up to $50,000.
• The board is able to revisit this cap based on their governing policies at any time in an open public
• Yes, and so this is a max cap of $50,000 whereas you as a commissioner can adjust accordingly.

Transcript Highlights:

• HARDENS THEIR HOME IF THEY REPLACE SHINGLES WITH THE METAL ROOF THAT THEY ARE SAFE AND THE HOMES ARE CAPPED
• THE STATE TO WORK ON THIS ELEVATED HOME I THINK IT'S 100 PERCENT RENOVATION SO NOW TO SAVE OUR HOME CAP
• SOMETHING I WAS ASKED TO DO, KEVIN, CAP THE RATE FOR WHAT IS CUSTOMARY FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL.
• SYSTEM AND THERE MAY BE SOME CHALLENGES OF US TRYING TO COME IN AND DO A STATEWIDE CONTRACT WHERE WE CAP

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Century Code has established a $4 an acre cap for the maintenance levy.
• “And then some of our boards have talked a little bit about the $4 an acre cap.
• And then we can talk about caps too.
• And then I hear you wanted to raise the cap.
• And then I hear you wanted to raise the cap. ...property up to the wetland.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to $2 million per year, and a charity may be allocated no more than $10 million of the annual credit cap
• The cap is also increased from $40 million to $53.1 million for fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28.
• I mean, normally for state programs, we cap it at 100, 120% of the poverty level.
• Speaker, how was the $75 million in the back of the bill funding and the direct dispense enrollment cap
• , and have those caps absorbed by the Florida Inland Protection Trust Fund.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Don Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. The chamber announced it would take up 11 budget conference committee reports, with no third-reading bills or special-order calendar items. Members were reminded that conference reports were subject to debate but not amendment, and that the required review periods had been satisfied. The first major action was on HB 7031E, the tax package. Representative Duggan explained that the conference report included a mix of retained, modified, and new tax provisions, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related changes, reductions in certain gaming and carbon-related taxes, changes to child care and documentary stamp tax credits, a new refund process for public works construction tax paid by universities and colleges, and other tax administration changes. Debate focused on the bill’s consumer impact, the reduction of the child tax credit from three years to one, the inclusion of firearm accessories in a sales tax holiday, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the homestead exemption provision for certain deployed diplomatic and foreign service personnel. Critics argued the package favored niche or corporate interests over broad affordability relief, while supporters said it provided targeted tax relief and reflected conference negotiations. The House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began presenting the conference report for HB 501E, the state budget, which totaled $114.5 billion for fiscal year 2026-27 and was described as below the prior year’s spending level while maintaining reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major budget areas: pre-K-12 funding included an increase in FEFP, salary increases for veteran teachers, stabilization funding, and support for declining enrollment; higher education included full Bright Futures funding, workforce programs, college operating support, university initiatives, and school guardian expansion; IT funding focused on Palm, ACCESS, APD’s I-Connect replacement, corrections systems, emergency management systems, and cybersecurity grants; health care funding covered Medicaid, nursing home rates, waiver provider increases, ADAP funding and restructuring, child welfare, and behavioral health; transportation and economic development included housing, cultural grants, jobs and rural infrastructure, Visit Florida, Space Florida, highway patrol equipment, and local transportation projects; justice funding included correctional construction, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement grants, and clerk and due process reimbursements; state administration included fire stations, constrained counties, building maintenance, and Safe Florida Home; and agriculture/natural resources funding emphasized Everglades restoration, water quality, land acquisition, Florida Forever, state parks, and citrus research. Members then began questioning the budget details, including school voucher accountability, school funding formulas, public defender parity, prison technology, wastewater monitoring in prisons, ADAP policy, SNAP fraud controls and AI-assisted verification, Florida Forever funding, school lunch funding, and coral reef restoration. No final vote on HB 501E appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The formula was created when the public school cap outlay fund and the state had lower revenues, and
• The public school cap outlay council has the authority to grant local match waivers to districts unable
• Now, I will add there are caps and adjustments and temporary legislative reductions, but for now, I just
• Second New Mexico could adopt a cap, following the example of Massachusetts, above which the state is
• I can't remember the cap, maybe it was well, he's gonna tell you, he knows, Mr. Chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• You've given notice to the legislature to be able to take out a loan up to the 10% cap that's outlined
• We do want to note that the CCS program allocations were capped approximately 10 to 15 years ago. which
• So I think looking at the enrollment caps in all of the applicable HCBS waivers is something that we
• So we base the 1% of the total per member per month cap rate on looking at other precedents.
• Well, our PACE organizations are set a PMPM cap by DHCS, and we deemed a 1% rate of the total cap payment

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• was increasing, and part of the changes that were made in the 2023 legislative session was to put a cap
• was increasing, and part of the changes that were made in the 2023 legislative session was to put a cap
• was increasing, and part of the changes that were made in the 2023 legislative session was to put a cap
• was increasing, and part of the changes that were made in the 2023 legislative session was to put a cap
• was increasing, and part of the changes that were made in the 2023 legislative session was to put a cap

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Committee on Energy Finance and Policy met for an informational session and quorum was present, but the chair stated no action would be taken. Members and staff introduced themselves, and Chair Chris Swedzinski outlined the committee’s broad goals of improving Minnesota’s energy system for families and businesses, with an emphasis on affordability, reliability, and development. Several members echoed those priorities, especially concerns about electric reliability, base-load generation, and the needs of rural communities, co-ops, munis, farms, and small businesses. House fiscal analyst Ashley presented a budget overview for the committee’s jurisdiction. She reviewed spending and base amounts for the Energy Resources Division, the Renewable Development Fund, the Petroleum Tank Release Cleanup Fund, and the Public Utilities Commission, and explained that the committee also oversees special revenue and other accounts. She noted that the Renewable Development Fund is supported by utility payments for spent nuclear fuel storage, the cleanup fund by a petroleum distribution fee, and that the Commerce Department receives significant federal LIHEAP and weatherization funds. Members asked about the large increase in the Climate and Economic Development Fund and the status of recent appropriations; staff explained that the 2023 session set a larger target, that about $79 million had been spent from the relevant budget, and that some funds may carry forward. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on community solar gardens. Representative Dave Baker asked for an update on the program, and staff explained that Minnesota has about 1,600 megawatts of solar, with more than 900 megawatts in community solar. Staff said 2023 legislative changes capped annual additions and created new incentives for low- and middle-income participation. Members also discussed concerns about program cost, local siting opposition, and a large interconnection queue; staff said there is a backlog of projects, including a reported 56 gigawatts in the MISO queue, and that utilities need distribution upgrades to handle new capacity. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:06:22.240> However, subject to a limit or a cap.
• However, subject to a limit or a cap.
• Um, but the proposed Medicaid caps.
• no while we're relieved there's no cap no while we're relieved there's no cap on<01:26:09.120>
• on it, it caps the money they already spent.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also fails to include a spending cap or clear budget projections.
• This program does not even list any spending caps.
• This program does not even list any spending caps.
• This program does not even list any spending caps.
• clear budget no cap on assessment fees clear budget no cap on assessment fees and<02:21:33.399> fines

Keywords: 910, house, all