Transcript Highlights:

• the issues is that we are on the border here, with Texas just across the river, or right across the road
• You saw the roads we have here.
• Moreover, the improvement of the road at the junction of Escasas Grandes Highway to the international
• You know, Kairos is up the road outside of Albuquerque.
• level of investment in the citizens of Las Cruces, the infrastructure in Las Cruces, from water to roads

Transcript Highlights:

• We actually feel very responsible, and not only do that, but we also do road cleanups.
• We get help from our local county sheriff to enact both the road closures and enforce them.
• We're using the road closures as a way to keep the population away from the end of the road, which is
• End of a road, Highway 4. I've been there.
• I don't know if it's a county road or a state road. Like, who else owns the property?

Bills: HB1320, HB2012, HB2293, HB2655, HB3174, HB4108, HB4661, HB4799, HB5534, HB5580

Keywords: transportation, infrastructure, funding, state budget, public safety, child welfare, county boards, membership, local governance, public welfare, government service, social services, Texas Family Code, regulation, vendors, solicitors, roadside sales, county authority, Sweeny Hospital District, board of directors

Transcript Highlights:

• , resources they need for schools, roads, resources they need for schools, roads, and<02:16:59.120
• And this past maintain their roads.
• But today, thanks to endless roads.
• , counties to fund their schools, roads, counties to fund their schools, roads, and<02:39:01.439>
• schools staffed, keeps roads maintained. schools staffed, keeps roads maintained.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Not always when you break down on the road or have a flat tire do you need to be, um, a tow truck to
• Sometimes the repairs can be effectively and more efficiently done on the side of the road, but what
• Not always when you break down on the road or have a flat tire do you need to be, um, a tow truck to
• Sometimes the repairs can be effectively and more efficiently done on the side of the road, but what
• Not always when you break down on the road or have a flat tire do you need to be, um, a tow truck to

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Typically, the road authority is responsible for the installation of the signals and things, and then
• > if<00:20:23.000> they're<00:20:23.240> not<00:20:24.039> very over busy roads
• even if they're not very over busy roads even if they're not very high<00:20:24.520> up<00:20
• <01:01:37.000> extensions<01:01:37.720> Etc<01:01:38.520> to extensions Road
• essentially to um uh the connecting road essentially to um uh the connecting road that<01:05:55.680

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Matt Road. Matt Road. >> Senator<00:57:09.520> Bright. >> Senator Bright.
• The accident at County Road 90 and Colorado Highway 14 was a profound tragedy that shook our state.
• This resolution officially... 90 and Colorado Highway uh Road 14 was a 90 and Colorado Highway uh Road
• , taxpayer dollars each year in roads, taxpayer dollars each year in roads, bridges,<04:46:36.958
• companies, our road building companies. companies, our road building companies. um<04:48:47.840>

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate came to order, established a quorum, and approved the journal. It then took up several introductions and resolutions, including House Bill 1139 on artificial intelligence in healthcare and House Bill 1263 on requirements for conversational AI services, both referred to the Business, Labor, and Technology Committee. The chamber also moved out of order to consider resolutions and adopted Senate Joint Resolution 25, recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Colorado Mining Association and its role in Colorado’s history and economy. The resolution passed 34-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. The Senate also adopted House Joint Resolution 1030, designating a portion of Colorado Highway 14 in Weld County as Mono and Matt Road in memory of Eduardo Mono Hernandez and Matthew Garcia. Supporters described the resolution as a tribute to the two Greeley Central High School student-athletes and to the community’s response after their 2014 deaths. The resolution passed 34-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. Later, the Senate considered a gubernatorial appointment to the Transportation Commission: Juan Marano of Aurora, to represent the Third Transportation District. The appointment was confirmed on a 19-16 vote. The chamber then took up the third-reading consent calendar and passed House Bill 1235 on medical assistance updates, House Bill 1299 on reducing regulatory burdens on local education providers, and Senate Bill 175 on workers’ compensation experience modification factors. House Bill 1235 passed 31-4, House Bill 1299 passed 35-0, and Senate Bill 175 passed without recorded opposition. On final passage, the Senate adopted a technical third-reading amendment to House Bill 113 on election law changes, then passed the bill 23-12 after debate over election-related vulnerabilities. It also passed House Bill 1346, allowing the Department of the Treasury to sell unsold insurance premium tax credits to non-insurance entities, by 23-12; House Bill 1252, updating state entities responsible for emergency response, by 33-2; House Bill 1010, increasing support for older adults in the workforce, by 23-12; and Senate Bill 177, concerning limited access to adjoining property for repairs, after extended debate in which Senator Kirkmeyer argued the measure infringed on private property rights and should be rejected.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those developers can apply for a loan from you to get that 0% and start moving houses down the road.
• We're five to ten years down the road before that thing can be built.
• Let's pull Secretary Sarnan in here and let's go through the whole process of how you build a road.
• Let me pull. how you build a road. Let me pull the PRC in here.
• And then you have troubles down the road.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The guy's house he was in was at that dead end of that little road.
• He can see every car coming and road.
• worried about some of those side roads. worried about some of those side roads.
• <00:35:26.720> Um four somewhere down the road, right?
• Um four somewhere down the road, right?

Keywords: Reuploaded to restore a few minutes lost at the end of the meeting Representative Tackett-Lafferty: 00:22 • Line of Duty Disability Benefits Representative Grossberg: 26:32 • Loss of TRS Credit Due to Religious Holiday Observance Representative Blanton: 32:01 • Educational Contracts and Membership Dates in KERS Representative Tipton and Representative Blanton: 40:55 • Apply SB 10 Changes from 2025 to KERS/SPRS Senator Higdon: 46:08 • PPOB Reporting on Line of Duty Benefits • TRS Annual Leave Impact on TRS • PPOB Membership • Use of Sick Leave for Religious Holidays Adjournment: 56:03, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty on a bill to extend minimum line-of-duty hazardous duty retirement benefits to certain CERS and KERS non-hazardous members who are injured in the line of duty and cannot return to that work. She used a video and examples from Eastern Kentucky first responders, including a deputy who lost a leg and an emergency management director who lost an eye, to argue that some injured officers and responders fall through the cracks because their employers did not elect hazardous-duty coverage. She said the proposal would provide 25% of pay to the disabled officer, plus 10% for dependent children and minimal health benefits, and noted estimated actuarial costs of about $2.9 million for CERS and $0.542 million for KERS, funded through small employer-rate increases. Members asked how far back the bill would reach, how many people might qualify, and whether the benefit would apply only to active employees or also to past injuries. Laferty said the bill would include a five-year window for recent situations and could potentially cover a total of 3,333 positions statewide that could be certified as hazardous, though benefits would only apply if the person was injured in the line of duty and disabled from returning to that work. Questions also focused on whether a non-hazardous employee could qualify if injured in a hazardous situation; Laferty said yes, if the position could be certified as hazardous, but only for the bill’s minimum benefits. Rep. Josh Calloway and others noted that local governments choose whether to pay the higher hazardous-duty contribution rates, which they said often drives the coverage decision. The committee then heard Rep. Daniel Gberg present a separate bill revising school leave rules so teachers and school employees may use accumulated sick leave to observe religious holidays not on the school calendar, with a required personal statement and advance notice. He said the change would address a longstanding inconsistency for teachers who observe non-Christian holidays and currently may have to choose between unpaid leave or improperly using sick days, and he said prior concerns about retirement service credit and maternity leave were reduced by other policy changes. The discussion ended without a vote, with members indicating they had the relevant materials and that the bill would be revisited later.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to look down the road.
• We have to look down the road.
• We have to look down the road.
• We have to look down the road.
• We have to look down the road.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• called Park Road 4.
• There are no quarries on Park Road 4. It's truly distinct from Fairland if you know the area.
• It would be a travesty to turn Park Road 4 into Fairland. A little more data.
• The, the roads were given our private easements.
• For those of you know, Spanish, the, the biggest one, the main road is called Salsi puedes.

Bills: HB 1520, HB 1525, HB 1530, HB 1535, HB 2068, HB 2091, HB 2347, HB 2372, HB 2805, HB 2815, HB 2867, HB 3154, HB 3482, HB 3483, HB 3663, HB 3781, HB 3901, HB 3915, HB 4135, HB 4153, HB 4158, HB 4329, HB 4331

Keywords: Angelina and Neches River Authority, river authority, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Sunset Act, Special District Local Laws Code, local government, natural resources, board of directors, director training, board governance, public testimony, open meetings, public information, conflict of interest, ethics, complaint system, general manager, board president, staggered terms, removal of director

Transcript Highlights:

• We heard testimony this morning about a farmer across the road.
• Um, and I will say as a one road salt.
• <04:00:24.399> and costs to our vehicles and to roads and costs to our vehicles and to roads
• that's being caused by too much road that's being caused by too much road salt.<05:04:06.400>
• We are voting on House Bill 1810 FN, relative to a road salt fee to support certified winter road maintenance

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• would ask everybody in this body to do to think about is, we're going to go—this is a fork in the road
• This is a fork in the road.
• And depending on which fork in the road we go down, we're going to be in a moment where veterans and
• And that's the road that we may go down if we don't strengthen our rainy day fund.
• But as any of us who drive on California's freeways and roads frequently know, accidents happen.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The road where I live daily is also a testament to what I go through to survive and take care of my family
• and one of the young tall guys told me, I'm tall, guys, six-something, and he wanted to go to the road
• And he want to go to the road. I tell my friends, sit from or mid, you're going to be happy.
• This bill is nothing more than a strategic diversion designed to kick the can down the road for over
• We have areas of Pine Potts Road and Hadley, Cemetery Road in Hadley, and a couple of our outliers who

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy opened its hearing with testimony on several broadband, towing, and rideshare-related bills. The first major issue was H. 3470/S. 2259, which would add data privacy and integrity protections for transportation network driver information. Rideshare drivers and labor advocates strongly opposed the bill, saying it would delay implementation of Question 3, which Massachusetts voters approved to give rideshare drivers a path to unionize. Drivers described low pay, deactivations, harassment, safety risks, and the need for a union to negotiate fairer working conditions. Legal and labor experts testified that the bill was largely duplicative of existing law and regulations and would unnecessarily postpone drivers’ organizing rights. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee also heard extensive testimony on broadband affordability and access bills, including S. 2318/H. 3527 and related measures. Supporters, including legislators, digital equity advocates, senior advocates, and service providers, said low-income households need a permanent affordable broadband option after the federal Affordable Connectivity Program ended. They argued that internet access is now essential for jobs, school, health care, housing, and daily life, and supported a flat-rate low-income plan around $15 per month with protections such as no installation fees or termination fees. Opponents from cable and wireless industry groups argued the bills would impose artificial price mandates, discourage investment, and reduce consumer choice, noting that providers already offer discounted programs. The committee also heard support for broadband deployment and pole-attachment streamlining bills, with providers and municipal broadband advocates saying permitting delays and pole access bottlenecks slow expansion and raise costs. Additional testimony covered H. 3566, which would exempt municipal broadband projects from surety bond requirements, and towing-related bills including S. 2235, H. 3507, H. 3516, and H. 3482. Insurance and anti-fraud witnesses supported stronger towing protections, saying some towers charge excessive fees and hold vehicles hostage, while one witness urged broader consumer safeguards. The hearing ended after the chairs shortened testimony to fit the room schedule, asked for final comments on remaining bills, and then adjourned by motion and voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's roads, bridges, wastewater, the things that Minnesotans depend on in our communities.
• That's<00:05:08.560> roads,<00:05:09.400> bridges,<00:05:10.120> wastewater,<00:
• 05:10.840> the That's roads, bridges, wastewater, the That's roads, bridges, wastewater, the things
• But the $12 amount can't cut that, he says, because roads cost a certain amount to fix.
• and our bridges, both in our townships and our counties, and then some of the main roads also.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House Republican leaders in Minnesota gave a post-session recap focused on what they described as major accomplishments in a tied legislature. They highlighted passage of the Office of Inspector General bill to combat fraud, along with tax and fee relief measures including $125 million in property tax relief and $250 million in car tab reductions. They also pointed to funding for hospitals and uncompensated care, county IT modernization, school safety and mental health programs, public official safety at the Capitol and judicial branch, and a $1.2 billion bonding bill for infrastructure. Leaders repeatedly contrasted this session with the prior Democratic trifecta, arguing Republicans blocked new tax increases and helped make government more accountable and affordable. They said the OIG bill had been a top priority, had previously been blocked in the House, and was now signed into law. On health care, they said the final package included support for hospitals and denied that discussions about 340B involved pharmaceutical companies, saying offers on that issue were rejected by House Democrats. In response to questions, leaders said the tie forced public negotiation and that Minnesotans were the real winners because lawmakers worked together. They also defended the lack of final floor votes on gun-related proposals, saying those measures had been voted on multiple times in committee and on the floor but did not have the votes to pass. On transparency, they said the process was as open as possible and that bonding projects had been heard in committee and reviewed by the bonding team before inclusion.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's a danger to Mississippians on the road. >> Correct. >> It is. Yes, ma'am.
• And that's a danger to Mississippians on the road. >> Correct. >> It is. Yes, ma'am.
• was no way we could prosecute for the death, even though he was obviously on the wrong side of the road
• <00:29:17.120> and being on the wrong side of the road and being on the wrong side of the
• road and driving<00:29:17.600> negligent<00:29:18.240> obviously<00:29:19.600> um

Keywords: Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 2 February, 2026; 4:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up a series of criminal justice and public safety bills. Early discussion focused on immigration-related concerns and the costs of enforcement, with one senator pressing for data to support claims about crimes by undocumented immigrants and another citing specific cases and DPS removals of drivers with falsified CDLs. The committee also heard a bill requiring the sex marker on a driver’s license to match sex at birth; the sponsor said it was the same measure passed by the committee the prior year, and it received a title sufficient/do pass recommendation. Several bills addressed corrections and court procedures. One bill clarified that people in intervention court are subject to the sentencing judge’s sanctions and are not entitled to a separate technical-violation hearing like probationers or parolees; the sponsor said it would reduce, not increase, leniency, and the committee passed it. Another bill extended the statute of limitations for felonious assistance program fraud from five to ten years, citing the TANF fraud case and the need for more time to detect abuse in executive agency programs; it also passed. The committee then approved a bill allowing judges, after a hearing and specific findings, to order firearms removed in domestic violence cases and protective-order proceedings when the weapons pose a credible threat. The committee also advanced a bill increasing penalties for witness tampering, with the sponsor saying prosecutors wanted a stronger tool because defendants were sometimes willing to accept the current five-year penalty rather than face the underlying offense. Members discussed whether the bill covered intimidation versus tampering and whether the penalty should be tied to the underlying crime; a motion to reconsider/adjust the bill was adopted, and the bill ultimately received a do pass recommendation. Another measure increased fines for handheld mobile device violations while driving, especially in school and work zones, and members discussed whether the bill should be stronger and how any collected fines would be used; it passed. Finally, the committee approved a bill requiring reporting of certain convictions and adjudications to the Child Protective Services central registry, and ended by passing a bill increasing the fine for failing to use a screen on loads that can spill from vehicles and damage windshields, with members noting the fine had not been updated since 1974.

Transcript Highlights:

• of iron cannon and other armaments by boat and horsedrawn sledge over poor-quality or non-existent roads
• two semifrozen rivers non-existent roads two semifrozen rivers forest<00:35:49.440> swamps<00
• The massive weight of all the cannon would have been impossible to pull over muddy roads.
• The massive weight of all the cannon would have been impossible to pull over muddy roads.
• The massive weight of all the cannon would have been impossible to pull over muddy roads.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional reading, then proceeded to first readings and committee referrals for six bills: H.841 on miscellaneous animal welfare procedures, H.842 creating a commission on public school employee health benefits, H.843 on monitoring municipal wastewater discharges, H.844 on sales tax and a surcharge related to short-term rental and second-home properties, H.845 on an income tax deduction for snow tires, and H.846 on artificial intelligence and elections. H.611, a bill with an appropriation affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access, was also referred to Appropriations under House Rule 35A. The chamber also read HCR 175, a concurrent resolution honoring the life of J. Stannard Baker of Shelburne, highlighting his role in Baker v. State, his work in mental health and the Episcopal Church, and his death in June 2025. During announcements, members welcomed guests including Baker’s husband and sister, representatives of the Vermont Access Network, a devotional speaker, Human Rights Commission participants, and students from rural community schools visiting for Rural Schools Day. The House also heard remarks about the Human Rights Commission’s upcoming press conference and a caucus meeting on state permit reform. Later, the member from Georgia gave a lengthy historical reflection on Henry Knox and the Fort Ticonderoga cannon expedition, followed by a correction from the member from Stow noting that teams of oxen pulled most of the cannon. On the floor, the House considered H.648, the Department of Financial Regulation’s annual housekeeping bill on banking, insurance, and securities. Representative Olsen offered an amendment clarifying section 48 on federally exempt securities and state notice filings; the amendment was adopted by voice vote, and the bill then passed. The House then took up H.790, the fiscal year 2026 budget adjustment bill. Representative Shai offered an amendment reallocating $45,000 in HIV/AIDS funding among Vermont CARES, the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont, and the HIV/HCV Resource Center; that amendment was also adopted. The bill passed on a roll call vote, 133-0, and the House suspended rules to message its action to the Senate forthwith. The session ended with a motion to adjourn until Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., which was put to the body.

Transcript Highlights:

• would have to pay $4,200 a year to the state of California just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads
• . ...just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads. $4,200, and that's after their income taxes.
• .research-driven process to evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and inevitable trade-offs of a road
• Today, drivers using the same roads often pay very different amounts for that use.
• the committee will convene an additional informational hearing specifically focused on California's road

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, offered a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, and then took up a long third-reading file with several guest introductions and ceremonial resolutions. Early floor action included AB 713, allowing undocumented students equal access to campus jobs at UC, CSU, and community colleges, and AB 1049, streamlining California Food Assistance Program applications for low-income immigrant families; both passed. The body also defeated an amendment to AB 1421, a bill to begin studying a statewide mileage-based road user charge, before passing the measure. AB 1171, modernizing part-time community college faculty health insurance access, also passed with strong support. The Assembly then approved a series of policy bills on animals, domestic violence, telehealth for autism services, forestry, false lien filings, tianeptine restrictions, housing, common interest development fee transparency, prison sexual abuse accountability, PBM reporting, foster youth benefits protections, illegal dumping and abandoned RV removal, condo financing/liquidated damages, public contracting, pension-related study language, climate resiliency research funding, and a disposable vape reduction measure. Most passed with broad margins; AB 762 on vapor inhalation devices drew the most debate, with supporters emphasizing landfill fires and public health and opponents warning about revenue losses and illicit-market growth, but it still passed. AB 1406 on condo development financing drew extensive discussion about housing affordability and consumer protections before passing. The chamber also adopted three resolutions: ACR 120 declaring January 2026 Positive Parenting Awareness Month, ACR 121 designating January 2026 National Mentoring Month, and ACR 122 designating Anesthesiologist Week. Later, the Assembly concurred in Senate amendments on AB 1485, extending welfare-tax exemption treatment to federally recognized tribes holding land for conservation, and adopted the consent calendar, which included several additional bills and SCR 6. The session ended with adjournment until February 2, 2016, after which several members recorded vote changes from the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I understand there's a road with a couple of arroyos that's got to go out there.
• Chairman, Senator, we are continuing to work on road funding to ensure that we are able to get the road
• That road, it's a two-mile stretch. Is that correct?
• stretch, I believe, is around, because there is some arroyos and other things, but there is a dirt road
• where... ...would be not as hard to do as the Paseo del Volcán area, where we don't have a full dirt road

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So before it gets way too far down the road, let's do something about it.
• So before it gets way too far down the road, let's do something about it.
• We build roads at night.
• We build roads at night.
• hits. ...of clawbacks down the road by preparing before a disaster ever hits.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from Major General James Hartzell of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs on the agency’s outreach, benefits assistance, and state veterans nursing homes. He highlighted Florida’s large and growing veteran population, the decline in World War II and Vietnam-era veterans, and the increase in post-9/11 veterans moving to the state. Hartzell discussed the state veterans nursing home system, including a new Collier County facility that will include skilled nursing, assisted living, adult day health care, and outpatient therapy, and he said the department is also studying future adult day health care expansion and possible additional homes in underserved areas. He also reported on the dental program funded by the Legislature, saying 245 veterans were served in the first quarter of the fiscal year, with 1,631 procedures completed and more than $525,000 in savings, and he credited the added state veterans service officer positions with helping connect more veterans to benefits. Hartzell also noted a 13% year-over-year reduction in homeless veterans, emphasized mental health outreach through SaveFLVets.org and the Overwatch program, and announced a new deputy executive director, retired Colonel D.J. Reyes. Members asked about the need for additional veterans homes in South Florida, the criteria used to site new homes, the homeless veteran reduction, and whether adult day health care could be added at existing facilities. Hartzell explained that federal criteria focus on the availability of private skilled nursing beds for veterans 65 and older, and that adult day health care is state-funded and being studied for broader deployment. He also said the department tracks where homeless veterans are concentrated and works with local partners and organizations like Tunnels to Towers to provide housing and services that reduce recidivism. The committee also discussed Florida’s national reputation for veteran support, including Veterans Month and the state’s culture of veteran awareness. The committee then received a presentation from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on disaster response, recovery, and technology systems. Guthrie described the State Emergency Response Team, the new Florida Central Operations and Coordination Office in Auburndale, and the new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, which is expected to be fully operational by spring 2026 and will significantly expand capacity and hardening. He reviewed recovery efforts for Hurricanes Helene, Milton, Debbie, Idalia, Ian, Irma, Michael, Dorian, Sally, Nicole, and others, including sheltering, travel trailers, debris removal, and FEMA reimbursement totals. Guthrie said Florida removed more than 31.6 million cubic yards of debris from Helene and Milton in 90 days on a 24/7 basis, and he described Elevate Florida, the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation (FROC), the DEMES platform, and WebEOC as tools to streamline recovery, mitigation, and intergovernmental coordination. Members asked about flood-response resources for cities, the state’s use of pumps and mutual aid, and lessons learned from inland flooding after Milton. Guthrie said local governments should first use county and city mutual aid, then request state assistance when needed, and he encouraged more partnerships for staging and maintaining flood equipment. He also said future flood mitigation must address outdated development patterns, watershed flow, and the need for better drainage planning, while continuing temporary fixes and homeowner assistance programs. The committee ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Right, we want to make sure that my wife and children drive on the road and then a car gets hit, that
• Because I got to make sure that if I got a family of four that's killed on the road, and it turns out
• Right, we want to make sure that my wife and children drive on the road and then a car gets hit, that
• Because I got to make sure that if I got a family of four that's killed on the road, and it turns out
• Right, we want to make sure that my wife and children drive on the road and then a car gets hit, that

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:06 SB24 Discussion: 01:08 SB24 Vote: 13:22 SB18 Discussion: 14:40 SB18 Vote: 21:54, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 24, a measure aimed at combating property and casualty insurance fraud. Senator Girdler and witnesses from the Insurance Institute of Kentucky and the National Insurance Crime Bureau said the bill would expand the definition of a fraudulent insurance act to cover statements that misrepresent the scope of property damage or repair costs, with the goal of addressing inflated storm-damage claims and out-of-state bad actors. Members discussed whether existing prosecutors were already handling these cases, the role of Commonwealth’s attorneys versus the Attorney General, and the need to keep the bill narrowly tailored to criminal intent rather than negligence or ordinary disputes over value. The committee substitute was adopted, the bill received favorable expression, and a title amendment was also adopted. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, which would address a shortage of insurance options for automobile dealers by allowing nonadmitted carriers to provide garage liability coverage in Kentucky. Testimony from an insurance agent and a legislative agent for Big I Kentucky described a shrinking market in which some small dealers cannot find coverage at all, risking closure. Members asked about the meaning of garage liability, consumer protections, solvency concerns, and whether more competition could lower prices; witnesses said surplus lines carriers already operate in Kentucky, agents play an important vetting role, and errors-and-omissions coverage would apply to the agent. The bill was supported as a way to preserve dealer businesses and expand coverage options, and it passed the committee with favorable expression after roll call.