Transcript Highlights:

• as... ...would apply a discount factor to really value those long-term economic benefits.
• Admittedly, there's $5 billion of fraud from our OIG that we... don't recover.
• Nothing in this bill precludes pursuing fraud and abuse.
• Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Gold card, we did the gold card, you remember all that? Woo!

Bills: SB 6, SB6, SB504, SB765, SB815, SB929

Keywords: hemp, consumable hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoids, CBD, cannabidiol, CBG, cannabigerol, delta-8, delta-9, intoxicating hemp, hemp gummies, hemp vape, edibles, cannabinoid regulation, hemp licensing, retailer registration, product registration, QR code labeling, child-resistant packaging, minor access

Transcript Highlights:

• We have our traumatic brain injury card that does some of those things.
• We have our traumatic brain injury card that does some of those things.
• extends access to officer-level recognition and protections, including medals and line-of-duty death benefits
• extends access to officer-level recognitions and protections, including medals and line-of-duty death benefits

Bills: S0132, S0418, S0646, S0820, S1734

Keywords: voting rights, felony conviction, database, Florida Commission on Offender Review, restoration of rights, autism spectrum disorder, law enforcement, communication, training, blue envelope, blue card, drug paraphernalia, narcotic testing, fentanyl, controlled substances, civil forfeiture, juvenile justice, detention, Medal of Heroism, probation officers

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum and took up several bills. SB 646, relating to drug paraphernalia, was presented by President Gates as a narrow measure to allow drug testing tools such as fentanyl test strips and reagent kits to detect dangerous adulterants and help prevent overdose deaths. Senator Osgood spoke in strong support, describing the bill as important for people in recovery. The bill had one support appearance and was reported favorably by unanimous roll call. The committee then heard SB 418 on law enforcement interactions with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Senator Jones explained that the bill requires autism awareness and communication/de-escalation training for officers and creates a voluntary Blue Envelope Program for drivers with ASD. Multiple advocates, including Disability Rights Florida, an Autism Society representative, parents, and a retired federal officer, testified in support, emphasizing safety, communication, and the need to avoid tragic misunderstandings during police encounters. Senators also discussed whether broader disability training should be considered in the future. SB 418 was reported favorably unanimously. Next, the committee considered SB 132 on restoration of voting rights, which would require the Florida Commission on Offender Review to create and maintain a public database to help people determine whether they have completed sentence requirements for rights restoration and to publish clearer instructions for eligible individuals. An amendment was adopted to make the database subject to legislative appropriation. The bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1734, which recognizes juvenile probation and detention officers as officers under state law and extends training, certification, and certain benefits, and CS/SB 820, which strengthens reporting requirements for problem-solving courts and sets annual reporting deadlines. Both bills were reported favorably after brief discussion and support appearances.

Transcript Highlights:

• Send your cards. Send your cards. We assure you're registered as Seth's Children.
• This is like providing the fraudster with a map to circumvent anti-fraud methods, and that's definitely
• HB 2788 will help to keep the information related to the Commission's anti-fraud efforts away from the
• Records Act exception for the Workforce Commission's Fraud Detection and Prevention information.
• I'm Jason Stilinski, Deputy Director of Fraud at the Texas Workforce Commission, and I am a re- Source

Bills: HB431, HB648, HB 1006, HB1926, HB2037, HB2468, HB2788, HB2791, HB3255, HB3260

Keywords: HB 431, Texas Property Code, Property Code Chapter 202, solar roof tiles, solar shingles, solar energy device, homeowners association, HOA, property owners' association, POA, renewable energy, residential solar, distributed solar, roof-mounted solar, homeowner rights, architectural control, restrictive covenants, real estate, subdivision regulations, multi-zoned subdivisions

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> The creation of new benefit mandates. The creation of new benefit mandates.
• </c> of uh benefit mandates in the country. of uh benefit mandates in the country.
• </c><00:05:14.880><c> But</c> who would benefit from the mandate.
• But who would benefit from the mandate.
• They do not have the benefit of uh plan.

Bills: HF3388, HF400

Keywords: HF3388, Minnesota premium security plan, reinsurance, health insurance, group health carriers, MCHA, MNsure, individual market, premium stabilization, carrier assessment, health insurance assessment, premium security plan account, state innovation waiver, high-risk pool, reinsurance payments, healthcare premiums, insurance carriers, deferral of assessment, financially impaired condition, HF400

Transcript Highlights:

• And there was also giving a 2% base increase in benefit to those who retired on or after December 31st
• </c> um giving a 2% base increase in benefit um giving a 2% base increase in benefit to<00:05:00.320>
• So even if someone were to be determined that they were in a five-year benefit period, they would not
• So even if someone were to be determined that they were in a five-year benefit period, they would not
• So even if someone were to be determined that they were in a five-year benefit period, they would not

Bills: SF2884, HF1889

Keywords: pension, retirement, omnibus pension, MSRS, PERA, TRA, public employees retirement, state employees retirement, correctional employees, police and fire retirement, State Patrol retirement, teachers retirement, firefighter relief association, volunteer firefighter, state aid, postretirement adjustment, COLA, annuity, disability benefit, duty disability

Bills: SF3045, HF2783, HF1943

Keywords: omnibus, state government, local government, elections, campaign finance, voter registration, absentee voting, election administration, electronic rosters, lobbying, lobbyist disclosure, state budget, appropriations, biennial budget, Minnesota Secretary of State, Minnesota Management and Budget, state personnel, civil service, affirmative action, disability employment

Transcript Highlights:

• Testimony is given on green cards for support, red cards for opposition, and white cards for information
• We had two green cards. Mr. Willis, Mr.
• O'Quinn, putting green cards not wishing to speak, and I will...
• That permanent benefit account is the pre-funding of COLAs or permanent benefits for our retirees to
• LeBlanc's here with the green card. Ms. LeBlanc's here with a white card.

Bills: SB8, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB14, SB16, SB17, SB18, SB20, SB21, SB22, SB416, SB455, SB456, SB477

Keywords: Municipal Employees' Retirement System, Louisiana, participation, employer, retirement, SB 10, Act 222, Louisiana State Police Retirement System, state police retirement, retirement system funding, employer contributions, actuarial gains, amortization, Permanent Benefit Increase, PBI account, benefit increase reserve, supplemental permanent benefit increase, public retirement systems, state pension, pension funding

Summary: The Retirement Committee met on April 29, 2026, established a quorum, and heard a series of retirement-related bills, mostly cleanup or technical measures affecting various public retirement systems. SB 22 would extend Municipal Employees Retirement System eligibility to certain positions in the Second City Court constable’s office in New Orleans. SB 17 would create a funding deposit account for cost-of-living adjustments for registrars of voters’ employees’ retirement system. SB 455 would allow certain district and parish courts to participate in the Parochial Employees Retirement System. SB 456 would update compensation rules for assigned retired judges, and SB 8 would add the Louisiana Asset Management Pool as a participating employer in MERS. All of these bills were described as aligning statutes with current practice or expanding participation options, and each was reported favorably without objection. The committee also heard several Louisiana State Police retirement bills. SB 10 would repeal outdated priority allocation and retiree raise rules and adjust handling of surplus employee contributions; SB 11 would increase the funding cap for benefit increases from 2.5% to 3.5%; and SB 12 would update membership and definition language to reflect the State Police Commission rather than the Civil Service Commission. SB 18 would repeal a special exception allowing certain MERS retirees to return to part-time work while collecting full benefits, while protecting roughly 30 current participants. SB 20 and SB 21 would update actuarial gain/loss and unfunded liability funding rules for school employees’ retirement and LASERS, respectively, in light of the new permanent benefit increase funding structure. Each of these bills was supported by system officials as cleanup or modernization measures and was reported favorably. The committee spent the most time on education and return-to-work issues for teachers and public employees. SB 16 would reduce annual trustee training requirements for retirement system boards from 16 hours back to 12 hours, which witnesses said would better fit smaller systems and match the original intent of the law. SB 13 would similarly update TRSL’s actuarial funding rules after the sunset of the experience account. SB 14, based on a 2025 study work group, would consolidate and simplify TRSL return-to-work rules and expand options for retired teachers, with witnesses emphasizing teacher shortages and the need to retain experienced educators. All three were reported favorably. Finally, SB 416 would allow certain Department of Public Safety and Corrections retirees to return to critical shortage positions after one year, and SB 477 would classify the chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board as a full-time state employee for retirement purposes. Both bills drew questions and discussion, especially SB 416, and both were reported favorably. The chair announced the committee’s next meeting would be moved from Monday to Tuesday, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• As someone who benefited from this, I can attest to the tuition waiver’s power in helping me become the
• I have benefited, but other people have not had the same privilege, and some have missed out entirely
• this bill is give the children who age out of the foster care system but aren't adopted the same benefit
• So one of the ways that we can look at this is that so many times we provide tax incentives and benefits
• House Bill 4687 simply ensures that Subchapter C and Subchapter G charter schools benefit from the same

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• trustees from offering severance payments to superintendents that exceed six months' salary and benefits
• We're here to learn and benefit from you. So thank you for being here. Thank you.
• So parents can actually go online, look at their STAAR report cards, see the questions that their child
• Administrators from using their own personal time to provide a benefit to other school districts.
• As a current student, I see every day how a pass-fail system benefits both students and the patients

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2853, which would allow the UT System Board of Regents to adjust the University of Texas at El Paso student union fee above the current statutory cap, subject to student approval, to help fund a new student union building. Senator Blanco explained the bill and the committee substitute, there were no questions or witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then heard House Bill 610, which would limit severance payments for terminated independent school district superintendents to six months’ salary and benefits. Senator Paxton described large severance payouts and said the bill had passed the House overwhelmingly. There were no witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the bill was left pending. A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 4623, which would waive school district immunity in certain cases involving negligent hiring, supervision, or employment of professional school employees who commit abuse or related misconduct against students. Senator Paxton and several witnesses, including survivors and parents, argued the bill was needed to address cover-ups, delayed reporting, and repeated failures to remove dangerous employees; some members raised concerns about liability caps, litigation, and how the bill would interact with the Tort Claims Act. The committee also heard from TEA staff and employee-group witnesses who discussed possible injunctions and stronger no-hire protections. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4, an accountability and assessment bill that would restore A-F ratings, change the state testing system, and replace STAAR with shorter, more instructionally useful assessments. Senator Bettencourt explained the committee substitute, including annual ratings, limits on taxpayer-funded lawsuits, and a phased-in testing redesign with beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments. Testimony was generally supportive from education and business groups, though some witnesses favored norm-referenced testing while others emphasized criterion-referenced, TEKS-aligned assessments; one witness noted social studies assessments were restored in the bill. The hearing concluded with additional invited testimony and no final vote reported in the transcript.

Bills: HB342, HB342, HB168, HB220, SB187, SB270, SB265, SB220, SB242, SB277

Keywords: religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, tax credit, scholarship, education funding, financial aid, federal participation, HB168, Alabama, emergency management, local emergency management organization, mutual aid, mutual aid agreement, disaster response, public safety, public health, state emergency management plan

Transcript Highlights:

• of those benefit plan changes.
• cards. ... all Visa credit cards.
• to use their credit card.
• , maybe no fraud.
• Credit cards.

Bills: HB245, HB700, HB2783, HB3526, HB3900, HB4061, HB4124, HB4166, HB4395, HB4534, HB4609, HB4641, HB4736, HB4738, HB4739, HB4945, HB5015, HJR175, HB245

Keywords: military service, retirement, law enforcement, custodial officer, Employees Retirement System, commercial financing, brokers, registration, disclosures, finance, consumer protection, fees, deferred compensation, automatic participation, county employees, payroll deductions, retirement plans, fiscal transparency, local government, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• P&L statement or what you had to reserve for loan losses versus debit card fraud.
• Has that completely switched to where debit card fraud is really your largest?
• However, fraud in all forms, including credit and debit card fraud, remains a concern because we don't
• Pay 47% of all fraud associated with debit cards. Consumers pay 20%.
• Fraud is rampant and our banks are paying significant dollars, not just on cards, but on check fraud

Bills: HB245, HB245, HB700, HB2783, HB3526, HB3900, HB4061, HB4124, HB4166, HB4395, HB4534, HB4609, HB4641, HB4736, HB4738, HB4739, HB4945, HB5015, HJR175

Keywords: property tax, delinquent taxes, ad valorem, penalties, interest cap, military service, retirement, law enforcement, custodial officer, Employees Retirement System, commercial financing, brokers, registration, disclosures, finance, consumer protection, fees, deferred compensation, automatic participation, county employees

Transcript Highlights:

• We have our traumatic brain injury card that does some of those things.
• extends access to officer-level recognitions and protections, including medals and line-of-duty death benefits

Bills: S0132, S0418, S0646, S0820, S1734

Keywords: voting rights, felony conviction, database, Florida Commission on Offender Review, restoration of rights, autism spectrum disorder, law enforcement, communication, training, blue envelope, blue card, drug paraphernalia, narcotic testing, fentanyl, controlled substances, civil forfeiture, juvenile justice, detention, Medal of Heroism, probation officers

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum and took up several bills. SB 646 by President Gates, relating to drug paraphernalia, was presented as a narrow measure to allow the use of drug-testing tools such as test strips and reagent kits to detect fentanyl and other dangerous adulterants; Senator Osgood spoke in strong support from a recovery perspective. The bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee then heard SB 418 by Senator Jones, which would require law enforcement training on autism spectrum disorder and create a voluntary Blue Envelope Program for drivers with ASD to store key documents and communication tips. The bill drew extensive supportive testimony from Disability Rights Florida, autism advocates, parents, and others, with some discussion about expanding similar training to corrections and other disabilities. Members praised the bill as a practical safety measure, and SB 418 was reported favorably. Next, SB 132 by Senator Polsky, as amended, would direct the Florida Commission on Offender Review to create and maintain a public database to help people determine when they have completed the requirements for restoration of voting rights, with monthly updates and clear instructions for eligible individuals. The committee adopted an amendment making the database subject to legislative appropriation, then reported the bill favorably. SB 1734 by Senator Martin, which recognizes juvenile probation and detention officers as officers under Florida law and extends related training, certification, and benefits, was also reported favorably. Finally, the committee adopted a strike-all amendment to SB 820 by Senator Bradley to strengthen reporting requirements for problem-solving courts, including annual reports from all specialty courts and a phased-in data collection process; the amended bill was reported favorably. The meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• At that time, we received an attorney general's opinion that said that no city employees could benefit
• the public works professionals who went in to save folks, if they lost their homes, they could not benefit
• Thanks. >> Thanks, sir. city employees could benefit from CDBG city employees could benefit from CDBG
• </c><00:24:02.720><c> from</c><00:24:02.960><c> those</c> homes, they could not benefit from those homes
• , they could not benefit from those programs.<00:24:03.760><c> And</c><00:24:03.919><c> we</c><00:24:

Bills: SB292, HB351, HB141, HB273, SB292, HB351, HB141, HB273

Keywords: education oversight, subpoena authority, investigation, State Superintendent, school misconduct, ad valorem tax, road funding, local government, referendum, Choctaw County, HB141, Alabama, state employees, salary deductions, payroll deduction, State Comptroller, membership dues, voluntary contributions, insurance premiums, financial instruments

Transcript Highlights:

• The biggest benefit of having this new budget is that it gives our agency the flexibility to work on
• , wage theft, and misclassification crimes, as well as fraud in government programs.
• On some of the other committees, we talked about just the growth of fraud, both the fraud on our public
• Traditionally, Medicaid fraud The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which is housed in the Attorney General's
• from. benefit to that.

Bills: HF2432

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• Commerce fraud with uh the BCA but it's Commerce fraud with uh the BCA but it's actually<01:10:51.960
• </c> talked about just the growth of fraud talked about just the growth of fraud both<01:11:05.040><c
• </c><01:13:06.360><c> are</c> that we were in but yet frauds are that we were in but yet frauds are across
• </c> now they're taking in suspected fraud now they're taking in suspected fraud from<01:13:41.520><c
• </c> a program that they can see um a benefit a program that they can see um a benefit to<02:03:58.520

Bills: HF2432

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• Since Representative Paul brought up, it provides the benefit as well.
• And having a better sense of the price of service would be a huge benefit. benefit to the businesses
• because benefits are in lieu of wages.
• Those additional benefits are not part of the pure. cost analysis.
• That's not a benefit mandate. That is an administrative mandate.

Bills: HB138, HB335, HB388, HB138

Keywords: health impact analysis, cost analysis, coverage mandates, health insurance, legislative analysis, health care data, education, funding, classroom resources, teacher support, student outcomes, health benefits, provider dentists, payment reimbursement, insurance code, noncontracting, dental care, reimbursement, health benefit plans, noncontracting providers

Transcript Highlights:

• legislators and appropriators. evaluate our own state benefit plans.
• That is a major benefit for state appropriators.
• . services, drugs, devices, as a benefit.
• under a benefit.
• A coordination of benefit.

Bills: HB138, HB335, HB388, HB138

Keywords: health impact analysis, cost analysis, coverage mandates, health insurance, legislative analysis, health care data, education, funding, classroom resources, teacher support, student outcomes, health benefits, provider dentists, payment reimbursement, insurance code, noncontracting, dental care, reimbursement, health benefit plans, noncontracting providers

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the bill that amends the Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act
• Employment Security Department to notify a striking worker who applies for unemployment insurance benefits
• This basically just notifies the striking worker that if they do collect unemployment benefits while
• their retroactive wages, it notifies them upfront that they're going to have to pay the unemployment benefits
• It informs the folks that are looking to seek this benefit. I'm asking for yes also. Thank you.

Bills: SB6134

Keywords: unemployment insurance, UI benefits, striking workers, strike, labor dispute, retroactive wages, overpayment assessment, overpayment recovery, Employment Security Department, ESD, claimant notice, benefit recoupment, Washington unemployment law, worker notice, federal unemployment tax credit, state unemployment fund, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> when the benefit was launched in 2014. when the benefit was launched in 2014.
• </c> Minnesota absolutely must prevent fraud. Minnesota absolutely must prevent fraud.
• </c> use of state dollars to fight fraud. use of state dollars to fight fraud.
• </c> welfare fraud.
• So fraud for recipients welfare fraud.

Bills: HF3423, HF2354, HF3634

Keywords: healthcare, provider enrollment, medical assistance, legislation, state funds, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, service verification, Medicaid, human services, electronic documentation, 1183, house