Transcript Highlights:

• My discussions with some of our contractors has been that some states even give these stickers out for
• Some of our contractors have indicated that the stickers are such a free or such a low-cost program that
• I'm the CEO of the Contractors Association. The witness was sworn in. Chair: Thank you, Jason.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They<00:09:24.480> work<00:09:24.720> as<00:09:24.839> contractors They work as
• contractors They work as contractors and<00:09:26.760> they're<00:09:27.000> offered<00

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House and Senate DFL lawmakers, joined by Unidos Minnesota and other allies, held a press event responding to a budget deal they said would end MinnesotaCare coverage for roughly 20,000 undocumented adults at the end of the year while preserving coverage for children. Speakers, including Rep. Cedrick Frazier, Sen. Sandy Leafman, and Emilia Gonzalez Davalos, argued the agreement was cruel, would harm vulnerable families and essential workers, and was being justified under a false claim of fiscal responsibility. They said the affected people are Minnesota residents who work, pay taxes, and contribute to the state, and they rejected the idea that private insurance markets are a viable substitute. The speakers emphasized that many enrollees are receiving ongoing care such as cancer treatment, dialysis, insulin, and asthma medication, and warned that losing coverage would push people into emergency rooms and increase costs for hospitals and communities. They also said the deal set a dangerous precedent by using mixed-status families and undocumented workers as bargaining chips in negotiations. Several speakers framed the issue as part of broader attacks on immigrant communities at the federal and state levels. In response to questions, the lawmakers said they had not been given meaningful input on the agreement, that the DFL leadership had tried to make the “least harm” choice, and that the members speaking would vote no on the provision. They said their focus was on this specific health-care agreement rather than other budget bills, and they indicated the program’s cost was within projections, citing about 20,000 enrollees, roughly 17,000 adults, and spending under $4 million so far. The event ended with a call to continue fighting the deal and to pursue a Minnesota public option and broader long-term coverage solutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because I was instructed by a contractor friend of mine that I could fight what they said they were going
• to pay me through that desk. ...contractor friend of mine that I could fight what they said they were
• But now you tell me I can get the real value by having a contractor come out there and give me a real

Summary: The Insurance and Banking Committee met with a quorum and heard three bills. HB 487 would authorize the CFO and State Board of Administration to invest up to 10% of certain state funds in Bitcoin, require specified custody methods, allow Bitcoin lending under rule, and create a process for accepting taxes and fees in Bitcoin. The sponsor and several proponents argued it would diversify state investments, hedge inflation, and position Florida as a leader in digital assets. Members raised concerns about volatility, security, valuation, and whether Bitcoin was being singled out over other cryptocurrencies, but the bill was reported favorably after debate and a roll call vote. The committee then considered HB 7011, an Open Government Sunset Review measure for records of insolvent insurers. The bill would continue some exemptions but make additional records public, including underwriting files, risk-solvency assessments, corporate governance annual disclosures, and the names, benefits, and compensation of insurance executive officers. There was no public testimony, and members discussed privacy and safety concerns, but the bill passed and was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard HB 1433 on hurricane mitigation grants and insurer regulation. The bill would tighten restrictions on former executives of failed insurers, raise capital requirements for new insurers, and require mitigation credits when homeowners receive Safe Florida Home funds. An amendment was adopted to require a licensed person to make final claim-denial decisions when AI or automation is used and to prioritize filings that lower rates. Consumer advocates supported the transparency and consumer protections, while industry representatives urged caution on the AI provisions. After debate, the amended bill was reported favorably. The meeting ended with closing remarks from the ranking member, vice chair, and chair reflecting on the committee’s work and likely final meeting of the term.

Transcript Highlights:

• additional slides include education and media campaigns for awareness and prevention, python removal contractors
• If a response is required, staff paid contractors, partners or volunteers used data from the report to
• For example, staff contractors and volunteers do extensive, trapping and removal of Tate is in Miami,

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But in many cases, you have no way of knowing when that contractor above you has received payment.
• uh if somebody, you know, contractor uh if somebody, you know, contractor above<02:18:34.880>
• <02:18:44.800> above<02:18:45.120> you knowing when that contractor above you knowing
• when that contractor above you has<02:18:45.760> received<02:18:46.240> payment.
• above you has know when the contractor above you has been<02:18:57.840> paid<02:18:58.240>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I think contractors maybe in the state or that build on either side of the state lines might
• I mean, I think contractors maybe in the state or that build on either side of the state lines might
• We have lost too many contractors and developers to build and preserve housing supply.
• > uh<01:46:07.199> to<01:46:07.440> build contractors and developers uh to build
• <01:46:14.159> and stability needed for contractors and stability needed for contractors and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I understand there's 10, 15 different types of contractors we have. Do you know what the value is?
• different type of contract contractors different type of contract contractors we<01:03:18.079>
• They have staff that they pay to help do this, and they also may rely on contractors that can come in
• They have staff that they pay to help do this, and they also may rely on contractors that can come in
• They have staff that they pay to help do this, and they also may rely on contractors that can come in

Keywords: 1. Call to Order and Roll Call – 00:00:00 2. Approval of Minutes – 00:02:10 3. Discussion of State-Based Marketplaces and the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace – 00:02:31 4. Discussion of the Role of Kynectors and Navigators – 00:27:29 5. Discussion of Presumptive Eligibility – 01:11:57 6. Discussion of Medicaid Eligibility, Enrollment, and Redeterminations – 01:20:09 7. Update on Rural Health Transformation Program Application Process – 01:47:35 8. Public Comment – 01:59:57 9. Adjournment – 02:06:10, 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Advisory Board met for its third meeting and approved the July 30 minutes. The chair outlined a full agenda covering the state-based marketplace versus the federally facilitated marketplace, connectors and navigators, presumptive eligibility, eligibility/enrollment/redetermination, and a rural health transformation update. Commissioner Lisa Lee and Assistant Director David Barry presented first on Kentucky’s state-based exchange, Connect, explaining that it is an integrated eligibility and enrollment system for Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF, child care, and qualified health plans. They reviewed Kentucky’s move from a state-based exchange to healthcare.gov in 2017 and back to a state-based marketplace in 2021, and said the system helps route applicants to the correct program and allows families to move more easily between Medicaid and exchange coverage as circumstances change. The presenters said the exchange is funded by carrier assessments on qualified health plans rather than general fund dollars, with costs allocated across programs based on use. They said Kentucky’s exchange fees are lower than the federal platform’s and that the state-based system provides local assistance through DCBS offices, connectors, and licensed agents in every county. Members asked about startup and operating costs, fee-setting, and whether any general fund dollars are used; the department said it would follow up with the CFO on fee details and said it was not aware of general fund support for exchange operations. Members also raised concerns about Medicaid eligibility verification and improper enrollment, while the department emphasized that the state system uses different questions than healthcare.gov and is designed to identify the correct coverage based on monthly Medicaid income and annual tax-credit income. The board also discussed enrollment trends, including a COVID-era spike during the public health emergency when disenrollments were largely paused, and current qualified health plan enrollment of more than 97,000 people on Connect. Commissioner Lee explained presumptive eligibility as temporary Medicaid coverage, noting it applies to pregnant women and hospital-based cases, with hospitals able to grant it and certain providers able to grant it to pregnant women. She said full eligibility is still determined within 30 days and that presumptive eligibility ends when full Medicaid eligibility is determined or at the end of the following month. The meeting then shifted to connectors, with representatives from Community Action Kentucky and the Kentucky Primary Care Association describing their statewide outreach network, local offices, and role helping residents apply for Medicaid, renew coverage, report changes, and navigate benefits; they said connectors do not determine eligibility but assist with applications, recertifications, and outreach events across the Commonwealth.

Transcript Highlights:

• We work with a CMS, so the Center for Medicaid and Medicaid Services mandated federal contractor.
• We work with that contractor called the UPIC, the Unified Program Integrity Contractor.
• So each state Medicaid agency is required to have a CMS contractor working with them.
• That contractor proactively reviews our billing data to detect fraud, waste, and abuse, prevent fraud
• We also work with private contractors We also work with private contractors and<00:24:48.880>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that means that we have work that we do around quality assurance with our contractors.
• It has been many, many years since we've increased the rate that we pay our transportation contractor
• It has been many, many years since we've increased the rate that we pay our transportation contractor
• It has been many, many years since we've increased the rate that we pay our transportation contractor
• It has been many, many years since we've increased the rate that we pay our transportation contractor

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: House Finance Division III held an informational hearing with the Department of Health and Human Services focused on child and family services, children’s behavioral health, DCF, juvenile justice, and adult mental health. Before the presentation, members discussed scheduling a future site visit to Waypoint, including possible dates, mileage reimbursement logistics, and whether to reschedule the department’s developmental disabilities and healthy aging presentation because the associate commissioner was out sick. The department then outlined that it would concentrate on children’s behavioral health, DCF residential care and the Sununu Youth Services Center/YDC new build, and adult mental health, while noting the broader DHHS structure and the value of keeping related services under one leadership. The department emphasized an integrated “system of care” approach and said it was trying to shift resources toward earlier, lower-intensity interventions rather than relying mainly on high-cost residential and acute services. It cited youth risk data showing roughly four in ten New Hampshire high school students feeling sad or hopeless and about one in five considering suicide in the past year, and said these trends worsened during the pandemic, peaking in 2021 and easing somewhat by 2023. Members asked how New Hampshire compared with neighboring states and about pre-COVID trends; the department said it would follow up with more exact data. The presentation also described a long-term policy effort beginning with federal funding in 2012, the state’s 10-year mental health plan, and later legislation aimed at strengthening children’s behavioral health and transforming juvenile justice so that youth with behavioral health needs are not routed into punitive systems first. Members raised questions about out-of-state residential placement oversight and the statutory basis for inspections and follow-up. The department said the General Court had funded more “boots on the ground” oversight, in coordination with the Office of the Child Advocate, and agreed to provide a longer follow-up presentation on that topic after the governor’s budget is released. The department also described evidence-based prevention efforts, including home visiting programs such as Healthy Families America and a DCF-connected home visiting cohort for families already touching the child welfare system, as examples of trying to keep children out of deeper system involvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• brought forward by the well contractors. brought forward by the well contractors.
• The next item is the well contractor regulation. There is an A31 amendment in your packet.
• <00:46:31.359> There<00:46:31.520> is the well contractor regulation.
• There is the well contractor regulation.
• Michelene well contractor regulation. Michelene well contractor regulation.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<01:01:58.559> and<01:01:58.799> recipients employees, contractors, and recipients
• employees, contractors, and recipients of<01:01:59.440> state<01:01:59.680> funds<01:02
• Contracts such as PA must contractors Contracts such as PA must contractors such<01:38:45.360>
• shall not inquire into or contractors shall not inquire into or collect<02:30:22.960> information
• comply with mandatory federal contractor comply with mandatory federal contractor certifications

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1768, which would prohibit state and county law enforcement agencies and officials from entering into federal immigration-enforcement agreements under 8 U.S.C. 1357(g) and from assisting in certain immigration enforcement actions except in limited circumstances. The Office of the Public Defender, Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the Legal Clinic, and the ACLU of Hawaiʻi all testified in strong support, arguing the bill would protect due process, reduce fear in immigrant communities, preserve trust in local police, and keep local resources focused on public safety. Testifiers said cooperation with immigration enforcement can chill court attendance, crime reporting, and cooperation with police, and they emphasized that the bill would not stop federal enforcement or affect other deputization agreements for environmental or other criminal matters. Committee members asked whether any 287(g) agreements currently exist in Hawaiʻi; testifiers said they were unaware of any and believed the bill would maintain the status quo. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up House Bill 1548, which would reduce the maximum sentence for misdemeanors from one year to 364 days and allow people previously sentenced to one year to seek sentence modification. The Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Legal Clinic, the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, and the William S. Richardson School of Law immigration clinic all supported the measure, saying the one-day change could prevent severe immigration consequences such as detention, removal, and bars to relief that can be triggered by a sentence of 365 days or more. Testifiers stressed that the bill would not change criminal liability or public safety, but would align Hawaiʻi law with similar reforms adopted in other states. Members questioned whether the change would affect citizens or create an automatic immigration process; witnesses responded that the issue is the federal immigration consequence tied to the maximum sentence, not actual time served, and that citizens would not face that consequence. The transcript ends during continued discussion of HB 1548, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um again, they're a government contractor.
• > Optum<00:42:41.839> would as a government contractor, Optum would as a government contractor
• rely on a report from private contractor rely on a report from private contractor and<00:48:32.640
• and OPTIM being a government contractor and OPTIM being a government contractor already<00:51:14.800>
• The optimum as a government contractor.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been a building contractor for, uh, this year makes 35 years in the building business as a contractor
• I've been a building contractor for, uh, this year makes 35 years in the building business as a contractor
• We meet all the licensed contractors.
• So, I mean, as a building contractor, obviously I can do both.
• , >> So, I mean, as a building contractor, >> So, I mean, as a building contractor, obviously

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, let’s do it in facility and for Department of Health, who are your biggest contractors?
• well in facility biggest contractors well in facility would<00:57:31.799> be<00:57:31.920>
• Do you know if, within your contractors, they have a good sense of the movement of people through all
• I bring that up because private prison contractors have proven poor parties to contract for, not just
• I bring that up because private prison contractors have proven poor parties to contract for, not just

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Public Safety Committee held a hearing on House Bill 433, which would appropriate $4 million for Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation re-entry services to connect offenders with community-based services. Director Tommy Johnson said the department supports the bill’s intent but noted the governor’s executive budget already includes $4 million for the same purpose and asked that the measure defer to that budget. Supporters, including the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Community Alliance on Prisons, and the ACLU, backed the funding but urged that it be tied to a clear re-entry plan, performance measures, transparency, and regular reporting to the legislature. They emphasized that re-entry should begin at intake and involve community partnerships, housing, treatment, employment, and family reunification services. Committee members questioned the department about current re-entry services, pre-trial detainees, and how the new funds would be used. Johnson said the department’s current statewide re-entry budget is about $1.5 million to $1.7 million, separate from the larger Corrections Program Services Division budget for in-facility programs. He described the proposed $4 million as supporting a mix of services, including a pilot apprenticeship program, substance abuse treatment, navigator or warm-handoff services, and short-term transitional housing. He also said the department already tracks performance outcomes in its annual report and can provide a matrix showing the intake-to-discharge process, program contracts, and volunteer organizations. The discussion also covered pre-trial detainees, electronic monitoring, and mental health services. Johnson said the department has limited jurisdiction over pre-trial detainees but works with courts to seek supervised release when possible; he noted that many requests are denied, though electronic monitoring has improved release rates somewhat. On mental health, he said the jail is not an ideal therapeutic setting for people found unfit to proceed and suggested a secure community-based step-down facility run by the Department of Health for those needing care above what the jail can provide but below forensic-level treatment. No vote or final action on the bill was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1190, register of contractors successors discipline.
• SB 1190, register of contractors successors discipline.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• after contractors who rip people<05:56:26.478> off<05:56:26.760> you<05:56:26.840>
• So maybe contractors or other people that worked in the YDC area.
• We now have full-time employees where they used to be contractors, so they're not really new people;
• <06:53:42.558> so<06:53:42.760> they're they used to be contractors so they're they
• who were just converted from contractors who were just converted from contractors or<06:58:37.240

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard an overview from the Agriculture Commissioner on the department’s major divisions and staffing. He described the Office of the Commissioner, Agricultural Development, Pesticides, Regulatory Services, Weights and Measures, Animal Industry, Plant Industry, and Soil Conservation, noting that many programs are federally funded or supported by dedicated fees and fines. He said the department has 44 full-time positions plus one DoIT employee shared with other agencies, and that HR services are now contracted through Administrative Services. He also explained that Soil Conservation is administratively attached to the department and funded through Moose Plate grants and county contributions, not direct state funding. Members asked about specific program functions and issues, including weights and measures inspections, animal health, bird flu response, internships, invasive species, and the Big E/New Hampshire building. The commissioner said weights and measures covers nearly all commercial measuring devices and products sold by weight, and that inspectors are currently part-time police officers, though the department is discussing removing that requirement. He said the department is actively involved in bird flu monitoring, including regular calls with USDA and the state veterinarian and collecting milk samples from dairy farms. On invasive species, he focused on Japanese knotweed and bittersweet, saying the department has only one staff person working on the issue, mainly as a coordinator with DOT and towns, and that eradication is extremely difficult. He also said the department does not run student internships and refers inquiries to UNH Cooperative Extension. The committee discussed budget and revenue issues, including three new general fund positions, one of which is the assistant commissioner and another a biological scientist for invasive species. The commissioner said the department had been in “triage mode,” that an assistant commissioner was needed because of workload, and that the department is a net positive to the General Fund each year. He said some fees and fines have not been updated in decades and would require legislation to change, including a proposed $5 fee for each animal database certificate to help fund a system that costs about $250,000 annually to maintain. In response to questions about budget reductions, he said the department protected personnel, reduced the cost-of-care fund, fair grants, and land preservation funding to about $25,000 each, and did not plan to buy new vehicles or computers. He also said he could not support including the $50,000 Conservation District resilience grant program in his budget under the current reduction targets, though he remained hopeful it might be funded another way.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have not heard from them, but we feel certain that defense contractors are mostly doing this in...
• ...contractors are mostly doing this in experimentation.

Bills: HB248, HB311

Keywords: weather modification, atmospheric pollution, chemical dispersion, environmental law, public health, improvement districts, assessment collection, property taxes, local governance, foreclosure procedures, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• available through our enterprise-wide agreements, we provide the most flexibility in finding a contractor
• This includes vendor contractor site visits, holding business review meetings and onboarding discussions

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met with a quorum present and first took up SB 268, a public records exemption bill for public officers. Senator Brodeur explained the bill on behalf of Senator Jones, saying it would protect partial home addresses, phone numbers, and certain family information for the governor, cabinet members, and other elected officials because of threats and harassment against public servants. An amendment narrowing and clarifying the definition of public officer and the process for claiming the exemption was adopted without objection. Chair Fine and Senator Brodeur both spoke in support of the bill, citing personal experiences with threats and the need to protect officials and their families. CS for SB 268 was then reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then heard a presentation from Brandon Spencer, Director of State Purchasing and Chief Procurement Officer at the Department of Management Services, on state agency procurement and contracting practices, including IT procurements. He described the state’s procurement structure, including state term contracts, alternate contract sources, and agency procurements, and said the division now manages more than 960 enterprise-wide agreements, with that number continuing to grow. He also highlighted that roughly 21% of purchase order spend is on IT services, discussed statutory requirements for IT procurements, and said the division is working with Florida Digital Service to improve oversight, training, vendor accountability, and procurement options. No committee action followed the presentation, and the meeting adjourned after no further business was raised.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are permitting delays, contractor shortages, materials.
• There are permitting delays, contractor shortages, materials.
• Many of the testimonies submitted in support describe a bill that applies to all contractors, including
• to lead by example by removing the same-branch limitation and extending the restriction to all contractors
• In 2005, Hawai'i passed a law prohibiting contractors from making political donations, but a loophole

Bills: HCR93, HCR14, HR85

Keywords: image-based sexual abuse, working group, gender-based violence, Hawaii Commission on the Status of Women, prevention efforts, survivor protections, new technologies, legal reform, HCR14, House Concurrent Resolution, perpetual easement, non-exclusive easement, state submerged lands, submerged lands, shoreline easement, drainage outfall, stormwater outfall, lagoon outfall, pipelines, Kahala Hotel & Resort

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, he raised a question whether we should look into that, and the state hired a contractor consultant
• We were very worried about that contractor, which Manatt Health, which represents MCOs as well as state
• <00:58:28.920> We contractor consultant to look at it.
• We contractor consultant to look at it.
• , were very worried about that contractor, were very worried about that contractor, which<00:58:31.280

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House File 3939, a bill to support a Helping Paws service-dog litter named in honor of Gilbert and the Hortman family. Testimony from Helping Paws and service-dog graduate Angie Foley described the organization’s work, the significance of the “Guided by Gilbert” litter, and how the funding would help train dogs that provide independence and support to people with disabilities, veterans, and others. Members from both parties spoke warmly about Speaker Hortman’s connection to the organization and Gilbert, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion. The committee then considered House File 3769, the Department of Corrections’ technical omnibus bill, with an A1 amendment adopted to clarify tuberculosis testing language. The bill updates TB screening procedures in correctional facilities, including how refusals are handled, and adds Quantiferon Gold Plus testing as an option alongside existing methods. Members discussed whether the bill would create costs for counties and jails, with some noting added testing and segregation costs and others arguing the changes would improve accuracy and reduce time in restrictive housing. The bill, as amended, was recommended to the general register. House File 3978 was next, a technical cleanup bill for a provider wellness program created last year. The bill expands eligibility and confidentiality protections from physicians to all health care providers, while supporters said the program is meant to address burnout and mental health strain in the workforce and does not require new money. Some members questioned whether the change was redundant or would broaden the program without additional funding, but the Minnesota Medical Association testified that the program is separate from insurance and was intended to serve all providers. The bill was recommended to the general register. Finally, the committee began House File 3476, which Rep. Liebling described as a cleanup bill related to Minnesota’s Medicaid managed care system and public program oversight. She argued that the state spends billions through managed care organizations and that the system has never been proven better than direct payment, setting up a broader discussion of the bill’s purpose and the state’s oversight of public health care spending.