Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:25.680><c> teams</c> Bill 162 eliminates the fair teams Bill 162 eliminates the fair teams
• if you have a fair teams model somewhere if you have a fair teams model somewhere in<00:39:07.920><c>
• </c> those good intentions of the fair team. those good intentions of the fair team.
• fair teams.
• </c><00:48:07.520><c> That</c> services for fair team clients. That services for fair team clients.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FAIR stands for Fair Access to Insurance Requirements, and that this be done in all states.
• ><c> access</c><00:04:10.000><c> to</c> Plans Fair stands for fair access to Plans Fair stands for fair
• House, any other House members have any questions?
• </c><00:44:24.440><c> members</c> you house any any other house members you house any any other house
• Any questions, House members?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Second reading of House files: Second reading, House File number 13.
• Again, House File 12 is about fairness, safety, and preserving girls' sports in Minnesota.
• And first of all, I'll say members that this bill, House File 12, is about fairness, safety, and preserving
• Members, House File 12 is a bill about fairness, safety, and preserving girls' sports in Minnesota.
• A vote for House File 12 is a vote to ensure fair and safe athletic opportunities for our daughters,

Transcript Highlights:

• The House will be in order. Having arrived, the House will be honored.
• Oro moves that the House stand and recess. Mr.
• The House will come to order.
• The House will be in a brief recess.
• The House will be in a brief recess. The House will be in a brief recess.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted two ceremonial resolutions: one commemorating the dedication of the Woburn Battle Road Memorial as part of the Massachusetts 250th celebration, and another recognizing May 1-7 as Elks National Youth Week. The chamber then took up House Bill 4005, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill using FY24 Fair Share surtax surplus funds, and ordered it to a third reading before later considering it for passage to be engrossed. During debate on the bill, the House heard a lengthy presentation in support of the proposal, which would direct about $828 million to transportation and $353 million to education. The transportation spending was described as primarily supporting the MBTA, including workforce and safety funding, reserve replenishment, station and infrastructure improvements, reduced fares, and reimbursement for tunnel closure costs, along with smaller amounts for regional transit authorities and unpaved roads. The education side included additional special education circuit breaker funding, vocational school capital, early education workforce supports, early literacy, universal school meals, higher education endowment matches, Green School Works, and ESOL waitlist reduction, with the Inspector General directed to review circuit breaker cost controls. Members then debated several amendments. One amendment related to a school athletics policy was modified by a further amendment calling for DESE analysis before implementation; both the further amendment and the underlying amendment as amended were adopted. A transportation amendment to shift $50 million from MBTA funding to Chapter 90 municipal roads was supported by members emphasizing rural road needs but was rejected on a roll call, 25-120. Another transportation amendment adding at least $300,000 for Route 93 mitigation costs in Medford was adopted, 133-20. The bill itself then passed to be engrossed on a roll call, 140-14. The House also observed moments of silence for former First Lady Kitty Dukakis and for victims of the Santo Domingo nightclub collapse, and later adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. before adjourning in memory of former Representative Philip W. Johnston.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Texans are struggling with rising housing costs.
• Yeah, OK, because it is a You know, a fair, a fair sized fiscal note, so. All right.
• Shirley is out House Bill 1533.
• And the chair lays out House Bill 148 and the and uh Yeah.
• Fair enough. Fair enough. He's on Twitter and you, you, you post off. There you go.

Bills: HB148 , HB203 , HJR30

Committee: House S/C on Property Tax Appraisals

Keywords: HB 148, Texas Education Code, Texas Education Agency, TEA, artificial intelligence, AI, machine learning, automated scoring, constructed response, open-ended answers, student assessments, state testing, standardized tests, public schools, education policy, assessment instruments, school accountability, test scoring, 2026-2027 school year, ad valorem tax

Transcript Highlights:

• When you get farther in and the houses are farther, if the houses are farther apart than, what, 30 feet
• bigger risk you have of spreading fire from house to house.
• together, the bigger risk you have of spreading fire from house to house.
• Again, for the FAIR Plan, for nearly a decade, the FAIR Plan has grown without interruption; the signal
• The SIS is working, the FAIR Plan data confirms it, and The SIS is working, the FAIR Plan data confirms

Committee: Senate Insurance

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To get housing and not have to have a housing deal, I mean, I'm good.
• To get housing and not have to have a housing deal. I mean, I'm good.
• State fair.
• I think we're all aware of what the State Fair is about. The State Fair is about New Mexicans.
• Why aren't we the best state fair, the most innovative state fair in the country?

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• State Fair Commission.
• Mexico at the fair.
• In the times we live in again, we need fairs. We need our county fairs.
• their fair.
• He probably rode those old bucket chutes I have at my house somewhere from the State Fair.

Transcript Highlights:

• least one county fair.
• Louis County Fair in Proctor and the northern St. Louis County Fair in Chisum.
• Louis County Fair in Proctor and the northern St. Louis County Fair in Chisum.
• Louis County Fair in Proctor and the northern St. Louis County Fair in Chisum.
• So I love county fairs.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite our state's strong fair housing laws, there's no state funding for our fair housing.
• They trust their local fair housing centers.
• I'm a fair housing coordinator with Project Sentinel.
• Fair housing work is essential to keeping people housed, protected, and stable.
• When fair housing is underfunded, discrimination goes unchecked, and housing becomes a privilege, not

Summary: The subcommittee heard an extensive presentation on the administration’s housing reorganization proposal, which would centralize multifamily affordable housing finance under the new Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC) and align it with the Governor’s trailer bill language. Administration officials said the plan is intended to create a one-stop application and award process, reduce duplicative timelines and costs, and pair state subsidy with private activity bonds and federal tax credits more efficiently. They also described proposed changes to the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, including shifting a larger share of funding toward housing-related awards while preserving a portion for sustainable communities investments. The Legislative Analyst’s Office generally supported the streamlining concept but recommended changes to the proposed bond set-aside timing and urged flexibility for integrated applications and future reporting on demand. Senators, especially Senator Cabaldon, raised concerns that the proposal could weaken the original climate-and-transportation purpose of the sustainable communities program and that the reorganization would be undercut by the lack of new housing production funding in the budget. The item was held open without a vote. The committee then received a report from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee on federal and state housing tax credits. Staff explained that the federal H.R. 1 change lowering the bond-financing threshold from 50% to 25% greatly expanded the number of projects able to use the 4% federal tax credit, allowing California to fund many more projects and units. They also described the state low-income housing tax credit as an important gap-filling tool for projects that still need additional subsidy, and noted existing set-asides for rural, homeless, at-risk, and extremely low-income projects. Members discussed rehabilitation as well as new construction, and the item was informational only. Finally, the Civil Rights Department reported on the effects of federal civil rights policy changes and on three programs facing expiration: California vs. Hate, the Community Conflict Resolution Unit, and Investigations and Conciliation Enhancement. Director Kevin Kish said federal cuts and policy shifts have reduced support for fair housing and other civil rights functions, while CRD’s caseload has grown from about 8,700 open matters a year ago to more than 12,000, with a six-month wait for interviews despite overtime triage efforts. Senators expressed strong support for continuing the programs and concern about the broader federal rollback of civil rights enforcement. The department said it is using overtime, intake triage, and outreach partnerships to manage the workload and direct Californians to appropriate state, local, and nonprofit resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Fair Plan never had any control as far as an insured has to leave the Fair Plan and go somewhere
• The Fair Plan never had any control as far as an insured has to leave the Fair Plan and go somewhere
• Around the Fair Plan policy.
• The Fair Plan, as you know, doesn't necessarily underwrite policies unless you're a meth house.
• We built that in the Fair Plan.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee held its first outcomes review oversight hearing on the residential fair plan clearinghouse program created by AB 3012. Chair and members focused on whether the program is actually helping depopulate the California Fair Plan and move policyholders back to the voluntary market. The Fair Plan and Department of Insurance testified that the program exists as a platform for admitted and, in some cases, non-admitted insurers to review Fair Plan policies and make offers through the broker of record, but they acknowledged limited participation and limited results. CDI said it has received no formal complaints specific to the clearinghouse, but identified obstacles including only 11 participating residential insurers, the broker-of-record requirement, compensation and appointment issues, and the lack of direct consumer contact. CDI said about 730 residential risks have moved to voluntary market coverage through the program from June 2021 through April 30, 2025, and opt-outs are under 1%. Committee members pressed witnesses on the program’s opacity, the lack of data on offers made versus policies actually moved, and whether the clearinghouse is functioning as intended. CDI and the Fair Plan said they do not have data on how many offers have been made, only on cancellations that are self-reported and marked as clearinghouse-related. Members also raised regional growth in Fair Plan enrollment, especially on the Central Coast, and concerns about underinsurance when policyholders move back to the regular market. CDI recommended more mandatory reporting, broader broker education, possible direct offers to policyholders after a period of time, and changes to commission and appointment rules to reduce barriers to insurer participation. The second panel of industry witnesses generally agreed the clearinghouse is not a stand-alone solution and said its effectiveness depends on a healthier admitted market and actuarially sound Fair Plan rates. Independent agents and brokers, admitted-market insurers, and surplus lines representatives said the current system is constrained by low rate adequacy, limited insurer appetite for high-risk properties, operational friction, and misaligned incentives. Several witnesses suggested improvements such as better data sharing, clearer depopulation procedures, stronger broker education, and more flexible appointment or compensation rules. Some supported giving the program more time under the Sustainable Insurance Strategy, while others said the Legislature should consider whether to strengthen, modify, or potentially sunset the program if it continues to produce limited results. A public witness later reported that a new carrier had recently joined the clearinghouse and was working with brokers to bring in additional capacity.

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite our state's strong fair housing laws, there's no state funding for our fair housing.
• They trust their local fair housing centers.
• I'm a fair housing coordinator with Project Sentinel.
• Fair housing work is essential to keeping people housed, protected, and stable.
• When fair housing is underfunded, discrimination goes unchecked, and housing becomes a privilege, not

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we will be tracking the FAIR Plan's trends as a slowing or reversal of the FAIR Plan growth.
• That we need for the Fair Plan.
• Is our Fair Plan going to be able... Ortega's question is critical.
• That's how many new housing units we build through our membership.
• Business success of the state, the housing success of the state.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee held its fifth oversight hearing on the California Department of Insurance’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy (SIS), with Commissioner Ricardo Lara providing an update on implementation. Lara said the department has finalized major reforms, including new catastrophe modeling tools, faster rate review procedures, use of forward-looking data tied to mitigation, and modernization of the FAIR Plan. He argued the strategy is intended to improve insurance availability in wildfire-prone areas, increase transparency, and stabilize the market, while also criticizing consumer intervenor groups and saying the department will tighten rules on intervener compensation and relevance. Members questioned Lara about when the SIS would begin producing visible market changes, how long rate filings would take to approve, and what the FAIR Plan modernization would mean for consumers’ costs. Lara said catastrophe model approvals should be completed by the end of the month, insurers are expected to begin submitting SIS filings in the coming weeks, and rate reviews have already been reduced from 281 days to 71 days. He also discussed a new market conduct investigation into State Farm’s handling of wildfire claims, ongoing complaints about smoke-damage claims, and a newly created smoke claims and remediation task force to develop standards. Lara said the department has helped more than 12,000 wildfire survivors, with over 38,000 claims filed and more than $17 billion paid, and that it is also working with other western states on underinsurance issues. Public commenters from the insurance industry, homebuilding, and insurance brokerage sectors largely supported the SIS and the department’s efforts, saying the reforms are needed to restore availability and stability. They emphasized the importance of timely rate approvals, FAIR Plan solvency, and greater transparency, and several noted that member companies are preparing to use the new filing process. The hearing ended without a vote or formal action, though members and the commissioner discussed ongoing legislative needs, including AB 226 and possible future FAIR Plan transparency measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite our state's strong fair housing laws, there's no state funding for our fair housing.
• They trust their local fair housing centers.
• I'm a fair housing coordinator with Project Sentinel.
• Fair housing work is essential to keeping people housed, protected, and stable.
• When fair housing is underfunded, discrimination goes unchecked, and housing becomes a privilege, not

Summary: The subcommittee opened with remarks on the Senate’s budget plan for affordable housing and homelessness, including a proposed $2 billion housing investment and full funding for HHAP rounds 7 and 8. The first major item was the administration’s housing reorganization and trailer bill package, which would codify the new Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC), consolidate multifamily housing finance programs into a one-stop application and award process, and shift some authority over bonds, tax credits, and the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. Administration officials said the goal was to reduce duplication, speed projects from award to construction, and improve accountability by aligning financing decisions. The LAO generally supported the streamlining concept but recommended changes to the proposed bond set-aside and earlier reallocation of unused bond authority, and suggested preserving flexibility for integrated applications and reporting back on the proposed 70/30 split for housing versus sustainable communities funding. Committee members, especially Senator Cabaldon, raised concerns that the new committee structure could add process and delay, and questioned whether the proposal was effectively repurposing the climate-oriented ASIC program into a housing finance tool without enough direct investment in core housing programs. Administration witnesses responded that the structure was meant to create transparency, public accountability, and simultaneous financing awards, and said the proposal was only a first step in a broader consolidation effort. Members also asked about specific programs such as the Joe Serna Farm Worker Housing Grant Program and the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program, and staff said those would remain within the broader streamlined framework or the flexible sustainable communities allocation. The committee then heard from CDLAC and TCAC on federal tax credit changes and state housing finance. Staff explained that H.R. 1 increased the federal 9% LIHTC allocation and, more importantly, lowered the bond-financing threshold for 4% credits from 50% to 25%, allowing California to finance many more projects. They reported emergency regulations were adopted quickly to implement the change, resulting in 195 projects and more than 25,000 units in the 4% program, while the 9% program funded 58 projects and nearly 3,000 units. Members asked about the value of the state low-income housing tax credit program and rehabilitation projects; staff said state credits remain important for filling financing gaps and that a portion of bond and credit resources is now set aside for acquisition and rehabilitation. Finally, the Civil Rights Department reported on the effects of federal civil rights rollbacks and on three limited-term or expiring programs: California vs. Hate, the Community Conflict Resolution Unit, and Investigations and Conciliation Enhancement. Director Kevin Kish said federal closures and funding cuts have increased demand on the department, which now has more than 12,000 open matters, up from 8,700 a year earlier, and a six-month wait for intake interviews despite overtime triage and early case screening. Members urged continued funding for the programs, arguing they are essential as federal protections weaken; department staff said California vs. Hate connects callers quickly to support services, the conflict resolution unit fills a gap left by the shuttered federal counterpart, and the limited-term investigators have helped reduce wait times even as filings continue to rise.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:55.680><c> So</c> house and those kinds of things. So house and those kinds of things.
• Okay, fair enough.
• Give me just a moment, please. $3 million of fair market value of the $3 million of fair market value
• </c> assessed value is 9 12% of the fair assessed value is 9 12% of the fair market<00:27:02.960><c>
• </c><00:31:06.880><c> market</c> statute if you kept it at fair market statute if you kept it at fair

Bills: SF0079 , SF0080 , SF0039

Committee: House Revenue

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, economic development, impact assistance, industrial facilities, tax exemptions, local control, electronic notice, compliance, tax collection, administration, tax exemption, long-term homeowners, property tax, seniors, residential property, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our fair is one of the longest running fairs in the nation at 24 days straight.
• Fair Park when that time comes.
• We have the State Fair classic which happens opening weekend of the State Fair of Texas.
• We have pre-fair horse shows and we have our rodeo that happens during the fair.
• To ban the possession of firearms on on state fair property for this upcoming fair in 2025?

Committee: House Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I recognize a lot of you from when you were in the House.
• The Fair Districts Act.
• The Fair Districts Amendments are on shakier ground because the Fair Districts Amendments don't emanate
• Zeele has commented about the Fair Districts Act, separately from whether or not the Fair Districts Act
• The Fair District Amendments to the Florida Constitution The Fair District Amendments to the Florida

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a call for stability and basic fairness.
• Why would they do fair standards better than we would here?
• We want fair and uniform guidelines.
• Uniform doesn't mean fair.
• Uniform doesn't mean fair.

Bills: SR1 , SM1 , SM6

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Keywords: alcohol consumption, Senate rules, legislative conduct, ethics, New Mexico Senate, redistricting, gerrymandering, election integrity, Congress, voter rights, political polarization, Nancy Lopez, Roswell bypass, US Highway 285, U.S. Highway 285, Highway 285 bypass, road naming, highway naming, memorial, transportation department

Transcript Highlights:

• Fair Share, and same with Bright Act if it goes forward and passes.
• Share, and the question is how much Fair Share I'm sure. ...source, and in this case it's Fair Share
• And the question is how much Fair Share are you carving out?
• and that Fair Share portion would go straight over to pay debt service.
• being funded under the transportation Fair Share component.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Bonding, State Assets, and Capital Expenditures held its first public hearing on House Bill 4257, a transportation bonding bill. The administration testified in support, describing the bill as a $1.185 billion authorization: $300 million for Chapter 90 municipal road funding and $885 million for statewide transportation capital programs. Officials said the bill would increase municipal aid by 50%, with $200 million distributed under the traditional Chapter 90 formula and $100 million based solely on road mileage to better help rural communities. They also highlighted $500 million for bridge and pavement lifecycle asset management, $200 million for culverts and small bridges, and $185 million for congestion, safety, ADA, sidewalk, and multimodal improvements. Committee members asked about how municipalities would apply, how the road-mile formula would affect rural towns, and how the bill would interact with federal funding uncertainty and debt financing. Administration witnesses explained that projects would be administered through MassDOT district offices and Grant Central, that the bill would not backfill rescinded federal funds, and that the proposal would likely use special obligation bonds backed by Fair Share revenues to reduce pressure on the Commonwealth’s general obligation debt limit. Members also pressed the administration on the shift from general obligation to special obligation financing and on whether the Chapter 90 increase keeps pace with inflation. Administration officials said the special obligation structure would be credit-rated separately and was intended to expand available capital without affecting the GO bond cap, while acknowledging that the Commonwealth’s debt portfolio would grow. They said the Chapter 90 increase would roughly restore purchasing power lost since 2012, though construction inflation has outpaced general inflation. Several members and witnesses emphasized the importance of the road-mile formula for rural communities and the need for technical assistance for small towns. The Massachusetts Municipal Association testified in strong support of the bill, calling Chapter 90 and the new infrastructure authorizations critical for cities and towns facing federal uncertainty and rising costs. The Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association also supported the bill, citing the importance of the funding for road and bridge work, the construction season, and the industry’s economic impact. A committee member asked about asphalt price inflation, and the witness said liquid asphalt costs rose sharply after COVID, including increases of around 20% in some years. At the end of the hearing, the chair said members would receive a poll by email to move the bill out quickly, and the committee then voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• under state law or a federal fair housing violation.
• Washington Realtors is dedicated to improving fairness in housing.
• I'm the executive director of the Fair Housing Center of Washington.
• if we cannot facilitate fair competition for that housing.
• And so to some extent, the Fair Housing Act gets at that, but the Fair Housing Act comes into play when

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee held public hearings on three Senate bills. SB 5831, the Uniform Mortgage Modification Act, was explained by staff as creating safe harbors so certain mortgage modifications would not alter lien priority or require re-recording; the prime sponsor said it would reduce uncertainty and legal costs. No one testified on the bill. SB 6091, concerning real estate brokers marketing residential properties to exclusive groups, was described as requiring concurrent public marketing when brokers market to limited groups, while allowing private marketing so long as the public also has access; the sponsor and supporters said it would promote fair, open housing markets and reduce pocket listings that can reinforce exclusion. SB 6178, prohibiting post-loss assignment of benefits in property insurance, was presented as protecting homeowners after disasters from signing away policy rights to contractors; the sponsor, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and the Washington State Association for Justice supported the bill, while discussion focused on whether the $50,000 penalty should distinguish between intentional and unintentional violations. For SB 6178, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner said it has seen more complaints about policyholders being pressured to sign documents before contacting insurers and said the bill would help keep homeowners in control of claims. Testifiers emphasized that contractors play an important role in repairs but should not take over first-party insurance claims, and one witness noted the bill would not prevent direct payment arrangements to contractors. Committee members asked about penalties and whether a cooling-off period or other alternatives might address concerns about good-faith contractors. For SB 6091, supporters including Zillow, Washington Realtors, Habitat for Humanity, Windermere, and the Fair Housing Center of Washington argued that exclusive or pocket listings can reduce transparency, limit competition, and worsen housing inequities. They said the bill still allows private marketing and open houses, but requires public availability as well, and does not force owners to allow access to their property. A rental housing representative asked for an amendment to remove a reference to leases, saying the bill should not unintentionally apply to rental providers who are not brokers. The committee closed public hearings on all three bills and ended the meeting with birthday recognition for two members.