Transcript Highlights:

• The question is who pays for this one.
• Yes, we want everybody to pay in rates.
• And the question is, who pays for those costs?
• Instead, we’re talking about who pays.
• Right now, I pay for two homes; I pay for two lots. I'm sorry.

Summary: The committee first heard SB 804, the Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act, from Senator Arreguín. He said the bill would designate the State Fire Marshal as the safety regulator for intrastate hydrogen pipelines and require hydrogen-specific standards, while not mandating any pipeline construction or bypassing environmental review. Supporters included labor groups, utility employees, and the City of Burbank, while Air Products opposed unless amended, citing concerns about the bill’s specificity, fee structure, and the need for a hydrogen-specific rulemaking process. The committee discussed safety, fees, and regulatory certainty, and later passed SB 804 on a 9-0 vote to Emergency Management with commitment to take amendments. The committee then took up SB 905 by Senator Becker, aimed at reducing electricity rates by changing utility incentives. The bill would tie part of executive compensation to keeping rates below inflation, require more performance metrics, and allow the CPUC to consider lower returns on equity for certain lower-risk investments and alternative financing options. Support came from consumer, environmental, agricultural, and large energy user groups, while Southern California Edison, CalChamber, PG&E, and utility labor groups raised concerns that the bill could reduce investment, create regulatory uncertainty, and raise borrowing costs. After extensive discussion about utility affordability, wildfire costs, and capital markets, the committee passed SB 905 on a 7-1 vote to Appropriations. SB 913, also by Senator Becker, would create a clearer pathway for distributed energy resources such as batteries and smart thermostats to participate in the resource adequacy market and compete with utility-scale resources. Supporters said the bill would better use existing grid capacity, lower costs, and build on the state’s Demand Side Grid Support Program; PG&E opposed unless amended, saying the use case was not yet proven and was already being addressed in other rulemakings. After the committee accepted amendments, one opposition group moved to neutral and another said it might do so after reviewing the changes. The bill passed 8-0 to Appropriations and was placed on call. Several other measures were heard and advanced, including SB 1196 on faster utility hookups for small energization projects such as ADUs and EV chargers, SB 931 reauthorizing the Diablo Canyon Essential Services Mitigation Fund through 2028, SB 1158 reducing the frequency of joint reliability assessments from quarterly to twice yearly, and SB 1245 directing further study of California’s gasoline market and potential use of non-CARBOB fuel during supply disruptions. SB 1196 and SB 931 both passed with broad support and no opposition after amendments, SB 1158 passed without testimony, and SB 1245 drew strong support from consumer and environmental advocates but opposition from fuel industry and business groups concerned about costs, confidentiality, and fuel standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh whether it's has to pay those costs.
• drought. uh but you'll see the severe drought. uh but you'll see the severe storms<00:09:53.440>
• policy is going to pay out the $15,000. policy is going to pay out the $15,000.
• if our deductible is $1,000, we'd pay if our deductible is $1,000, we'd pay $9,000<00:58:30.640>
• When owners cannot pay these them.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• who will cover several topics.
• We are modernizing several. mission-critical applications including TIERS.
• We wouldn't be able to pay providers.
• In the state, and some of it's for pay, some of it's for other reasons.
• the child placing agency who pays the families.

Bills: HB150, HB869, HB876, HB 1043, HB1494, HB1522, HB150

Keywords: cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, information technology, classification officer, job descriptions, state positions, competency-based, information sharing, government efficiency, public sector, private sector, distributed ledger, title registry, real estate, property liens, pilot program, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• discuss this bill over the past several discuss this bill over the past several years<00:04:55.720
• <00:14:38.920> model pays model pays model now<00:14:41.120> this<00:14:41.240> is
• > no being asked to pay even more with no being asked to pay even more with no Assurance<00:15
• <00:19:05.480> for the state to pay for the state to pay for it<00:19:07.480> um My
• This makes polluters pay.

Bills: HF363, HF2155, HF1524, HF821, HF1677, HF1292

Keywords: HF363, property tax credit, agricultural water quality credit, Minnesota agricultural water quality certification program, clean water fund, class 2a, class 2b, certified acres, conservation incentive, water quality, agricultural property, county assessor, county auditor, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture, property tax reimbursement, school district reimbursement, legacy finance, taxes committee, southeastern Minnesota

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:07.239> of involved in them as well uh several of involved in them as well uh several
• <00:03:42.799> departments researched around several departments researched around several
• because of that uh there's been several because of that uh there's been several other<00:19:16.200
• <00:20:21.080> digital have personally several digital have personally several digital descriptions
• <00:34:26.200> a because they're not paying a because they're not paying a subscription<00

Keywords: Reuploaded to restore the end of the meeting Meeting Start 00:01 Roll Call 00:05 HB 131 discussion 01:55 HB 131 vote 05:08 HB 256 discussion 07:09 HB 256 vote 08:58 HB 290 discussion 10:59 HB 290 vote 13:25 HB 368 discussion 15:11 HB 368 vote 31:30 Adjournment 36:27, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered four bills. House Bill 131, sponsored by Representative Meredith, was amended with a committee substitute and would allow former second class city fire departments more scheduling flexibility, including hybrid shift patterns, while preserving existing collective bargaining agreements. There was no opposition or questions, and the committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill favorably by voice/roll call vote. House Bill 256, sponsored by Chairman Flannery, would impose a 40-year statutory limit on root-of-title interests to clear dormant title issues and improve marketable title, while excluding coal and mineral interests. A committee substitute was adopted, and the bill passed favorably on a unanimous roll call. House Bill 290, sponsored by Representative Wilson, would update county law library funding/use rules to allow more modern expenditures such as online legal services; Representative Willner supported it as a useful modernization, and the bill also passed favorably on a unanimous roll call. House Bill 368, sponsored by Representative Decker, would expand local governments’ ability to use online public notice alternatives instead of relying solely on newspaper publication in smaller counties. Supporters from local government groups argued the change would save money, improve efficiency, and still keep the public informed, while the Kentucky Press Association cautioned that website standards should be addressed and noted concerns about losing newspaper notice revenue. After discussion, the committee passed the bill favorably by roll call vote. At the end of the meeting, members recorded additional yes votes for HB 131, HB 256, and HB 290, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It pays 42% of our property taxes in the city of Red Wing.
• I've been in the facility of several times.
• There's several, not on an exclusive list.
• Fuel recycling facility in the last several decades.
• The benefits of recycling are several.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• I couldn't pay for a decent car. I couldn't do anything on retirement.
• And I'm still paying retirement, even though I will never see that money.
• I'm still paying retirement because I'm working full time.
• pay up to 40% of their premium.
• We also have several mental health programs available. Thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• I pay it. And all I'm suggesting is that this doesn't work.
• They go, okay, we'll pay it. Sure. You know, and we're not talking.
• It's until you pay all of it, not the original one. You've got to pay all of it.
• We've been there several times before and had no issues.
• They need to pay. House HCR 40.

Bills: HB1455, HB1777, HB2101, HB2136, HB2609, HB3142, HB3552, HB3846, HB4155, HB4514, HB4879, HB4995, HB5014, HB5139, HB5228, HB5436, HCR40

Keywords: mental health, jail diversion, law enforcement, reporting requirements, criminal justice, data collection, criminal justice reform, intellectual disability, mental illness, data reporting, public safety, reporting, substance abuse, sex offender, driver's license, identification, gunshot detection, unreported gunshots, municipal police, crime investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• Heinz Strader: So it's for several reasons.
• Heinz: We've had several town halls.
• And that's a big tax bill on us for several, several years.
• Brian Lloyd: Third, this question of who pays, how they pay and when they pay is, I think, the most critical
• We want to pay for the upgrades that we cause.

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs convened to discuss data centers and their impact on Texas's energy infrastructure. The meeting featured testimony from key representatives of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and ERCOT, who outlined the evolving landscape of energy generation and the challenges posed by the rapid growth of data centers. Notably, ERCOT reported over 450,000 MW of generation resources planned for connection, with a significant portion attributed to data centers, which now represent around 87% of new large load interconnection requests. The committee explored proposed changes to the interconnection process, including a new 'batch study' approach aimed at streamlining the approval of multiple projects simultaneously. This change is intended to address the challenges of managing numerous simultaneous requests and to provide more certainty for developers regarding their energy needs. Testimonies emphasized the importance of ensuring that the costs of infrastructure upgrades are borne by the data centers rather than residential ratepayers, with discussions around the financial commitments required from developers. Several data center developers also provided testimony, highlighting the economic benefits of their projects, including job creation and increased local revenues. They expressed concerns about the potential for a moratorium on future growth due to the new interconnection rules and emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to address water usage and environmental impacts. The committee plans to continue discussions on these topics in future hearings, with a focus on balancing economic growth with energy reliability and resource management.

Transcript Highlights:

• How do you pay for those labor contracts?
• When I pay, depending on the value of my home, let's say I pay $10,000 or $25,000 a year in property
• Yeah. paying the debt on the airport?
• Who would pay for that? No, we do have property insurance.
• So who would pay for that?

Bills: HB386, HB1449, HB1701, HB2142, HB2675, HB2857, HB3063, HB3171, HB3641, HB3732, HB4045, HB4370, HB4491, HB4505, HB4626, HB5267, HB5356

Keywords: construction contracts, change orders, local government, budget limits, Texas legislation, HB 1449, mobile food vendors, food trucks, mobile food service establishments, permits, county health permit, municipal permitting, Health and Safety Code Chapter 437A, Chapter 437, inspection agreements, permit reciprocity, fee cap, preemption, large counties, population over one million

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had several conversations about this.
• This is what Medicaid pays.
• The state doesn't pay too much. The state hires the PBM to tell them how much to pay.
• The prompt pay bill just says, well, hell, if you're going to pay us the absolute minimum... ...at least
• We get... the prompt pay bill just says, well, hell, if you're going to pay us the absolute minimum,

Bills: SB206, SB640, SB667, SB1344, SB1380, SB1423, SB1425, SB1436, SB1484, SB1500, SB1502, SB1503, SB1557, SB1562, SB1572, SB1644, SB1645, SB1794, SB1796, SB1806, SB1849, SB1984, SB2007, SB2074

Keywords: SB206, emergency medical services, EMS, ambulance, 911 response, emergency response, essential services, federal funding, grant funding, public health, health care facility, municipality, county, ambulance service district, tribal entity, public entity, contract ambulance service, Oklahoma, 63 O.S. 2021 Section 1-2502, emergency clause

Transcript Highlights:

• Um and as discussed uh several ago.
• They do not pay that HIC amount today, but they will start paying that effective July 1, 2026.
• > uh<00:29:48.720> July will start paying that effective uh July will start paying that
• health insurance moved from being a pay health insurance moved from being a pay as<00:37:25.599>
• And it did this in several ways.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:01 Attendance Roll Call: 00:01:26 Approval of Minutes: 00:02:27 Investment, Cash Flow, and Legislative Update: Bo Cracraft – Judicial Form Retirement System: 00:03:12 Ryan Barrow – Kentucky Public Pensions Authority: 00:21:52 Beau Barnes – Teachers’ Retirement System: 00:34:31 Adjournment: 01:07:25, 958, all

Summary: The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer, followed by a roll call confirming a quorum and approval of the prior minutes. A special guest, Dave Eager, was welcomed before the committee moved to presentations from retirement system officials. Bo Craycraft, executive director of the Judicial Form Retirement System, gave a quarterly update on investment performance, asset allocation, and cash flow. He said the plans had held up well amid market volatility, with fiscal year-to-date returns above benchmark and long-term returns remaining strong. He explained that the plans are targeted to a 70% equity/30% fixed-income allocation, that some cash is being held for cash-flow management, and that negative cash flow is expected because of funding and contribution levels. He also said Senate Bill 183, dealing with proxy voting and economic analysis for certain votes, was not expected to materially affect the plans because of their small number of holdings and Bear Trust’s long-term investment approach. Ryan Barrow and Erin Surrod then presented for the Kentucky Pension Authority. They reported positive quarterly performance across the retirement and insurance funds, though results varied by period and remained tied to broader market conditions. They said recent asset-allocation changes had been completed and the funds were now within target ranges. On cash flow, they noted some plans remained negative or near zero, with one plan benefiting from a large appropriation. In the legislative update, they described House Bill 30 as codifying an exclusion from pension-spiking calculations for across-the-board raises, and Senate Bill 10 as increasing retiree health insurance subsidies and changing employee health insurance contribution rules for certain CERS members beginning in 2026. They also said Senate Bill 183 would likely have limited impact, though the agency would review voting policies and incorporate any required economic-analysis procedures.

Transcript Highlights:

• And third, the bill includes a consumer protections provision to ensure that data centers will pay for
• Over the past several months, I have met with countless stakeholders, including utilities, data center
• This bill provides certainty on what data centers would pay and includes an automatic exemption from
• The data center industry is committed to paying its full cost of service for electricity.
• We're going to have to pay more and more.

Bills: HF2928, HF2912, HF2297

Keywords: water appropriation, data centers, environmental review, energy conservation, permit application, carbon-free energy, geothermal energy, renewable energy, Macalester College, appropriation, sustainability, solar energy, pollinator programs, license plates, agrivoltaics, environmental sustainability

Transcript Highlights:

• This was the bill dealing with enabling students to utilize education freedom accounts funds to pay for
• that deal with students with severe that deal with students with severe behavioral<00:10:06.800>
• . that's not in that court and has to pay. that's not in that court decision. decision. decision.
• I've explained that to several of Okay?
• And again, we're to pay for schools.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 15:42.959> with There's been several conversations with There's been several conversations with
• original premise if we go back several original premise if we go back several years<00:15:55.120
• It allows for, like they do now, pay for travel of the athlete, pay for trophies, pay for food for the
• athlete, pay for lodging of the athlete, pay for uniforms, those types of things.
• And really not a need to to pay that.

Bills: SF0014, SF0053

Keywords: literacy, education, reading assessment, intervention program, public school funding, department of education, amateur status, high school athletics, student eligibility, sports regulation, monetary compensation, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Under either option, they're going to pay.
• I hear that either way they're going to pay.
• because the state doesn't have a way of paying for it.
• for this event here, I want to pay for... ...impacting, you know, I want to pay for this event here,
• And, for example, you know, I'll pay...

Summary: The committee first heard SB 753, which would modernize California’s shopping cart recovery rules by allowing cities and counties to return abandoned carts directly to retailers, recover documented retrieval costs, and avoid the current impound-and-wait process. The author and supporters, including San Jose officials and the League of California Cities, said the bill would help clear streets, sidewalks, and waterways and reduce local costs. Grocers and retailers opposed the measure unless amended, arguing it would turn cart retrieval into a new cost burden and could create incentives for cities to charge too much for stolen property. After extensive discussion about notice periods, cost caps, and local ordinances, the committee adopted amendments and passed the bill 6-0 as amended. The committee then took up SB 445, which would speed up permitting and approvals needed for high-speed rail by requiring early engagement, setting rules for third-party coordination, and creating a dispute-resolution process. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier, broader transit proposal and was intended to reduce delays caused by utilities, local governments, and other entities. Supporters said permitting bottlenecks add major costs and delays to infrastructure projects, while opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts raised concerns about safety, reliability, affordability, and the need to review the pending amendments. The bill passed 8-1 to the Utilities and Energy Committee. The committee also heard SB 9, a narrower housing bill focused on accessory dwelling units. The author explained that it would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards control if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the bill would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 6-0. The committee then began hearing SB 79, which would allow more housing near major transit stops; the author and supporters framed it as a response to the housing shortage and transit underuse, and the hearing continued with extensive support testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:05.560> public I've also worked for several public I've also worked for several public
• reductions that we would not be paying reductions that we would not be paying out<00:37:33.319><
• Erikson, I'm going to go into several proposals that are no-cost proposals.
• governor uh Cuts funding to teachers pay governor uh Cuts funding to teachers pay cuts<01:37:27.280
• subsidy that we pay subsidy that we pay for<01:44:51.000> commissioner<01:44:51.679> chair

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• they said, 'Well, we're going to pay they said, 'Well, we're going to pay you.
• >> So this, it would be today sometimes districts pay, sometimes individuals pay.
• <01:57:48.560> No, them to to pay part? No, them to to pay part?
• they pay or not. they pay or not.
• the state is paying. the state is paying. >> Could<03:38:07.680> be.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• portal uh for folks to go in and pay portal uh for folks to go in and pay their<00:48:18.160>
• Thank you very much. even pay property taxes. So, lot rank even pay property taxes.
• simply that this bill would severely simply that this bill would severely diminish<01:15:09.199>
• The homeowners do pay the property taxes, and they would pay any increased costs.
• and they would pay any increased costs. and they would pay any increased costs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know we pay more than Idaho in this particular area, so just wondering how we stack up.
• How does Washington State rank as far as pay and benefits with the rest of the nation?
• I want to note and acknowledge that several work group members, I want to note and acknowledge that several
• How to pay for care was also discussed.
• Several work group members disagreed with this finding.

Summary: The committee began with an extended work session on the long-term care workforce. DSHS Assistant Secretary B. Rector described the new Home and Community Living Administration and outlined major workforce pressures: Washington had about 126,000 long-term care workers in 2022, with demand expected to outpace supply as the 85-plus population and dementia prevalence rise sharply. She emphasized that direct care workers are largely women, people of color, and immigrants, and that family caregivers are also a major part of the system. She highlighted recruitment and retention efforts funded through federal Money Follows the Person dollars, including high school training partnerships, a retention toolkit, transportation support, caregiver newsletters, tribal workforce navigators, and a remote caregiving pilot. Committee members asked about career pathways, technology use, and turnover drivers; Rector said wages, benefits, unstable hours, and workplace support are key issues and promised follow-up data. Aidan Swain of the Washington Health Care Association said skilled nursing and assisted living facilities face acute RN vacancies, wage pressures, and Medicaid reimbursement that does not cover costs, and urged modernization of training, better reimbursement, and continued support for facility-based care. Maddie Fouch of SEIU 775, representing about 55,000 caregivers, said low wages, weak benefits, lack of voice, and certification delays are driving turnover and shortages, and argued for higher compensation, better worker protections, and more transparent reimbursement. Catherine Smith of Behavioral Health Solutions described growing behavioral health needs in nursing homes, the role of expanded behavioral supports programs, and credentialing delays that slow hiring. No votes were taken; the panel was informational only. The second agenda item was an overview of the palliative care benefit work group report required by 2024 legislation. Nico Jansen of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner explained that the work group, convened with the Health Care Authority, studied a potential palliative care benefit for fully insured commercial plans and also Medicaid, PEBB, and SEBB. He said palliative care is a philosophy of care focused on symptom management, coordination, and support for serious illness, and is distinct from hospice because it can be provided alongside curative treatment. The actuarial analysis concluded that creating a new benefit would likely increase costs, estimating about a 28-cent per member per month increase overall and roughly $2.6 million to $4.5 million in annual state Medicaid costs if implemented in 2027. Jansen said the consultants did not find sufficient evidence to assume savings from avoided hospitalizations or long-term care, though several work group members disagreed and submitted response letters. Senators asked about other states, Medicare, health homes, and whether more research could clarify cost savings; OIC said some states, including Hawaii, are moving ahead with Medicaid palliative care benefits, Medicare covers some related services but not in the same way, and further evidence may emerge over time. OIC did not take a position on whether the Legislature should create the benefit. The final presentation covered health care price transparency tools in Washington and federally. Evan Klein and HCA Chief Data Officer Vishal Chaudry reviewed federal hospital and health plan transparency rules, the state all-payer claims database, prescription drug price transparency, the Health Care Cost Transparency Board, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, and other reporting systems. They explained that the APCD contains claims from fully insured commercial plans, Medicaid, and public employee programs, but not self-insured employer data except for limited voluntary submissions. They also described how machine-readable files, consumer price tools, and aggregated dashboards are used, and noted that data limitations, delays, and complexity remain significant. Senators asked about voluntary self-insured participation, the role of AI in making data more usable, and whether transparency can really help consumers given access barriers and medical debt. HCA said AI is increasingly used by private entities to mine large transparency datasets, but state agencies still face limits in data access and analytic capacity. The committee did not take action; the session was informational and ended with a discussion of how transparency data might better inform policy and purchasing decisions in the future.