Transcript Highlights:

• That's a bill that we did not get to last time because we ran out of time, so we're going to do that
• Members, do you have any questions for staff? The sponsor is not here because he is in Hawaii.
• I will not take a risk to do something if the value is not higher than the risk.
• The other pieces we do not feel are necessary and do impact that balance transfer. Okay.
• We do not feel the language in this bill is necessary in that space. Okay. Thank you.

Bills: HB2107 , HB2588 , HB2946 , HB2950

Committees: House Rural Economic Development , House House Rural Economic Development Committee of Reference

Keywords: SNAP, nutrition assistance, fast food, vitamins, waiver, food policy, municipal planning, homeowner association, building permits, single-family home, property rights, design standards, development fees, municipalities, infrastructure, public services, annual reporting, property development, tourism improvement area, TIA

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm not going to call out names. We're not going to do that. Y'all organize your stuff.
• Madam Chair, I'd move a do not pass on Senate Bill 151, and I'd move a do pass for discussion purposes
• And all of us have been in those meetings where it's not been fun, so we're not doing that.
• These costs do not disappear.
• Increasing costs over factors businesses do not control.

Summary: The committee first took up the proposed 2026 tax package, Senate Bill 151, and adopted a committee substitute after discussion of the package’s funding capacity and included measures. The substitute bundled five bills: a physician tax credit, a quantum facility infrastructure tax credit, a construction materials gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing, a local journalist employment tax credit, and a health equipment gross receipts deduction. Members discussed amendments that raised the physician credit from $4,000 to $10,000, narrowed the housing deduction to project-based certification, and reduced the journalist credit threshold from four stories to three. Concerns were raised about the fiscal impact on municipalities, especially Albuquerque, and about the funding mechanism, but the committee voted 6-4 to give the substitute a do pass recommendation. Senator Sanchez explained his vote, saying he wished more could have been included in the package. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets and direct the Environment Department and Environmental Improvement Board to develop plans and rules for emissions reductions. The sponsors said the bill builds on the governor’s 2019 executive order, includes a 10,000-metric-ton threshold for covered emitters, allows certified offsets, and is intended to protect public health, reduce climate-related costs, and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters argued the bill would help communities facing wildfire, drought, health harms, and rising insurance and utility costs, and that it would encourage clean-energy investment and long-term economic stability. Opposition testimony came from mining, oil and gas, rural electric cooperatives, construction, agriculture, auto dealers, chambers of commerce, banks, water recycling companies, and realtors. They argued the bill functions like a carbon tax or broad regulatory mandate, would raise energy and compliance costs, could reduce investment and jobs, and would disproportionately affect rural, tribal, agricultural, and low-income communities. Several witnesses warned of higher electricity and fuel bills, revenue losses for local governments, and uncertainty from delegating major policy decisions to rulemaking. Supporters included public health advocates, educators, local officials, clean-energy businesses, tribal and environmental advocates, and residents affected by wildfire and drought, who said the bill is necessary to address climate harms and protect public health and the economy. No final committee vote on SB 18 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:37.160><c> not</c> not been increased for decades we do not not been increased for decades
• do not offer or private schools usually do not offer or maybe<00:40:04.319><c> no</c><00:40:04.599><
• Paying for it is not something you have to do when revenues are limited.
• Paying for it is not something you have to do when revenues are limited.
• We cannot afford not to do that.

Summary: The House Finance Committee opened a public hearing on House Bills 1 and 2, which concern the governor’s proposed FY 2026-2027 budget. The chair explained that the committee must fit the budget to House Ways and Means revenue, which is about $800 million below the governor’s estimate in an almost $16 billion budget. He also noted a projected current-budget overspend, the impact of recently passed legislation, possible fee updates, no new tax proposals at that time, and the importance of federal funding and Medicaid stability. Testimony was limited to three minutes, with the chair asking speakers to avoid duplication. Much of the testimony focused on Medicaid, disability services, and home- and community-based care. Speakers urged the committee to restore or protect funding for transportation, Medicaid, day programs, in-home supports, and behavioral health services. Several individuals and providers described how cuts would affect people with disabilities, medically fragile children, and families who rely on services to remain employed and avoid institutional care. A home care provider argued that a proposed 3% Medicaid cut would increase hospitalizations and costs, while a behavioral health representative asked for sustainable Medicaid rates, uncompensated care support, housing resources, and continued funding for community behavioral health clinics. Another major topic was the Group II retirement provisions in HB 2 for public safety workers. Representatives from police, fire, corrections, probation/parole, and related associations testified in support, saying prior pension changes hurt recruitment and retention, pushed experienced workers to neighboring states, and should be reversed to restore promised benefits. They argued the provisions would help keep public safety careers viable and honor commitments made to first responders. An executive counselor also warned that when the state shifts costs away from itself, local property taxpayers bear the burden, and she opposed cost shifts such as Medicaid premiums and universal vouchers. A separate speaker urged funding public schools rather than universal vouchers, arguing vouchers can leave other students behind as resources are diverted.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think it has anything to do with whether or not he wants this bill to pass.
• I do not know, but I can get back to you.
• I'm not trying to do that.
• It's not for all of us to pay for this.
• It's not an authorized use to do a billboard.

Bills: SB1010 , SB1024 , SB1205 , SB1232 , SB1366 , SB1552 , SB1624 , SCM1002 , SCM1006 , SCR1004

Committee: House Transportation & Infrastructure

Keywords: Charlie Kirk, Loop 202, Arizona highways, transportation, renaming, roadable aircraft, registration, vehicle title, license plates, aviation safety, motor vehicle booting, private property, fees, dispute process, regulations, outdoor advertising, military compatibility, zoning, electronic signage, permitting

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s not, though the dollar saving is not that significant.
• It’s not, though the dollar saving is not that significant, I do applaud the Senator for bringing this
• And I’d like to add to that, like the gentleman had said, yes, right now active duty, they do not pay
• Just like what you do.
• It’s just when do they get it. It’s not with them. It’s just when do they get it.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not have to do anything specifically with a vote, but I think Commissioner Gibson is here if anyone
• I do not have that trend in front of me right now.
• </c><00:32:18.480><c> Trend</c><00:32:19.120><c> in</c><00:32:19.279><c> front</c> I I do not have uh
• that Trend in front I I do not have uh that Trend in front of<00:32:19.559><c> me</c><00:32:19.799><
• I do not want to demonize insurance companies and PBMs, but I do want to make sure that the facts are

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 145, sponsored by Sen. David Givens. The bill would update retail installment contract statutes for automobile sales, allowing retailers with installment contracts shorter than 28 days to begin collections after three days instead of waiting for multiple missed payments, and it also harmonizes a related dollar amount in statute from $10 to $15. The committee asked no questions, and the bill received a favorable expression on a roll-call vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 183 from Sen. Matt Nunn, with testimony from Chris Nolan of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. The bill would require proxy advisers acting for the State Retirement System to act solely in the financial interest of current and future retirees and to avoid political or social considerations in shareholder voting recommendations. Supporters argued it would keep politics out of public pensions and align proxy advice with fiduciary duties; members praised the bill and noted Kentucky could be among the first states to adopt such a model. The committee approved the bill with favorable expression after a roll-call vote. The committee also reviewed administrative regulation 808 KAR 9:10 from the Department of Financial Institutions, with no vote required. It then took up House Bill 413, a PBM rebate pass-through bill, with testimony from Sarah Wood of the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition. She said the bill would require 85% of negotiated drug rebates to be passed through to patients at the point of sale, lowering out-of-pocket costs, especially for high-rebate drugs such as insulin, while still allowing 15% to remain with plans. She cited examples from other states and argued the bill would benefit about 650,000 Kentuckians. Hope McClaflin of Anthem opposed the bill, saying it would reduce employers’ ability to use rebates to lower premiums, could disproportionately favor high-cost brand-name drug users, and could create significant costs for state and fully insured plans. Members asked questions about other states’ pass-through rates and the effect on premiums, but no final action on House Bill 413 was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• c> of</c> not even being asked to pay for 50% of not even being asked to pay for 50% of the<01:07:12.400
• The counties do not have the mandates.
• or not do.
• We didn't take care of do or not do.
• And I'm not saying choices to do that.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not, though—I do want to say, it's not like arguing for the government to make cars or produce shoes
• For DWP, we at the PUC do not.
• paying as much into the fixed costs of the grid, as well as from net billing, ...who are not paying
• And the PUC is not doing anything. Fifty-three different things.
• do not disappear.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing focused on electric rates, utility regulation, affordability, wildfire costs, and the California Public Utilities Commission’s role. Chair and members framed the discussion around the challenge of transitioning to a cleaner grid while maintaining reliability and keeping bills affordable. The hearing also served as the annual update from the CPUC and the Public Advocates Office, with testimony from Professor Severin Borenstein and CPUC President-designate Alice Reynolds. Borenstein gave a primer on utility regulation, explaining that generation is largely deregulated while transmission and distribution remain regulated, and that most rate-setting follows cost-of-service regulation. He emphasized that the hardest issue is setting the allowed return on equity: too high can raise bills and encourage capital-heavy spending, while too low can deter investment and harm reliability. He argued there is no silver bullet, said performance-based regulation and price caps have limits, and suggested some costs now charged through electric bills—such as climate programs, low-income subsidies, and wildfire-related public policy costs—might more appropriately be paid through the state budget. Reynolds described the CPUC’s oversight role, saying the commission reviews utility spending through general rate cases, balancing accounts, and other proceedings, and that affordability is addressed through front-end scrutiny, post-spend accountability, and legislative direction. She highlighted wildfire mitigation as a major driver of rate increases, noted recent progress on clean energy procurement and battery storage, and said the CPUC is working on return-on-equity decisions, FERC advocacy on transmission costs, and implementation of SB 254 and other statutes. Members pressed on a range of issues, including wildfire securitization, load growth from EVs and data centers, gas-system stranded assets, balancing accounts, and a water-service dispute in Keene involving Union Pacific. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with several follow-up commitments from the CPUC to provide data and updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• These regulations stipulate not just the work that we do, but also the time frames at which we do them
• The chair joked that he was not going to do that.
• That's not why people are doing this.
• That's not why people are doing this.
• That's not why people are doing this.

Bills: HF3830 , HF3688

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• He said credit unions are tax-exempt, member-owned cooperatives and do not pay federal or state income
• They pay property unions do pay taxes.
• They do not pay... basically what's not loaned out in basically what's not loaned out in deposits<00:
• /c> They do not pay state income taxes.
• They do not pay mortgage recording fee taxes back to the cities and the counties.

Committee: House County and Municipal Government

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm asking you, please do not... I'm asking you, please do not vote for this bill.
• Do not make it harder for my family to live. Do not support this bill. Thank you for being here.
• Do not make it harder for us in Florida. Please do not support this bill.
• I thank you all, and I ask that you do not. Please do not pass this bill. Thank you for being here.
• Do not make it harder for us in Florida. Please do not support this bill.

Summary: The committee took up several bills and confirmations. It reported favorably SB 332, as amended, on a narrow public-meetings/public-records exemption for legal strategy and settlement communications during the pre-suit period in Burt Harris claims; SB 464, requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day; SB 984, clarifying firefighter cancer/death-benefit provisions and related prevention language; SB 576, expanding and codifying the local government cybersecurity protection program under Florida Digital Service; SB 964, revising how certain gifts and honoraria are reported to the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612, requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with exceptions and a delayed effective date; SB 830, creating public-records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096, clarifying the filing deadline for Florida Civil Rights Act complaints; and SB 1656, designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. The committee also considered a large confirmation package. Jeffrey Aaron’s appointment to the Public Employees Relations Commission was discussed separately after Senator Polsky raised concerns about his political connections and prior work; the committee still recommended him favorably. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably in one vote. The longest and most contentious item was SB 1296, with a committee substitute, on the Public Employees Relations Commission and public-sector unions. The PCS would change union certification/recertification rules, require a recent showing-of-interest form, create different voting thresholds for public safety and non-public safety employee organizations, limit paid union leave for non-public safety unions unless reimbursed, require equal access to certain employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for legislatively funded salary increases. Senators raised constitutional concerns, especially about the single-subject rule and collective-bargaining rights, and many speakers opposed the bill as union-busting and harmful to teachers, bus drivers, nurses, utility workers, and other public employees. Supporters argued it would improve accountability, ensure genuine member support, and prevent taxpayer-funded union activity. The committee continued debate on SB 1296 after extensive testimony, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you know? If not, that's an MMB question.
• do I'm not I'm really hard for me to do I'm not I'm just<00:42:52.800><c> saying</c><00:42:53.079><c
• And so if you do this now, which I strongly urge we do not, you can't do any more of that.
• </c> somebody else pay for it but when you do somebody else pay for it but when you do that<01:35:00.119
• can't</c><01:35:07.280><c> do</c><01:35:07.520><c> any</c> strongly urge we do not you can't do any strongly

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• I do. I'm not opposed with the activities or working through the school.
• That is not what this statute was designed to do, so I... ...developers.
• what they're doing, but we're not.
• be doing that I don't think that that's a good that's a good action that they're doing that's not what
• Seeing none, do we have anybody signed in to speak? We do not. Mr.

Committee: House House Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several school-related bills, with much of the discussion focused on governance, transparency, and accountability in school districts. House Bill 2318 would impose term limits on school district governing board members in districts with at least 250 students, while allowing county superintendents to appoint a term-limited member to fill a vacancy. Supporters argued it would bring fresh ideas and prevent entrenched leadership; opponents said voters should decide. The bill received a due pass recommendation after a divided roll call. House Bill 2312 would allow certain patriotic youth groups to address students during school hours and require equal access for those groups in school forums. The sponsor said it was intended to promote programs such as FFA, Scouts, and similar organizations. Some members objected that it would take instructional time and was not truly permissive if access was granted to one group, and the bill nonetheless received a due pass recommendation. House Bill 2320 would require school districts to hire a registered independent municipal advisor before calling a bond election and for each successful bond issue. The sponsor and supporters said this could reduce underwriting fees and save taxpayers money, while some members raised questions about costs if a bond failed and whether the bill should be narrowed; it passed with a due pass recommendation after several members voted present or no. The committee also approved House Bill 2376, which would bar districts from buying or leasing school property while a charter or private school is still operating there, and House Bill 2378, which tightens conflict-of-interest rules for the School Facilities Oversight Board by barring the architect and engineer members from having school-construction business. Both were framed by the sponsor as responses to concerns raised in Tolleson Union-related testimony and reporting. House Bill 2379, as amended, requires school board members to complete biennial training approved by the Auditor General, to be offered by county superintendents or ADE, with counties able to contract with others; supporters called it needed training, while opponents raised concerns about unfunded mandates, inclusion of ASBA, and charter schools. It received a due pass recommendation. Finally, House Bill 2380 would require board and subcommittee meetings to be held in-district, preserve online access to materials, and require public approval of out-of-state travel, with reimbursement if retroactive approval is denied. Rural districts and others raised concerns about flexibility, executive-session confidentiality, and administrative burden, but the bill was discussed with amendments and public access concerns rather than a final recorded action in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about New Hampshire towns, cities, municipalities should not be paying to do ICE work.
• It's about New Hampshire towns, cities, municipalities should not be paying to do ICE work.
• So that's a whole, loosely a whole week that the town is paying for their officers to not do town duties
• So that's a whole, loosely a whole week that the town is paying for their officers to not do town duties
• We're not going to pay that portion of the county tax that has to do with your sheriff's or the jail's

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not agreement about how to do that.
• Not going to do it. &gt;&gt; Go ahead. Not going to do it.
• </c> she supposed to do that but it was not she supposed to do that but it was not easy<04:18:15.600>
• Uh, you know, I do support and I do not support, as long as they are willing to do the hard work, then
• Uh, you know, I do support and I do not<04:56:53.920><c> support.

Committee: House Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• I do not know what all of those contracts are.
• Others do not, but as Ms.
• Our facilities are not equipped to do that work.
• Lastly, Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for this.
• Lastly, Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for this.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2433, which would require insurers offering Medicare supplement policies to also offer them to people under 65 who qualify for Medicare because of ALS or end-stage renal disease, with enrollment periods and premium protections. Supporters, including patient advocates and an ALS patient, said the bill would improve access to needed coverage and transplant-related care and could have only a small premium impact. Opponents, including Blue Cross Blue Shield/AHIP, argued it would shift significant costs onto older seniors and shrink the Medigap risk pool. The bill was ultimately given a do-pass recommendation on a 12-0 vote. House Bill 2593 would appropriate $1.5 million to the University of Arizona for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line. The sponsor and physicians testified that the line helps providers quickly treat pregnant and postpartum patients with depression, psychosis, OCD, and suicide risk, and also supports pediatric mental health care. Supporters said it improves outcomes and reduces emergency and referral costs. The committee approved the bill with a do-pass recommendation by a 10-1 vote, with one member present. The committee also passed House Concurrent Resolution 2013, proclaiming June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month, after emotional testimony from a woman born with spina bifida and another supporter. Several members objected that the state should focus on concrete supports such as health care and family leave, but the resolution still received a 7-5 do-pass recommendation. House Bill 4010, creating a licensing and regulatory board for genetic counselors, also advanced 11-1 after testimony from genetic counselors and a cancer survivor who said licensure would protect patients and improve access. House Bill 2196, addressing pharmacy benefit manager reimbursement and dispensing fees, passed 11-1 despite opposition from PBMs and employers who warned of higher costs; independent pharmacies argued the bill would help them cover costs and stay open. The committee then adopted a strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2182 requiring insurers and health plans to report claims denial and prior authorization data to DIFI, which would publish aggregated information and hold a later stakeholder review. Supporters said Arizona needs state-specific transparency data, while opponents called it redundant to federal CMS reporting; the amended bill passed 12-0. House Bill 2189, directing the Board of Nursing to update rules for licensed health aides and collect annual data, also passed unanimously after the board said it was already working on curriculum and implementation. The committee held House Bill 2813 and 2725, and began discussion of House Bill 2404, as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Every dollar of profit was earned offshore, and they're not paying it.
• How do you respond to that? Well I mean it's a it's a statement by someone I'm not sure who.
• paying to control their air pollution, but that which we do pay.
• , combining packaging in to try to hide what they're doing, so they're not paying duties coming in.
• U.S. companies are paying nearly 40% of this GMT. And it is not fair to U.S. businesses.

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Keywords: Commerce, International Trade, Tax Policy, Nominees, Inflation, Middle-class, Trade Practices, Economic Concerns

Summary: The committee convened to discuss various bills and nominees, including the critical nominations of William Kimmett for Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade and Ken Keyes for Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy at the Treasury Department. Discussions highlighted the nominees' roles in managing critical trade and tax policies amidst rising economic concerns, particularly focusing on inflation and its impact on American families. Members expressed both support and skepticism, emphasizing the significance of fostering fair trade practices and ensuring tax policies that benefit the middle-class amidst claims of an agenda favoring affluent individuals and corporations.

Transcript Highlights:

• But if the community is not willing to do it, we do not believe the tax should be imposed.
• They do not care about hosts. They do not care about guests.
• And they do not care about our communities.
• Our priority should not be the price of what a family pays on vacation.
• I do not do short-term. It's too expensive in taxes.

Summary: The House Finance Committee heard briefings and public testimony on several bills related to local tax authority and exemptions. HB 2559 would let cities and counties impose an additional 4% lodging/short-term rental excise tax starting in 2027, with revenues dedicated to affordable housing programs and up to 15% for administration. Staff explained existing lodging tax limits and estimated substantial local collections, while the prime sponsor and supporters argued it would give local governments a needed tool to address housing shortages caused in part by short-term rentals. Opponents, including short-term rental owners and hosts, said the tax would hurt tourism communities, reduce supplemental income for owners, and should not single out one lodging segment. The hearing on HB 2559 was suspended and later reopened for additional testimony; no vote was taken. The committee also heard HB 2133, which would make permanent the property tax exemption for multipurpose nonprofit senior citizen centers. Staff said the exemption is currently set to expire in 2028 and that the bill would remove it from the automatic 10-year sunset. The sponsor and a veteran/senior center perspective emphasized that the exemption helps keep senior centers open and supports isolated older adults. A question was raised about whether a broader nonprofit community center with senior-focused space would qualify, and staff said they would follow up. The hearing on HB 2133 was then closed. HB 2135 would increase and extend the adaptive housing sales and use tax remittance for disabled veterans, raising the individual lifetime cap from $2,500 to $5,000, increasing the statewide annual cap, and extending the program’s expiration to 2038. Staff said the fiscal impact would be minimal because use is low, and a veterans coalition representative supported the bill as a way to ensure more federal grant dollars go toward home modifications. The hearing on HB 2135 was closed. The committee spent the most time on HB 2442, an eight-part local government tax and fund-flexibility bill. It would expand uses of existing REET revenues, allow cities to adopt an affordable-housing REET under certain conditions, authorize county public utility taxes with a low-income assistance set-aside, create a new local sales tax for children and family services, broaden housing-related sales tax uses, restructure mental health and veterans property tax levies, extend levy lid lift periods, and allow rental car tax revenues to be used for criminal justice purposes. Supporters from counties, cities, housing groups, and some local officials said the bill would provide needed fiscal flexibility and new tools to address housing, public safety, and service demands. Opponents from utilities, realtors, water and sewer districts, wireless carriers, auto dealers, and tax critics argued the bill would raise regressive costs, especially on housing and utility customers, and that some provisions lacked a sufficient nexus to the original taxes. The hearing on HB 2442 was closed after extensive testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not a good investment of state or local dollars to do that.
• So, then they are forced to make a decision: do we keep this program locally or not?
• You're not worried if your 401k is doing well or not doing well because you're guaranteed a benefit for
• Texas does not pay into social security for their teachers, right?
• It's not designed that way, so they didn't pay for it, right?

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not assign salary ranges to unclassified staff.
• The comp ratio figures do not. Only back on that chart. Yeah.
• I do not have a slide on it, but it's in the handout.
• Some agencies do support tuition reimbursement; others do not.
• “Within these particular stats, no, they do not.”

Summary: The Employee Benefits Committee met to approve prior minutes, hear presentations on state employee health insurance, compensation, leave, and related policy issues, and then recess for lunch. PERS reviewed the history and structure of the state health plan, noting the long-standing state-paid family coverage, cost-control measures, wellness incentives, the current grandfathered PPO and high-deductible options, and the effects of recent benefit mandates such as insulin caps, prosthetic coverage, medication management, prescription copay changes, and ambulance balance-billing limits. Committee members questioned the fiscal impact of adding benefits and the possible cost of moving to a non-grandfathered plan, while PERS and HRMS emphasized that health insurance remains the top-ranked employee benefit and that any major plan changes should be considered carefully. HRMS also presented compensation comparisons showing state pay generally below private-market benchmarks, discussed targeted market equity adjustments, identified ongoing recruitment and retention concerns in fields like nursing, IT, engineering, and attorneys, and reviewed leave policies, tuition reimbursement, and family leave comparisons with neighboring states. Job Service provided labor market data showing low unemployment, high labor force participation, and wage growth that still trails some neighboring markets, and OMB explained that prevailing wage requirements apply to federally funded projects under Davis-Bacon, not to ordinary state contracts. After lunch, the committee took up the required process for health insurance mandate bills and adopted an amendment to Joint Rule 211. The amendment clarified that the deadline for submitting mandate measures is intended to allow time for all required reports, including both the cost-benefit analysis and any Employee Benefits Committee actuarial report, while leaving the existing deadline unchanged. The amendment was adopted on a roll call vote, with several members voting yes and a few no votes recorded. The committee then moved into its jurisdiction review of bill drafts, beginning with a bill that would automatically renew pre-tax dental and vision elections; members debated whether it had any actuarial or administrative impact on PERS or the state, and the chair explained that the committee’s role was only to decide whether further analysis was needed before later testimony and recommendations.