Transcript Highlights:

• And since 2019, roughly 400 drivers accused of causing a fatal crash went on to receive another ticket
• Went on to receive another ticket, get into another collision, or both.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard several bills, with most of the discussion focused on AB 2672 (Hart), which would require the California Energy Commission to set parameters for using an existing waiver process to allow non-CARBOB gasoline during fuel supply shocks, with fees used to offset emissions and help fund cleaner vehicles. Supporters said the bill would reduce gas price spikes and provide needed flexibility in emergencies; opponents, including the Western States Petroleum Association and union refinery representatives, argued it would function as a tax, create market uncertainty, and could undermine in-state refining and fuel-system compliance. Members raised concerns about affordability, refinery impacts, and delegation of authority to CARB/CEC, while the author said the bill was intended to be cost-neutral and protect consumers. The committee initially held the bill open and later advanced it on a divided vote. AB 2761 (Petrie-Norris) was heard next and would modernize California crash data reporting by creating a single statewide electronic system for fatal and injury crash reports. The author and AAA supported the measure, saying current paper-based reporting is slow, fragmented, and outdated, delaying safety improvements and federal funding opportunities. There was no registered opposition, and the bill moved forward unanimously to Appropriations. AB 1874 (Wilson) would prevent people convicted of certain serious driving offenses from serving a license suspension while incarcerated, so the suspension would begin when they are actually back on the road. Supporters, including law enforcement and roadway safety groups, said current practice makes suspensions meaningless and weakens accountability for dangerous drivers. Some members questioned whether the bill creates a double penalty, but the author argued the measure is limited to the most serious offenses and ensures the suspension has real public safety effect. The committee approved the bill on a strong vote. The committee also passed its consent calendar bills, and several measures were held open for later vote tallying before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• No, it was insurance because we were talking about them getting a ticket or something. Okay.
• And right now, they're just given a ticket if they're speeding, and what if it's involved in the collision

Committee: House Insurance

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on March 18 and first took up House Bill 739, which would clarify the Department of Insurance’s authority to investigate insurance fraud, issue cease-and-desist orders against unlicensed actors, and work with law enforcement. The sponsor and department said the bill was meant to address ambiguity identified in recent administrative rulings. The committee adopted two amendment sets, including language requested by the Division of Administrative Law to route appeals through the Administrative Procedures Act and a clarification that the bill does not apply to lawyers lawfully engaged in the practice of law, while preserving authority over attorneys acting outside that role. HB 739 was reported favorably as amended. The committee then advanced House Bill 413, which prohibits property and casualty insurers from increasing auto rates solely because of a catastrophe claim on a homeowner’s policy, with an exception for multi-line policies. The sponsor and Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said the bill is intended to protect consumers and prevent one line of coverage from being penalized by a claim on another line. After a brief clarification about bundled policies, HB 413 was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably on House Bill 234, which continues the Department of Insurance for another five years, and House Bill 850, a cleanup measure updating the standard fire policy’s cancellation notice period from 30 to 60 days to match prior law changes. The longest discussion centered on House Bill 174, as substituted, which would allow law enforcement to impound out-of-state vehicles when the driver cannot provide required bodily injury liability insurance, treating out-of-state drivers more like Louisiana drivers. Members raised concerns about how insurance would be verified, whether all states participate in electronic verification systems, and what safeguards exist when proof of insurance is unavailable or outdated. Testimony from State Police and OMV explained current verification practices, the limits of interstate data sharing, and existing officer discretion and exceptions for safety. Supporters argued the bill would improve fairness, reduce uninsured driving, and help lower costs for Louisiana residents. The committee adopted the substitute and reported HB 174 favorably by substitute. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clearly a really hot ticket. We're just going to go over a couple of things today.

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• some choose to address it through fundraising and getting support from the private sector, raising ticket
• Will there be any other additional funding appropriated just in the event that the feds increase the
• We do have $2 million that's put in a set-aside in a holding account in the event that that goes up that
• It requires reassessment periodically throughout their incarceration when a triggering event happens.

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:

• We've run a number of mass hiring events. I think we've run six in the last two years.
• We've hired 150 people altogether from those mass hiring events.
• automatic scrambling and masking of confidential taxpayer information, and also faster restoration in the event
• Those are the big ticket items, and that's why you see it significantly drop down, and then that's ongoing

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not an officer of the law, so I couldn't tell you if they would get a ticket for that for reckless
• together as far as a graphic on what's legal and what's not legal and handing it out at motorcycle events
• put together as far as a graphic on what's legal and what's not legal and handing out at motorcycle events
• So we respond to traumatic events as well as medical.

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2957, which would prohibit cities, towns, counties, and districts from requiring a digital or mobile driver license for government identification purposes and would require physical licenses to be accepted. The sponsor argued the bill preserves choice, privacy, and state control over identification, and several supporters said it protects informed consent and limits biometric data use. Some members raised concerns about travel requirements and proof of legal status, but the sponsor said the bill would not eliminate Real ID or change federal travel rules. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 4-3 vote. The committee then heard HB 2941, which would make certain unsafe motorcycle lane-splitting or lane-sharing behavior subject to reckless driving penalties. The sponsor said the bill is intended to address dangerous conduct and close a gap in enforcement, while a motorcycle rights advocate explained the difference between lane filtering, which is legal under Arizona law in limited circumstances, and lane splitting, which is not. Testimony emphasized public safety and education for riders. The committee approved the bill with a do pass recommendation on a 7-0 vote. Next, the committee considered HB 2305, as amended, dealing with private property towing. The bill would make towing rates a matter of statewide concern, tie charges to DPS tow service agreements, require documentation and notice requirements, and standardize rules for private towing carriers. Supporters said the measure would reduce confusion and predatory towing by creating uniform statewide standards, while opponents from the trucking industry argued the DPS rate structure was designed for emergency towing and that more stakeholder work was needed. After adopting an amendment clarifying the bill applies only to motor vehicles towed from private property, the committee passed the bill 7-0. Finally, the committee heard HB 2257, a strike-everything amendment changing how watercraft fee revenue is distributed between the watercraft licensing fund, the State Lake Improvement Fund, and boating safety/law enforcement purposes, while also requiring an annual expenditure report. Supporters said the change would help Mohave County and other local agencies that are covering more water patrol duties as Game and Fish resources are stretched, but Game and Fish warned the shift would create a significant fiscal impact and said the department is already operating with tight budgets. The committee adopted the amendment and gave the bill a do pass recommendation on a 4-3 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not an officer of the law, so I couldn't tell you if they would get a ticket for that, for reckless
• together as far as a graphic on what's legal and what's not legal and handing it out at motorcycle events
• put together as far as a graphic on what's legal and what's not legal and handing out at motorcycle events
• So we respond to traumatic events as well as medical.

Bills: HB2127 , HB2257 , HB2305 , HB2573 , HB2772 , HB2941 , HB2957

Committee: House Transportation & Infrastructure

Keywords: special license plates, transportation, funding, nonprofits, charitable contributions, boating, watercraft licensing, law enforcement, safety fund, state funding, Arizona Revised Statutes, towing regulation, private towing carriers, vehicle impound, towing rates, preemption, DUI, ignition interlock, substance abuse treatment, driving privileges

Transcript Highlights:

• It's called the Puppy for Life program, which ensures that, you know, in the event that something were
• We hosted adoption events, events where people would adopt animals and come back to us time and time
• Bulldogs, being a high-ticket commodity, were treated more like valuable inventory than vulnerable animals

Bills: HB74 , HB175 , HB460 , HB576 , HB2271 , HB2294 , HB2874 , HB3016 , HB3133 , HB3191 , HB3458 , HB3929 , HB4063 , HB4115 , HB4394 , HB74 , HB175

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• settings, such as House Bill 70, can provide relief from the emotional distress of these critical events
• I work with Yvette at the New Mexico Primary Care Association, and I'm here really in the event that
• a consumer has to petition the Department of the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance in the event
• Mexico, on average, will pay 80% more than the person with good credit, regardless of the number of tickets

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:08.799><c> This</c> the event of a pipeline incident.
• This the event of a pipeline incident.
• 00:25:29.440><c> young</c><00:25:29.600><c> people</c><00:25:29.760><c> have</c><00:25:30.000><c> tickets
• ,</c><00:25:30.400><c> fines,</c> So, if young people have tickets, fines, So, if young people have tickets
• for entertainment purposes, which is a one-day event involving a fleet of unmanned aircraft systems

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Our drone capability is why we are so successful in events like Mardi Gras.
• So I attended an event this past fall where...
• Every major event parade across the state, our drone unit is there.
• They're pretty much at every major event where there's a gathering.
• Chair Villio had already discussed that at great length at another event.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• I bought tickets three days before the trip, and then the calendar changed.
• ><c> from</c><01:03:15.520><c> my</c> had already bought tickets from my had already bought tickets from
• ><c> before</c><01:03:24.240><c> the</c> bought tickets three days before the bought tickets three days
• But in any event, that the concept here is simple. That one internal voice is good.
• But in any event, that the concept here is simple. That one internal voice is good.

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• The power is in leveraging our ability to put on those kinds of events.
• </c><00:19:40.480><c> And</c><00:19:40.640><c> not</c> put on those kinds of events.
• And not put on those kinds of events.
• Um, for the tickets, I'm just going to say that that was a number that I was not happy with.
• ,</c><01:12:34.640><c> um,</c> when I go to a recruitment event, um, when I go to a recruitment event

Transcript Highlights:

• Item two is House Bill 2, Section 179, relative to the max ticket going from $30 to $50.
• </c><00:35:22.320><c> going</c> 179 relative to the Max ticket going 179 relative to the Max ticket going
• amendment, or rather that section of House Bill 2, to keep that in there relative to the maximum ticket
• c> keep that in there relative to the keep that in there relative to the maximum<00:38:29.440><c> ticket
• so I think we at this maximum ticket so I think we at this point<00:38:31.520><c> can</c><00:38:31.720

Summary: The committee first heard Representative Sweeney present and defend the budget amendment legalizing video lottery terminals (VLTs) and setting a 30% tax rate, with 65% of the tax going to the state and 35% to charities. He argued the lower rate was needed to encourage operators of historic horse racing (HHR) machines to convert to VLTs, saying the higher 45% rate would discourage adoption. He walked through revenue projections for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, estimating significant increases in state and charity revenue as machines transition over time, and said the amendment was designed to expand charitable gaming revenue overall. Several members questioned the assumptions behind his projections and the basis for his analysis, including why his independent research differed from the governor’s and Lottery Commission’s estimates. Sweeney said his figures were based on research into other states and conversations over many years, and he maintained that a 45% tax would likely result in no VLT adoption. Members also debated whether the transition costs for operators would be quickly recouped and whether the state’s share should be larger. One member emphasized that the committee was effectively choosing between a lower operator share and a higher state share, while Sweeney argued the 30% structure would produce revenue for everyone. The committee then moved to other revenue items on the tracking sheet. It voted 7-0 to accept the Lottery Commission’s revised base revenue estimates. Members also discussed an amendment to repeal the local option requirement for Kino games, which would expand Kino availability and was estimated to generate additional lottery profit in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. That amendment drew opposition from members who said local control was an important part of the original Kino policy and that removing it would override municipal decisions. The committee also noted that the VLT/HHR revenue item had already been adopted and was being revisited only to confirm the associated revenue estimates.

Transcript Highlights:

• All of that is illegal. could um at uh their events uh serve could um at uh their events uh serve wine
• </c> you have six events a year. you have six events a year.
• I'm just curious if we have an event that we think is a 21-plus event, but we're allowing 18.
• </c> 21 plus event, but we're allowing 18. 21 plus event, but we're allowing 18.
• </c> into the event selling alcohol. Okay. into the event selling alcohol. Okay.

Summary: The committee first discussed a budget-related issue involving liquor commission enforcement staff and tobacco enforcement funding. A member explained that proposed cuts to “group two” enforcement positions at the liquor commission could jeopardize the tobacco enforcement money that flows to Health and Human Services, and expressed confidence that the enforcement division would ultimately be preserved. The main hearing was on Senate Bill 19, which would modernize hotel and motel statutes by repealing outdated requirements. The sponsor and the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association said the bill would remove obsolete rules such as the old guest book/card system and antiquated posting requirements for room rates and motel signs. Members questioned whether the bill would eliminate the requirement to record guest departure dates or affect inspection rights, and the witnesses said the intent was only to remove the book-and-card reference while leaving the rest of the recordkeeping requirement in place. Supporters argued the rate-posting rules are widely ignored, hard to enforce, and outdated in an era of digital reservations and variable pricing; the committee also discussed whether any consumer-protection purpose remained. The public hearing on SB 19 was then closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 280FN, which would require food delivery services to have an agreement with a restaurant or food retail store before offering delivery from that business. The sponsor said the bill restores a prior law that had sunset and was intended to prevent third-party platforms from listing restaurants without consent. Restaurant industry testimony strongly supported the bill, describing problems with unauthorized listings, delayed deliveries, and reimbursement disputes, and saying the agreement requirement protects restaurant brands and consumer expectations. Members shared examples of delivery problems and voiced support for reinstating the safeguard.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are offering up a ton of tax relief to people who go and purchase tennis tickets, to people who go
• And they still don't want to go pay for tennis tickets, but we're offering up tax breaks for people to
• several school districts approach us about a current-year decline in student enrollment caused by events

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Donnell C. Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. A quorum was announced, the journal was approved, and the Speaker said the chamber would take up 11 budget conference reports, with debate and final votes on each report. The first report considered was HB 7031E, the tax package, followed by HB 501E, the state budget appropriations bill. On HB 7031E, Chair Duggan explained that the conference report included a range of tax reductions and tax-related changes, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related provisions, reductions in certain taxes and fees, and new exemptions or administrative clarifications. He said the package also added items such as sales tax relief for certain university construction projects, a tennis admissions exemption, and changes to agricultural property tax treatment, and that the amendment reduced state and local tax revenues by $272.2 million. Members questioned the bill about the child care tax credit reduction from three years to one, the homestead exemption provision for certain diplomats and foreign service personnel, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the inclusion of firearm accessories and tennis tickets in sales tax holidays. After structured debate, the House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began the conference report on HB 501E, the $114.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, which was described as below the prior year’s spending level and leaving more than $14 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major allocations across education, higher education, IT, health care, transportation and economic development, justice, state administration, and agriculture/natural resources. Highlights included increased FEFP funding and veteran teacher raises, full funding for Bright Futures, major IT modernization projects, Medicaid and behavioral health funding, transportation and local infrastructure spending, correctional and law enforcement investments, fire station and emergency response funding, and large environmental and water-quality appropriations. Members asked detailed questions about school voucher fraud oversight, scholarship funding, teacher raises, preeminence funding, ADAP changes, SNAP data tools and error rates, Medicaid rate changes, prison wastewater monitoring, and other budget items, but the transcript ends during the budget questions before final action on HB 501E is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are offering up a ton of tax relief to people who go and purchase tennis tickets, to people who go
• And they still don't want to go pay for tennis tickets, but we're offering up breaks, tax breaks, for
• several school districts approach us about a current year decline in student enrollment caused by events

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Don Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. The chamber announced it would take up 11 budget conference committee reports, with no third-reading bills or special-order calendar items. Members were reminded that conference reports were subject to debate but not amendment, and that the required review periods had been satisfied. The first major action was on HB 7031E, the tax package. Representative Duggan explained that the conference report included a mix of retained, modified, and new tax provisions, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related changes, reductions in certain gaming and carbon-related taxes, changes to child care and documentary stamp tax credits, a new refund process for public works construction tax paid by universities and colleges, and other tax administration changes. Debate focused on the bill’s consumer impact, the reduction of the child tax credit from three years to one, the inclusion of firearm accessories in a sales tax holiday, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the homestead exemption provision for certain deployed diplomatic and foreign service personnel. Critics argued the package favored niche or corporate interests over broad affordability relief, while supporters said it provided targeted tax relief and reflected conference negotiations. The House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began presenting the conference report for HB 501E, the state budget, which totaled $114.5 billion for fiscal year 2026-27 and was described as below the prior year’s spending level while maintaining reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major budget areas: pre-K-12 funding included an increase in FEFP, salary increases for veteran teachers, stabilization funding, and support for declining enrollment; higher education included full Bright Futures funding, workforce programs, college operating support, university initiatives, and school guardian expansion; IT funding focused on Palm, ACCESS, APD’s I-Connect replacement, corrections systems, emergency management systems, and cybersecurity grants; health care funding covered Medicaid, nursing home rates, waiver provider increases, ADAP funding and restructuring, child welfare, and behavioral health; transportation and economic development included housing, cultural grants, jobs and rural infrastructure, Visit Florida, Space Florida, highway patrol equipment, and local transportation projects; justice funding included correctional construction, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement grants, and clerk and due process reimbursements; state administration included fire stations, constrained counties, building maintenance, and Safe Florida Home; and agriculture/natural resources funding emphasized Everglades restoration, water quality, land acquisition, Florida Forever, state parks, and citrus research. Members then began questioning the budget details, including school voucher accountability, school funding formulas, public defender parity, prison technology, wastewater monitoring in prisons, ADAP policy, SNAP fraud controls and AI-assisted verification, Florida Forever funding, school lunch funding, and coral reef restoration. No final vote on HB 501E appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seems like this might become an annual event, so let's call this the second annual ITSD review.
• Someone leaves, they don't enter the right ticket, and we keep getting charged for that phone.
• And so she has been the one who's primarily been putting in the different tickets to allow us to understand

Committee: House Subcommittee on Appropriations - General Administration

Summary: The subcommittee held an informational hearing on the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) within the Office of Administration, with no quorum present and no formal action taken. Chair Voss said the purpose was to review ITSD’s programs, budget needs, and future plans, and members emphasized the value of an informed appropriator. Representative Riggs cautioned that the state should avoid jeopardizing federal broadband funding and asked that AI-related work remain consistent with federal expectations. ITSD leadership, including CIO John Loren and Deputy CIO Tara Damp, outlined the division’s scope and recent modernization efforts. They said ITSD supports 15 executive agencies plus the governor and lieutenant governor, manages about 1,200 production software solutions, handles roughly 35,000 help desk requests per month, and defends against billions of cyberattacks monthly. They highlighted investments in layered security, data center and network redundancy, a unified Microsoft 365 environment, modern development tools, and portal platforms. Damp reviewed the history of IT consolidation, noting budget reductions after 2007, then increased investment beginning in 2020 and especially with ARPA funds in fiscal 2023. Members asked about spending projections, subscription-based licensing, procurement modernization, and the role of non-consolidated agencies such as MoDOT and Conservation. The committee also discussed future funding needs and benchmarking. ITSD said its current spending is about $287 million, with a projected ongoing need of about $345 million to maintain and modernize services, while Gartner comparisons suggested Missouri spends less per employee and as a share of operating budget than peer states. Members asked for more detailed fiscal-year spending profiles for major initiatives and for clarification on what is and is not included in the projections, including Social Services and HR1-related work. ITSD said it would provide additional detail. A major portion of the hearing focused on AI strategy and governance. Tim Marsheski, ITSD’s director of AI and innovation, described a cautious, pilot-based approach centered on secure use, human oversight, and data governance. He cited examples such as an internal HR chatbot that reduced average response time from about 45 minutes to two minutes, pilots with DESE data transformation, and efforts to use AI for code assistance, document scanning, and workflow support. Members asked about workforce impacts, training, closed versus open models, and whether AI could help with auditing and fiscal analysis. ITSD said it is still early on workforce forecasting, but it is building governance, acceptable-use policies, and feedback loops to test tools, measure results, and scale only when they provide value and remain secure.

Transcript Highlights:

• May we find reassurance in this troubling time that none of these world events or late nights at the
• Ninety-nine percent of people that got ticketed on photo radar systems, and back then were turning right
• Ninety-nine percent of people that got ticketed on photo radar systems, and back then, were turning right

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a journal approval, and recognitions including the Doctor of the Day and guests. Members also adopted a proclamation honoring National School Social Work Week, with remarks emphasizing the role of school social workers in student mental health, crisis intervention, and family support. The chamber then moved through first readings and multiple Committee of the Whole calendars. On the first calendar, the House considered HB 2123, HB 2140, and HB 2144, all dealing with gold and silver or child support beginning at pregnancy. HB 2123 and HB 2140 were amended and recommended do pass; HB 2144 drew debate over paternity, genetic testing, rape-related pregnancies, and whether support should begin before birth, but it also received a do-pass recommendation as amended. The House adopted the Committee of the Whole report and engrossed those bills. On a later calendar, the House advanced HB 2492 on urban growth boundaries, HB 2875 with clarifying amendments, HB 2946 on housing affordability and construction costs, and HB 4115 and HCR 2051 on ballot initiative petition rules and disclosure. Supporters said those measures would improve transparency and ensure Arizona initiatives are driven by residents, while opponents argued they would make it harder for citizens to qualify measures and would burden direct democracy. The House also considered HB 2175 on hate-crime law, HB 2270, HB 2416, HB 2495, HB 2557, HB 2697, HB 2940, and HB 4010. HB 2175 prompted a failed attempt to add a Garcia amendment that would have included gender identity and removed political affiliation from the hate-crime statute; the House later adopted the Committee of the Whole report without that amendment. HB 2557 was described as a medical-records bill changing timing from calendar days to business days, and HB 2697 was explained as a Good Samaritan-style measure extending protections for expired opioid antagonists such as Narcan. HB 2940 drew substantial opposition from Democrats and health advocates who said it would cut people off SNAP and Medicaid/Access and could violate pension protections, while the sponsor argued it would reduce ineligible enrollment and save money; it still advanced as amended. HB 4010 also advanced as amended. In the final portion, the House took up HB 2324, HB 2573, HB 2601, HB 2876, and HCR 2004. HCR 2004, on photo enforcement, was amended to allow cities with photo radar to put the issue to local voters; supporters framed it as a compromise and a local-choice measure, while opponents argued photo enforcement saves lives and reduces speeding-related crashes. The House adopted the Committee of the Whole reports, then reconsidered earlier failed bills HB 2055, HB 2150, HB 2426, and HB 2755. The chamber also passed several third-reading bills, including HB 2264 and HB 2373, while HB 2413 failed. The transcript ends amid debate and voting on HB 2862, a sentencing bill involving crimes committed while wearing a mask.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, this is a logical series of events that happens in a criminal investigation.
• between Paradise Valley, which I believe Senator Rogers made a great argument that they write 10... ...tickets
• it will be, well, let's do a little bit for this and that, and you know, it's kind of like traffic tickets

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1114, which would appropriate $1 million to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to investigate patient brokering in behavioral health and substance abuse treatment. Sponsor Sen. Werner described patient brokering as a continuing abuse tied to the state’s Medicaid fraud crisis, especially affecting Native Americans, and said the county attorney had the capacity to handle statewide oversight. The bill was moved and received a do pass recommendation on a 9-0-1 vote. The committee then considered SB 1111, as amended by a strike-everything amendment, to create statewide rules for automated license plate readers. Supporters from law enforcement said ALPRs are important for investigations, missing persons, stolen vehicles, and violent crimes, and argued the bill adds needed guardrails and training requirements. Opponents, including the ACLU, Institute for Justice, and private citizens, warned the systems enable mass surveillance, can be inaccurate, and raise Fourth Amendment and privacy concerns; they also objected to broad terms like “legitimate” law enforcement purposes and the lack of a clear retention limit. The committee adopted the amendment and then gave SB 1111, as amended, a do pass recommendation by a 7-2-1 vote. Next, SB 1116, as amended, was heard to require behavioral health claim denials and appeals at AHCCCS to be reviewed by someone with relevant clinical experience. Sen. Werner said the bill responds to improper denials and appeals handled by staff without behavioral health expertise; AHCCCS was neutral but said the bill could create compliance and staffing issues because “relevant clinical experience” is not well defined. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 10-0. SB 1122, also as amended, would bar AHCCCS from requiring prior authorization or 100% prepayment review for certain behavioral health services under the American Indian Health Plan unless a provider is on a corrective action plan; Werner said it was aimed at ensuring providers are paid and reducing patient brokering. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1122 10-0. Finally, the committee heard SB 1072, which would appropriate ongoing state and Medicaid funds to DES for rate increases for home- and community-based services and room-and-board services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with reporting on workforce outcomes. Supporters from APAD and providers said the direct care workforce is in crisis, with large numbers of vacancies, overtime costs, and unassigned authorizations, and argued the funding is needed to retain staff and maintain care. Members discussed wage disparities, whether funds would reach caregivers, and the limits of legislative control over private provider pay, but no vote on SB 1072 was reached before the transcript ended.